This past weekend, I attended the Queen’s Women in Leadership Conference (Q.WIL) in Kingston, Ont. Though the conference had a distinct business focus, as a journalism student, I was intrigued by the impressive line-up of guest speakers and the activities that were planned for the delegates.
The first night we met Catherine Murray, co-host of BNN’s Market Sense. She spoke about owning the fact that you are a woman, especially if you’re pursuing a male-dominated career path. Afterward, a speed networking event with BMO and drinks at Milestones finished up the night.
The next day was jam-packed full of interesting events. After a refreshing morning yoga class, we listened to a speaker from Sick Kids, had industry-specific networking lunches (I attended the Scotiabank-sponsored finance lunch) and heard from impressive reps from TD.
One of the most interesting parts of the day was when I attended the “Hatch Your Career” workshop with Talent Egg founder Lauren Friese. A woman bursting with boisterous energy, Friese seemed more like a student and less like an entrepreneur and founder of a popular student job website. Comically, she said that actually helped her in her business; people liked the fact that she looked like a student but spoke like an adult.
On the last full day of the conference, we were treated to a business fashion workshop by Brooks Brothers, where we were taught the ins and outs of dressing appropriately—yet fashionably—for the workplace. As the day wound down, the final guest speaker, Deborah Yedlin, satisfied my inner journalist. An accomplished reporter with the Calgary Herald, Yedlin spoke eloquently about life, family and finding balance.
Looking back on my weekend in Kingston, I came away with a renewed sense of empowerment and determination to succeed in whatever field I wanted to be in. I learned how powerful it was to be a woman, but most importantly that in the end, gender shouldn’t matter. Being successful is about achieving the goal you yearn for plain and simple, no matter if you’re male or female. My time at the Q.WIL conference was inspiring, enriching, and fulfilling.
It made myself and all the delegates there feel like we could do anything.
Wanna learn more about Q.WIL? Maybe attend next year’s conference? Check out their Facebook page here.