This week our team had the absolute pleasure of attending the awards ceremony for The Influential Women of Northern Ontario. We watched and celebrated as our fearless leader, Sheri Tomchick, was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year. We sat among a room full of successful and outstanding women contributing to business and their communities. Each seat at our table sat a beautiful, strong, perseverant, intelligent, committed and dedicated woman. I was honoured to be among such brilliance and thought to myself that each and everyone of us is beyond fortunate to have the support and encouragement of the women that surround us.

There is much to say for women who influence and support one another, building one strong leader after another. My favorite part of being part of a strong team, meeting other influential women and learning from them is that I have an opportunity to share these experiences with my daughters, whom I know will grow to be strong leaders themselves and will want to change the world!

Here are a few reasons I believe women should continue to build one another up:

1. One woman’s success is an inspiration for another. Attending the Influential Women’s Award Celebration allowed me to listen to many ladies share their experiences and their inspiring stories of perseverance. As women we need to grasp the idea that we can be influencing others around us without even knowing we are doing so. Strong women build one another up and trust that a hand will be there when help is needed.

2. Everyone has a story. Every single person you meet is either fighting a battle or has fought a battle you know nothing about. There is strength in a smile shared with another; kind words, encouragement and compliments go a long way.

3. Amazing things happen when women support and encourage one another. When we can trust and rely on the powerful women around us, we are inspired to rise up and push ourselves out of our comfort zones. The world needs more of this; far too many women feel inferior. Regardless of a woman’s role, all women should support the decisions of those among them, support, encourage and celebrate success.

I am so fortunate to be surrounded by a multitude of strong, resilient women who celebrate the success of those around them. Each and every one of us should pay more attention and strive to share our influence with others. Practice self love and be sure to appreciate and value those around you. If you do, good things are sure to come!

Cheers!