When I received my first degree in education, I knew it would be my lifelong profession. My early career led me to many interesting roles and challenging opportunities. Many moons ago, I was the youngest acting principal in the state of Colorado. Then, we moved to Vancouver, and the constant shuffling of educational administrators in the public system was unappealing. I wanted to be an educational leader who built culture through longevity. So, I decided to take a year off from a full-time position to step back and reassess my options. This is when, while alphabetizing our spice drawer, I had the first idea for Options Solutions.
I knew what I knew about education, and I thought that was enough to start a business.
It wasn’t.
I hadn’t ever taken the standard business classes. Accounting? No. Organizational Behaviour? No. Human Resource Management? No. NOT A SINGLE ONE.
Options is a unicorn, not in being valued at over a billion, but in the fact that it was profitable in its first year and in the reality that I didn’t need a bank loan or investors to get started.
For the first five years, it was fine. I did what I did best (helped students) and stuck to my values (grace, good humour, accountability, and agility). When it was time to grow, hire, and scale, I knew I was in over my head. I found a small business coach (praise you, Judy Brooks), and she suggested I attend E-Series, offered through the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (now The Forum), for both the skill building and the networking. It offered me something I hadn’t had before: identity and confidence.
Until E-Series, I was an educator. I had no interest in the entrepreneur label. But E-Series gently, but firmly, encouraged me to lean in. I produced a pitch. I developed financial acumen and wrote a growth plan. I talked with other female entrepreneurs; some of whom were at the same stage and some of whom had already found great professional and financial success. I found my community. There was no judgement. But many questions. There was no competition. But much collaboration and celebrating. There was no one way to be an entrepreneur. There was room for everyone.
My E-Series cohort was jam-packed with inspiration and bubbling with potential.
That was 2017.
Turning 50, a 25th wedding anniversary, and Options 20th year have had me thinking a lot about the things I care about. I often question whether my commitments match my values. I care a lot about education, and so for the last eight years, I have sat as both an Advisory Board and Selection Committee Member for the Beedie Scholarship program.
Last year, I dug a little deeper.
I wondered in my practice why almost all my students who said they wanted to be entrepreneurs were male. Why were the girls not saying this? Why did one half of a generation believe this was viable and the other didn’t? Then, I started asking my students… who are your entrepreneur inspirations? For every 20 responses, only one would be a female (thank goodness for Rihanna, Selena Gomez, and the other beauty moguls!).
When the invitation came from The Forum to join their board, I knew I would accept with enthusiasm. I’m all in. We need to better support young girls; we need to instill confidence in them earlier. We need more conversations for women to gain exactly what I did from The Forum: identity and confidence. Female entrepreneurs need a community that encourages, nurtures, and funds them. I’m willing to put my energy, time, values, and resources towards that.
So, I invite you all to join me on my journey.
Learn more about The Forum.
Join a Forum program.
Attend their biggest fundraising event of the year on April 25, 2025: The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch Finale.
Get involved right now and join me February 20, 2025 at The Roundhouse for The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch Semi-Final Event 2024-2025 Vancouver to experience for yourself what they do, who they support, and the values they instill.
And to every student: please, please, please take accounting; you never know when you might need it!
