First Women Talk a roaring success

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

With mounting energy and fervour present in abundance, over 40 local women who managed to get a hold of a ticket flocked to the Strathmore Station Restaurant last Thursday to attend Strathmore’s first-ever Women Talk.
The event, on Feb. 25, featured award-winning author Susanne Heaton, who shared life lessons of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, and local politician Denise Peterson, who spoke about the influential women in her life – a talk that landed her a standing ovation.
The line-up in Strathmore, which is the Calgary-based Women Talk initiative’s first chapter extension, oversold on tickets quickly, leaving organizers in disbelief and already searching for a larger space.
“It was absolutely sensational,” said Brigitte Lessard, founder of Women Talk.
“We felt that Strathmore really needed something like this. It’s a great evening out. It’s a great way to meet people and we get inspired and if you’re in business and you’re looking to network it’s a great place to do that.”
Lessard launched Women Talk, an imitation of the 15-minute TED-style talks, in Calgary four years ago. By bringing the women-only initiative to Strathmore, organizers hope to support women in the community, inspire through sharing, and build stronger connections. As a result, the two speakers, lots of chicken wings, and good company stretched the two-hour event to well after 10 p.m. While Heaton provided an inspirational and riveting talk about the challenges and rewards on taking the bull by the horns and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, those in attendance were equally moved by Denise Peterson’s talk about women who influenced her, breaking glass ceilings, and facing fears.
“I have spoken many times and I have always spoken about things related specifically to my work, I have never spoken specifically about my life,” said Peterson. “It did force me out of my comfort zone for lots of reasons, because I thought it was important, when I agreed to do it, that I stayed with the spirit of what they were asking; which was to specifically speak about inspirational women in my life. The difficult part for me was to manage it, because there’ve been so many.”
Sharing Lessard’s opinion, and that of many others in attendance that day, she considered the event a triumph, with interest and demand already growing for the next talk.
However, with the expected growth Lessard said volunteers are needed to help and ensure a continuous smooth operation.
“I guess what I know is that this particular event created a beautiful energy and energy like that is a tangible force that connects to people at their core,” Peterson said. “So I think that women will continue to utilize it, and to come to the spirit that created it, which is joining voices, joining spirits, joining ideas and it will benefit the community.”
Women Talk takes place on the last Thursday of each month. More information and to purchase tickets visit www.womentalk.ca.