We’re proud to be supporting the Women of Whistler event that happens tonight on behalf of the Mountain Club, Tuesday Feb 17, at Nita Lake Lodge at 6pm.

The title of this event says a lot not only about the speaker, but also about the Women of Whistler group as a whole. Their purpose is to drive the development of professional women in Whistler. For this to happen it takes some bold ladies to pull it all together.

I was recently a bit bold and put my name into the ring to join the organizing committee for Women of Whistler and was over the moon when I was accepted. It took some courage to jump in, but that’s what the next speaker, Michele Romanow, is all about.

I recently read an article on Entrepreneur.com, which listed these seven traits as the ones successful entrepreneurs need to succeed:

• Tenacity
• Passion
• Tolerance of ambiguity
• Vision
• Self-belief
• Flexibility
• Rule-breaking

The 7 Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs, as outlined by Entrepreneur.com

I would hazard a guess that a woman named by Forbes as being a “millennial on a mission” is harbouring a few of these traits and we get to find out on February 17.

To say that I’m excited that this is my first event after getting a seat on the committee is an understatement. We got together back in early January and started to really think about how Michele would resonate with our audience and what topics would be ideal to focus on. We know that her story will be inspiring, but it’s also the take aways, the “how can I apply this to my world” that are key. That’s why we’ve asked Michele to focus her talk on:

1. How she built three successful companies by the age of 30
2. How she identified opportunities and acted on them
3. Qualities of a successful entrepreneur

For me, number two is what I’ll be honing in on. After reading her bio I want to know how she firstly was able to see the gap in the market for high-end sturgeon caviar, and secondly know how to act on it. For me I struggle to understand how something goes from the “that would be a cool idea” to the “I had this cool idea and here’s how I’m gonna make it work” stage.

In a Chatelaine article she was quoted as giving this advice and it’s something I’m going to try and remember:

Women need to just take a deep breath and take risks early on to start companies, try different ideas, learn to adapt and pivot, and get over the fear of failure.

This is our chance to ask a successful female entrepreneur how she did it – take a look at her bio, come ready with some questions, have an opinion. These meetings are a safe place for you to ask those burning questions, to meet other women grappling with the same issues or the chance to meet people who are in a position to help and mentor you.

If you’ve ever thought about running your own business, or you’re within an organization that depends on you for its growth and development this event will give you some food for thought.

Visit the Women of Whistler website to buy your ticket, or one for a woman you know who could benefit from this great evening.

This blog first appeared on the Women of Whistler website on 02/17/15.