Past Agenda

It is common thought that admin professionals are categorized as support workers, with little authority or influence. But many leaders are now recognizing the complex and vital role admin professionals play in how effectively functional offices.

April Howe, Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture and Founder of Crayon Strategies will provide a more complete and insightful argument of the vital roles admin professionals deliver, and how they can increase their influence and leadership skills.

Key Session Takeaways Include:

• Highlighting your leadership role in office culture
• Ensure your work gets acknowledged among leaders
• Demonstrating your influence on culture, and your strong impact on office function
• Believe what you do contributes to your organization’s success

Using breath-based practices to improve physical health, mental health, sleep quality and athletic performance has its roots in several ancient cultures and disciplines but more recently its many benefits have been validated through scientific research.

As we begin to emerge from this time of unprecedented stress and uncertainty, understanding when and how to use simple, accessible breathing techniques can foster a greater sense of agency over the many physical and emotional challenges we may face on a daily basis.

This practical, experiential workshop will explore benefits and techniques for advancing health and wellness through breath-based activities.

Leah Rimmer has built a successful law practice as a partner with BOYNECLARKE LLP, where she has practiced corporate law for close to 20 years. She is also a dedicated and involved mother of 4 kids under 14 and an actual “nice person”.

There have been many bumps in the road for Leah over her career in a stressful, male-dominated field of private law practice, where putting family first can be uncommon and where empathy and kindness can get lost in the pace of every day.

In navigating these pitfalls, she has honed some effective work strategies, developed techniques to stop apologizing (literally), focus on her strengths, ask for what she wants and also draw clear boundaries.

None of this has come easily and she slips daily. By sharing some of what she has learned, Leah hopes not only to help inspire others to feel confident in being themselves and asking for what they want, but also to remind herself to do the same.

Key Learnings and Takeaways:

• Two words to stop using TODAY that will build confidence and authority
• Making your career work for you – no one you work for is going to advocate for you or for your family. But make yourself valuable first!
• Build boundaries – drawing boundaries can save you actual time and a lot of mental strain; people also generally respect boundaries, just like kids. Leah will share stories and provide tips on how to draw boundaries without damaging relationships.

Are you looking for more time for yourself? It’s right in front of you if you look before the world wakes up. Beginning your day with 30-60 minutes for yourself can work wonders.

Learn the benefits of a solid morning routine prioritizing what’s most important to you. Achieve your own agenda before you are enveloped into someone else’s plans.

Positive results from a consistent morning routine can include increased energy, vitality, and positivity.

Key Learnings and Takeaways:

• Three components of a successful morning routine
• Benefits of a consistent morning routine
• Tricks to make your morning routine stick
• What to do and not do when you first wake up

Key Takeaways Include:

• Step by step guide on how to plan a worksheet
• Basic and advanced formulas you need to know
• Creative tips and tricks such as pivot tables, dashboards and subtotals

Healthy Eating for Optimizing Metabolic Health

Metabolic health is the foundation for enjoying a long and healthy life and improving metabolism is essential to lowering your risk of chronic disease and all-cause mortality.

Improving metabolism is a multifactorial approach that can lead to enhanced well-being, both mentally and physically.

 Key Learnings and Takeaways:

• Defining metabolic health, and what a healthy metabolism looks like
• Learn some practical tips and tricks on improving your metabolic health
• Key aspects to developing a long-term healthy lifestyle that prioritizes metabolic health

Ever wonder what it takes to be a truly amazing right hand to an exceptional leader, supervisor, or team? It has been said that attitude is one of the most important words in life. With some key guidance, you can position yourself to be an indispensable Right Hand.

As an Administrative Professional, you have the power to set the tone of success for the people you support and beyond. That power is not as hard to achieve as you may think; but it is a conscious choice that requires effort and practice. With some surprising real-world examples, a little humour, and a whole lot of honesty, we’ll talk about how to cultivate that power and use it to your best advantage while avoiding potential pitfalls along the way.

Learning Outcomes:

• 5 Cs of Leadership Support

• Recognize the importance and value of your unique contribution

• Bounce back from missteps and cultivate resiliency

Are you on ‘The List’?

You know the one.

It’s the imaginary list in your mind that has all the people and things in the world that you HAVE to look after. This list is filled with people that you care about. People who’s needs you make sure are met, mentally, physically, and emotionally, so they can get through the day and get their important work done.

But where are you on that list? After making sure that everyone else gets everything they need – how do you make sure that you get what you need?

When our careers are focused on the needs of others it can be incredibly difficult to make sure that we are looking after ourselves – even if we ‘know’ that we ‘should’. Finding the time, or energy can be difficult. You aren’t alone in this challenge.

This interactive and engaging session will have you on your feet, laughing, and most importantly finding realistic, practical, and effective ways to get yourself on your own list.

Participants will learn:

• What self-care is and what it isn’t
• Scientifically backed strategies
• Their own ‘self-care’ style
• That they aren’t alone in the struggle

Excel has robust capabilities when it comes to presenting data. Whether the preference is in pie charts, bar charts, or year over year data analysis we will explore the skills you need to excel at Excel.
Takeaways Will Include:

• What tools are best for each situation
• Steps to converting data into charts
• Understanding how and when to use pie or bar charts

I often tell clients that our goal is to successfully develop and monitor a financial plan so that they will not have regrets in the future. We want to help them to live life to the fullest; live their dream so to speak.

Let’s wind down from this amazing event with a Breath By Design Experiential practice designed to slow down the mind and sense the body.

Together, we’ll experience nutritious breathing followed by extended exhales finishing with a breath hold/extended exhale combination. This simple practice can achieve the following:

• Slow your heart rate
• Reduce anxiety
• Slow your racing mind
  Lower your blood pressure
• Condition your diaphragm (#1 breath muscle)
• Strengthen your sense of connection to others
• Stimulate your digestion
• Retrain your nervous system to serve you rather than sabotage you

Who could have imagined this simple practice could achieve so much!