Betting on Yourself to Fuel Ambition
The day started with Agnes Di Leonardi delivering an inspirational call to #BetOnYourself followed by an introduction from the Co-Founders, Aryan Habib and Katherine Mior, who spoke about the strength we find in connection and the core mission behind this platform: building a marketplace of Culture, Talent, Suppliers, and Community that is all centered on women’s advancement.
“Stepping into a room charged with this much ambition, energy, and community is rare and it reminds us why we are here. While the world often feels uncertain, community becomes our compass.”“Today is not about waiting for external validation or approval. It is about a powerful mindset shift: a commitment to your own journey and a realization that you are already in the driver’s seat of your entire life.”
The Formula for Success: Calculated Risk and Resilience
To truly maximize your potential, you must embrace the mindset of betting on yourself. This means:
- Taking Calculated Risks: Intentionally stepping outside your comfort zone to find growth.
- Accepting Failure: Treating setbacks as data that pushes you to adapt, problem solve, and change.
- Building Your Ecosystem: Recognizing that networks are crucial for resilience and providing the support system necessary to do the work when no one is watching.
This mindset is the catalyst that transforms potential into success.
Guiding us through this transformative day was the incredible Master of Ceremonies, Kathy Gilbert, a true embodiment of the conference theme.
As Senior Director of Minority Dealer and Women’s Retail Business and a Founding Board Member of the Women in Automotive organization, Kathy is a powerhouse with over 30 years of experience. Her work champions initiatives to support underrepresented groups in a challenging industry. Her leadership, focused on resilience, determination, and her NEW Strategy (Networking, Empowerment, and Wonder), perfectly set the stage for a day dedicated to breaking barriers and changing the odds.
The Unseen Power of Curiosity, Compassion, and Collaboration
Dr. Chika Oriuwa delivered an inspiring keynote that argued for the indispensable link between “soft skills” and hard-science innovation, urging the audience to “Bet on Yourself!” and unlock their collective potential.
Inspired by her mother’s lessons on love and finding invisible strengths, Dr. Oriuwa highlighted the power of unseen connections and insatiable curiosity (shouting out her roots in Trinidad and Tobago).
The Foundation of Innovation: The 3 C’s
Dr. Oriuwa presented three key steps that are all already hardwired into our minds. These serve as the blueprint for both personal and collective genius:
- Curiosity: Prime your mind for innovation, creativity, and critical thought.
- Creativity: Ignite innovation in others. Leaders must be authentic and compassionate, harmonizing abilities through true collaboration and smart risk-taking.
- Critical Thinking: Dream big, but execute with precision and clarity by understanding the nuances of a situation.
The Science and the Proof
The keynote grounded these concepts in science and real-world results:
- Brain Map of Innovation: Highly creative people effectively utilize both the Discovery (creative) and Decision (execution) domains of the brain.
- Safety Drives Innovation: Curious employees are 62% more likely to be innovative if the environment is safe.
- Case Study (Fujifilm): By establishing an Open Innovation Hub, Fujifilm leveraged curiosity and collaboration to branch into cosmetics (Astalift), medical devices, and regenerative medicine, doubling its valuation in three years and solidifying its tech giant status.
The Bet on Yourself: Intellectual Humility and Connection
The highest form of critical thinking lies in Intellectual Humility, knowing you don’t know everything, which is your superpower.
- The Einstein Rule: True genius is the ability to break down a fancy concept for a 6-year-old, requiring a mastery of nuance and clear articulation.
- The Compassionate Leader: A good leader harmonizes the collective genius by creating a vision and ensuring individuals feel safe to take risks. This vision must be driven by compassion, stemming from the heart.
Dr. Oriuwa ended by sharing her own leadership practice at CAMH in Toronto, which begins with humanity and empathy: “You don’t have to do this alone. We can do hard things. And we’ll do it together.” The ultimate call to action remains the question: “What If You Fly?”
Leadership Disrupted: The Shift from Power to Authentic Influence
This panel discussion, moderated by Angela Payne of Leedhr and featuring industry leaders Alison Davidson (Keyloop), Jessica Todd (Hyundai Auto-Canada), and Kadie Philp (Ministry of Labour), centered on the transition from traditional positional power to modern, influence-driven leadership built on authenticity and emotional connection.
The Power of Shared Humanity
The conversation repeatedly stressed the need for leaders to acknowledge their own vulnerabilities and those of their teams:
- Compassion as a Prerequisite: Angela Payne opened with the reminder that in a time of demanding responsibilities, leaders must “pause and remember we are all doing the best that we can.” Sharing personal challenges (like mental health struggles, referenced by Alison Davidson) and offering compassion makes it safe for everyone else to show up fully.
- Leading Together: Jessica Todd emphasized that a core skill of leadership is recognizing where support is lacking, stating that the focus must be on “how can we do this together?” This was a clear rejection of the command-and-control mindset.
Redefining Power: From Positional to Emotional
The panel explored the nature of power in the modern workplace, moving beyond mere authority:
- Emotional Regulation as Power: Discussion focused on “additional power” (the ability to understand a situation) and “emotional power.” The ability to effectively regulate one’s emotions and respond to situations, rather than react is directly tied to authenticity and confidence.
- The Power of Consistency: Authenticity in leadership does not mean having perfect days; it means maintaining a “consistent presence.” A leader who shows up reliably, even on “bad days,” builds the bedrock of trust that allows teams to function and thrive.
Authenticity: The Key to Trust
Ultimately, the leaders concluded that influence is the capacity to inspire others to follow willingly, and that is the future of work. That influence is built directly on the perceived authenticity of the leader:
- Being authentic means consciously showing up as your true self every day.
- Reliability and consistency translate into a reputation for integrity, which is the “invisible currency” required to lead effectively in high-stress, rapidly changing environments.
Bet on Yourself: The Power of Introverted Influence
In a candid fireside chat, Stephanie Henry (She Auto Knows) and Rebecca Wu (Toyota Canada) discussed confidence, career growth, and the unique path of women in the automotive industry.
Rebecca, who started in service with no prior car knowledge, emphasized that her career was built not on expertise alone, but on a defining turning point: learning to bet on herself, even as an introvert.
The Blueprint for Career Growth
The discussion highlighted key, actionable strategies for standing out and achieving success:
- Know Your Stuff and Your Audience: Success requires dual focus: mastering your field (“Know your stuff”) and understanding the people you work with and serve (“Know your audience”).
- The Introvert’s Superpower of Connections: Rebecca stressed that genuine connections are critical. To grow, you must make it “easy for me to work with you” by reaching out with curiosity and learning from others.
- Define Your Personal Brand: You must intentionally cultivate what makes you stand out from the crowd, as only you truly know your unique strengths. Don’t wait for others to advocate for you; “Don’t wait for self-advocacy.”
Success, Respect, and the Younger Generation
The conversation shifted to advice for younger professionals:
- Respect is Critical: Rebecca emphasized that respect is the foundation of the first impression. She used the humorous example of digital communication: “Don’t LOL me, just write me a perfect email,” underscoring the need for basic, professional communication.
- Keep Going: Success isn’t a destination; it’s a relentless process of continuous action. Leaders must keep doing, keep pursuing, and define and pursue their goals without delay.
- Lifting as You Climb: The best leaders embrace curiosity and the philosophy of lifting others up (“Lifting as you climb”) to ensure mutual success and growth.
Mentor Magic: Why You Need to Be Vulnerable (and Why It’s Not Just for the Mentee)
Thinking about diving into a mentorship program? You might picture it as a super formal, totally business-like exchange. Regional Manager Mike Overholt from Performance Auto Group (PAG) shared his experience, and it turns out mentorship is anything but transactional. It becomes deeply personal because, at its heart, it is about forming a genuine human relationship.
The Unexpected Value of Being Vulnerable
Mike found that the real magic happened when he and his mentee were willing to be vulnerable. The challenge was simple: dedicating the time to truly know each other and openly discuss not just work issues, but life outside of work too. That shared honesty gives the program incredible value and helps both people grow.
For Mike, being a mentor was a massive personal challenge that forced him to level up his own game. He had to make sure he was living the same message he was sharing with his mentee every single day. This process challenged him to step way outside his comfort zone, practice new skills through role play, and explore career ideas he had never considered before. Ultimately, that practice gave him the confidence to take risks and tell his mentee, “Go for it.”
Making Time for the Next Generation
Mike emphasized that mentorship is a social responsibility to the people coming up behind us. It showed him how many different career paths exist in the industry and how many groups need this kind of support.
He strongly advised everyone: Carve out time in your calendar for things that are important. We have to make space and time to ease the path for the next generation, sharing what we know is the best approach, so they do not have to endure the same struggles. The best part? You end up growing both professionally and personally.
Driven to Win: Confidence, Community, and Cracking Motorsport
The “Motorsport | Driven to Win” panel, featuring Jessica Trafford (Motorsport Jess Media), Jennifer Cooper (Porsche Cars Canada), Lindsay Stroz (Queens Racing Formula Sae), and Maha Al Hamly, was a high-octane conversation about personal grit and changing the culture of a traditionally male-dominated industry.
The Bold Paths to the Finish Line
Each speaker shared a unique journey that defied expectations:
- Lindsay Stroz came from a family of engineers and cars. Despite starting in a community where women were few, she was always overly confident, a trait that helped her launch an initiative to build a race car from scratch for her university team. She later became one of the team’s first female directors.
- Jennifer Cooper found her way to Porsche through hard work, luck, and presence. She took a joke from her CEO about leading the Porsche Experience Program and “ran into it, ran with it,” never allowing the opportunity to be pivoted to someone else. She slowly but surely brought the concept to fruition.
- Maha Al Hamly shared a truly incredible journey: She learned to drive only after the government announced Saudi women could drive. After overcoming fear and a desire to cry while driving on the street, she later fell in love with driving in the desert dunes. Despite being told she was “not young” and “not a professional racer,” she believed in herself, won first place in her category at the Middle East’s first women’s rally, and woke up to the news in the New York Times.
The Power of Presence and Intentionality
The panellists emphasized that success in motorsport, or any challenging field, requires more than talent; it requires intentional behavior:
- Bet on Yourself: Maha’s journey, in particular, proves the power of betting on yourself even when everyone tells you not to go.
- The Comfort of Community: Lindsay noted that going for 16-hour days at the track with ‘all the guys’ was intimidating, regardless of confidence. The sheer presence of other females, and the creation of safe spaces like her campus team or making friends at the track, is “so much more comforting.”
- Be Curious and Engaged: Jennifer urged the audience to be curious, ask questions, and put themselves in situations that foster growth, emphasizing that genuine passion goes a long way.
Advice for the Next Generation
The panel closed with final advice for those looking to follow in their tracks:
- Be Vocal: Lindsay advised, “Be vocal about what you are interested in.” Your passion needs to be seen and heard.
- Know Your Audience (and be professional): Rebecca highlighted the importance of fundamental respect, telling young people to “write me a perfect email” instead of defaulting to casual communication.
- The Future is Equitable: The panel agreed that motorsport is heading toward a much more equitable future. Girls showing up at all levels is reducing the “niche” label and benefiting everyone. Maha concluded that this is a “great opportunity for women” who are supported and pushed to try.
Innovation from the Inside Out: The Auto Industry’s New Landscape
This panel, moderated by Stephanie Wallcraft and featuring Sunni Shannon (Duuo by Co-operators), Stephanie Rodrigues (OVIN), and Tara Remedios (OVIN), explored how established industries are embracing innovation and why the most impactful changes are often found in unexpected places.
Breaking the Mold: Insurance and the “Chaos”
The panelists immediately addressed the industry’s reputation for rigidity:
- Sunni Shannon confessed that her childhood dreams were not in insurance, an industry she admits is rarely associated with innovation. Yet, after 18 years in the field, she found pockets of growth at The Co-operators. Her current focus as Senior Manager of Partnerships is on embedded insurance. This is a new space that breaks traditional broker barriers by offering personalized digital coverage directly through Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and other partners.
- The Personal Pivot: Sunni shared that her shift from stable, traditional roles to a small, new partnerships team was scary. However, the chance was worth it: she now works with like-minded individuals who are energized by trying something new, failing, and learning from those mistakes. This environment sparked a new sense of confidence in her ability to make quick, collaborative decisions.
The Formula for Attracting Innovative Talent
The panel closed by defining the traits and environments needed to attract the next generation of talent to these evolving roles:
- Bet on the Idea: Sunni urged the audience to bet on yourself and the idea and run with it. This requires finding leaders who are open to working in the chaos and iterating from both success and failure.
- The Curiosity Core: While industry experience is important, individual curiosity is what truly accelerates growth and innovation within the company.
- The Power of Partnerships: Stephanie Rodrigues summarized the value of partnerships in bringing together the entire ecosystem. When industry, post-secondary institutions, and organizations collaborate, they clearly define the available jobs and opportunities, directly inspiring the next generation of the workforce.
Betting on Yourself: The Unwritten Rules of Resilience and Growth
The “Bet on Yourself” panel, moderated by the inaugural #EmpoweringAutoAward Winner: Jodi Lai (Autotrader), featured Chelsea O’donoghue (Scotiabank), Shannon Miller (Accelerate Auto), and Mandy Deveau (Drivehris). They revealed that career success is less about checking boxes and more about intentional self-investment, vulnerability, and reframing failure.
The Power of Showing Up Fully
The panel agreed that the foundation of success is believing in your own potential, even when it feels terrifying:
- Vulnerability is Magnetic: Shannon Miller emphasized that instead of trying to convince someone to hire you, you should show up as your genuine self and let your true enthusiasm attract the right opportunities. This requires vulnerability but creates an authentic fit that lowers the stakes.
Invest in Your Best Self: Chelsea O’donoghue and Mandy Deveau stressed that betting on yourself means continually investing in your growth, learning, and evolving to be your best version. This commitment should be tenacious and refuse to take no for a final answer.
The Cure for Opportunity Blindness
The panelists discussed how women often struggle to apply for jobs unless they check every single box, a form of opportunity blindness rooted in fear. The antidote is maintaining peripheral vision:
- Trust the Process: By continuing to learn and stay engaged, you trust that the effort is creating the conditions for a better opportunity, even if the one you initially wanted did not materialize.
- Collective Strength: The panelists encouraged everyone to surround themselves with an uplifting crowd that reflects reality back to them. Betting on yourself, particularly for women, is not just an individual act, but a force that collectively shifts the odds for the entire industry.
Closing Note: The Future is Waiting (Will You Bet on Yourself?)
As the day comes to a close, the energy is electric. This is a powerful reminder that when each of us bets on ourselves, we collectively change the odds for the entire industry.
Melissa Leong’s keynote perfectly encapsulated our core philosophy: Investing in yourself is the highest ROI strategy for ultimate success. It’s the “oxygen mask first” principle applied to ambition, encouraging intentional growth, self-care, and self-belief.
At sMedia, we believe the opportunities are here, and the future is waiting. The only question you have to answer is: Will you bet on yourself?
Thank you to all of the incredible speakers, partners, and attendees for making this initiative a resounding success. We were truly honored to be part of this remarkable event and look forward to the future of automotive being shaped by the powerful collective we saw here today
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