The Let’s GROW Project hosted its 7th annual Visioning event last Saturday, and now the seeds have been sown for another year!

Here’s a recap:

✅ Of the 115 (sold out) registrants, 58 logged on (50%), and 55 remained until the close.

✅ As the theme was #LetsGROWGlobal, we welcomed attendees from Canada, the US, France, and Nigeria.

✅ Attendees were kept fully engaged in this 3-hour information and hands on experience.

✅ We started with the Land Acknowledgement statement.

✅ This was followed by the playing of Amanda Gorman’s latest poem ‘New Day’s Lyric’. “May this be the Day we come together…So let us not return to what was normal, But reach toward what is next.” This was quite appropriate for the occasion being the start of a new year.

✅ After showing a short video of our previous visioning events, I was introduced by Moderator Shirley Chisholm.

✅ I welcomed attendees and encouraged everyone to choose their W.O.T.Y. (Word of the Year), share their stories, engage with each other, and build new relationships.

✅ My presentation offered 22 Simple Ideas that attendees could think about or implement during the year.

✅ I also included an appeal to attendees to support two organizations (UN Women and Canadian Women’s Foundation) by donating $20.22 to either of these two organizations as they further the work they do for women around the world.

✅ Jenet Dhutti-Bhopal facilitated an energetic session with her version of the Wheel of Life tool, encouraging us to think of things we want to achieve this year on a personal and professional level.

✅ Taranum Khan, a frequent participant in these visioning events, discussed the importance of envisioning our lives as we would like it; to let go of negativity, and explore our passions and talents.

✅ Marcela Rodriguez, another frequent attendee, titled her presentation “C is for Courage”. It was her heartrending story of facing major life challenges, and how she pulled through certainly demonstrated courage.

✅ Felicia Simpson presented her Toastmasters’ speech, Dare to Dream, which was in defiance of those who told her what she could and couldn’t do.

✅ Alicia Sullivan and Maheeza Mohamed prepared and presented on Goal Setting, reviewing the S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting acronym, and introducing us to the Jar of Life.

✅ Then it was time for the main event. Taranum and Eve, having created the template for the online Vision Board, introduced us to Padlet and instructed us on how to use the tool. It was the sandbox we all played in as we experimented creating one big vision board. We needed more play time, but we certainly learned how to use this new tool.

✅ We capped off the day’s event with Melissa Enmore’s presentation on Resilience, Recovery & the New Reality. She spoke about putting our mental health first; that we can’t go into the future with an empty tank.

✅ The event ended with Q&A and donation of prizes.

I recognize the women mentioned above who volunteered to speak at the event. They are also co-authors of 21 Resilient Women. Other co-authors in attendance were Angella Nunes, Jenny Okonkwo, Sweta Regmi and Gloria Smith.

A huge shoutout to the Rogers Communications contingent of Rebecca MacMillan Sandy Mlotschek and Julie Lukose, as well as my very good friends Liliana Nakamura and Neelam Advani. Thanks for spending your time with us.

Thanks also to the team that worked behind the scenes. Mushahid Khan, who created the video collage showcasing our previous events, and Azmath Mohamed who designed the banner.

What’s next is up in the air, but we’ll see which way the wind blows, and how the seeds will GROW!