06/10/2026
Last year, I saw an RFP (Request for Proposals) on social media and thought, "Hmmm. I wonder if I could do that."
I sat with it for a bit, then I started looking into it further, putting together some tentative ideas and plans.
Over the next few days, multiple people sent me the same posting. People in my network, all of them independently looked at it and thought of me. That was reassuring.
The RFP was from WESK, Women Entrepreneurs Saskatchewan, seeking a consultant to develop e-learning modules called " Know Your Business", helping women entrepreneurs understand the legal requirements for setting up and operating a business in Saskatchewan. It was meaningful work, and notably, it was content I had direct experience with.
I had studied business structures in law school, and helped clients with theirs. The year before, I had set up my own legal and consulting practice, navigating exactly the legal landscape I would be helping other women understand.
The project was at a scale that I had not taken on before.
There was something structural that helped me make the decision. WESK’s RFP was specific and well written. I only recently came across research that helped me understand why that mattered. Harvard Professor Katherine Coffman’s research found that vague job postings disproportionately deter qualified women from applying, while specific and clear postings meaningfully close that gap. Whether by design or instinct, WESK provided a request that reflected exactly the kind of inclusive procurement practice the research recommends.
I knew I would need help with this project. My executive assistant, who is also a consultant on the project, had the technical experience I needed at this scale. She helped me write a compelling proposal.
Then I went to my family cabin (cottage, for those in Ontario), where my husband, my parents, and my sisters all read sections, offered ideas, and encouraged me to ask for what my knowledge and teaching style were actually worth. It was, literally, a group project.
We submitted and won!
This is the part I keep thinking about as I work on this important project: the project I was not certain I was ready for is literally designed to help women step into spaces where they feel underprepared. I applied for it by doing exactly that myself.
I also think about the fact that the people around me saw me in that posting and encouraged me in the process.
Have you encouraged someone to go for something even though they didn’t feel 110% ready? We all need mentors, sponsors, and cheerleaders helping us. And sometimes those people are found at the family cabin.🥰
