March Wonder Woman

Posted by Siobhan Calderbank Mar 5, 2019
Hi I'm Siobhan,

If you attended last years International Women's Day event in Mississauga you would have heard me speak.  I am the Director of Learning & Development at Intelex, a published author, and Change Management and Leadership Expert. I am a mother, wife, comic book nerd, axe thrower, and candyholic (yes that's a thing).

This month I am Avanti Women's Webinar Guest, speaking about Resilience and the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, change, tragedy or significant stress. It means being able to bounce back from difficult experiences. Register for free to hear my 5 strategies to manage stress by building more resilience.

I was asked by Avanti Women to be featured as a member and share some of my experiences to other members.  

What do you love most about the work that you do? 


I love helping people learn and grow. Whenever I design a program or course, I think about the participants and what they want to get out of it. I try to make every delivery engaging, even if the content is dry. I think it’s important to make the information come alive through a passionate (and sometime animated) delivery combined with humour and solid research to back up what I am presenting. When a participant comes up to me after a session and tells me how much they enjoyed it and that they learned something new, which will make a difference in the want they look at or do things, then I know I have done a good job.  

Who is your favourite superhero? And why? 


Wonder Woman, of course. She is fierce and will stand up against all bullies and injustices. She represents everything a superhero should be. To me, she is a role model that I aspire to be and a source of courage as well as strength. Plus, who doesn’t want to wear a tiara and matching bracelets? LOL… 

How important have mentors been in your career? 


They are extremely important. Without them I would not be where I am today. You need someone that has been there before you and can guide your path. I have several mentors that I go to for different aspects of my career and growth. Each one brings something different and knows just want to say to me when I need help. Their insights are invaluable and can prevent you from having to do a lot of rework as you learn lessons through their experiences. 

If you had to give one key ingredient to your recipe for success, what would that include? 


Persistence. It’s a quality that has served me well throughout my career. You need to have the drive to move forward, but also the persistence to stick with your path even in the face of adversity. It is inevitable that you will have challenges. How you handle challenges and what you learn from them makes all the difference. Joel Osteen said, “A set back is just a set up for your greatest come back.” It’s all about perspective and having the persistence to keep taking action, even small action steps, no matter what. You would be amazed at how a series of small changes can transform the world. 

What advice do you have for women who are entering your profession? 

Find a mentor! I cannot stress this enough. As women progress in their career, they tend to see less women in Executive level positions. Consequently, they become discouraged. Having a good mentor can help you navigate through the challenges you will face and they can provide additional support, guidance, access to networks, as well as resources. 

I am thrilled to be a member, speaker, and now a blogger for Avanti Women. It is a community of inspirational and professional women that desire to learn, lead, and live more balanced and fulfilled lives. 

You can hear some of my speaking on these sites;
Here is website if people want to know more about me: meetsiobhanbrown.com
Change Leadership Video: https://youtu.be/3dU-pefglC4 




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