I’ve said it more than once and I will say it again: Parenthood and professional development don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
In the spirit of sharing what’s on in Ottawa–with the goal of breaking those feelings of isolation, cabin fever, creative urge and desire to connect with other humans you’re not related to–here are a few low to no cost events happening around the city over the coming weeks.
For the corporates who don’t think they are that ‘creative’ and the creatives who aren’t confined by corporate life:
CreativeMornings Ottawa is hosting their next FREE talk on Friday, August 30th from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
The talk doesn’t actually start until 9 a.m. so don’t panic, you can still make it out of the door in time with the diaper bag packed and ready to go! Register online here.
If you can see it, you can be it! Don’t worry, they’re used to seeing kids in this venue as it’s held at the Ottawa Art Gallery which is accessible and has baby change facilities.
Not sure if it’s for you?
Here are some recaps on my blog of CM Ottawa events I have attended with my kids:
And some recaps from when I was presenting at CM Ottawa alongside my 10-month-old and almost three-year-old:
Are you an artist, a creative professional or merely interested in all of the above?
The Rectory Art House is showcasing their 10 artists through their Annual Great Rectory Art Party and open studios on Friday, September 13th from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday, September 14th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can view their Facebook event here and registration is FREE.
I don’t believe this venue is accessible and I am guessing they don’t have baby change facilities but the neighbouring church hall at Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts is very used to seeing children at their events as they often host pancake breakfasts, Irish trad music sessions and other artistic, cultural and social events. It is a gem in the city centre, I love the location and events hosted there.
Thinking of starting a business or already running one?
Invest Ottawa provides complimentary access to business advisors and entrepreneurship events AND they now have a baby change table* located on the ground floor of their building (across from reception) in a gender neutral accessible washroom (it will fit your stroller too).
These upcoming events require registration but may be of interest to you:
- Wednesday, September 4th from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.:
Accounting consultation time slots are available [by appointment only] - Thursday, September 5th from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.:
Realities of Starting a Restaurant Business - Wednesday, September 11th from 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.:
Understanding QuickBooks Online - Thursday, September 12th from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.:
Legal consultation time slots are available [by appointment only] - Thursday, September 12th from 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.:
Google Advertising Online: The Free and the Paid
And the following weeks have insurance, taxation, prototyping, market research, importing, branding, financial forecasting and human resource topics but I will be sending out another newsletter in September and you can find the detailed Invest Ottawa calendar online here.
*I may have had to participate in some #BYOBaby into business settings activism with my sons over the past year at Bayview Yards to get a baby change table installed but it was well worth it because now you don’t have to worry about using the washrooms for yourself or changing your kiddos on the floor/sofas/trunk of your car!
Show up, don’t be shy and ask for the help you need.
Most of these events are free and the programming and facilities at Bayview Yards are partially funded by all three levels of government. As a member of the general public (regardless of whether or not you show up with your kids) it is your right to access these entrepreneurship and business resources.
What’s next? I need your help!
I want to ensure everyone gets a chance to share their feedback for future Babies, Business + Breakfast™ events.
Please send an email to: contact[at]amymaureenlynch.com, if you’d like to share your thoughts on the following (and any other requests you have!):
- BBB Events: Would you prefer monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly events?
- Questions related to starting up (registering, tax, legal, protecting your ideas) came up during audience Q&A. Are you interested in learning more about business basics and/or bookkeeping?
- What are you working on right now and in 2020 (career and/or business-wise)? I’d love to learn more about you and your business.
The vision for Babies, Business + Breakfast™.
Hiya, my name is Amy Lynch and I’ve been participating in personal and professional development since my two children were newborns (they’re currently one and almost three years old), as a result of the belief I could keep doing what I loved to do as a parent, alongside my children.
It wouldn’t always be easy or comfortable, but along the way I started getting into my own bringing babies into business settings rhythm and in doing so, became an accidental activist. I started writing about it, speaking with other parents and advocating for more inclusive spaces and business experiences.
As it turns out, others also believe parenthood and professional development don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
Like my newsletter readers, event attendees, guest speakers, business sponsors and community partners who join us to mix babies and business, blurring those life and work lines a bit more!
Babies, Business + Breakfast™ is focused on providing parent-friendly professional development, through an online newsletter and face-to-face event series, designed to start conversations, share ideas and create a sense of community.
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Download my FREE Babies + Business Mini Guide To Navigating The Corporate Jungle (With Kids), to encourage parents to explore more, invest in themselves alongside their children, take up space and make room for positive change when it comes to the future of work.
Learn more about Babies, Business + Breakfast™.
You can also follow my parenthood + professional development adventures on Instagram and via my previous blog posts.
Read about my previous experiences bringing babies into business settings in the following blog posts:
- Mixing Work And Life
- Making It Easy To Get That Ice Cream In 2019
- Speaking At WordCamp Ottawa 2019
- Babies, Business + Breakfast Summer 2019 Pop-Up Event Focused On Marketing And Sales
- Creating Parent-Friendly Business Spaces And Experiences: Transcript Of Lightning Talk For Eastern Ontario’s WEKH
- Baby in the Boardroom: Transcript of my talk for CreativeMornings Ottawa
- How She Built It event recap from May 2019: Mixing babies + business
- Reciprocity and parent-friendly event planning
- Parent-friendly presenting in real-time at CreativeMornings Ottawa
- Visiting Algonquin College’s DARE District with kids
- Visiting Invest Ottawa with kids
- Participating in Impact Academy with a baby
- Attending Creative Mornings Ottawa while babywearing
- Touring coworking spaces as a parent
- Bringing children into the boardroom
Notes From Another Land 