Jennifer Stewart: Well, Catherine, we made it to 2026!
Catherine Clark: Yes, we did. We’re a little bit into it – and we’re still here.
Jennifer Stewart: We’re still here. We had a big year last year, and now we’re – as you once said on an earlier podcast – taking things one step at a time. As we enter this year, I wanted to take a minute and look back at 2025, because for The Honest Talk, we’ve had a lot going on.
Catherine Clark: My gosh, we really do have a lot going on. But that’s kind of how you and I roll. We’re not the kind of people who just move in one direction at a time. We always have a million things happening at once, and we adjust as we go. If an idea pops into our heads and we think it’s a good one, we go with it. And I’m not trying to make this a monologue, but I do think that’s part of the value of our relationship – we talk things through, we shoot down bad ideas, and then we run full steam ahead on the ones we think are good. They might turn out to be bad, but so far, they haven’t.
Jennifer Stewart: We’ll probably have a few bad ones – I’m sure we already have – but overall, they tend to lead somewhere. I was having a virtual coffee with someone yesterday, and she was talking about business, but also life in general. She asked, “If you could go back 15 years and you knew all the stress, the work, everything that would be involved, would you still do it?” And I said, two things can be true at once: no, I wouldn’t – but I’m glad I didn’t know. Ignorance really is bliss.
Catherine Clark: Don’t you think that’s most of life, though? If you really looked back honestly at a lot of the decisions we make, would you still have gone ahead with them? Maybe not. But have they shaped your life into something you love and respect? Yes. You can’t really rely on revisionist history. And with The Honest Talk, you and I truly launched into this with both feet – without really knowing what we wanted it to be, and without any clue about the level of work it would take.
Jennifer Stewart: And now we love it. We really do. It’s fantastic. We’re Canada’s largest forum for women. We have the podcast, the site with essays and stories from women, the Women’s Summit – which we’ll talk about in a bit – and the women’s retreat. I want to talk about the retreat for a minute, because we brought together almost 30 women. We went deep into the Rocky Mountains in interior British Columbia, and the bonds that were formed were real. We’re still all in the group text. These women are connected. Relationships have formed. Business partnerships are developing. It’s pretty remarkable.
Catherine Clark: Yeah, it really is exceptional. I’ll admit, I had to mute our WhatsApp chat a couple of times because it completely blew up – usually around very important things like playlists or New Year’s wishes. But it became this incredibly connected group of women from right across the country, and that was really special. And we’re already in the process of planning another retreat for 2026.
Jennifer Stewart: Our wonderful team is actually on the road next week checking out a few venues, so we’re excited to see what they come back with. One thing I really liked that came out of that group chat – which I did not mute – was that instead of big New Year’s resolutions, people chose a word for the year. I don’t know if you’ve picked one yet, Katherine, and I don’t want to put you on the spot, but I’ll go ahead.
My word is discernment. Just being more intentional about decisions – time, energy, what we invest in. It’s not about saying no; it’s about saying yes more thoughtfully. I’ve lived the last decade in a very frenetic state, and that’s okay. It’s brought me to where I am, and I’m very grateful for that. But I want to move through things a little more linearly this year.
Catherine Clark: That’s a very big word – and I know how to spell it.
My word is calm. And that actually came out of the WhatsApp chat from the retreat. One of the women shared hers, and then we all piled on. I’ve spent a lot of time running around frantically, partly because of the work I do – events, emceeing – and we’re also in the middle of a home renovation. All of it adds up. I don’t always feel as calm as I should be. I think my husband would agree – he’s known that for almost 30 years. So this year, I’m going to work on not taking things so seriously and trusting that we’ll get through whatever comes up.
Jennifer Stewart: It’s funny – I’d actually say you’re a pretty calm person. Maybe I don’t see what Chad sees, but we’ve been through some challenges together and you always keep your cool. Maybe you’re like a duck – calm on the surface and paddling like mad underneath.
Catherine Clark: That’s probably true. And I think as we get to different stages of life, it can feel like there’s just so much going on – like how are you supposed to keep all the balls in the air? And that’s where discernment comes in. Deciding what you don’t actually need to catch anymore. What you can let fall. It sounds like a cliché, but as we get older, women really do start to understand that there are only so many things in life that truly matter.
Jennifer Stewart: It is a cliché – but clichés exist for a reason. I was driving with my daughter recently on Hudmor Road, just outside Ottawa. There’s a hill where you can see farmland for miles, and she suddenly said, “Mom, can you stop? It’s such a beautiful view.” And she was right. As you get older, you really do start to appreciate the views, the walks, being outside – the little things. The big things often don’t matter as much.
Catherine Clark: We should probably take more lessons from 12-year-olds.
Jennifer Stewart: Yes, we should. Okay – what are you most excited about for the year ahead?
Catherine Clark: Honestly, I don’t even know. Sometimes it feels like survival mode – especially with the home renovation. But I’m excited about new adventures, and I’m really excited about what we’re doing with The Honest Talk, especially the programming and events we’re planning. Personally, I’m also at this stage where my kids are making big decisions. My daughter is graduating from university, my son is choosing where to go, and I’m realizing that I’ve raised these humans who are not me. They’re going to make choices I wouldn’t have made – and learning how to support that has been one of the hardest and most meaningful parts of parenting. I’m really looking forward to that this year. How about you?
Jennifer Stewart: Probably not surprisingly, similar things. I’m really proud of the Women’s Summit we hosted last year – not just the event itself, but the conversations and impact afterward. One moment that really stayed with me was when Arlene Dickinson spoke very openly about her first marriage and the abuse she experienced. That conversation was incredibly heavy – but afterward, a woman in my life told me it gave her the courage to leave her own abusive relationship. Seeing that kind of impact reminds me why this work matters. And personally, I’m trying to really lean into this stage with my kids – being present, being a gentle guide – because I know how quickly it all goes.
Catherine Clark: So, speaking of the Summit – we can finally announce that we’re ready to go.
Jennifer Stewart: We are. We’re hosting the 2026 Women’s Summit on November 20, 2026, at the Brookstreet Hotel in Ottawa. We’ll be sending a save-the-date to our community this month, and ticket sales will launch in February.
Catherine Clark: Year one was tough – we were asking people to trust us without a proof of concept. Year two sold out in weeks. So this year, we really want to make sure the women who want to be in that room can be there.
Jennifer Stewart: And the theme this year is Light. The world feels heavy right now. There’s a lot of uncertainty, and for women especially, it can feel like progress we thought was secure isn’t anymore. We want to create a space that feels uplifting, safe, and connected.
Catherine Clark: As we wrap up, one of the things I’m really excited about this year is meeting more Canadian women. We’re taking The Honest Talk on the road and will be announcing a few new cities soon.
Jennifer Stewart: And the podcast is now available nationwide through iHeartRadio, which is incredibly exciting. Lots to look forward to.
Catherine Clark: Here’s to a good year.
