Don’t you love it when your friends/colleagues/people you admire get up onstage to receive an award?
I do. And so do a lot of other people in Ottawa. On October 24 I attended the Businesswoman of the Year Awards gala. It was a beautiful event celebrating the achievements of Ottawa’s top female leaders.
These awards have been around for 41 years. And I’ve been lucky enough to attend a good number of galas. It’s an evening of catching up with friends, colleagues and clients. It’s an evening that always leaves me inspired. And it’s an evening that brings out the best in everyone.
Everyone in that room is there to support one of the finalists. Or the committees that made the evening happen. Or Women’s Business Network, the organization that created the awards decades ago. It’s so heartwarming to see the husbands, parents, colleagues, family members, who come to see their loved one win an award.
Evenings like that remind me of the importance of networks-building them and maintaining them. Of connections. Of friendships. And being there to see your friends recognized for all their hard work. And celebrating them. Because when you’re a business owner, or the CEO of a national corporation, often there’s little to no time to stop and just part yourself on the back for all your hard work. There’s very few opportunities to celebrate how far you’ve come, and how very much you’ve done.
At the end of the day, the BYAs are pretty hard awards to win. Unlike other local awards, the BYAs are not popularity contests where you ask your friends to “vote for you.” There’s a dedicated selection team who reviews the comprehensive applications thoroughly.
I’ve been on the committee that organizes the event itself. I’ve also been the designer of the evening’s program. So I get a “backstage view” of the finalists’ achievements, contributions, words of wisdom. And they never fail to inspire me.
In the past couple of years there’s been an increasing number of young women (some in their early teens) attending the BYA Gala. At first I thought it was odd for such a young person to attend a “serious event” like this. I thought they would get bored. Then I realized how important it is for them to be there to support their MOTHERS. And to witness how very much their mothers have achieved. All the hard work they’ve done. And then I thought– yes. They should be here to see this. To support their mothers as they’re celebrated for the amazing businesswomen they are.
So that’s a wrap on another BYA Gala. I am always thankful for the opportunity to witness this event, and for the inspiration the finalists share with everyone.
Before the year is over, I hope you will celebrate a woman’s accomplishments with her....whether it’s a friend, your boss, or your daughter.