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Find Your Passion

There is one common denominator among all the “Women of Influence” that grace our podium each year. Passion.

These women come from all sectors, and range from emerging leaders, to senior executives, to entrepreneurs and powerful trailblazers. They have passion for what they do. Passion for work. Passion for life. It’s the only way you can work 14+ hours a day and live to tell the tale (or success story on our podium).

I found my passion in 2004. I was working at TD Waterhouse, travelling across Canada profiling acclaimed author and broadcaster, Patricia Lovett Reid, for the company’s high value clients. It was a great experience, and I knew I was getting close to the career I wanted, I had “smoke but no cigar”, as my father would say… so I applied to do a Master’s of Communication at Columbia. Why? Because I wanted three things: I wanted to work for a Magazine, I wanted to be in the action (which meant none other than New York City), and I wanted to advance my career, pronto, but had no experience or link to either.

The process of filling out that application was the brilliant part. It pushed me to consider why I wanted those things, what was I going to do with that degree? And, to my amazement, after filling it all out there was the answer in black and white at the bottom of my last essay… “I want to influence women”. “Ah ha!” I could make this process a whole lot easier if I just took my experience (in events and marketing, NOT writing or sales for magazines) and worked for a company who runs events that influence women to reach their careers goals, and there just has to be one in Toronto. I picked up the phone immediately and the rest is history.

I think it’s interesting to note that this time of my life also marked the start of training for IRONMAN, and the subsequent realization that I had a lot of energy, and the capacity for so much more than I was producing; IF I was passionate about what I was doing.

The end result? I became an Event Director, and apprentice to run the business, at Women of Influence Inc. On schedule, I succeeded the founder 2 years later. And off we went. I work all the time, and I thrive on every minute.

I’m convinced that this process can work for you too. If you’re not sure what it is that you’re passionate about, if you’re still searching for work that completely engages your talent and skills, then join us for my workshop on June 1st. www.youngwomenofinfluence.ca