April 2006: Top Stories

Walk a Mile in her high heels

Women Build

Top 100: Ten who made it

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From the Publisher: Women of Vision

You want to hear about the buzz in Edmonton? Think women…like these 11 gals with whom I was honoured to join last month for Global Television’s annual Women of Vision luncheon. Lesley Macdonald created the concept in 1995. The prominent broadcaster tells me that she still gets excited about hosting the event that inspires women and draws nearly 800 people each year..

It could be an intimidating dozen if you missed how warmly the group embraced each other and how they blissfully tackled the Diamori box carrying the unique gift of a silver pendant.  I had read their stories written monthly by Lesley and published by The Edmonton Journal; plus the videos that aired on Global Television received relentless promotion all year. It was a tremendous gift for any woman fronting a small business or community group that went along for the ride.

Lesley and her visionary board of directors named a fashion designer whose gowns grace the catwalks of New York; Emma Scott appears on our cover this month. Also included was Jalena Mrdjenovich, who brings home boxing titles from around the world, and Jan Henderson, a humorist who brought red noses for each of us to keep life in perspective. Driving Miss Daisy’s Bev Halisky was present, and so was  Cathy Roozen whose father founded the television station that now carries Global Television’s call letters, and Wood Buffalo Region’s Mayor Melissa Blake— responsible for the raging city of Fort McMurray. The list was delightful. Thank you to Lesley and Global Television for spending an inordinate amount of prescient time capturing the essence of each woman and continuing to inspire us all.

Walk a Mile in her high heels

Men don't know what they don't know - but women know.

by P. Drake McHugh

For heaven’s sake, let’s not rile the waters. It has been nearly 40 years since women’s liberation swept North America—long enough that most young women have no idea of the status they used to occupy in the crazy, male fun sort of Todd Bertuzzi world. What’s the trouble with that?

SAME OLD, SAME OLD

It has taken this long for the movement to meet the mainstream and begin moving from revolution to renaissance—a new reality. Much of the stridency is gone and this time some (confident) men seem quite at home with a sea change in how women are set to impact the Canadian economy over the next decade. It is nothing less than a quiet revolution made possible, in part, by the advent of technology. Still, many women realize that, after all this time, they are not fully accepted by their male counter-parts—those who set the level of the glass ceiling and the rules for admission to the old boys’ club.

At worst, women say there is an unsettling hypocrisy abroad in the land that equates women’s values in life and the work place as small-pond values, a helpless under-class of those sometimes perceived as the victims of an unlucky break in the genetic sweepstake. Male chauvinism is a particularly attractive part of the Alberta landscape. Here in the buckle of the Bible belt, no Brokeback Mountain types, tree huggers or folks with an alternative opinion need apply. Too harsh? Perhaps, but perhaps not… hmmmm.

WE UNDERSTAND

Even men trying to keep a low profile can be seen as having wilful incomprehension. Women feel they are dialoguing with the deaf. These are the lads in the band who are often times their own best audience, deaf to a world that is changing—must change. The model of ‘at daggers drawn’ is helpful for no one. Particularly in Alberta, there is a huge problem. Not just the increase in family violence and child poverty, but the skills demand that is outstripping Alberta’s and Canada’s ability to cope. Compete or perish. There are not enough skilled people to run the economy, and more and more busy women are choosing family over a male employment model. Starting their own businesses is offering increased possibilities to have both. Or, as one dejected female self-starter put it, “I just got tired of being treated like a second-class citizen. My career is important but my family is my life and they come first. I decided if I had to drop out to drop in with my family, that’s what I would do.”

And that’s the point a new generation of women is making. What society can afford to dismiss so easily the talents of half its population? Damn, the other half must be gods.

A well travelled female population with good educational standards has for too long inhabited the arcane groves of academia and the devastated landscape of public service. Despite the sea change, the wealth of experience argues that women continue to be less valued than their male brethren.

All the social engineering and decades of governmental good intentions have amounted to a lot of dead trees with writing on them—but with not much recognition of the different roles that men and women play in society and the fact that they think differently. Any married man or woman will speak to this truth, evidently a harder sell in the tough masculine—though not always manly—world of business.

Now women think they have discovered a new path. A path that may accomplish what good intentions have failed to in the past. From Signal Hill to Tofino, women are re-writing the rules of work and increasingly becoming your boss. Surprisingly, the sky has not yet fallen. Economics are driving big change.

According to Alexandria Favret, owner of Taffy Productions Inc. in Edmonton, “Women are creating three times as many businesses as men, and there are over 821,000 women entrepreneurs in Canada, contributing over $18 billion to the economy.”

Those statistics reverberated with Alex. In February, she launched the local chapter of eWomenNetwork, a wheat-roots organization of women business owners and professionals who are committed to supporting and transacting business with women. The obvious question follows.

“Good heavens, no. We are not male bashers. We are not against men. We love men and we appreciate what they add to living a full and happy life but,” she adds ominously, “we are women competing in a male dominated society, and the decision-making processes are different and we’re not interested in pretending to be men.”

eWomenNetwork is different than a plethora of other such organizations in that each member is showcased and given the opportunity to ask for what she actually needs. It is, if you like, the art of being. Being who you are before what you are. Men are often defined by their jobs; women not so much. This, psychologists agree, is not necessarily a bad thing.  

ISO26000—SAY IT ISN’T SO

Favret explains, “I think most networks follow a traditional male model: He who collects the most business cards at an event wins. We don’t do that. Unless you actually have something you can do for someone, then we strongly suggest you don’t give out your business card… this is what makes us different too. It is not about what can these people do for me, but about what you can do for someone else.” Sound a little hokie? Think about this.

The well-respected International Standards Organization (ISO) in Geneva is working on a checklist for companies that want to measure and demonstrate their adherence to virtue. The new guidelines will be available in 2008 as ISO26000 and sound suspiciously like what is already being promoted by eWomenNetwork.

The Standards are different from regulations but, over the past 20 years, ISO made its worldwide reputation agreeing and publishing technical norms for industrial processes and products. This independent, nongovernmental federation of national standards bodies (best known in Canada for its ISO 9000 series on quality management) has been moving steadily toward the higher-profile business of setting standards. Guidance for social responsibility may seem a stretch for the organization, but it is reconciling them with businesses, governments and activist organizations such as Amnesty International, Greenpeace and Transparency International. 

THE QUALITY OF LIFE MODEL

Karen Hughes, associate professor of Women’s Studies at the U of A, has a balanced view of the here and now. She supports a group called Women Entrepreneurs of Canada, a non-profit that has enjoyed stellar growth. She’s slated to address the Toronto chapter at its April meeting.

“The big thing is that numbers have grown dramatically,” she says, “and the diversity is different. We have the traditional business set but, increasingly, there is another group who don’t necessarily want a big business. For them, the challenge is to balance family and work; quality of life issues are paramount.”

She sees generalities about anything as being dangerous and possibly inaccurate. “If you talk to men going into business for themselves, it is independence and a chance to make more money… that could be the case for some women too, but women say they want independence and the ability to balance family needs with business. In part, Hughes suspects that technology, the ability to work from home, and the increase in knowledge-based work may be driving the phenomenon. “Women want to make money but often that isn’t what drives them, they want to have a well balanced life that they can’t get with many employers.” However, she argues that 15 years ago there was much less cultural acceptance of women being in business for themselves. And she says Alberta is “a leader in the entrepreneurship trend.”

BUILDING BRIDGES

Maybe, but Texas is no slouch either. Sandra Yancey knows whereof she speaks. With a young family and a record of major corporate accomplishment, she threw it all in because she wasn’t enjoying her work. Now she runs the international eWomens Network.

She’s the first to say she could never have begun the organization without her husband’s support and, when she learned that Canadian female entrepreneurs start business at three times the rate of men, she knew she was on to something. In the U.S., it is two-to-one women over men. 

A CAUTIONARY TALE

“A lot of what we are talking about,” Yancey says from her hotel room in Edmonton, “is contacts, relationships—and this has nothing to do with counting the number of business cards you can collect. We, as women, must develop a network that works for us. Men have their way of networking and women have too. If you join our network and ask ‘What can they do for me?’ we’re probably not where you want to be. But if you believe that helping others is important, you can do very well with us.”

Evidently, Yancey is on to something. There are 90 chapters of her organization and about three new ones open each month. In her previous unsatisfactory career, she dealt 80 percent with males. So, she admits there is learning curve for her too. Yancey cannot be drawn into criticism of men, “I think they’re wonderful,” but she relates the story of faulty communication between the genders: “For years, I wanted flowers for Valentine’s Day and, for years, my husband gave me a lovely card and dinner out… nice, but I really wanted those flowers. I talked to girlfriends who said I should tell him I wanted flowers, and I said, ‘It’s not the same if you have to ask for them.’ Then I realized how foolish I was. It may not be the same, but you will have the flowers. Most men will do anything for their wives. We tend to think they are mind readers. If you don’t share with them what is important to you, they will never know. I’ve had wonderful flowers wherever I am in the world ever since, and a very strong relationship. We all learn—some faster than others.” 

FEET IN TORONTO, HEART IN EDMONTON

In Toronto, Carissa Reiniger echoes the observations. As the founder and owner of Silver Lining Ltd. in both cities, she lives her life on airplanes between Toronto and Edmonton. Her company works to help companies develop and execute marketing plans including aspects of PR, marketing, advertising and events. She tried the corporate world but, while she appreciated the lessons learned, decided it wasn’t her cup of tea.

“I just saw it as a lot of big companies spending millions to do exactly what their competitors were doing; where’s the challenge or the business sense in that?” She sits on the board of WEC and is Edmonton’s top promoter to Torontonians. On May 11th she’ll be in town to launch the newest WEC chapter. During the event, participants will be joined by a video feed from the Toronto WEC Conference titled “Think Big: Creating Sustainable Growth,” featuring guest speaker Carol Hyatt from New York.

Reiniger is adamant about the value of WEC. “Our website has 10,000 hits a month and we are a very credible resource. We’re very much thinking in terms of a Canadian network, a resource for members where they can one-stop shop and meet and know the people who have been in their situation. Why would you be trying to re-invent the horse… do all this on your own when there is a group of women who have been there/done that and want to share the knowledge?”

 Working smarter, being happier

“I think more than anything, this is about relationships,” explains Reiniger. “Women network and express themselves in different ways than we see in the male model. We are looking for a real connection rather than a ‘contact’ and I think that is a very female way of doing business and reaching out to people. If you understand that and understand costs involved in losing good people, then you go with the flow. For a lot of Albertans, making the big bucks is what life is about but for others quality of life really matters… You have to keep saying that until people stop chuckling and realize that you really believe this. For many women money is important, for many others there is much more to a quality life. They are willing to sacrifice to achieve that greater quality. Fortunately, a lot of men understand this concept too.”

In 2004, two-thirds of employed women in Canada were involved in teaching and nursing or related health occupations—occupations that traditionally are somewhat flexible and employ a full complement of ‘people’ skills.

Final word goes to a working female colleague with a young family and a shared job in a forward-looking company that didn’t want to lose her skills. “If we still haven’t got the model for this after all these decades, how much are we wasting on not adapting the workplace for the retired who, along with women, have great skills?”

Women Build!

by Kellie Finley with Barb Deters

It’s 8:00 AM on the morning after the biggest snowfall of the winter. The kitchen at Habitat for Humanity is full of women. They had actually arrived early—anxious to begin construction on the first full day of Habitat for Humanity Edmonton’s Women Build.

“These women are doing something today that will change the way tomorrow will be for two low-income Edmonton families,” says Mary Cameron, a partner in Westfile Partners Inc. She and Susan Green are co-chairs of Women Build and together, they assembled a board of directors for the project.

Habitat’s motto “a hand up, not a hand-out” means these homes are not given away. They are sold to the Partner Families—at no profit and financed with no-interest mortgages. However, families are required to contribute 500 hours in the building of their house, another Habitat home, or working in Habitat’s ReStore.

“The response from volunteers and sponsors has been overwhelming. We need 20 people per day for 75 days… and we’ve got 90 percent of our workforce signed up. And, we managed to raise $185,000 from three corporate sponsors. That amount includes $10,000 from Edmonton Glenora Rotary. This is an incredible community.” The major financial contributors are ATB Financial, Alberta Real Estate Investment Network (REIN), and Home Interiors & Gifts. Other local businesses are contributing skilled labour, materials, and even lunches to feed volunteers.

When Cameron and Green met with PCL Construction Management Inc. executives, they negotiated not for a monetary contribution but for expertise. PCL agreed to the secondment of Karla Horcicia, one of its project coordinators, for the eight-week duration of the duplex construction. Horcicia, a civil engineer, graduated from the UofA and will serve as construction site supervisor. “We are so grateful to PCL for this gift. While quantifiable, the contribution Karla will make is immeasurable,” admits Cameron.

Since its establishment in 1991, Habitat for Humanity Edmonton has built over 60 houses in northeast and central Edmonton, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain and Leduc. Three houses were built in 2004, nine in 2005, and 16 are scheduled for 2006.

The Women Build program of Habitat for Humanity International was established to encourage the involvement of women in the construction of houses. Women make up 50 percent of Habitat’s volunteer force, yet often due to lack of training or confidence in their own skills, their impact on the build site may not match their true potential. The program, through both pre-build training and a predominately female work environment, encourages women to more confidently participate in Habitat’s projects. 

Habitat for Humanity Canada has proudly embraced the Women Build program: Homes have already been completed in Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Alberta with four more builds planned for 2006. In 2002, an all-women crew built a duplex in Calgary. The Habitat Edmonton Women Build kicked off last September with a “Panda Build” involving the women’s athletic teams at the UofA. Designed to create awareness and foster involvement in the project, the teams built garden sheds in friendly competition, and sales of the sheds raised $2000 for Habitat.

Brenley Bennett, project manager of Women Build, felt “the event was a great way to begin promoting the Women Build. Since our kick off, we have had 550 women sign up for this build. These are volunteers who, we hope, will develop a relationship with Habitat and continue to support us in future builds.”

Some of these new volunteers are executives and professionals… others are teachers, students, homemakers, skilled crafts and trades people. Overall, the volunteers will contribute more than 10,000 woman-hours on this project.

“Habitat is always looking for volun-teers,” explains Cameron. “There are ways for people of all skill levels and abilities to participate. From serving lunches to serving on one of Habitat’s committees to doing modified duties on the build site—every one of our volunteers plays an important role.” 

There are also international opportunities to volunteer with Habitat. Cameron recently returned from building in South Africa. “The woman we were building the house for told me she had never had a permanent roof over her head… she lived and slept exposed to the elements everyday,” recounts Cameron. “It’s a moving experience—to make such a difference in someone’s life.”

Green adds, “Building interna-tionally—like building locally with Women Build—is about so much more than construction. It’s about families and communities working together to build hope for the future.” 4

On April 11th, the Edmonton Women Build will kick off with the official ground breaking ceremony at 12012-67 Street in the Montrose neighbour-hood. For more information on Habitat for Humanity Edmonton’s projects—to volunteer or to sponsor—contact Brenley Bennett at 479-3566, extension 233, or e-mail her at bbennett@edmonton.hfh.org

Top 100 - Ten who made it

by Janet Edmondson

Each year, PROFIT magazine publishes its ranking of Canada’s top 100 women entrepreneurs. Edmontonians reviewed the 2000 through 2005 lists, and focused on Alberta business woman headquartered from Red Deer north. Ten were identified—many of them achieving the PROFIT W100 designation more than once... ranking from eight through to 100... and reporting annual revenues ranging from $1.52 million to $15.2 million. PROFIT reports that “over the past three years, the W100 have seen their annual revenues rise and average of 85 percent.”

Their backgrounds are as varied as their business endeavours. Their commonality is their drive, determination and dedication. They are innovative and creative. More importantly, these women are representative of countless others who successfully manage their businesses and lives in cities and towns throughout Alberta. 

Teresa Spinelli, President

Italian Centre Shop Ltd., Edmonton

#26 in 2005 PROFIT ranking

$15,201,897 revenue in 2004

The Italian Centre Shop, located in the heart of Edmonton’s “Little Italy”, carries a wide selection of foods imported from Europe and around the world. Spinelli grew up in the store, opened in 1955 by her parents, Italian immigrants who began their business importing food and newspapers for homesick countrymen. As a baby, she sat on the counter, as a girl, she worked behind it and, now, at 44, she is president of the grocery retail and wholesale business. Since implementing a profit sharing plan with her employees two years ago, Spinelli has found a big difference in the attitude of her staff—“Everyone feels like the owner.”

Fulfilling a long held ambition, Spinelli is opening a second Italian Centre Shop on 51st Avenue and 104thA Street on July 1st. The 13,000 square-foot store will have a pastry shop and a coffee shop.

Eveline Charles, President & CEO

EvelineCharles Salons & Spas, Edmonton

#36 in 2005, #48 in 2004 PROFIT ranking

$10,368,224 revenue in 2004

Growing from a one woman “cut-and-colour” hairstyling service in rural Alberta to a vibrant chain of full service havens offering hair fashion services, esthetics, massage, hydrotherapy and branded skin- and hair-care product lines, Eveline Charles has established herself as a an innovator in the salon and day spa industry. Living her motto “Think Big, Grow Big” Charles now employs over 250 people in locations in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. She recently opened the EvelineCharles Cosmetology and Esthetics Academy in Edmonton.

Jacqueline Shan, President,

CEO & Chief Scientific Officer

CV Technologies Inc., Edmonton

#57 in 2005 PROFIT ranking:

$6,416,732 revenue in 2004

Jacqueline Shan has combined traditional Chinese medicine with modern scientific research to make CV Technology’s COLD-fX a welcome addition to Canadian medicine cabinets. Addressing consumers’ uncertainties about the effectiveness and consistency of natural health products, Shan and her team developed and patented ChemBioPrint technology, which ensures that each batch of the herbal remedy is consistent and provides the benefits it should. Clinical trials have shown COLD-fX to be effective in both preventing and treating colds and flu infections.

When Shan assumed the role of president and CEO in 2003, her mandate was to commercialize the product, resulting in a significant growth in sales of COLD-fX and its sister products REMEMBER-fX for memory enhancement and mental alertness, AD-fX to enhance focus and attention, MENTA-fX to normalize mood, CELL-fX for bone and joint pain, and PRESSURE-fX to normalize blood pressure.

Patricia Boersma, President/General Manager

Tridon Communications, Fort McMurray

#85 in 1999, #83 in 2000, 66 in 2001, #55 in 2002, #49 in 2003 PROFIT rankings

$9,149,147 revenue in 2002

Tridon Communications has supplied communication equipment and services to Northeastern Alberta since 1981. With over 50 staff in Fort McMurray and Athabasca, Tridon is a full line Motorola dealer and an authorized TELUS Mobility dealer and customer care centre. It provides a range of services from path studies, RF engineering, tower maintenance, evacuation alarm systems, mine truck dispatch systems, AVL/GPS, wireless LAN, surveillance camera systems and remote site access, to satellite telephony and wireless data solutions.

Having put a buyout plan in place, Boersma sold Tridon in 2005, and has moved to St. Albert. The idea of retirement isn’t sitting well with her, so she’s considering various avenues of interest, including involvement with not-for-profit foundations and employment support groups.

Barb Pierson, President

Barb’s RV Place, Lacombe

#73 in 2003 PROFIT ranking

$5,826,816 revenue in 2002

Barb Pierson was a waitress and a hair stylist before embarking on a career in RV sales. Working her way up from cleaning trailers for her father at Wolf Creek RV to selling them at Lacombe RV, she opened her own full sales and service facility in 1999. Four years later, Pierson made PROFIT’s list. Located on seven acres in Lacombe, Barb’s RV sells everything from tent trailers to full size motor homes. Her family based business is equipped with full service bays, storage facilities, a large parts department, and RVs—lots of RVs.

Isabel Bernete, Managing Director

PC Corp., Edmonton

#31 in 1999, #52 in 2000, #50 in 2001 and #30 in 2002 PROFIT rankings

$13,268,000 revenue in 2001

Every business woman needs state of the art information technology and gorgeous shoes. Isabel Bernete delivers both. Bernete is co-owner of the PC Corp Group of Companies, providers of IT solutions focusing on government, education and small to medium business with stores in both Edmonton and Calgary. As such, she was included in PROFIT’s rankings for four years in a row. Revenues reportedly exceeded $30 million in 2005.

Last year, Bernete—originally from the Spanish Canary Islands—took a giant step in a new direction, opening enPrivado, a shoe company that favours “high-touch, highly social and emotional shoe shopping.” Bernete has taken shoe shopping out of the mall and introduced shoe showings and warehouse outings in her stylish downtown loft location, private home or office viewings, and online shopping—service and luxury appreciated by Edmonton’s “well-heeled” women.

Debi DeBelser, President

NWP Inc., Blackfalds

# 8 in 1999, #23 in 2000 and #19 in 2001 PROFIT rankings

$21,600,000 revenue in 2000

The only woman in northern Alberta to make the PROFIT Top 20—twice—in the last seven years, Debi DeBelser excels in a traditionally male field. The NWP group of companies, started by her father Mike Chwelos, manufactures and refurbishes oilfield production equipment, and transports pipe and equipment to the oil patch. DeBelser started as a part-time sales person in 1979, opened and managed the company’s first expansion branch in North Battleford in 1981, and became president of NWP in 1993. Her strategies of superior customer service provided by long-term employees, and diversification for growth—from sharing her expertise with interesting start-ups to acquiring small operating companies—have helped keep NWP Inc. viable in a cyclical business.

Linda Ellithorpe, CEO & General Manager

AllSports Replay Ltd., Red Deer

#100 in 2001 PROFIT ranking

$2,818,000 revenue in 2000

Like many new businesses, AllSports Replay was conceived in frustration. When Linda and Roy Ellithorpe were unable to find good used cross country ski equipment for their young family, they opened their own new and used sporting goods store in the old bus depot in downtown Red Deer. Once they got the ball rolling, outlets in Edmonton and Lethbridge were soon to follow, and the product line was expanded to include new fitness equipment sales and rentals. While the original Red Deer store has been sold, the company continues to offer affordable gear to athletes of all ages. Ellithorpe now lives in Lethbridge.

Elizabeth Przysiezny, President

Cando Oilfield Supplies & Rentals Ltd., Nisku

#27 in 1999 and #27 in 2000 PROFIT rankings

$15,288,000 revenue in 1999

In September 2003, Commercial Solutions Inc. purchased Cando. Edmontonians was unable to contact Przysienzny.

Claire Congdon, President

Congdon’s Aids to Daily Living Ltd., Edmonton

#98 in 2000 PROFIT ranking

$2,322,000 revenue in 1999

Claire Congdon started the Ostomy Care Centre in 1970, to provide products and support to people after ostomy surgery. The company, now known as Congdon’s Aids to Daily Living, grew over the years to meet the needs of customers facing a variety of medical challenges. Offering equipment sales and rental to clients ranging from weekend warriors with sprained ankles to people facing long term physical challenges, Congdon’s has remained a leader in home health care supplies. The company is run by Karen, but her mother Claire, now in her 70s, comes to the store daily.