Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/985850
5 SHEDAY SPEAKERS Jessica Dumas uses her voice to spark change for clients and the greater community on a daily basis — but first, she had to spark change in her own life. The owner of Jessica Dumas Coaching & Training provides a range of services, from lifestyle and executive coaching and social media marketing to customer service training and professional speaking on topics such as Indigenous inclusion. A finalist for CBC's Top 40 Manitobans under 40 in 2015 and a 2017 Future Leaders of Manitoba honouree, she is a past-chair of the Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce, and serves as an executive member of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and on the Winnipeg Mayor's Indigenous Advisory Circle. She is a success by any standard, but not so long ago, Dumas suffered a crisis of confidence — one she had to overcome to launch and grow her business. After leaving a job she loved in 2012, Dumas was floundering. She pursued several career opportunities, but as each new path opened up for her, she realized it was not the path she was supposed to follow. "I felt confident in my skill set, but I just felt, 'That's not what is meant for me, it's not what I was meant to do.' " Asking for advice from friends, elders and counsellors didn't help, and eventually, she realized why they didn't have the answers she was seeking. "What I was looking for was confirmation of what I really, really wanted and that was to be self-employed. I knew I had good skills, but I didn't know how to own them," she says. "It was trusting in what everybody else thought that was causing my fear, but when I started to trust in what I believe, I was able to really step out." She put her marketing and coaching skills to work helping to strengthen her own business position, and then to empower others. Dumas' message resonated with her fellow panelist Julie Michaud, founder of Portia-ella, a retailer of ethical beauty, hair and skin-care products. Originally from Quebec City, Michaud found her niche while she was living in Kelowna. B.C., where she came across cruelty-free products at a farmers' market. She thought such products should be more widely available and today, she retails a variety of Manitoba- and Canadian-made brands online and through her flagship store at Winnipeg's Outlet Collection shopping mall. "There's a massive shift in the beauty industry right now and Portia-ella is at the forefront of it," she says. Michaud's SHEday message was about the 'power of rejection.' She says there's a lot of advice out there about how to be successful, but one piece that's often missing is how to deal with being told an idea won't fly, or that you don't have what it takes to make it work. "You have to take it in and then you need to analyze what happened. Why was this idea rejected?" she says. And then you have to act — take a different approach and try, try again. "Big goals require big actions, so never be afraid to be bold and do what needs to be done in order to meet your objectives." Michaud intends to be bold with Portia- ella. She's looking to open a store in every major centre across the country. As a busy mother of two, growing a business is a challenge, but she relies on a few innate skills. "The thing that gets me through all of it is a huge amount of discipline, a huge amount of willpower and a willingness to do what it takes." Norva Riddell, True North Sports + Entertainment senior vice-president of sales and marketing, is well acquainted with the qualities of hard work and perseverance. As a woman who built her career over 30 years in two male-dominated fields — beer and hockey — Riddell was invited to share her unique perspective with the SHEday crowd. "I haven't had any female mentors so it's been a unique path for me," she says. Before joining True North in 2004 as vice- president of sales, Riddell progressed in various capacities in brand management and sales in a 19-year career with Molson, an industry dominated by male leadership. "I think that's where I developed my fortitude – work hard, do your job, and do it well." she says. "That is what ultimately led to the opportunity with True North." When she changed professions at the age of 40, it was a big decision, but she urges others to be open to change and opportunity and potentially stepping out of your comfort zone. "Anything is possible. If you're thinking about a possible change in your career and are uncertain that you can do it … you can," she says. "It was a great decision for me." Riddell says that in one respect, her career has come full circle. During her early years with Molson, she was responsible for the partnership with the Winnipeg Jets 1.0. Four years after joining True North, she was the first woman to be awarded the American Hockey League's Ken McKenzie Award, in recognition of her accomplishments promoting the Manitoba Moose. Having the opportunity to work with the Moose was a wonderful way to learn and ultimately helped prepare her for the return of the Winnipeg Jets. Not surprisingly, she credits much of her success to team work and acknowledges, "I work with a wonderful team at True North; a very talented and dedicated group that are very passionate about what they do. "I have been so fortunate to have had exceptional leadership and mentors throughout my career," she says. "Now, I hope to do that for others." ❚ "Anything is possible. If you're thinking about a possible change in your career and are uncertain that you can do it … you can."