[00:00:00] Emma:This week is International Women's Day. A day to celebrate women, their achievements and their impact. And while that's great, can I be real with you for a moment? As someone who champions women, every single dayI have mixed feelings about this. One day of recognition, a few hashtags, a corporate breakfast with a keynote speaker, a keynote speaker that's probably been asked to speak for free.

It's just not enough. So, in this episode, we're not going to just talk about why International Women's matters. We're going to talk about what really helps to move the needle for women in business, in leadership, [00:01:00] And in life, not just today, but every single day of the year, are you with me? And instead of reeling off names of famous women who have changed history, which don't get me wrong, are very important.

I want to bring this conversation closer to home. Because when I think about the women who have shaped me, the ones who truly made a difference in my life, they aren't on magazine covers. Or in the history books, they're the ones who showed up for me when I needed it the most. And so today's a bit behind the scenes, a bit, here's what I've learned.

I hope it resonates for you and I hope it makes you think about those closer to home. Today, I want to share the stories of three incredible women, Judy, Margo and Andrea. they were pivotal in my journey for a whole variety of reasons, which you're about to find out. Judy Innes was the teacher who believed in me.

Judy was my grade two teacher, but she was so much more than that. She was one of the first women [00:02:00] outside of my family who truly saw me, my potential, my energy, my struggles, my, I can't do this, at a time when I was so doubting myself and I thought I couldn't. And she told me. Yes, you can. And not in some way you can do anything, but in a way that made me actually believe it.

She encouraged me. She pushed me and she gave me the confidence to take on challenges. I never thought I could handle. But the most amazing thing Judy did, she role model, what was possible. She didn't just say that women could do whatever they wanted. She lived it. She carried herself with confidence, with purpose.

She made it clear that there were no limitations to what we could achieve. And looking back, I realized how much of an impact she had in shaping my belief in resilience, in self trust and in the power of just having one person who believes in you. I hope all [00:03:00] teachers, have an impact on someone's life like that.

Margo. Margo was the woman who gave me a home. At 15, I found myself without a place to call home. It was one of those moments in my life where I could have gone in a completely different direction. Think barefoot and pregnant. And honestly, if it weren't for Margo, I have no idea where I would be today.

She didn't owe me anything. She already had three daughters of her own. Her life was a void. Her hands were very full, but she took me in anyway. She made sure I was fed, that I got to school and that I felt safe. But what made Margo truly extraordinary was how she guided me. She never told me what to do.

Not once. Instead. She just asked a lot of questions, guiding me in this quiet, steady way, helping me to make decisions for myself. And let's be honest, that's no small feat, no mean feat for a 15 year old girl. I truly believe that without Margo, my story would have ended up very [00:04:00] differently. She kept me from slipping through the cracks.

She made sure I had a future beyond just surviving. She was a saint, though she'd never called herself that. She just did what she thought was the right thing to do. But to me, it was everything. I'm feeling a bit emotional. My third wonderful woman is Andrea. The leader who saw my achievements. potential, Andrea was my first boss when I stepped into the world of not for profit work, but more than a boss, she was the first leader who truly believed in me before I even had a chance to believe in myself.

She offered me a job, not because of my flashy resume or an impressive list of qualifications, but because of what she saw in me practically over a three month period, and she took an absolute chance on me. And here's what made Andrea different. She never gave me the answers, which at times was very frustrating.

She never micromanaged me. She trusted me. She let me make the decisions that I needed to make, even if I wasn't entirely [00:05:00] sure of myself. And looking back, I realized that she had already decided I was going to be a success long before I ever saw that in myself. Andrea's belief in me became the foundation of my own self belief.

She showed me what leadership can do. Truly looks like not control, not ego, but trust. And because of her, I learned how to lead, how to create opportunities for others and how to believe in myself, even when it felt impossible. So here's what I want to leave you with this week. International Women's Day is great.

It's a moment to acknowledge progress, to celebrate, to reflect. But the real work? That happens in the quiet moments. It happens when a teacher tells a little girl that she can. It happens when a woman takes a teenager who has nowhere else to go. It happens when a leader bets on someone who doesn't yet see their own potential.

That's what changes lives. So instead of celebrating just one day, I want to challenge you. [00:06:00] Who are the women in your life, past or present, who have shaped you? Have you told them? And more importantly, how can you be that person for someone else? Because that's how we really Really create change, not just on one day, but every single day.

Thanks for tuning in and until next time, keep championing, keep supporting and keep showing up because that's what makes the real difference.