WORTH’s Sleighing Goals & Dreaming Big for 2024
It’s the time of year when we should be slowing down. We should be finding the perfect set of holiday pyjamas to wear while watching Hallmark movies. We should be getting cosy and reflecting on how incredible 2023 has been for women of WORTH.
It has been our biggest growth year to date with more than 500 new members and a record number of followers, thanks to the tireless work of our Executive Board and volunteers. We took Empower Her on tour to four cities in BC and doubled our mentorship intakes. We assembled an all-star Advisory Board and hired a passionate and talented Operations Manager Tash McLeod, who helped us reach new heights, most recently by spearheading Yes Shef at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in November. On this magical evening, we were joined by 300 people who helped us to celebrate and elevate women of food and beverage and award $15,000 in scholarships to culinary students. Stacy Johnston and Minette Lotz from Poplar Grove took home the Yes Shef Award for Culinary Excellence, alongside their student apprentice Serena Romaniuk. We presented the first Woman of WORTH Empower award to our idol Meeru Dhalwala, and the Elevate Award for Gender Equity to the visionaries at Flavours of Hope.
I said we should be slowing down. But with 2024 around the corner, we are hard at work on two very exciting projects. We are thrilled to announce the January launch of WORTH Academy and a Leadership Summit coming to Vancouver this Spring. More on that here.
Of the 400 women of WORTH we surveyed in BC, 78% feel confident they will take on additional leadership roles and responsibilities within the recreation, tourism and hospitality industry. Yet only half of those surveyed said they receive professional development opportunities and only a third are accessing certifications. We need to change these figures. We want to help you reach your career ambitions through WORTH Academy, a free 12-week leadership development program for women in the Fraser Valley, Sea-to-Sky and Vancouver Island regions. Don’t worry, we’re coming for you in the Spring, Metro Vancouver and Sunshine Coast!. Read more below and be sure to apply by December 15th to join us for self-paced online modules, live coaching and a full-day leadership mindset workshop. Learn more here.
You asked us for a summit and we’re ready to deliver one this Spring. This will be the first event of its kind in Western Canada and we know it will be a big success. Over the holidays we will be dreaming up visions of sessions, speakers and sponsors and will announce more details in the new year. If you’re inspired to get involved, send me a note at joanna@worthassociation.com.
For five years, we’ve been asking women of WORTH to tap into their leadership ambitions. We recently held up the mirror and started to evaluate our own. Our purpose is to nurture growth, champion change, and drive progress for our industries. We know 2024 is going to be an incredible year thanks to our community helping us achieve our big dreams. We can’t wait to crush some goals, even with holiday PJs on.
Wishing you a happy holiday season,
Joanna