First published in the December 2017 & January 2018 edition of Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce BusinessVIEW magazine.
Betty-Ann Heggie is Former Senior Vice- President with PotashCorp, Principal of Betty Ann Heggie Womentorship Foundation, Corporate director and professional speaker, Blogger for Huffington Post, Philanthropist and mentor.
To a young professional woman, Betty- Ann Heggie was a tremendous role model (she held rock star status in my mind), but she seemed unreachable to me. I had heard her speak a few times and knew a bit of her story, which intrigued me even more. I knew she grew up in small town Saskatchewan and her dad was a small business owner, similar to my own upbringing, but what led to her success?
When an opportunity arose to join the Betty- Ann Heggie Womentorship Program, I knew I had to be part of it and joined as protégé that first year. This chance to be part of the program and actually meet Betty-Ann was a quick decision that ended up having a significant impact on my career path and leadership development.
Betty-Ann has an incredible presence and confidence when she enters a room. Now even after I have gotten to know her I am still in awe of how she commands a room and I’m even at a loss for words around her sometimes (which is unusual for people who know me!) She will probably laugh when she reads this, but it’s true! I’ve learned so much from her, but I share these
three insights in the hope that you can apply them to your own life and business.
1. Know thyself . You can’t help but notice that Betty-Ann lives her authentic self. Listening to her stories, she is vulnerable and open in sharing the lessons she’s learned, even the painful ones. During workshops, she participates in role-plays and will always go first. I think in doing so, she sets the tone and gives that permission needed for others to be vulnerable and really get to “know thyself”.
2. The art of storytelling. Betty-Ann is an incredibly gifted storyteller and the impact of those stories is profound. When you are with her, you want to have a notebook and pen! The first story you need know is your own story. From Betty-Ann, I learned of the “The HERo’s Journey” and it was transformational. You are the author of your story. What chapter are you crafting in your story right now? The lessons I learned gave me the confidence that I was the author of my fate. Send me a message if you would like my hand-written copy of “The HERo’s Journey,” but fair warning: reading my handwriting is part of the mystery!
3. Be the change you want to see. Betty-Ann is an extremely generous individual, with her time and money, but her generosity is by no means frivolous. What I have learned from Betty-Ann is what it really means to be a philanthropist. Her generosity goes deep to the root of something she is passionate about seeing change. If you have money, it’s easy to give. If you have time, it’s easy to give. Is your generosity for the love of humanity or for your own satisfaction? What change do you want to see in the world?
This year marks my first year as a mentor in the Betty-Ann Heggie Womentorship Program and I thrilled to be part of the program again and it feels like it’s come full circle. I’ve realized now that Betty-Ann is not unreachable, but purposeful and passionate, which she would expect you to be too. Thank you Betty-Ann Heggie: the mentor, the storyteller, the philanthropist. I look forward to the next chapters in your Rock Star story.
