Women Talk to launch in Strathmore

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

Last year’s dissolution of the decade-old Wheatland Business Women association left a void in Strathmore the organization hoped would open doors to exciting new opportunities and a new era.
Intrigued by the loss of the resource and with an already established love for the community, former Strathmore business owner Brigitte Lessard deviated off the original course to launch her Calgary-based Women Talk’s initiative first chapter extension in Red Deer, and decided to bring it to Strathmore instead.
Lessard owned the Curves gym in Strathmore for seven years and created the company sportsbras.ca. When she established Women Talk in the city four years ago, it proved to be an easy transition.
“My whole life for the past 15 years or more has been grounded in helping women better their lives by the health side of things and now it’s kind of veered off a little bit into the other part of women’s life with Women Talk which is a little bit more about life experiences, business, and spirituality,” Lessard said, the founder of Women Talk. “I’m in the business of supporting women. I thought it’s a perfect fit, because I was in Strathmore for so long, I know a few people and I love the town. So it was a perfect place to start.”
The 1000-member strong women-only phenomenon emulates the popular TED Talk style, focusing on 15-minute talks by two guest speakers on a monthly basis. Over the years, the initiative raised $6,000 donated to the Calgary YWCA, and once the event is launched in Strathmore at the end of February, the hope is for money to be donated to a local women’s charity in the future.
“I think the Wheatland Business Women, when they were going, was a wonderful thing and I realize that a lot of emphasis was put on business-women,” said Brenda Graff, a friend of Lessard’s who has helped with bringing Women Talk to Strathmore. “But businesses don’t survive without the non-business people. I think we need to include everybody. Just because you don’t have a business in town doesn’t mean you don’t need encouragement, and you don’t need support. Women have stepped out of that common role.”
Graff added that she’s looking forward for the event to provide women with an outlet to connect and build relationships that has been in existence to men for years.
Women Talk in Calgary has seen a rising growth-rate and will be expanding to include workshops. Graff expects the talks to spread Canada-wide. While the initiative started out strong since its initiation in 2012 – with 70 individuals lined up for the first talk that only anticipated 30 people – Lessard is expecting to also build a following in Strathmore.
“It’s developed into a place where women make their communities stronger by sharing their stories, and that’s our tagline, and I love that tagline, because we are not a business group, we simply share stories,” Lessard said.
“But by doing that of course we help women in business, and we teach women. It’s really a lot of women empowerment and helping each other and supporting each other.”
In Strathmore, the event is scheduled to take place on the third Thursday of every month, and the first talk will be local politician Denise Peterson and her talk about the influence remarkable women have had on her life. Also sharing the stage is award-winning author Susanne Heaton who will speak about her experience of climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Women Talk will launch in Strathmore on Feb. 25 at the Station from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. Tickets are $15 online or $30 at the door. For more information visit www.womentalk.ca