09/01/2026
Last week I had the honour of emceeing the Sowing Strength, Harvesting Leadership workshop with Women in Agriculture NL in Steady Brook, NL. As emcee, I generally do not participate in breakout groups or other activities as I am ensuring the event is running smoothly, on time, and responding to my client's needs. I do, however, listen to the keynote speakers. Wow, this year's speakers did not disappoint!
Opening keynote was delivered by Lyne Robichaud of Farm Credit Canada. She challenged us to take action within 48 hours of the conference; do not let our fear stop us. While I am still pondering the action I will take, another part of her message resonated with me. It is about authenticity. Lyne shared her experience when she took on a new role leading a team. She dressed as she thought she SHOULD, acted as she thought she SHOULD, and shared very little of her personal self with her team and colleagues. She was surprised and taken aback when feedback from her team was not what she expected. As she shared her feelings with her husband he challenged her to be herself.
When I worked in Ontario, I never shared personal information about myself with clients or participants at my events. Somehow it seem unprofessional and to be honest, there was an element of security involved. Did I want people to know exactly where I lived? In a recent conversation with a former colleague from when we both worked in the public service, somehow we knew the "code"; dress conservatively in muted colours, remain neutral, say little.
The closing keynote speaker was Tammy Priddle from the Deer Lake Regional Airport Authority. Tammy got Lyne's memo. She arrived proudly wearing a red blazer with kick-a** red shoes to match! She talked about completely shifing gears from healthcare to aviation. She shared how her background in healthcare helped her guide the airport through a global pandemic. She remained true to herself throughout the difficult times.
Both of these speakers challenged me to think about how I present myself. Building on my last post about the interconnected community we have in Newfoundland and Labrador, some of my old ways simply do not work. When I was first asked about where I lived, I gave my community only (Ontario thinking). I was asked what street (in Ontario I only ever gave major cross streets). The response was, "Oh! You must be the new beige house just built!" So much for security! 😉 I remember seeing my clients (gov colleagues) in the grocery store or at my daughters' schools when I was dressed casually. My Ontario reaction was they must think I am so unprofessional.
Thankfully, our NL community accepts me as a I am. It helps me be real and build relationships with those I serve. So if you see me proudly wearing my Leafs gear or dancing to Billy Idol in a hospitality suite (right Rick?), it does not make me less of a facilitator, emcee, or keynote speaker. It makes me authentic. 💜 Thank you Lyne and Tammy for your inspiring stories.
