Easy as 1-2-3? Sheryl Sandberg thinks so.

Sheryl Sandberg is Mark Zuckerberg’s second-in-command.  Yes, that Mark Zuckerberg.  Sheryl is Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer, and since joining the social network giant in 2008, has forged a strong partnership with its elusive founder and made a name for herself both online and off amongst techies and businesspeople alike.  Sheryl is also a strong advocate for women empowerment, particularly in the workplace.  Her talk at TED in 2010 about why we have too few women leaders comes up as one of the first three results on Google when you search for her. The clip is about 15 minutes long, and in it you’ll see a polished, well-spoken, commanding woman who is obviously the envy of the crowd she’s addressing.  When Sheryl Sandberg talks, people listen.  At TED, Sheryl discusses a problem – women are not at the top of any career sector, from technology to non-profit, and haven’t been for a while.  How do we change this?  She breaks it down to three pieces of advice:

1)     Sit at the table.  Women systematically underestimate themselves and their abilities, and tend to attribute success to external factors for which they are not responsible.  This translates to women standing off to the side and purposely not joining the guys at the table, even though they probably belong there, discussing deals, proposing ideas and taking credit for results.  “No one gets to the corner office by sitting on the side,” Sheryl says.  So, own your success – sit at the table!

2)     Make your partner your real partner.  In couples where both partners have full-time jobs, women tend to perform a disproportionate amount of housework and child care.  Basically, we’re trying to equalize things in the workplace, but we haven’t yet equalized things at home.  Home life duties need to fall to both partners, and it has to be valued – no matter who is doing the work.

3)     Don’t leave before you leave.  Women who are thinking about the next big thing in their lives get trapped in a mindset that makes them forget about the present.  Sheryl advises to keep your foot on the gas pedal all the time.  Keep engaging, keep learning, and keep challenging yourself – up until you move on to the next chapter.

What I loved about Sheryl’s talk at TED is that she addresses a very real, very big issue – but offers us small, doable chunks of guidance that, when done one at a time, or in baby steps, can have significant, sizeable impact.  Not enough women in leadership positions?  How can I – one woman – affect any kind of change to shift this statistic?  Well, I personally can start by saying a simple “thank you” at my department meetings when I’m complimented on the success of a major project.  I always say “it was a team effort and I just worked with some great people.”  I can also quit beginning some of my sentences with “This may have been done before, and it might sound kind of dumb, but here’s my idea.”

Do you, dear YWiB-ers, agree with Sheryl’s tips and tricks?  Is it that easy?  Can we change the way things are by employing her three tactics outlined at TED?  What’s something you can do to help move women onward and upward?

And for your viewing pleasure...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18uDutylDa4&w=500&h=284

happy #IWD!

Today is International Women’s Day.  When I started thinking about this post, I knew that whatever we wrote had to be crazy profound, informative, celebratory, and engaging.  So I did what every curious, thirsty-for-knowledge YWiB-er would do: I went to Google.  And it actually turned out to be a great place to start, since whenever I search for something on Google I’m reminded of the power and impact of women today, and I’m always, always amazed.  Know why?  Because that blessedly simple homepage, those fun-tastic Google Doodle logos, that perfect list of links I get after hitting enter – and my Gmail account, for goodness sake – those elements are the work of Marissa Mayer, a personal hero of mine and Google’s former vice president, search and user experience.  Mayer is now the search giant’s vice president, location and local services (that’s Google Maps and Google Earth to us common-folk).  She’s a cupcake-loving, thirtysomething fashionista who has a Masters in Computer Science from Stanford and was Google’s first female engineer.  Happy International Women’s Day, indeed. Anyways, back to my Google search (thanks, Marissa!).  International Women’s Day is more than a century old, having begun in 1909.  It honours the achievements women have made on a political, economic and social scale all over the world.

What’s happening on this day of celebration?

• The United Nation's theme for 2012 International Women's Day is "Empower Women - End Hunger & Poverty."  Click here for more.  (Link to http://www.trust.org/trustlaw/blogs/international-womens-day-2012/empower-rural-women-end-hunger-and-poverty-michelle-bachelet/)
• The Vancouver Board of Parks & Recreation is hosting Remarkable Women: Honoring Women From Our Vancouver Communities, a poster series at Creekside Community Centre.  Posters have been on display since January 2012, and can also be viewed in local community centres, schools and libraries.  Go by Creekside tonight at 6 pm to honour the local women artists in the poster series.  Find out more here. (Link to http://vancouver.ca/parks/arts/remarkablewomen2012.htm)
• International Women’s Day, eh?  We here in Canada are celebrating “Strong Women, Strong Canada – Women in Rural, Remote and Northern Communities: Key to Canada's Economic Prosperity.”  Click here for more.  (Link to http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/dates/iwd-jif/index-eng.html)

YWiB is proud to be a part of such a great international community.  We’ve got a rich history, and we’re only just starting out!  Here are some highlights of our contributions to the young women in our own backyard:

• Beyond Pink is a unique, high-impact, two-day conference aimed at providing real world skills that are applicable to girls from all walks of life.  What started in 2009 became YWiB’s signature event, bringing delegates mentor dinners, insightful workshops, the Entre-Carnival tradeshow, inspirational keynote speakers and panels, and a conference experience like no other.  Watch for Beyond Pink 2012 – it’s back and it’s going to be better than ever!
• Miss Representation Screening and Panel
• Miss Representation is the documentary film that’s taken the world by storm, exploring women's under-representation in positions of power and influence in America and challenges the limited portrayal of women in mainstream media.  YWiB, of course, got our hands on it and in partnership with the YWCA Metro Vancouver, Networking in Vancouver, PeaceGeeks, and Vancouver's Women Business Networks, held not one but TWO screenings of the film as well as a panel discussion with some of the city’s biggest names in PR and media,
• For #IWD, Miss Rep & Lovesocial have partnered to create this great video, check it out!
• Cross-Generational Salons
• We bridge that gap they call generational by bringing an accomplished group of Vancouver’s women leaders together with the next crop of girls who want to follow in their footsteps for questions, answers and everything in between.  The next cross-generational salon is coming up soon – you’ll find the details here so keep watching this space!

Of course, we at YWiB wouldn't be where we are today without the amazing women who have paved the way for us and helped us along in this incredible movement.  We’re so lucky to have such wonderful members, advisors, partners, and supporters – THANK YOU!  Our mission is to connect young women with the skills and support to achieve success on their own terms and to become engaged members within their communities.  We can do this because of the women who have set the stage before us in years past, and we hope to equip all of YOU with the tools to do the same for the future.

Happy International Women’s Day!

“ I love quotes. I’ve collected quotes since the beginning of Google.  There was one that really stuck with me that was on the cover of the Stanford admissions letter the year that I got in: ‘The world is before you, and you need not take or leave it as it was when you came in.’” – Marissa Mayer

chatting with...anne giardini

Anne is what people have called a “petite powerhouse.”  A lawyer called to the bars of both Ontario and British Columbia, much of her career has been spent as in-house counsel and, more recently, as a corporate executive.  Since 2008, Anne has been President of Weyerhaeuser Company Limited, a subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser Company, an integrated forest products company with a head office in Federal Way, Washington, and a presence in 13 countries.  She works closely with senior management on both sides of the border on corporate, legal, policy and strategic issues. Anne is active as a volunteer in the community.  She is also an author, journalist, and frequent public speaker on a range of topics, in addition to being a great supporter of YWiB.  We were lucky enough to get inside her busy mind for a quick chat.

name three people you'd like to have a dinner party with. Limiting myself to people who are alive, and people I don't normally have dinner with, I'd chose the writers Malcolm Gladwell, David Mitchell and Hilary Mantel. We would talk about writing, naturally, as well as creativity, the way our minds work, and how to positively affect human behaviours in order to change the world.

as a novelist, do you ever get writer’s block?  how do you push through it? I was a non-fiction writer years ago, but have been a fiction writer since I started to write novels. I do get writer’s block. It is an odd affliction because the cause and the symptom are both the same - not writing.  The cure is to write. You need to write fluently and vigorously, regardless of quality. Over time, the quality and quantity do return.

how do you balance life as the CEO of Weyerhaeuser and a mother? I am fortunate to have healthy, independent children, a healthy independent spouse, and reliable household help. Also, I have abundant energy and a positive spirit. I am constantly astonished at how many people who are young and in the peak of health comment that they have too little time to read, create, exercise, see friends, do volunteer work, etc. Assuming you work, as I do, 7 to 5, that leaves five or six hours every evening free, as well as many weekend hours.  Use these hours to do something you love.

advice you would give to someone wanting to go to law school? There are two kinds of people who do well in law. First, people who are very good at details. Second, people who are very good at higher level strategic thinking.  The best lawyers are both. If you are only one or the other, you may struggle from time to time, in law school and in practice, but once you learn to play to your strengths you can do fine, especially if you work with people who have the opposite skill set.  You must in any case be very hard working and you should relish hard work, in fact take delight in it.

why do you think YWiB and the YWiB philosophy is important for young women in the community? Women in particular do seem to benefit from role models. It gives us a sense of what life could be like, so we can visualize it, effectively try it on for size to see if it suits us.  Organizations like YWiB provide a wide range of examples of the path forward, and show young women what can be possible. We tend to doubt ourselves, so it is important to have a forum in which to air both certainties and uncertainties so we can share the former and address the latter.

Congratulations Stephanie Wong

We love to see our ladies succeed and gain recognition for their achievements! Congratulations to YWiB SFU's last president, Stephanie Wong for winning the HSBC Women in Business Leadership Award!

Stephanie was selected for her outstanding academic achievement and record of student leadership. At SFU, she helped establish SFU’s Young Women in Business (YWiB) chapter. Additionally, she founded programs such as the Supporting Our University Leaders (SOUL) Mentorship Program and GIVE (Generating Innovative Visions of Entrepreneurship) for Social Entrepreneurs.

Over the next five years, this prestigious award will be granted to four female SFU students and our very own Stephanie Wong is the first to receive it!  As a recipient, Stephanie will receive $10,000 per year for her final two years of her Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Way to go!

“It is an incredible honour to be the first SFU recipient of the HSBC Women in Business Leadership Awards,” said Stephanie Wong. “This generous award will enable me to further my education and dedicate my time to making a positive impact on the issues I am most passionate about, including building a more diverse workplace for myself and my peers.”

Well Stephanie, we can't tell you how proud we are to have you on our side! We have no doubt that you will make your mark, inspire difference and create a better workplace for all ladies out there. Congratulations again and we wish you luck with the rest of your studies! :)

Read the full article here

chatting with...maili wong

YWiB is lucky to have super inspiring women in our network, and couldn't be more pleased to bring you up-close-and-personal with some of these ladies through our series of blog interviews.  today we're chatting with maili wong, vice-president and investment advisor for CIBC Wood Gundy, and member of YWiB's board of advisors!

name three people you'd like to have a dinner party with. Hilary Clinton, Ayn Rand (author of Atlas Shrugged) and my Grandmother Poh Poh Yen (who passed away about 14 years ago).  These are some mighty women from different generations but oh the conversations we could have over dinner! what's the harder job: vp, portfolio manager and investment adviser at cibc, or mom of an 18-month-old? both roles are equally challenging and yet rewarding.  I would say the harder job is balancing the two!  I would love 48 hours in a day to spend my time doing both.

fill in the blank: i wish i could stop __________________ but i just can't! I wish I could stop my mind running and thinking all the time but I just can't!  Sometimes I get my best ideas as soon as I wake up in the morning and just let my mind play and wander.

advice you would give to someone wanting to make it big in the investment banking world. I would suggest trying to get some early and relevant work experience at a big firm (investment bank or wealth management company) in a major city like New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai or London.  Big firms often can give people starting their careers a broader perspective of the various roles within the investment banking world, while providing mobility and mentorship across departments.  Also, seek out really great mentors who will take the time to listen to you and coach you.

you lived and worked in new york city, which is something so many people only dream of.  how did that shape your career, especially being in the throes of 9/11? It was a total game changer for me, both personally and professionally.  Living through the crisis of 9/11 taught me to be resilient and to face challenges without turning back.  I was lucky to have had the chance to start my career in New York and also lucky that I was able to take that risk without having to be responsible for a family.  Facing those challenges early on in my career helped give me the confidence to take on other challenges in life knowing that if I fail, I am lucky to be alive and to live to fight another day, and that in the end life is too short and can end too suddenly to not just go for it.

what do you wish for your future self, and your daughter? I wish for my future self to continue to be happy, healthy and surrounded by the people I love.  I wish for my daughter to live in a world where she can and does achieve all of her dreams and that she makes a positive impact on others.

why do you think YWiB and the YWiB philosophy is important for our community? I believe passionately about what YWiB provides to its members and our community because it's all about empowering the right people.  Give young women who have the enthusiasm and ideas the right mentorship, confidence and resources to follow their instincts and we all will benefit from better businesses, stronger leaders and a more vibrant community.  YWiB fills a very necessary gap and provides so much value to people who are willing to step up and take advantage of it. I feel so fortunate to have been involved since the very early days of planning the first Beyond Pink event.  The girls came to me for my advice at a 7 am coffee meeting at the nearby Caffe Artigiano and I was blown away by their excitement about the idea (did I mention it was 7 am?) and all I think I said was "it's a great idea - do it" and here we are today.  Over the years I have enjoyed being a part of the YWiB experience as a speaker, a supporter, as an Advisory Board member and as a Mom to the Youngest YWiB member yet (she's 1.5 yrs old but has already attended her first YWiB panel discussion)!

for more on maili, check out this great article feature in the vancouver sun!

You Can Do Good Anywhere

Have you ever felt that you’re unable to create change in your company?  Most of us have been there but I write to encourage you to think positively.  We all have the ability to spark a little fire and create change.  It all comes down to approach and convincing others that change is good.  I’m not talking about those games we play where we convince a guy that something we came up with was really his idea (don’t judge me, you know you do it too).  I’m talking about truly owning an idea and pitching it in an effective manner. After reading “5 Ways To Do Good In Any Job” from Fast Company, I was inspired to think bigger than changing my company’s paper from regular to recycled (which you should get on changing if your company hasn’t done it already).  But dig a bit deeper.  Have you ever considered reaching out to a community group that is working to change something in your industry and presenting yourself as a translator willing to help them?   Dev Aujila, author of Making Good, a book on finding meaning, money and community, encourages you to take charge of creating change and make things happen in your job.

Personally, I think it’s all about your approach.  Consider communicating your message by identifying the problem while offering the solution that you want to help the company achieve.  Chances are your organization has thought about changing a few things but haven’t due to lack of the time, resources or people that take action and see things through.  I am a firm believer that anyone is possible of creating change; all it takes is a kind approach and an encouraging tone.

For more on Making Good check out http://makinggood.org or @mkngood on Twitter.

YWiB SFU is "Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures"

Written by Michaela Klassen, Marketing & Communications, International Women's Day Conference Last year, YWiB’s SFU chapter had the pleasure of hosting their first annual International Women’s Day conference.  The sold-out event was a truly inspirational day, featuring amazing speakers, a great panel session and plenty of new connections and friendships.  YWiB SFU will once again be hosting their signature event, but this year everything is bigger and better!

Following this year’s theme, “Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures”, the event will be focused on making connections between people and experiences.  While most of us are, in fact, “Young Women in Business,” the event is relevant to girls from any industry and faculty.  Our keynote speakers will discuss challenges that all women face, such as over-coming adversity and achieving your dreams.  The panel will  discuss a variety of questions regarding the unique challenges women face in today’s world and ways to overcome them.  This year’s event will also feature entertainment and an expo showcasing entrepreneurs, start-ups, and non-profit organizations dedicated to women’s rights and advancement.

One of the panelists, Detective Lisa Kofod of the VPD, expressed how excited she is to be involved with this event as she feels it’s important to fill in the information gaps for women working in a male dominated industry.  How do we encourage women to find careers in roles that are often interpreted as unconventional?  According to Lisa, it‘s all about knowledge.  From her experiences, Lisa has observed that most often, women become interested in working for the VPD through their partners or spouses.  “Women often accompany their partner to the application process or information sessions and find that the VPD has more to offer than what society assumes.  By providing information sessions and getting involved with events like YWiB SFU's International Women's Day, we can provide women with the knowledge that is often missing regarding career possibilities in such a male-dominated industry as policing.”

For one of our keynote speakers, Anna Rice, the battle for women’s equality continues to be a top priority. As a member of the Canadian National Badminton Team, Anna has been an advocate for women's equality in badminton for all of her career.  One of the main highlights comes from her fight for equal salaries amongst female and male badminton players; it isn't easy to represent yourself in a world of athleticism dominated by the male superiority.  From the number of male athletes compared to females, to the average salaries between both genders, there are many inequalities that remain in the athletic world today.  It used to be that the females would play shorter games than the male players, and that was the justification for the unequal salaries.  However, when the rules changed and games became equal lengths, Anna took it upon herself to fight for equal wages.

Ultimately, this event will give students and professionals alike the opportunity to connect with other like-minded, motivated individuals who are interested in bettering the situation for women everywhere.

For more information about the International Women’s Day conference, check out www.ywib.ca/sfu/iwd/.  Tickets are on sale now!!  Be sure to follow @YWiBSFU and check out #IWDsfu on Twitter to join the conversation and for more conference updates!