A new Canadian publication titled, HEART, launched this month for women in business. They describe themselves as:

“…the only publication of its kind dedicated to providing mentorship for career and life success. We get to the heart of issues concerning women in business today, profiling successful professionals, focusing on health and well being, and providing articles of interest that encourage personal diversity and creative exploration to augment your life.”

HEART is offering a sneak preview into their July/August 2008 premiere issue at http://www.heartbusinessjournal.com/extras.html

Take a read and let me know what you think…

Melany Gallant | Women 2.0 Canada | Ottawa Co-founder

I love, love, love finding new blogs and women of interest via the net. Which is why I’m so excited to promote the 96 Bloggers to Watch For in Spring 2008 post by Virtual Women’s Day Celebrations.

Authored by Heidi Richards - author, business coach and entrepreneur - the Virtual Women’s Day Celebrations blog links to some pretty cool blogs and info related to women in business and women entrepreneurs.

Its mission:

The Mission of the Virtual Woman’s Day™ is to bring together women from around the globe to network together, learn together and grow together. We plan to do this by encouraging one another to share resources, promote our products and services, increase our circle of influence and have some fun in the process.

Check out the post I mentioned. There are a ton of different blogs listed (including this one - thanks Heidi!) that may just catch your interest.

Melany Gallant | Women 2.0 Canada | Ottawa Co-founder

Linda Babcock co-authour of “Ask for it: How women can use the power of negotiation to get what they really want“, has written a compelling article for the NY Times where she adresses the age old question ‘why do men get paid more then women?’. It turns out that alot of it may stem from the fact that time and time again women simply don’t ask for what they want.

While referencing her research Babcock tells us that, “women accept the status quo, take what they were offered and wait for someone else to decide what they deserved. Men asked for what they wanted and usually got what they asked for.” While this is important and can effect every facet of our lives I believe this magnifies for us as entrepreneurs, where good negotiation skills may very well make or break you.

Babcock goes on to add, “We may not consciously realize that we’re tougher on assertive women than we are on men who behave in similar ways… So the next time you react negatively to the behavior of a strong woman, stop yourself and say instead, ‘I’m glad she’s going after what she wants’ ”

Could not have said it better myself. “you go girl”

ana.g | women 2.0 | Toronto Co-founder

Women 2.0 Ottawa loves to promote entrepreneurial females from all industries - not just high tech. So it is with great pleasure that we promote the following three Ottawa business women making a name for themselves.

Tracey Vibert at TAV Creations - www.tav-creations.com

Tracey and her company, TAV Creations, was brought to my attention through Twitter. I follow her husband, Thomas Leroux (@WTL), on Twitter. When I put out a tweet asking for info on women entrepreneurs in Ottawa, Thomas forwarded me the link to Tracey’s website.

Owned and operated Tracey, TAV Creations has been in existence since 1988. Tracey does many custom dress designs - taking an idea or concept from a client and developing it into a beautiful garment “to be worn with as much love as it was created.” Tracey works closely with her clients to create a garment that is truly unique and flattering to the individual it is meant for.

From bridal gowns to costumes and intricate bead work, Tracey has done it all. What I love is her concept of “eco-sewing“. Taking existing garments that are now too big, a touch out-of-date or in need of some fresh detailing, and reinventing it as a completely new garment. Now that’s a way to reduce, reuse and recycle!

Take a peek at some of Tracey’s work from her online portfolio.

Lara Wellman & Vicky Bisson - Apples’n Oranges - www.apples-n-oranges.com

Launched while Lara and Vicky were both on maternity leave, Apples’n Oranges is an online store specializing in childrens’ wear for ages 0-5 from exclusively Canadian companies. Based here in Ottawa, Lara and Vicky also offer in-home parties for their customers.

With sons only two months apart in age, these two longtime friends derived the name for their company from how different their two sons are from one another - as different as “apples and oranges”.

They offer hip, fun clothing that is a refreshing change from the traditional pastels and cartoony fashions predominantly in the market today. Their line features an original selection of clothing, shoes and accessories for children aged 0-5 years, as well as a few accessories for mom.

And about those home parties? “No sales pitch to become a consultant, no pyramid scheme- just a fun, relaxed atmosphere to shop with your friends.” Ya! For more information, or to book a party, contact Lara and Vicky at info@apples-n-oranges.com.

The ladies also have a blog where you can keep up-to-date on new merchandise and so much more.

Are you a women entrepreneur in Ottawa?

Well we’d love to profile you if you are! Send your bio / company background to ottawa [at] women2 [dot] ca and we’ll profile you on our blog.

- Melany Gallant
Co-founder, Women 2.0 Ottawa

A great outcome of our fourth Women 2.0 Ottawa event - held last night at Bridgehead in Westboro - was a brainstorm on a theme for our next series of events (after Pass the Torch with Maggie Fox on Feb 26th). We’ve dubbed the series “technology purse” - aka toolkit - essentials.

What are the essential tools and skills you need to run your small business or startup smartly? Read more »

Last night Women 2.0 held its third event here in Ottawa with guest facilitator Jen Hunter of The Learning Catalyst. There were newcomers in attendance last night which is excellent! Even more excellent is that many of these women have already — or very soon will be — starting their own companies. I love the entrepreneurial spirit of Ottawa women!

So the great thing about Jen Hunter is that she is an incredibly engaging speaker. When talking to Jen, its obvious she is passionate about what she does — which is to help organizational leaders create working environments that inspire teams to work better, faster and with a great sense of meaning and purpose!

Questions to ponder

Jen started by asking us to ponder two questions: Who are you as a leader? and What is your burning question about leadership? Read more »

Ever dreamed of one day owning your own business? Have a great idea for a product or service that you think could be super successful but don’t know whether you’ve got what it takes to quit your job and start out on your own?

Well the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) offers an online self-assessment tool you can use to find your “entrepreneurial potential”. Yes that’s right. In just 15 minutes (or less) you can discover if you’ve got what it takes to start your own business! Read more »

I love this lead paragraph from a November 1st article by the New York Times describing how women should act in the workplace:

DON’T get angry. But do take charge. Be nice. But not too nice. Speak up. But don’t seem like you talk too much. Never, ever dress sexy. Make sure to inspire your colleagues — unless you work in Norway, in which case, focus on delegating instead.

Ohmygosh that makes me laugh! The excerpt says it all when it comes to describing the balancing act many women face when pursuing leadership roles within organizations. Read more »