Angie McLeod

We often talk about trusting others; however, how often do we examine whether or not we trust ourselves? In my work with women entrepreneurs, one of the most consistent realizations clients have is that in some areas of their life and business, they simply do not trust themselves. Imagine a woman entrepreneur who has grown her business successfully over the past five years from a kitchen table endeavour to one that serves a multitude of retailers. An expanded product line, ne

Working with non-profit leaders is rewarding and invigorating. It feeds my soul. These are my people. They are driven by their hearts and are passionate about serving others. We share many of the same values. Over the two decades (oops, I think that is creeping up on three now) that I’ve been working with non-profits, I’ve noticed that they are focused on serving those who mostneed their help. As a result, they can fail to see the bigger picture: that their services are of va

Having worked alongside countless dedicated non-profit leaders, I know that many are becoming burnt out. Exhausted. Deflated. Tired of continually striving to do more with less—to meet increasing reporting and contractual demands with fewer resources. I’ve seen how exhausted and frustrated these non-profit leaders and staff can be. I’ve felt their frustration. And too often, I’ve seen them walk away from work that matters to them and feeds their soul to secure jobs that compe

At the heart of collaboration—a favourite topic of mine—is community. For me, community can best be described as the group of people who you feel connected to. These are the people that you “belong” to; people who welcome you and celebrate you, for who you are; people who respect your thoughts, ideas, and perspectives—even if they are different than your own. This sense of belonging, being respected, and being included, are essential to our personal health and wellness—of how

Do you remember in school when teachers made us come up with group rules before starting a group project? It was an important lesson. Collaboration is a great tool to help us grow our businesses. Like all great tools, it’s important to pre-establish operational guidelines to ensure a common understanding and safe implementation. It is easy to forge ahead without thinking through and discussing the details of how the collaboration will work. However, experience has shown me th

You’ve got to have friends. Being a leader in business—whether you run a non-profit or a small business, can be lonely. You have a lot of responsibility. Limited time. Competing demands. Something has to give. For many of us, what gives is our social life. We are so busy managing our daily to-do lists, ensuring everything around us has what they need, that we run out of steam by the end of the day. At least that is the way things work for me. I recently had a good friend (and

What is the difference between being a manager and a leader? And what do these differences mean to your business?[1] In more traditional jobs, we so often strive to earn the title of Manager. The title generally comes with more prestige, increased pay, and greater responsibility. There is no doubt that being called the Manager, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), or Executive Director feels great. Earning the title means that someone has recognized one’s skills and abilities.

Networking is an essential part of building a strong business. Or so the story has gone for decades. Get out there. Meet people. Identify needs. Solve problems. Build business. But is it working? I attend a lot of networking events. I connect with people. I ask questions, learn about someone’s business and product, and find out what drives them. I shake a lot of hands. They, in turn, inquire about what it is I do. Sometimes we connect. Sometimes we don’t. And while a small pe

​​Researchers believe that handshakes started as early as the second century B.C. to prove your peaceful intent—since you weren’t holding weapons.[1] Nowadays, we don’t use handshakes in quite the same way, but they’re still extremely important in our society. Often, they’re used in a business context, so we’re using National Handshake Day on June 29 as an excuse to celebrate the value of networking! Experts agree[2] that networking can lead to more professional opportunities

What is an entrepreneurial woman to do when suddenly faced with an evening free of children’s sporting activities? Write a blog post of course! I say this tongue-in-cheek, but it is the reality that I face—and that many of my colleagues face as well. We need to make the most of “found time” to build our businesses, expand our connections, and strategize about our next steps. Somehow, the ball field—as much as I love watching my daughters play—isn’t the right place for these a

I’m learning a lot of new terms of late. And today I found a term that really resonated with me: collective intelligence. Why does this resonate with me so strongly? Because I’ve seen it in action. Only in my world, I’ve called it collective wisdom or peer power. It is the process of sharing ideas, perspectives, and knowledge through conversation. It’s where the brains of multiple people meet to a share, discover, and develop ideas. Not every conversation reaches this place.

In honour of National Honesty Day on April 30th, I want to explore the importance of honesty and caring in the conversations that we have a on a day-to-day basis. We all know that honest conversations are the cornerstone of great relationships. However, sometimes it is difficult to be truly honest: it requires that we open ourselves up to be vulnerable. And who wants to do that? But what if we could have an open, honest conversation—one where we presented our vulnerabilities—

You’re the expert on your business. But every now and then, it’s helpful to connect with other inspiring women entrepreneurs. By collectively discussing the monthly theme, leave inspired, refreshed, and ready to conquer business challenges. It’s called “collective wisdom” for a reason: learn the tips and tricks of others, share experiences, and change your perspective. Meet likeminded businesswomen in a no-stress setting. It’s networking that doesn’t feel like networking—we’r

Balance. It’s elusive. It was elusive when I worked in the mainstream workforce, before I had children. Now, as an entrepreneur with two young daughters who play sports all year long, achieving balance is still a continual work in progress. Prior to launching my business, I’d dabbled in part-time entrepreneurial adventures. And I knew that one day I wanted to be an independent business consultant. Then in 2003, faced with a daughter going to daycare for 11 hours a day and a j

I found some statistics online about the success rate of goal setting and accountability systems from the Association of Training and Development (now the Association for Talent Development). These statistics struck a chord within me in relation to the accountability work I do with others. “The probability of completing a goal if: You have an idea or a goal: 10% You consciously decide you will do it: 25% You decide when you will do it: 40% You plan how you will do it: 50% Yo

Ongoing mastermind groups are an investment in business growth. However, many entrepreneurs hesitate to make this investment. Why? Some think of the process as something that they can do on their own with a friend or two. As someone who is part of, and who facilitates, ongoing mastermind groups, I can assure you that a mastermind is so much more than a simple conversation or an accountability group—although those are parts of it. Here are 6 surprising outcomes from being invo

The crocuses are blooming in my yard. After a February filled with snow and cold weather, I am, as usual, grateful to see the first signs of spring. It reminds me that seeds are germinating and new growth is sure to come. In my business as well, changes are coming… I am currently wrapping up a long-term contract. While I know that I will miss the community leaders with whom I have had the honour of working and the direct work I’ve been doing with my community, I am looking fo

Systems. BOOORING. They aren’t my thing! However, not having systems in place leads to CHAOS. Simple, easy to implement systems can help you get the job done while maximizing time and energy consumption; always important in business. As a planner, backing up my plans with systems ensures that the time spent planning is maximized. A good system streamlines the process and makes it simple, and easy to use; important considerations for busy people. Consider your business. Wher

I am listening to How Successful People Think by John C. Maxwell. It is an interesting listen, and I am finding that many of the concepts resonate with me and are reflected in how I operate my business. In particular Maxwell’s idea of “strategic thinking is the bridge that links where you are to where you want to be.” As a strategic thinker (and someone who uses pictures and images to focus on), Maxwell’s visual of the bridge works really well for me. I’ve spent the last thre

Did you know that October is small business month? It’s time to celebrate our choices and how our combined efforts impact our local economy. Keep up the great work! The Profile of Small Business 2015 shows that there are over 382,000 small businesses in BC with under 50 employees. The impact of these small businesses is BIG in BC with 33% of our gross domestic product (GDP) being generated by small businesses in 2014. Small business is an important component of job creat