Beginner Women

In this episode Paulette Senior joins host Katharine Cornfield to share her inspiring personal and professional journey; elaborate on the vital work to underway at the Canadian Women's Foundation; and explore what the future might look like for a new generation of girls and young women. Listen in to learn why it's never too early to support girls' well-being, why advocating for societal change is a long game, and what role you can play in creating gender equality every day.

Episode Highlights:

• Discover what life is really like for girls in Canada today; what challenges and barriers they face; and why early intervention in supporting the health and well-being of girls is so important.
• Understand why, even though society needs men to be a part of the solution, programming for girls and young women is so critical.
• Hear an advocate's view of what the future looks like for girls and young women, despite the strong societal and cultural forces they confront.
• Learn why making space for a young woman you know and amplifying her voice will help more women move into high impact decision making roles across every domain.

For more from ambiSHEous™ and the Beginner Women Podcast, follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @ambiSHEous or receive updates straight in your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter

Recommend Resources:

• canadianwomen.org
• Join the Tireless (video)

In this Episode of Beginner Women, join host Katharine Cornfield as she and Dr. Golnaz Golnaraghi discuss gender, diversity and the importance of developing future leaders. Tune in to learn how best to support young women as they navigate and advance their careers, especially for those with overlapping aspects to their identity. Discover how Golnaz's own lived experience has informed her research and inspired her to create Accelerate Her Future™.

Episode Highlights:

• Learn the practical steps Golnaz followed to navigate the transition from Marketing Manager for a multi-national to academic, and the key relationship that made an impact.
• Hear what it means to be an Intersectional Feminist Management Scholar, the premise behind Dr. Golnaraghi's research into diversity and inclusion, and how this perspective has informed her consulting work.
• Learn more about Accelerate Her Future™, the career accelerator for self-identifying young women of colour launched by Golnaz, what this program does to support early career advancement, and why it is critically important.
• Dig into the concept of social capital and discover why relationships and community matter when it comes to girls and young women in the midst of major transitions.

For more from ambiSHEous™ and the Beginner Women Podcast, follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @ambiSHEous or receive updates straight in your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter

Recommended Resources:

• golnazgolnaraghi.com
• Accelerate Her Future™ 
• @accelerateherfuture

In this Episode of Beginner Women, join host Katharine Cornfield as she and Tanya Woods discuss our digital future, demystify big concepts like Blockchain and Bitcoin, and explore what we, collectively, must do to ensure a new generation of diverse young women are not just included in, but are actively building our brave new world. Constantly evolving, technology will never stop, and it is no longer practical to 'leave it to the experts'. The key instead is to acknowledge its presence, dig into the learning, and stay engaged.

Tune in to this forward-looking conversation and learn why digital literacy means more than just learning to code, and what you can do to ensure the beginner women you know don't turn a blind eye to technology. No matter what they study in school.

Episode Highlights:

• Understand why ferocious curiosity is more than a career-boosting skill, it's key to keeping pace with technology and innovation.
• Hear what Blockchain really means, how it's changing the way we exchange, and why the basics are important to know.
• Discover the link between digital and financial literacy for young women, the importance of diversity when it comes to building a more inclusive digital future, and why a breadth of skills are needed to fill the roles available in Canada's tech sector.
• Learn where to go and what to read or watch in order to close your own knowledge gaps, and why it's important to remember your learning sets the example for those who follow your lead.

For more from ambiSHEous™ and the Beginner Women Podcast, follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @ambiSHEous or receive updates straight in your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter

Recommended Resources:

• digitalchamber.org/canada
• The Blockchain Revolution by Don Tapscott and Alex Tapscott
• The Knowledge Society
• Crypto Chicks

In this episode of Beginner Women, host Katharine Cornfield is joined by Maureen McCann, founder of ProMotion Career Solutions a BC-based company that helps people get unstuck from unhappy careers by promoting their natural aptitudes, talents, and experiences to land jobs they truly love. An expert in resume writing and job search tactics, Maureen works with executives across Canada to power their next career step.

Listen in as Katharine and Maureen discuss value of career development for young women, the importance of experiential learning, and what it will really take to thrive in the future of work. Filled with practical, actionable insights, this episode will empower the parents, educators and allies as they guide the beginner women in their lives towards independence.

Episode Highlights:

• Learn what career development means, why it’s relevant for young women, and what the Wizard of Oz has in common with career professionals.
• Learn about the importance of ‘watching for the spark,’ exposing girls to their areas of interest, and how experiential learning builds confidence.
• Hear how Maureen’s daughter’s request for a data plan led them to resume writing and discover the exact steps she followed to help her daughter find her first job.
• Discover the 3 key people every high school student should meet before they graduate and how the role of guidance counsellors has changed.
• Hear why the future of work shouldn’t spell fear, what skills will really matter, and how to ensure the #beginnerwomen you know are prepared.

For more from ambiSHEous™ and the Beginner Women Podcast, follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @ambiSHEous or receive updates straight in your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter

Recommended Resources

ProMotion Career Solutions

TEDx Talks Hijacking Your Child’s Education – Jane Andraka

Girls on the Job: Realities in Canada, Girl Guides of Canada

“How will you help your student navigate a successful career path?”

“How to help your student build his/her first résumé?”

“Co-op learning gets $9M funding boost”

In this episode of Beginner Women, Susan joins host Katharine Cornfield to talk about financial literacy for female founders, diversity and inclusion within organizations, and the value of real-life role models and storytelling when it comes to piquing interest in a career path.

Episode Highlights:

• Recognize that girls and young women aren’t behind when it comes to understanding money – they already have what they need to succeed.
• Discover the link between business models and capital streams, and why these building blocks matter.
• Learn what it takes to drive organizations forward through diversity and inclusion and what it means for building the workforce of the future

For more from ambiSHEous™ and the Beginner Women Podcast, follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @ambiSHEous or receive updates straight in your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter.

Recommended Resources

• Numbercrunch
• Givopoly
• Invest Ottawa
• ambiSHEous™ StartUp Self™ Sessions
• Invest Ottawa’s Gender Diversity and Inclusion Guidelines

In this Episode of Beginner Women, host Katharine Cornfield is joined by Chantal Brine, CEO of En Point, an organization that leverages strategy, meaningful connections, and mentorship to help young people find their passions and transform that knowledge into careers they love.

Listen in as Chantal and Katharine explore what authentic mentor/mentee relationships look like, the role mentors play in supporting young women to rise and thrive in the workforce, and how you can be the kind of mentor the Beginner Women in your life need. 

Episode Highlights: 

• Learn how listening and coaching can have a positive influence on a Beginner Woman as she navigates career decisions and challenges.  
• Recognize the role mentors play in supporting Beginner Women to build resiliency, fail gracefully and rebound from mistakes. 
• Hear how to honour and support high-achievers through their transition to a new context.
• Discover how an entrepreneurial skill-set and financial knowledge will serve Beginner Women throughout their life, regardless of what profession(s) they pursue. 
• Understand how mentors can help Beginner Women to get out of their own way and believe in their own power. 

For more from ambiSHEous™ and the Beginner Women Podcast, follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @ambiSHEous or receive updates straight in your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter

Recommended Resources

• En Point
• Career Educators and Employers Conference
• Junior Achievement Canada
• En Point Mentorship Program
• Chantal’s TED Talk ‘ Get Out of Your Own Way’ 
• The En Point Process and Mission
• Deloitte Mentorship Study 
• Nike Women’s Soccer Ad 

Nancy joins podcast host Katharine Cornfield to explore why it’s important for #BeginnerWomen to differentiate between personal and business finance, why accounting isn’t as boring as it sounds, and how important role models really are when it comes to financial behaviours. Listen in to hear Nancy share insights from her career journey, highlight the challenges she faced along the way, and how the CWCC is levelling the playing field for women entrepreneurs. 

Episode Highlights:

• Learn more about top challenges faced by women in business, including access to capital.
• Discover key money management basics #beginnerwomen need to know, including how credit works, why it matters, and how to use it responsibly.
• Recognize why it’s important that #beginnerwomen understand the critical distinction between personal and business finance. 
• Understand the importance of financial literacy for #beginnerwomen when navigating life and work, whether in business or as an employee.

This episode of the Beginner Women Podcast is brought to you by Interac Corp. 

For more from ambiSHEous™ and the Beginner Women Podcast, follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @ambiSHEous or receive updates straight in your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter.

Recommended Resources

• Canadian Women’s Chamber of Commerce
• Novus Accounting
• Women and Gender Equality Canada
• Financial Literacy Month

In this episode of Beginner Women, join host Katharine Cornfield and Graham Donald, Founder & President of Brainstorm Strategy Group, as they discuss what’s inside the minds of post-secondary students as they approach graduation, navigate the school to work transition, and figure out their first steps into entry-level employment. Tune in to learn how you can help support this major milestone for the Beginner Women in your life.

Episode Highlights:

• Discover what’s top of mind at graduation and why it’s ok if bold ambitions take a back seat to getting grounded.
• Learn what employers are looking for in an entry-level hire and why employment experience is just as important as extracurriculars, even for students as young as high-school.
• Understand who the biggest influencers are when it comes to a young person’s career and education choices, and why the personal experience of parents isn’t always the best source of advice.
• Uncover the one major move parents can make early to ensure the beginner women in their lives get the right career information at the right time (and mitigate their ‘failure to launch’ fears while they’re at it).
• Debunk the myth that GenZ  are lazy and finally define what ‘flexible workplace’ really means to early-career employees.

For more from ambiSHEous™ and the Beginner Women Podcast, follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @ambiSHEous or receive updates straight in your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter.

Recommended Resources:

• Brainstorm Strategy Group 
• Future Workforce Conference 2019
• Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers (CACEE)
• The Brainstorm Report: Student Career Interests Benchmark Report
• University of Regina’s Job Guarantee

As CEO and owner of the Economic Club of Canada (a position she assumed at just 26 years old) and founder of the Junior Economic Club, Rhiannon stands out for more than just her success as a young woman in the midst of Toronto’s male-dominated C-suite crowd. Not only has she taken her seat at the table, Rhiannon is also using her influence to challenge establishment thinking, create long-lasting social impact in underserved communities, and encourage financial well-being among youth.

In this episode of Beginner Women, Rhiannon and host Katharine Cornfield discuss:

✔ Rhiannon’s personal journey overcoming hardship, fear and bias to reach a position of influence and power as a young woman.

✔ How finding a purpose beyond herself empowered Rhiannon to find her voice, take action on her values, and challenge the status quo by incorporating community impact into her work.

✔ Rhiannon’s unique perspective on the link between financial well-being and mental health; the importance of normalizing conversations about money at home; and what girls learn from everyday role models and parents just by observation.

✔ Why typical financial literacy education misses the mark and how programs like the Jr. Economic Club and ambiSHEous are making financial concepts more relevant to young women by acknowledging deeply held beliefs grounded in lived experience, integrating a systems lens, and providing more socio-economic context around money.

✔ The transformative potential of positioning girls and young women for economic independence early.

This episode of the Beginner Women Podcast is brought to you by Interac Corp.

For more from ambiSHEous™ and the Beginner Women Podcast, follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @ambiSHEous or receive updates straight in your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

• Economic Club of Canada
• Junior Economic Club

In this episode of Beginner Women, host Katharine Cornfield is joined by Jean-Philippe (JP) Michel, founder of SparkPath, a company helping young people to create extraordinary careers by exploring the real-world challenges that inspire them. Through SparkPath, Jean-Phillipe is working to pivot the career conversation away from job title ambitions toward problem-solving and purpose.

In this episode, Katharine and Jean-Philippe explore: 

• Purpose-driven, rather than title-driven, career development models. 
• Encouraging Beginner Women to adopt a problem-solving mindset that reframes challenges as opportunities.
• Equipping Beginner Women with the skills they need to solve the problems they are passionate about. 
• Strategies to help Beginner Women learn about their interests and motivations, and the influence this can have on career and education choices.
• Advice for parents and teachers as they guide Beginner Women through education and career choices and advancement. 

For more Beginner Women, follow ambiSHEous™ on Twitter and Facebook @ambiSHEous, or subscribe to our newsletter! 

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

• Spark Path
• Order your own Challenge Cards set
• Jamie Casap and the skills students need (YouTube, 2019)
• Christine Corbett Moran