The following post was written by Kathleen Gerber. Kathleen attended the Network of Empowered Women Conference in Lake Louise held by the University of Alberta through the CSA’s Conference and Competitions Program.
The Network of Empowered Women (NEW) Annual Conference unlike any other, encourages engagement between students across Canada and various industry sector leaders through meaningful conversation about empowerment. I was privileged as one of 100 delegates selected across Canada to attend the NEW Conference from February 2 – 5, 2017 at the renowned Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Throughout the Conference, I was able to learn from a group of intelligent, motivated and accomplished delegates. I am appreciative of the opportunity I had to collaborate with women and men and learn from one another on how promote equality in our society.
My advice to anyone thinking of applying the 6th Annual Network of Empowered Conference in 2018 would be to apply! With the support of the CSA it is possible for any students to be able to experience the conference and enjoy the breathtaking views of the Rocky Mountains!
Below, are the most empowering lessons I learnt while attending the NEW Conference:
“The key to success is the boundaries you set and habits you protect”
– Rebecca Smillie, Founder of Purpose Collective
Your habits and performance are interrelated. As emerging business professionals, it is essential in setting a set of positive habits and boundaries in the workplace. These habits and boundaries leads to self-fulfillment, productivity and performance.
“Be naïve enough to think that new things can be done”
– Karina Birch, CEO of Rocky Mountain Soap Co.
It is important to take calculated risks and take life head on. Leaders do, they do not wait to be told what to do. Failure is inevitable but be sure to fail fast and learn to adapt.
Building your net worth and striving for financial freedom – Janine Rogan, My Pennies my Thoughts
I found Janine’s Breakout Session especially fascinating because of her valuable life lessons she shared. Many of which I already practice but I have learnt other tricks to increase my net worth and takes steps closer to financial freedom.
- Build a budget you can live on
Sometimes building a budget can be a daunting task for many individuals but it shouldn’t be! We should view building budgets as a way for you to ensure that the allocations of your earned dollars are going towards things you value. Stop making impulse purchases! Spend where it counts and evaluate what you value. Saving for something BIG can be a source of motivation. Determine how much it would cost and how to save each month. Save now, enjoy later!
- Get a side hustle
Making money on the side can be pretty easy! Side hustles could be anything from online writing, picking up a serving shift on weekends or selling a product you made on Etsy. Extra income will come in handy!
- Invest in yourself
Your abilities to earn an income is incredibly important and ensuring you have the skills you need to do so is crucial. Whether it’s going back to school, completing a designation or an online course is imperative to your growth
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The Network of Empowered Women (NEW) Annual Conference is a student-organized opportunity that engages students nationwide and provides numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth, thoughtful conversation on female empowerment, and the chance to connect with and be inspired by remarkable leaders from various industry sectors. From February 2 – 5, 2017, one hundred students, along with a number of industry professionals and speakers from across Canada, united at the renowned Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise in Banff National Park for the 5th Annual Network of Empowered Women National Conference. Each of the delegates left the Conference with the foundation necessary to empower themselves through their personal and professional lives, along with a powerful network of relationships on which to leverage in the future.
This year’s theme was “The Journey is Yours” and commemorates the 5th year of NEW’s journey by inspiring both the embracement of the authentic self, and the creation of one’s own path.
To learn more about NEW, visit http://www.ualbertanew.ca/