Jen & Catherine – Women’s Summit season, election talk, and our emotional survival kits

Jennifer Stewart: So this is a super exciting time for us! We just launched the Women’s Summit ticket sales! While the Summit – presented by RBC – is October 24, which seems like a far ways away, so much planning and so much work has to happen leading up to that to have a successful Summit, so really excited that it’s out in the world now, because it’s been months and months and months of work between the team, and you and me, and I feel really excited about it!

Catherine Clark: Yeah, I feel so excited about it too. And the other thing that I’m particularly excited about is that tickets are really selling well, and that makes me feel proud. But also it is exciting to think that we’re going to gather again with this dynamic group of women, many of whom came from last year, and some new people too. It’s really going to be fabulous. 

Jennifer Stewart: I just remember the feeling last year at the end of the day, as the sun was setting. We had it in Ottawa, and it was over Parliament Hill, and it just felt really energizing — like it was more than just talks and panel sessions. It genuinely felt like we were building a community. So I agree with you — seeing the ticket sales come through in the first 24 hours after launch, is super exciting and super motivating. And we’ve got some great speakers too.

Catherine Clark: And we are moving to a new location! We should make that clear to anyone who’s listening and considering joining us; we’re going to be at the Brookstreet Hotel this year, and we made that choice for a variety of reasons. We wanted to kind of shake it up a little bit. But we also wanted free parking!

Jennifer Stewart: Who doesn’t want free parking? Did I tell you my parking story? I digress — but I’m not sure if I had more air in my tires or what, but I went into a parking garage in downtown Ottawa. Getting in seemed fine — maybe my music was too loud — but I totally missed the scratching sound and couldn’t get out. I couldn’t exit the parking garage!

Catherine Clark: So… how did you get out? Or is you car still there?

Jennifer Stewart: You probably don’t want to know — because I just kind of went through the garage. There are some scrapes, but my car is really tall, so my husband hadn’t noticed them… until now, because I just disclosed this on a podcast.

Anyway — all that to say, outdoor parking and available parking is definitely a real thing!

Catherine Clark: Well, any women who may face similar issues are going to be happy to know that there is plenty of parking for vehicles of all sizes at the Women’s Summit! 

And actually we also have a discount code if there are women who want to stay overnight at The Brookstreet, we have Air Canada back on board with the discount code for women who are traveling into the summit. And I guess other than just the details, we should probably tell people a little bit about some of our guests!

Jennifer Stewart: It’s like… drumroll — we’ve made it through parking and logistics, and now it’s on to the big names!

We’re super excited to welcome Arlene Dickinson — who, of course, has been on Dragon’s Den for many seasons, is a leading venture capitalist in Canada, and is now spearheading the Elbows Up movement. It’s such an important initiative, especially right now, as it speaks to our sovereignty, supporting Canadian products, and helping businesses navigate these really challenging times.

It’s going to be a really interesting conversation with her.

Catherine, I know you’re excited about a few guests too…

Catherine Clark: Well — we’re excited about all the guests! You’re gonna be leading a panel of some pretty neat entrepreneurial women too. You’ve got Emma May from Sophie Grace and Jenn Harper from Cheekbone Beauty, which is pretty cool.

Jennifer Stewart: So excited. Emma May is a Calgary-based lawyer, and she talks about, quite candidly, the mental weight women experience trying to figure out what to wear during the work day. So she created her own clothing line, which is stretchy and machine washable. And then Jenn Harper is just an incredible entrepreneur, obviously, the founder of Cheekbone Beauty, a female indigenous led organization that’s really taking the cosmetics world by storm. So really excited to talk to her about her journey. And both are experiencing some pretty tumultuous times, and have been very vocal about shipping their product into the U.S. right now, so it should be an interesting conversation. 

And then we have Melissa Leong, who probably many people have seen across various broadcast channels, both in Canada and the US, talking about personal finances!

Catherine Clark: You were talking about women having a difficult time, and I think you meant more from an entrepreneurial perspective, because, for sure, they are, and we’ve also heard a lot of women talk about struggling with mental health. So we’re going to have Jessica Holmes, who people may remember as a Canadian comedian. She’s also an author, but she has herself struggled with some mental health issues, and she’s going to be starting us off at Summit. 

And we also have Christine Harrison, who is a mental health practitioner, who’s going to be joining, back by popular demand, Dr. Ardelle Piper to take a general look at women’s health, but also women’s mental health. And then we’ve got, of course, Kathleen Wynne, and we’ve just got a stellar group of people who are going to come in and and power up the day.

Jennifer Stewart: Absolutely. And speaking of navigating these times I know, Catherine, you’ve really tried to change your buying habits. Talk to me about that.

Catherine Clark:  Yes — well, mostly that just means sending my husband to the store with a list that says, Please buy Canadian.

I’ve told you about this before — he sets time limits for how long we’re allowed to be in a store. Totally random, like 28 minutes, and we have to be back in the car by then.

So when I send him with a list that actually requires him to do more than just grab and go… he struggles a bit. It took him two hours last time!

I look specifically for Canadian products where and whenever I can, either Canadian made or Canadian prepared products for sure. Or I’m looking internationally like I’m buying my Moroccan oranges. And I admit, I have the luxury of being able to make those choices within reason, but, I know that a lot of Canadians right across the country are doing something similar. 

And speaking of that, Jen, what a wild time we’re living in. Like we have an election coming up real soon!

Jennifer Stewart: And you know what? I think it’s going to be really interesting to see what the results are. If you look at what people were predicting even just six months ago, things have shifted drastically. The polling landscape has completely changed in just a matter of months, which has been fascinating to watch.

I’ve been doing a lot of television commentary — from a non-partisan perspective — focusing on the communication tactics and approaches of the various leaders. And honestly, regardless of political stripes, I really feel for anyone going through it. Elections are tough. They’re hard on families.

And Catherine, I truly believe this could be the most consequential election of our generation, considering the issues we’re facing. So I’m just really looking forward to the debates and seeing how it all unfolds.

Catherine Clark: I guess we should make it clear to our listeners — since this won’t be airing today — that we’re about a week and a half out from the election right now. So by the time people are actually listening to this, the debates will have happened, and that may have solidified a lot of votes. I know that’s certainly the hope for many of the party leaders.

What I’ve found interesting is that a lot of the polling suggests a gender divide — that women and men are really approaching this election differently. So I’ll be curious to see how that plays out in the final stretch of the campaign, and of course, on voting day itself.

But enough about serious issues for a moment — what are you doing to take a break from all the heavy stuff? Are you reading a book you’re loving?

Jennifer Stewart: I’m always reading a book! Have you ever read Kristin Hannah? 

Catherine Clark: Yes! 

Jennifer Stewart: I love Kristen Hannah. She’s probably not listening to this, but she’s an exceptional writer. But I started reading The Four Winds, which is set during the Depression, and I’m about 200 pages in, and I keep hoping we move past the Depression! It’s just like… and then the water hasn’t come yet. And then the ground broke open. And then the livestock started to pass. And I’m like, You know what? I don’t do this very often, Catherine, but just given how bleak it is in the external world, I’m gonna put it down, and I’m gonna just swap that out for a rom com!

Catherine Clark: Maybe, you know, like a game of Scrabble?

Jennifer Stewart: Yes, exactly! I really find it difficult to read. Typically, I love her, but I find it difficult to read books that are also a little bit depressing in terms of what’s happening in the world. So we need an escape. 

But I did just watch season one and two of the White Lotus, and I was way behind, because people have been talking about the show for well over a year now, and I think Season Three just wrapped, but it’s really well done. So if you haven’t seen it, absolutely check it out!

Catherine Clark: I just finished watching The Residence, which is absolutely delightful. It’s a Netflix series — I think it’s eight or maybe ten episodes — and it’s set in the White House. Ironically, I know, but it’s not this White House. It has a female protagonist who’s basically the world’s best detective — but she’s super quirky, and so is everyone else living in the residence. She’s solving a murder, and it’s totally escapist and delightful. So if you’re just looking for something fun to watch, I highly recommend The Residence.

Okay, you had me at quirky and murder mystery! I’m putting The Four Winds and The Great Depression on pause — sorry! — and moving The Residence to the top of my bedside table list.

Catherine Clark: Yes — and feel no guilt about it! None at all.

I love these little chats. And actually, circling back to the Summit — we didn’t even tell people where they can get their tickets!

Jennifer Stewart: You should sign up for the newsletter, it’s really great. Our editor does a fantastic job. But if you’re looking for tickets, it’s www.thewomenssummit.ca!