West Reach Development

Home
Canada
Ottawa, ON
West Reach Development

Developing and stretching leaders to REACH their full potential! Purpose & Growth for all Leaders. Training. Workshops. Coaching. Facilitation.

09/15/2026

Sometimes, networking is about changing your perspective. 🏙️

Teaching in Toronto today, on Professional Presence and Networking with Confidence for construction field leaders, this was the view from my hotel room.

It got me thinking about networking.

We often walk into a room thinking:
🤔 Who do I need to meet?
🤔 What can this person do for me?
🤔 Who should I be talking to?
🤔 What can I get?

But what if we changed the view…shifted our mindset around networking to:
🎁 Who can I help?
🎁 What can I contribute?
🎁 What can I learn?
🎁 What relationship could I build… without needing anything from it today?

Construction is a relationship industry. 🚜

The best connections aren’t always the ones that produce an immediate opportunity. Sometimes they’re the ones that turn into a conversation six months later… an introduction a year later… or a relationship that lasts for years.

You just don’t always see it from where you’re standing.

Change the view. Change the conversation. Build the relationship. 🏙️ And… enjoy the view while you’re at it. 😉

🎁 Are you focused more on what you can get or what you can give?

🤔 What would change if you approached networking as relationship-building rather than opportunity-seeking?

🎁 Who could you introduce, connect, support or help… without expecting anything in return?

08/31/2026

I FOUND THIS HUMEROUS. 👻

Honestly, I think this might be one of the most underrated leadership skills.

A sense of humour.

Not taking yourself too seriously.
Being able to laugh when things go sideways.
Knowing when a joke can diffuse a tense moment.
And occasionally being willing to laugh at yourself.

It’s also something I intentionally bring into my coaching and leadership development training.

Because leadership conversations can get pretty serious. We talk about accountability, conflict, feedback, difficult conversations, trust, communication…

But I’ve found that humour often helps people lean in instead of shut down.

And, interestingly, it’s one of the things I get the most feedback about.

People tell me they remember the funny moments. They remember the stories. They remember laughing… and then realizing there was actually a pretty important leadership lesson tucked inside the laugh.

Because when people are comfortable enough to laugh, they’re often more willing to think differently, challenge themselves and have the conversations they need to have.

Leadership is serious business.
But you don’t have to be. 😂

👻 What’s something you might be taking a little too seriously right now?

👻 Where could you use a little more humour in your leadership?

08/24/2026

First it was blueberry bison meatballs🫐🦬 …some of you may remember an earlier post on this one. And now…

It’s watermelon pizza! 🍉🌿🤯

You know what? Both were surprisingly good.

We can get pretty attached to what should go together, what has always worked, and what we assume will be a disaster before we’ve even tried it.

But sometimes innovation (and great leadership) looks a lot like putting two things together that have no business being together… and discovering they work. 🍉🍕

Stay curious. Experiment. Question.

Worst case? You eat a weird lunch! 😂
Best case? You discover something really good. 😊

🍉 What could you bring together that you normally wouldn’t?

🍕 Where could a little curiosity change your approach?

🍉 What are you assuming won’t work before you’ve actually tried it?

West Reach Development Inc.

08/18/2026

There are two kinds of people who go thrifting. 🛒🛍️🔎

Those who see a handmade knife-wielding ghost and keep walking. 😳

And me. 👻🔪😜

I think there’s a leadership lesson in there somewhere?!? 😂

👻 What are you walking past because it doesn’t look like what you expected?

🔪 Who on your team might you be overlooking because they’re not the same as you?

👻 Where could “different/unique” be an advantage?

🔪 What’s something unconventional about you that has become a strength?

West Reach Development Inc.

08/14/2026

There’s something pretty special about being invited into a room of leaders to talk about leadership.

I’m incredibly grateful to the Ottawa Construction Association for inviting me to be the keynote speaker at their Summer Board Retreat in beautiful Picton, Ontario.

A retreat is more than a change of scenery. It’s a chance to pause, step back from the day-to-day, have the conversations that matter, and think differently about what’s ahead. I’m honoured to be part of that conversation. 🏗️👷🏻‍♀️

Remember…You can’t digitize leadership presence. Crews still follow people more than policy. Culture spreads via your front-line supervisors. Morale will always impact everything. Technology doesn’t replace leadership. It raises the standard for leadership.

Leaders in Construction.

🔨 What leadership skills matter most for our industry? Who do we need to be?

🚜 What leadership habits need to evolve? Where is our biggest leadership gap?

👷🏻‍♀️ What are people most afraid of? Where will we face the most resistance?

🏗️ How do we maintain trust? How do we manage uncertainty?

🚧 How do we preserve culture while modernizing? What will others expect from us?

www.westreachdevelopment.com

08/06/2026

Sometimes the most productive part of leadership isn’t doing more. It’s creating space to think. 🤔

That’s often what coaching provides.

Not answers.
Perspective.

The strongest leaders I work with don’t come because they’re struggling. They come because they want to lead with greater intention, clarity, and impact.

If that’s where you are, let’s have a conversation. ☕️

West Reach Development

08/05/2026

My neighbour took this stunning closeup of a Hunchback Bee Fly. 🐝🪰

Her patience, perseverance and steady hand captured a glimpse through her lens that reveals details we’d otherwise miss. 📸

Leadership is no different.

The little conversations.
The quick check-ins.
The thank-yous.
The follow-up.
The five extra minutes.

Small actions, repeated consistently, create extraordinary cultures. Create reliability. Create trust.

It’s rarely the big splashy moments that define you, your leadership or the impact you have on others.

🐝 What small leadership habit could create the biggest impact?

🪰 What detail have you been overlooking?

🐝 How can you acknowledge someone’s quiet contribution?

🪰 What “little thing” could you do today that would make a big difference?

📸 credit: Diane Rose

08/04/2026

Leadership isn’t always about leading from the front…

…sometimes it’s about having someone beside you who brings out your best. 🐾

Watching Willow and Seven run together reminded me of something we often forget about leadership.

They aren’t competing for first place. 🐾

They’re matching each other’s energy. They’re challenging each other.
They’re having fun.
They’re doing it together.

The strongest teams aren’t built on one exceptional leader pulling everyone along. They’re built on people who elevate one another. Sharing momentum, offering encouragement, and making each other better.

🐾 Are you creating competition or collaboration?

🐾 How are you creating a team that moves forward together?

🐾 Who runs beside you making you stronger?

www.westreachdevelopment.com

07/29/2026

My love of skulls isn’t about mortality or death. It isn’t just about Halloween either… although I may be a tad obsessed with that holiday! 🤭💀

My newest skull is covered in flowers. 🌸

It reminds me that life is finite. A reminder to live with purpose. A reminder that what grows after us matters just as much as what we build while we’re here.

Apply this to leadership… you realize it isn’t measured by how indispensable you become. 💀

It’s measured by what continues to flourish when you’re no longer in the room. 🌸

Your culture. Your people. Your impact.

One day, your title will belong to someone else. Your legacy won’t. 💀

💀 What legacy are you leaving behind?

🌸 What are people experiencing when they experience you?

💀 What do you want your leadership to stand for?

07/27/2026

So what does every trainer and keynote speaker need? 🎤

Their very own custom painted West Reach Development Inc. sneakers!!! 👟🦉

These beauties were designed by the extremely talented sneaker artist Mike at MK Customs. Gifted to me by my amazing husband! 💚

Can’t wait to wear these on my next stage!

MK Customs on Instagram

Address

Ottawa, ON

Website

http://www.westreachdevelopment.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when West Reach Development posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to West Reach Development:

Want your business to be the top-listed Business in Ottawa?