“Communication is the key!” says Linda Chadwick, President & CEO of Rita’s Franchise Company, LLC. She has been inspiring her team to drive results, celebrating success along the way, and leading by example. “When obstacles present themselves, this is not the time to be stagnant. Break it down so the team doesn’t get overwhelmed. Lead by example – coach, guide, teach, train and mentor. Provide development opportunities,” says Linda, who has been an inspiring & motivating leader.

Linda always wanted to ensure she had time to help, especially when a need aligned with her strengths. She has an open door for all business owners; knowing what it took for her to rise in a male-dominated industry, she is always willing to share her experiences with female leaders to lessen the burden. “Mentoring is a unique process because the goal is to teach someone to think and solve problems on their own independently. In the early days I always wanted to help people avoid hardship and pain but realized that taking the pain away and solving the problem with my thinking only weakened them as a leader,” asserts Linda. “My most successful mentorship moments come when I teach leaders to identify potential issue indicators before they turn into a full-blown problem. When problems or challenges arise, I work with them on how to focus on the opportunities, solve the problems and learn from each situation.”

According to Linda, any leader’s challenge is understanding where someone is coming from and the best ways to help them reach their goals. This is done by ensuring the employees are always heard through bottom-up influence and working together as a team to implement top-down strategies. “What I mean by bottom-up influence is that each generation and each individual have their own unique experiences and different motivators that drive them to produce higher outcomes,” explains Linda. “If you don’t take the time to understand what motivates your team truly, you run the risk of ordering your employees around rather than collaborating with them.” This concept and approach show her employees that they are part of an optimal team and empower them to perform at a higher level in this competitive world.

The steadfast leader elucidates that it took many years to get to this point, but Linda has been blessed in her life to be able to touch things quickly and get outcomes. The true success she witnesses comes from her ability to see how fundamental aspects lead to major results. “One analogy I always refer back to is the process of building a wall. When you’re building a wall, the focus should never be about building the perfect wall, instead, it should be about laying each brick perfectly,” says Linda. “When each brick is placed correctly, the perfect wall results. It’s all about ensuring every team member understands that each fundamental aspect must be done right for our outcomes to come together properly.” Linda’s biggest piece of advice would always be to solidify the building blocks of a business with detail so that the foundation is strong. “When you truly understand the building blocks and their details, you understand how to adjust your strategies to meet your ideal outcomes.”

As a mid-sized Franchisor with over 550 locations, the major challenge that Linda faces is competing with more extensive franchises with deeper pockets when it comes to investing in technology and marketing. One of the things she solved better than anyone their size is how a mid-size franchise can leverage their technology and engagement without spending the big box budget that more extensive franchises have. To solve this problem, Linda architected an approach allowing them to head-on approach the challenge. “I brought the technology internally and hired a team to execute my strategy. In doing this, we now have full ownership and control over the technology we use and the data it collects,” she says. “This strategic move allows us to quickly catch up to larger franchises while spending a fraction of the cost. The success came from my team’s ability to provide me key data points and details on what we needed to successfully move into a digital solution that led to true 360 guest engagement.” WL

When I started at University studying Psychology, I never thought it would lead me to a life of Google Ads and digital Marketing, but it goes hand in hand. I have a Bachelor of Psychological Science and an Honors of Research Psychiatry, and although i don’t use the degrees in their intended sense, i use them everyday in my Business, The Ads Manager. We are a Boutique Google Ads agency laser focused on client satisfaction and success. I use my psychology background to write ad copy and it gives me the edge to create ads intended for each specific market. My background is University lecturing and tutoring in Criminology and Psychology at multiple universities across Australia and going back to study Google Ads, just seemed like a natural progression of my University career and a way to continue to expand my knowledge and better myself. Teaching helped me gain the confidence to deal with different kinds of people from all walks of life, something I now do every day in my own business.

“Experienced Google Ads Specialist and content creator. An Official awarded Google Partner with specialisations in Search, Display, Shopping, Measurement, video and apps. The Ads Manager director, an award winning Google ads company and and award winning women’s business leader.”

My Husband created The Ads Manager several Years ago when he felt there was a gap in the market that could be tapped into, and in March of 2020 i went from part-time worker in the company to full time Google Ads Specialist and in a shared role of Director with my husband. We are a husband and wife team with 2 young children, we are fully qualified and certified specialists and our agency is a recognised Google Preferred Partner. We are specialised in search, display, shopping, youtube, apps and measurement, and experts in tag manager and analytics. We take care of everything behind the scenes, from tracking and analytics to account creation, build and weekly management.

In the last 14 months our Business has achieved great success, doubling our client base, having a 99% client retention rate, hiring a full time expert to join the team under us and winning the Prestige Award for Digital Marketing Agency of the Year 2020/2021. I have also been nominated directly for 3 SA Woman Awards including Business Newcomer, Mum in Business and Quiet Achiever Award and for a 40 under 40 Award for Exceptional Business Leadership. The Ads Manager has also signed multiple contracts with other marketing agencies, across Australia and The United States to do all their Google Ads. Big agencies you think of, all white label to us!

The Ads Manager works closely with our clients to achieve great results and believes that having transparency and trust between parties is vital to our success. Our clients become like members of our family and we pride ourselves on listening, working as a team and working hard on each and every account we bring on, making sure that we have an individualised strategic plan in place for each client.

Our future plans are based around continuing to grow the business, without losing our personalised approach and adding extra marketing services to our repertoire. The personalised approach is what gives us our edge and is why our motto is ‘we will leave you before you leave us’. Because, if we see ads is not working for you, we will be the first to be honest and open and because the way we manage our clients and our hard work speak for themselves, so clients just don’t leave!

The greatest advice we can give to people thinking of jumping into business is to know your market, understand your clients and always continue to grow your knowledge. IE

The Ads Manager

Management

Alicia (Jenkins) Whitbread
Director & PPC Expert

Description

Small specialised team of highly skilled individuals with many degrees and years of experience behind us. Google Ads specialists and a Google preferred partner, specialised in all areas, masters of e-commerce, ad copy and analytics. We offer honest digital marketing advice, Google Ads full set up and management and content creation for social media and websites.

Alexandra Gerritsen, President & COO at Artemis Research, has an extensive background in technology and operations, which she brought to Artemis 18 months ago. She has a strength and a passion for leading transformations within companies. She embraces and optimizes a high-performance culture, aligns and elevates talent, and consistently delivers revenue and profitability results while maintaining high employee engagement. She has transformed the company by promoting, building, and coaching a middle management team across Artemis. This focus on empowering the team from the bottom-up has allowed each department to get more efficient and effective; for example, the Marketing and Sales team has increased their leads by 200% and reduced the cost per lead by 50%.

Alexandra has implemented technology best practices, such as CRIO for e-source and e-regulatory to allow the company site to move away from paper documentation to a sophisticated system that will allow coordinators more work-life balance and also ensure Artemis is delivering the highest quality data to their customers and sponsors. Additionally, one of her passions is customer experience, and she implemented a customer survey tool within her first 90 days. This tool now measures the patient experience and their sponsor experience to ensure they deliver this highest quality service.

“Artemis is constantly searching for innovative methods and striving to push the industry towards utilizing incredible new technological advancements and processes.”

According to Alexandra, now more than ever, clinical trials are vital for discovering new treatments for diseases and new ways to detect, diagnose, and reduce the chance of developing the disease. Clinical trials can show researchers what does and doesn’t work in humans that cannot be learned in the laboratory or animals. “Without clinical trials, such as those we conduct at our sites, we would not have breakthrough mRNA research that has led to record breaking vaccine rollouts for the COVID-19 pandemic. Without research and our fantastic clinical trial participants, new medical breakthroughs and disease prevention would not be possible!” she says.

Artemis is constantly searching for innovative methods and striving to push the industry towards utilizing incredible new technological advancements and processes. “Since starting with Artemis, I have worked with the team to implement Salesforce for patient recruitment, launched e-source and e-regulatory systems, and much more,” explains Alexandra. “Artemis’ commitment to our core value of continuous improvement means we embrace advancements that not only ensure a better patient experience but helps our team be as efficient and detailed as possible in an industry powered by clean and precise data.”

Fundamentally, Artemis understands how important each clinical trial participant is to the research process. Not only is a participant entrusting them with their health and wellbeing, but their participation is helping drive new medical treatments and innovations. “We have fantastic clinical research staff that follow and closely monitor each patient to ensure that they have any and all questions answered and feel comfortable and taken care of throughout their participation and follow up,” adds Alexandra. “Our coordinators and Investigators are known for creating bonds and a trusting environment with our patients that not only keep them coming back for multiple studies but also referring them to friends and family members.” Patient referrals are one of their primary sources of gaining new patients. “It is our staff’s dedication to our participants at the individual level that leads us to have over a 95% retention rate with our volunteers. We gladly show our appreciation to each and every participant because medical breakthroughs could not happen without the generosity of our incredible participants.”

The company just opened a vaccine unit at their San Diego location and worked on COVID-19 vaccines and will be looking to expand to be an industry leader in vaccine trials. “This was a very important step for us to take to continue the growth of Artemis and expand on an indication we have been successful in,” elucidates Alexandra. “Secondly, with our acquisition by Headlands Research, Artemis will be able to increase the number of studies we can have our patients participate in each year. We are excited to be providing the San Diego and Riverside communities with access to more advances in medicine than ever before!” IE

Artemis Research

Management

Alexandra Gerritsen
President & COO at Artemis Research

Description

We understand drug development in the clinical trial setting. Since our founding in 2008, we have successfully completed 213 medical studies and clinical trials for the treatment of medical and central nervous system conditions, with an additional 21 currently enrolling as of January 2016. We deliver reliable, verifiable, cutting edge research and clinical trial results by thoroughly planning for every study, carefully and compassionately evaluating subjects, and adhering precisely to protocol throughout our clinical trials process. We provide superior performance combined with quality data – with no surprises.

Melinda Kutzing & Rachel Laing, Managing Directors of Bionest Partners, have been with the company since its early days, where they first started as consultants. Their management style is focused on leading by example and creating an exciting and supportive environment for the team to learn, develop, and grow. “In the consulting business, your people are your products – therefore, in order for us to best serve our clients, it is critical to take care of our people, and ensure they are supported, respected and heard” says Melinda. The duo is working in some of the most cutting-edge areas of the life sciences and healthcare industries, which provides a tremendous opportunity to contribute and do their small part to make a difference. “One of our core brand pillars is commitment, and this is something that we’ve promised to ourselves as leaders, as employers, and as service providers,” adds Rachel.

Bionest was started back in 2003 to help US biotechs develop their market entry strategy for Europe. At the time, companies were partnering or out-licensing their assets for Europe, when in fact, Bionest believed that there was a significant opportunity to set up a go alone model. Since that time, they have expanded their capabilities and advise a mix of biotech and pharma clients on a range of important asset and corporate strategy questions to support development and commercialization efforts. “However, we remain true to our mission from the very beginning, which is to solve some of the most important and complex questions in the life sciences industry. This focus has led us to exciting areas such as Precision Medicine and Diagnostics, Cell and Gene Therapy, Market Access, and increasingly, Digital Health,” says Rachel.

The company partners with clients to support them on key topics related to corporate growth and the development and commercialization of their assets, and believe that any strategic decision should be anchored in a robust understanding of the market reality. They provide a fresh, unbiased point of view, run their own research and analysis, and have an extensive network of experts, all of which allows them to develop a robust strategy and plan for their clients.

In one instance, Bionest supported a pharmaceutical company in developing their Precision Medicine Strategy. “Our client was looking to strengthen their position and invest in Precision Medicine to drive leadership and complement their drug pipeline. We performed a detailed analysis of the current and future Precision Medicine market, to guide the strategy and ensure investment in the right areas,” explains Melinda. Bionest spent time with the client to understand current capabilities and ambitions and led a series of brainstorming workshops to develop the strategy and ensure buy-in across the organization. “It was an incredibly rewarding process to be working side by side with our client and effecting change in such an innovative area,” says Rachel.

“We are proud of the fact that we have been able to continue supporting our clients as well as our team during the past year of the pandemic,” says Rachel. “Thanks to some close and trusted client relationships, as well as a strong team culture and identity, we have been able to continue growing our company, during an unprecedented time.” The world has certainly changed over the last year, and the healthcare industry is changing and evolving as well. We are fortunate to work with some of the leading and most innovative companies in the healthcare industry, and look forward to continued partnership in this space. “Last year we made the decision to invest further into the truly innovative areas of our industry – precision medicine and diagnostics, digital health, cell and gene therapies, to name a few,” adds Melinda. IE

Bionest Partners

Management

Melinda Kutzing & Rachel Laing
Managing Directors at Bionest Partners

Description

Bionest Partners is a global consulting firm focused on Pharma, Biotech, Medical Device and Diagnostics that helps clients navigate complex product development issues in order to drive growth, create value and gain competitive advantage. We also offer our expertise and analytic skills to support investors with due diligence assignments in these markets.

Lexy Onofrio, SVP of Marketing, Ascena, is an innovative brand leader with experience encompassing marketing, creative direction, product assortment, and visual merchandising during pivotal stages of evolution and business growth in the specialty retail sphere. She leads with a digital-first, customer-focused mindset, keeping the customer front and center when connecting cross-channel brand assets and leveraging data to personalize shopping experiences across brand touchpoints for the brands she oversees.

“Lexy has a strong record developing and delivering marketing and brand presentation excellence –strengthening brand image, growing sales and building consumer loyalty. Lead with digital-first, customer-focused mindset, demonstrating exceptional talent curating product content for customer relevance, connecting cross-channel brand assets, and leveraging data to personalize shopping experience in order to drive engagement at every touchpoint.”

With over 30 years in the industry, Lexy brings a robust understanding of the customer she serves to her role, with a sense of relatability of their personal journey. Lexy is inspired by the customer of each brand she serves; they drive her to do better in her work. Lexy’s overall goal is to inspire and encourage the customer, making her feel amazing in the apparel she selects so that she can walk her way with confidence each day. She is also inspired by the customer, aiming to serve women to help them accomplish their best, no matter their personal goals or aspirations.

Those who work with Lexy know her as a highly motivated visionary leader. She is honest, intuitive, and an incredibly supportive leader to her peers and team by architecting and leading the brands she serves to greatness. Lexy notes that her goal is to deliver the best experience for both the internal – also known as the brand associates – and external customers.

Lexy has been extremely lucky to have been exposed to some bad-ass ladies during her career in the retail industry. Lexy noted that she had been led and inspired by the women she has worked with, allowing her to incorporate many great learnings of what to do AND what not to do into her path. Their example of leadership allowed Lexy time to discover her way in her career by learning by example, while encouraging her to tap into talents she never knew she had.

She has been able to create an amazing network of women over the years. Lexy is grateful for their advice, as well as their actions, and has followed their growth for over 30+ years. She continues to learn from the experiences of her network of bad-ass, inspirational women daily. Lexy credits her mother as another inspiration, noting she has taught her to be true to herself and to have a strong work ethic. She also credits her daughter, who inspires her daily to evolve. Lexy says her daughter teaches her ways to connect and brings Lexy self-awareness throughout her journey.

Lexy truly places the customer at the center of her work as a leader and actively encourages her team to embody that approach in their daily work. The customer-first mentality is certainly a differentiator among the respective competitive set for each brand she touches. “Ann Taylor is rooted in a heritage of work wear, iconic silhouettes, signature color, print and pattern. The brand blends the best of sophisticated, relevant design with notable quality and fit while staying one step ahead of the modern woman’s needs and desires driven by her evolving, and now hybrid lifestyle,” she explains. “LOFT prides itself on mood-boosting prints and color, playful design elements and the feel-good nature of their fits.”

Lexy has been integral in creating a two-way conversation with the customer by inviting her voice into the brands’ storytelling and her preferences into the shopping experience for both Ann Taylor and Loft. She also has been a customer-first champion for the Lane Bryant business, offering customers style with solutions.

“We’ve listened to invaluable customer feedback and incorporated her wants and needs into our apparel offering, without sacrificing an ounce of style. We’ve been fitting women for over 120+ years and can confidently offer her with a fit she can trust as industry fit experts,” Lexy said. “For the days to come, we will continue to truly listen to what our customer is asking for from our respective brands and implement that feedback into product and programs that support her. This approach will always be a key touchstone for each brand under our umbrella.” IEWL

Chances are if you are calling Bromwich+Smith, a licensed insolvency trustee, you are feeling stressed about money, debt and your finances. And yet, when you finally make that critical call for information and assistance, you will be greeted with a friendly non-judgmental debt relief specialist who will help review your personal situation and provide some options for you to move forward in your finances to rebuild.

“A natural leader with a passion for the human condition to push the envelope and garner support from key stakeholders. A unique blend of consumer background, analytics and operational thinking ensures marketing steps are seeped in strategy and insights to deliver results. Passionate about whole life wellness – at work, at home and in the community!”

“When I came into my first meeting with Bromwich and Smith, I felt ashamed and humiliated. I felt like I was coming in to admit defeat for mishandling my affairs. I thought this was going to be a terrible process. I could not have been more incorrect. The Bromwich and Smith agent was incredibly warm and caring. I was treated with the utmost of dignity and respect from the first meeting. The advice I was given was fantastic and was delivered with compassion. I don’t know how I would have gotten through the collapse of my consulting company without BSI’s assistance. Anytime I have called in, I have been treated like family and been given great support. If you are having any financial trouble at all, I would reach out before it becomes too consuming. I know a lot of my assumptions were proven incorrect by these wonderful people.” – Paul Chinook, Bromwich+Smith client.

Bromwich+Smith is more than a licensed insolvency trustee. They help people through some of the most challenging moments in their lives. And the powerhouse woman leader behind the branding, marketing and sales charge is Jasmine Marra VP Sales+Marketing.

“We are on a mission to normalize the conversation of debt” said Marra. “This year has been a tough one for many. Since January we have served over 1500 Canadians across five provinces in need of financial restructuring”. This is quite an accomplishment, and against the backdrop of a shrinking market represents a doubling in market share. This success clearly illustrates the critical importance of empathy, understanding and non-judgment in the face of hardship in the form of crippling debt.

Jasmine has spent the last four years transforming the small but fast-growing firm into a force to be reckoned with by empowering those around her. “Our secret sauce is our people. So often in organizations I see people embrace the idea that we should lean into our authentic selves, but when we actually do, it is often not well received.” Said Marra. “As leaders at Bromwich+Smith we have worked hard to nurture healthy conflict and truly believe that we all come with gifts. Each of us has something unique to offer – harnessing that and elevating that in our team is key for me as a leader”.

“Jasmine empowers others. Rather than getting caught in the weeds, she builds up not only her own team but others around her.” Says Taz Rajan Community Engagement Partner at Bromwich+Smith. “Empowered people empower others, and feel a sense of ownership and pride and tend to be happier in the work they do – I know I am.”

For Jasmine Marra, Bozoma St. John, the CMO of Netflix, is the one who truly inspires her. “I recently heard her speak at a conference and was astounded with her authenticity and her ability to appreciate that her diversity and her own experience are exactly what make her unique,” explains Jasmine. “Her messages of individuality and authenticity in the face of a world that wants us to be largely the same speak directly to the core of who I am as a marketer, a woman, a leader and a mother. It was refreshing.”

Debt and money touch each of us in various ways. But it is important as we move through the fallout of a pandemic together, that we feel safe to reach out for assistance as a community when we need it. This worthy cause is the fire that moves Mrs. Marra in her passion every day.

“I told Jasmine that when I first met her, I immediately saw the fire in her belly, and I too was moved by the fire that moves her. This is what great leaders do: they draw people in with their passion and fire and they lead them forward with the light from that fire.” Said Shawn Stack VP Insolvency Practice “This is Jasmine Marra: a burning light that leads.”

Destigmatizing the conversation of debt in our community and a bright leadership light, is why Jasmine Marra is one of our top 10 Most inspiring Women leaders for 2021.

At Bromwich+Smith, Debt Relief Specialists are available by phone at 1.855.884.9243 or you can request a call back via the contact us page. There is no need to travel to a local office. Licensed Insolvency Trustee, Bromwich+Smith, is now offering video appointments, with all services available from the comfort of your home. IE

Bromwich+Smith

Management

Jasmine Marra
Vice President

Description

The purpose of Bromwich & Smith Inc. is to relieve the overwhelming financial burden individuals are experiencing in accordance with Canadian legislation. Bromwich+Smith is an Eco-friendly organization that is committed to making a positive impact on the lives of those we assist, employ & do business.

Gina Mollicone-Long, Creator of Greatness U, lives by the motto “reveal greatness” and jumps out of bed every day to help peak performers unlock and reveal the greatness within. She knows firsthand what it takes to be an entrepreneur having started her first company in 1998. Since then, she has been a serial entrepreneur helping people and companies get what they want. She has a corporate experience that ranges from giants such as Procter & Gamble to high-tech incubators, small start-ups, and even the non-profit sector. In each enterprise, personal or professional, Gina brings her straightforward approach and ferocious energy along with a firm belief that the “impossible” is always possible. Gina has dedicated her life to studying, leveraging, and optimizing the process of change. Combining her formal education in Engineering and Philosophy and decades of multi-disciplinary studies, she has channeled these qualities into the development of Greatness U and the ACME Coaching Framework to help peak performers reach their highest potential faster and with less effort.

“If someone doesn’t want to change, then there is nothing you can do to change them. But, if someone is determined to change, then there is nothing you can do to stop them” ~Gina Mollicone-Long

All of the programs at Greatness U are designed to enable leaders to reveal their greatness through the ACME Framework and the ACME 7 – a set of 7 mechanistic models designed to help leaders reach their potential faster and with less effort. Gina also has a long history of specifically supporting female leaders, including developing specific programs for women and girls called Awaken the PowHER and Planet Girl. She has also participated in a leadership board capacity in groups such as the Canadian Women’s Foundation and The Big Sisters Organization and supported other female-focused business leaders such as Jane Roos and her CanFund 150 Women Movement and Julia Pimsleur and her Million Dollar Women Accelerator. She has been a speaker to many female-focused organizations, including the Women of EO (Entrepreneurs Organization), The Future is Female, and SheEO.

Gina is an expert on change and peak performance and the best-selling author of two books. Her first book, The Secret of Successful Failing, shows you how to turn any adversity into an advantage. Her second book, Think or Sink, was an international bestseller in six countries. It shows you how to navigate any change and breakthrough to the next level. As the creator of Greatness U and the ACME coaching framework, Gina has developed many processes that empower people to reveal their greatness. ACME is a Greek word meaning highest point or peak, so all of the programs Gina has developed lead people to reach the ACME of their greatness, faster and with less effort. Gina is a world-class speaker with an extraordinary ability to make complex concepts easy to understand in extremely vibrant and engaging programs on stages all across the globe.

Coaching and training is a rapidly growing industry. Greatness U is not another coaching program. The ACME framework makes ALL coaching better because it focuses on the fundamentals of change. At its foundation, all coaching is change, whether it is coaching for business, sports, relationships, etc. “We teach all coaches how to get better results with their clients faster and with less effort. We also teach these principles to C-level leaders because executive leaders are essentially coaches in their organizations. We are experts in peak human performance,” explains Gina. “The pandemic enabled our greatest innovation to date and prompted us to completely change our delivery method such that all of our live programs can now be attended virtually or in-person, and there are also online self-study options. This has allowed us to serve a much larger audience because having multiple delivery formats makes attendance convenient for everyone.”

The 7th mechanistic model in the ACME framework is called the Breakthrough Process. This model outlines a precise process for cultivating a verifiable change in behavior, leading to results faster and with less effort. Gina has spent decades refining this process through her curated breakthroughs with a select group of high achievers. Through a rigorous vetting process, Gina accepts fewer than a dozen private clients a year into her Circle of Greatness. “All master graduates of Greatness U use this same precise breakthrough model with their own clients thus leading to impactful and measurable results. Coaching isn’t about certifications. Coaching is about results, plain and simple. We teach coaches how to get results, period.”

Evelyn Reed is a dynamic and progressive HR leader with over ten years of experience in various industries and markets throughout North America. She is double certified, holding her SPHR and SHRM-SCP, HR certifications, and she is an official member of the Forbes HR Council. Additionally, she is a commissioned licensed Notary Public in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Throughout her career, she’s worked with major global brands such as Amazon and Hertz and multinational brands such as Jacent Strategic Merchandising. Evelyn has also worked with various Philadelphia-based non-profits and healthcare leaders.

Most recently, while working full-time, as Head of the HR Operations & Diversity, Equity, Equality, Inclusion and Belonging, and attending graduate school for her MBA, Evelyn has launched her newest venture, HR Jawn, LLC. HR Jawn is a boutique firm offering HR, Business, Notary, and Advocacy services for individuals, startups, and small to midsize businesses. Stay tuned for the release of the HR Jawn app that will provide members access to on-demand resources and connections.

Evelyn has always actively worked at spearheading various programs to enhance women’s leadership. She understands that leadership is hard in general; add being a woman, and one faces barriers; add being black to the equation, and a black woman hits invisible ceilings.

“I offer to other women leaders, the wisdom from the many lessons I have learned over the years, in hopes that they can navigate better in spaces I had to push and make my own path into. Additionally, my company, HR Jawn, offers fee-based consulting and other services for businesses and individuals specific to HR, Business, Notary, and Advocacy spaces.” Evelyn adds, “I try to motivate and encourage my team members and partners, to tap into their full potential. I believe my ultimate goal as a leader of people is to develop them to meet or exceed mine and their own expectations professionally. That is what a successful leader looks like in my book. For me, “success” is when you are able to be 100% authentically yourself in the spaces that you are in. For so long, as a black woman leader, I felt like I was fighting to get there; and with 10 plus years in the game, I am finally able to see the fruits of my hard labor and feel successful” Evelyn continues on to say, “The biggest lesson I’ve learned on this journey is to trust your gut instincts, don’t be afraid to take chances, get a mentor or corporate sponsor, and when possible, see and explore the world. Changing your environment will help you see, experience, and bring a different perspective to the workplace.”

As an HR Professional, mental wellness and self-care are top priorities for Evelyn; so it’s no surprise her first business venture she started in 2020 at the start of the pandemic, was After Effex co. After Effex is a small business where she makes and sells curated wellness boxes and small-batch hand poured natural candles infused with essential oils and herbs and other botanicals that fuse together to create an aroma and vibe that helps shift your mood to a better mental space to empower self-care. Evelyn states, “Oftentimes; as an HR professional, I see many employees burnout or stay in toxic environments while losing themselves because they fail to put themselves first. It’s 100% OK to be a dedicated and invested employee; but it’s also 100% OK to put yourself first by knowing your limits and caring for yourself. Self-care is needed so you can ultimately put your best foot forward and limit burnout.”

Evelyn believes her biggest leadership lesson that’s unique to being a woman leader is; to know what you know confidently and unapologetically. She states, “I think too often women leaders tend to second guess their knowledge or expertise. Do not. Ever.”

The steadfast leader’s most significant achievement to date is launching her own businesses. “Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart, and the biggest hurdle most times is getting over your own self-doubts and just trusting in your own process and path” she explains. “Right now, I am revamping After Effex offerings and still working towards building out the mobile app for HR Jawn. I want my HR and Business resources and support for clients and community members to be accessible and at their fingertips. The build out phase is challenging, but definitely worth it in the end” Soon after the launch of the app, Evelyn would like to start focusing more on the space of advocacy, particularly in the space for pay equality and equity. Evelyn feels this focus area ties together all corners of her business ventures and who she is as a person. Connecting her passion and belief for equality and equity for women and minorities to her company’s mission and goals, to uplift and empower the underserved. WL

MyHealth Centre is an accredited diagnostic health facility with more than 40 locations in Ontario. Specializing in cardiology, imaging, women’s health, telehealth, and sleep diagnostic services, more than 15,000 Ontario healthcare providers refer their patients to MyHealth for these OHIP-covered services. They are also the first and only independent health facilities in Ontario that are Accredited with Commendation. This unique achievement recognizes their ongoing effort to provide shorter wait times for patients, faster report turnaround for referring healthcare providers, and the highest standard of infection prevention, cleanliness, and safety in their facilities.

We met with Dina Sergi, Vice President of Operations at MyHealth, who shares her insight on how they’re able to deliver a higher standard of patient care during the most challenging period of her career. Many would have a difficult time leading a healthcare team through moments of fear, scrutiny, and unpredictability, but she excelled. As stated by a colleague, “I will never forget the pandemic. I too had to lead, but being her direct report, I needed her support, which was given to me in abundance”.

Throughout the pandemic, Dina was resilient and compassionate towards the needs of her staff and patients. She was driven and focused on leading MyHealth through required staff changes and then ramping up to full operations with the increasing demand in healthcare. Much of her success was due to her willingness to communicate and address the needs and concerns of her team. She continues to mentor and council her team and is focussed on the development of others.

According to Dina, the pandemic has created new challenges, but for MyHealth it has also inspired new advances in how they provide diagnostic services and patient care. Last year, they introduced telehealth services for urgent care, prescriptions, and cardiology consultations, so all Ontario patients can access these OHIP-covered services from the comfort and safety of their homes. Telehealth provides improved service to remote areas and relieves overrun hospitals with limited healthcare professionals and unsustainable wait times.

Timeliness is critical in a modern health system. When a patient has a health condition that is not diagnosed and treated on time, it worsens. Yet, here in Ontario, patients are waiting for an average of 17 weeks from when they are referred to a diagnostic specialist to when they receive treatment. That is why MyHealth strives to provide same-week appointments for their diagnostic services. According to Dina, “This enables us to evaluate our patients’ health conditions before they become a crisis.”

Last year, MyHealth Centre provided more than two million OHIP-covered healthcare services to patients. “We ask them to complete a quick survey following their visit and have subsequently earned a 4.8 out of 5-star Google rating from nearly 15,000 patient reviews,” says Dina. Furthermore, MyHealth has earned the Consumer Choice Award for best diagnostic imaging clinics in the GTA (2019-2020-2021-2022); has been selected by the Globe and Mail as one of Canada’s Top Growing Companies (2019-2020); Deloitte has named them one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies (2018-2019-2020-2021-2022), and has been certified as a Great Place to Work (2017-2018-2019-2020-2021).

“Our goal is to ensure MyHealth Centre is first to mind when referring healthcare providers and their patients need diagnostic services,” adds Dina. “We want top referrers to continue referring to us, and those who periodically refer their patients to increase their frequency and expand the range of services they refer to us.”

MyHealth Centre plans for a seamless integration of a “brick-and-click” healthcare model, offering a breadth of diagnostic services and a one-stop-shop for referring healthcare providers and patients. They recognize not all healthcare services can be done remotely. Still, as patients demand more transparency and convenience than ever before, MyHealth Centre will remain at the forefront of this inevitable growth opportunity. “I will say that I found happiness in working at MyHealth Centre, which contributes to my success. Having a great team and surrounding myself with colleagues and teammates that have the same desires to ensure our success in an industry dedicated to patient care is humbling. I’m a firm believer that a good leader has a great team beside him/her,” she says. WL

Longtime friends Hamish Hamilton, Ian Stewart, and Simon Pizey created Done+Dusted in London in the late 90s. Melanie Fletcher soon joined the team bringing her international production skills to the table. Creativity, collaboration, and excellent production management gained them an incredible client base that quickly became international in size and scope leading them to opened up in North America, United Arab Emirates and China.

“Throughout her 20 years at Done + Dusted she has played an integral role in producing some of the biggest and most memorable moments of our time, and her contributions have been instrumental to the growth and success of the company.”

According to Melanie, to be a market leader, one has to be a lifelong learner. “I began my television career in my teens and joined Done + Dusted in my mid-twenties, and in those 20 years the industry has completely changed. You have to see the change coming and read the way the entertainment industry is shifting so you can always be one step ahead,” she says. “Understanding the core business remains key, but being agile enough to move with the market shifts is critical.” Armed with this ideology, Melanie has been taking the company to new heights.

Done + Dusted started in the industry as TV producers making great productions with everyone from Beyonce to the BBC, the Pope, to Oscar Award-winning actors. The real success of the business has been to be able to go from being a group of talented producers to a group of producers that think like entrepreneurs. “We pride ourselves on being collaborators and creative partners, but we are also service providers. Our client’s goals are always paramount on any production. We start with – how do use creative innovation to achieve their version of success? Is it about viewing figures, sales numbers, subscriber acquisitions, brand awareness?” explains Melanie.

Storytelling is the constant organizing principle behind every great piece of entertainment globally, and it is at the heart of everything Done + Dusted does. “Stories connect us, and they move us, they make us laugh, and cry, and feel. Our stories define us. D+D have told stories from Ice caps to deserts, from skyscrapers to jungles, Done+Dusted has partnered with brands, broadcasters, royalty, digital platforms, audiences, agencies, educators, philanthropists, humanitarians, and artists to create and film live spectacles in every corner of the world, anywhere and everywhere that stories are told.”

For us all, great entertainment starts with a great story,” Melanie elucidates. “Great storytelling connects us in powerful ways that can affect us for our entire life. And, after the past year, we need hope, joy, and togetherness more than ever.”

Done + Dusted’s creativity, collaboration, and excellent production management have enabled them to bag an incredible client base that quickly became international in size and scope. The reasons for their success include:

• High standards because the stakes are often really high.

• High profile clients, big budgets, and often Live to millions of viewers.

• Having a brilliant idea is only half of the job.

• Executing on that vision without a hitch takes a village of talented, dedicated overachievers.

It is pertinent to mention, the company is an avid technology adopter and loves trying new things to elevate production value or set a project apart from what’s been done before. During Covid, they dove headfirst into AR, XR, lots of robotic cameras, and new remote operating systems. “It was a crash course in new tech solutions and we learned an enormous amount. So much so that much of it will remain part of our thinking and work flow post Covid.”

“We like to think that Done + Dusted brings a sort of secret sauce to any project. Many live event companies have only 2 or 3 partners, but we have the benefit of 7 creative, business brains around the table. Each one with unique talents, insights and backgrounds. We’ve created a democratic creative management team with an international lens, it’s really rare,” says Melanie. “Done + Dusted is reorganizing and expanding. We’re taking the creative passion for our traditional Live event production and transposing that into Original Series & Specials, Brand presentations and Immersive entertainment. There’s never been a more exciting time to be in the entertainment industry.” IEWL

Done+Dusted

Management

Melanie Fletcher
Chief Operating Officer of Done+Dusted

Description

Longtime friends Hamish Hamilton, Ian Stewart and Simon Pizey created Done+Dusted in London in the late 90s. Creativity, collaboration and excellent production management gained them an incredible client base that quickly became international in size and scope. Creative Director Russell Thomas and COO Melanie Fletcher soon joined the executive team and the company opened up a second office in America. Shortly after, Katy Mullan, David Jammy and Guy Carrington joined the executive team, bringing renewed focus on expansion, development and company philosophy.