Another Champion Women’s Summit has come and gone, and boy, was this event powerful!
This year, we welcomed over 50 women to Halifax for an immersive 2.5-day journey of learning, growth, and transformation. Through embracing discomfort, participants embarked on a powerful path to personal and professional transformation.
Prior to the Champion Women’s Summit, a survey revealed the top four topics of interest, with participants keen to explore:
- Drama (32%)
- Inner Critic (28%)
- Perfectionist Mindset (20%)
- Reframing Our Inner Dialogue (24%)
The most important thing I stressed during the event was recognizing and embracing the “vortex of discomfort” as a catalyst for change. This involved practical exercises to help participants stay in discomfort in service of championing change.
“I had a great experience with you and the summit over the last few days. I was totally out of my comfort zone and most times I did not like it but knew, in the effort to grow and learn, I had to put myself out there. It was a great learning experience for me. Attending in person with you, was a great experience for me. Having the ability to listen to all the other powerful ladies’ experiences was empowering to me.”
Participant Testimonial
To ensure a supportive environment, we established a “safe container” to share in confidence with one another. We all agreed on practising the Vegas Rule: What happens at the Summit stays at the Summit.
The most transformative moments came for those who fully engaged with the process—leaning into and staying in discomfort.
Here are some things that they noticed during their “ah-ha” moments:
- They noticed when the perfectionist mindset had held them back from showing up with authenticity and creativity, how they held themselves back from showing up in the boardroom, from trying out for that “thing” that is truly important to them.
- They were able to uncover their Inner Critic with curiosity and compassion and know that this “entity” is NOT them and that it’s simply a script that has played a role in protecting them from what didn’t feel safe.
- They cringed and accepted that they, too, had played a part in creating and/or staying in drama as victims, rescuers, and/or persecutors.
- They worked on creating clarity around what their stretch goal is—one that feels so immensely important to them that it scares them.
- They practised, even when it was uncomfortable, new methods of framing up the internal dialogue to help them move forward with their stretch goal when fear, the Inner Critic and perfectionism show up.
- They got closer to rediscovering their Inner Champion, the internal voice that accepts them unconditionally no matter how perfectly imperfect she is.
Mindful Moments with Jeannine, Georgie & Kerry
We also incorporated sessions on mindfulness—intentionally disengaging for some relaxing breathing techniques and physical stretches led by experts Jeannine Riant, Georgie Harper and Healthy Tomorrow Foundation’s Kerry Copeland. These practices proved invaluable for centring both mind and body and can be practiced anywhere moving forward.
Speaking of physical presence, the afternoon of Day 3 at Champion Women’s Summit was all about practising how to show up before you show up. I reminded participants that judgment is inevitable, but our power lies in choosing how we respond and present ourselves.
We also talked about how we are judged every day, even if we don’t like it. Whether we do what’s important to us or not, we will be judged either way. So, how will we show up for ourselves even when being judged is inevitable?
The culmination of the Champion Women’s Summit is where participants integrated their learnings.
For those who stayed in their vortex of discomfort in service of championing change, we saw them let go of perfectionism and give their Inner Critic permission to take a back seat. They reframed their internal dialogue to move forward toward their stretch goals and showed off their Inner Champion.
And boy, was it powerful!
The energy! The way these women held themselves brought so much positive power into the space; it was incredible!
When they came to the stage to accept the Champion Women’s Summit certificate of completion, they showed up as their true, powerful, confident, authentic selves.
“The past week has been a journey of self-discovery and empowerment, thanks to Ann-Marie Flinn and the incredible team at the #championwomenssummit. I’ve experienced discomfort and emotion, and through it all, I’ve gained a valuable reminder: we can’t become who we need to be by staying the same. On the other side of fear is progress. Thank you to everyone who has supported and championed me during this incredible experience in my career and personal life. ”
LinkedIn Testimonial
Witnessing these journeys was a profound honour.
The Champion Women’s Summit was a blend of fun, intensity, learning, and perfect imperfections. I loved what one participant said: “I didn’t come here to be called out on my bullshit. Thank you for calling me out on my bullshit. I needed to hear that” – This was exactly what she needed. The ”bullshit” Inner Critic to be called out so her Inner Champion could start showing up!
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing gratitude for the stretch beyond their comfort zones, the empowering network of supportive women, and the insights and energy gained from the experience.
Reflecting on the Summit, it’s clear that embracing discomfort and challenging oneself is the pathway to growth and empowerment.
Thank you to all the remarkable women who joined us, making this year’s Summit an unforgettable journey of self-discovery and empowerment. Here’s to continuing to champion change, both within ourselves and in the world around us.