Baby In The Boardroom: Transcript of CreativeMornings Ottawa Lightning Talk

Amy Lynch presenting at CreativeMorning Ottawa with her kids

Photo by Finn Lin for CreativeMornings Ottawa

I presented at April’s CreativeMornings Ottawa event on the theme of ‘Inclusive’, where I did a five-minute lightning talk alongside my two children, Ethan, who is a little under three years old and Conor, who was 10 months old at the time.

Baby In The Boardroom: Creating Parent-Friendly Business Spaces + Experiences

Scroll through to watch the video recording, listen to my talk in audio only format via SoundCloud or read the transcript of my talk in its’ original format (you’ll have to watch the video or listen to the audio to get the baby and toddler sound effects!)

My talk is from 5:47 to 12:50 in the video clip:

This edited SoundCloud audio file is just under 8 minutes and contains only my talk:

Transcript Of My Lightning Talk For CreativeMornings Ottawa In Real-Time

Excuse me, could you please hold my baby for me while I load my pitch deck?
Is there a baby change table in this building?
Do you mind if we eat snacks during the meeting?

These are all questions I have asked complete strangers over the past three years since becoming a parent.

When I first had Ethan, I was living overseas, away from family and I didn’t feel like as a new mom, I could leave my baby with a stranger that I could trust.

So I just started bringing him with me everywhere, and that included to startup accelerators, networking events, conferences, meetings, workshops and even a job interview, which I’m pleased to say, I got the job.

No one ever gave me permission. No one asked me to do it. I just never thought that I couldn’t. And for the most part, I was right.

We just wouldn’t always be, should we say, the most comfortable.

I’ve changed both of them on floors, tables, sofas, car seats, my stroller. One time I was told that I could walk across campus five minutes in the middle of winter to use the mother’s room in minus 20 weather. That’s why I did what I did.

I’ve had my stroller break down on a train platform before I was meant to do a presentation and one time I drove off from Invest Ottawa, Bayview Yards, leaving my stroller on the sidewalk because I forgot to load it into the back of my car.

I’ve never left me children though, just their belongings – so far – knock on wood.

I like to summarize our experiences as the good, the bad and the ugly over the past three years and luckily the bad ones have been few and far between.

I’ve had my heart warmed by kind strangers offering to cut my food for me, make me a coffee, hold my child and just complimenting me on how they thought it was brilliant that I was doing what I was doing and they hoped that their children could do the same some day.

I’ve had people smile and nod at my pitch for professional development that was child-friendly, only to be met with:

“But there wouldn’t actually be children in the building, would there?”

Yes, that would be the whole point!

And I’ve had someone at a conference compare me bringing my baby with me to people who travel with children and inconvenience others on the flight or at the airports. Even though he was sleeping in the carrier at the time.

What started off as me validating a business idea, gradually became more and more about theses encounters that I kept having when I brought my children into business settings.

Why does it feel like parenthood and professional development have to be mutually exclusive?

Why does it feel like a special request to ask if there’s a baby change table in the building?

Why are most events held during daycare or school drop off or pick up times?

How many people are we excluding when we don’t ask these questions or when we do, but we don’t actually address them?

So, I started going to more child-friendly places, parks, libraries, IKEA, even a recent CreativeMornings event where I saw another woman with a baby.

And I asked them, do you feel the same as me or am I just the only one?

And it turns out that most people did.

And what I found as I pitched to other people in business settings, was it wasn’t just parents who felt this way, it is also caregivers who have to and choose to, look after their loved ones.

Young or old, people who don’t want to have to compromise time with their loved ones feel like these experiences, events and programming are just not designed with their needs in mind.

So, how do we make space for ourselves and how do we as event planners, make it more inviting for people to bring their loved ones into these spaces and participate?

If you’re an event planner or creative professional, business owner, volunteer, in an organization who’s hosting events or programming for people, these are just some considerations that I’ve created in mini guides, that we’re going to link to after the talk.

The time of your event, the time of day, if it’s held during a time when people are traditionally having a family meal or have to do drop off or pick up, can you enable them to participate remotely or live stream your event so they still feel connected and can access the content?

Can you provide mini baby microphones so the babies also feel…

[Ha ha, jokes! At this point Conor had been grabbing my mic for the whole talk and I pointed it out.]

A friendly atmosphere makes all the difference and if you don’t have the facilities but you have a warm smile and a welcome, I’ve been places before where I’ve just felt like I belonged, and I’ve been places before that had facilities and I didn’t feel like I belonged.

Those things are free.

If you can also provide baby change facilities, that’s amazing, I’ve even seen pop-up childcare lately over the past year for people who they recognize, if they want target audience to attend, they’re going to have to remove that barrier for them.

Lastly, I have some tips for people who want to venture out into business spaces and maybe haven’t done it before and that’s all designed with the belief that…because we believe that parenthood and professional development…

[At this stage Ethan and Conor are pushing a stool loudly across the concrete floor and it’s screeching, so I start laughing, move it out of the way.]

…I didn’t rehearse this with props – other than them!

We believe that parenthood and professional development shouldn’t be mutually exclusive.

So, this is –

[Until Ethan decides to do the same with his toy car! Screeeeech.]

– Ethan, just –

[I pick up the car.]

This is the first time we’ve presented in front of a group of people like this, usually it’s a smaller group.

So I thank you for your time and if you’re interested in learning more, we’re hosting our first pop-up event next week that’s child-friendly, we’ll have a play area, feature successful business owners and everyone is welcome.

And I also provide a newsletter and post about my experiences bringing my children into business settings, so thank you for your time and have a great weekend!

[Hand off the mic, pick up Conor, grab the baby carrier and exit stage right. Ethan follows us and we go into the hallway for a midmorning snack break.]

Flexible + Remote Work Resources For You:

FREE Digital Resources, Templates + Guides

• Template – Remote Work (With Kids) Time Blocking Made Easy [LEARN MORE]
• Guide – Babies + Business Mini Guide To Navigating The Corporate Jungle (With Kids) [LEARN MORE]

There is a panel Q&A at the end of the series of talks

I was asked a question by an audience member that touched on fertility and ‘waiting to have children, sometimes too late’.

YIKES!

That was a loaded question and if you want to watch my answer where I mentioned my personal experience when deciding to start a family (surprise, surprise, it doesn’t always go as planned!)

And then I swiftly tried to make it less about fertility and family choices (because there is definitely no one-size-fits-all approach) and moved it along to more about living your life the way you want to, doing what you want to and seeking guidance, mentorship and support in professional settings, when you aren’t quite where you’d like to be (yet).

This question and answer exchange took place while I was holding Conor and trying to keep an eye on Ethan, you can watch from 38:05 to 39:27 on the video recording above.

Looking for more parenting and professional development inspo, resources and community?

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.

Subscribe to receive updates, resources and future event info: bit.ly/BabiesBizBreakfast

Learn more about Babies, Business + Breakfast™.

Read about my previous experiences bringing babies into business settings in the following blog posts:

How She Built It: Mixing Babies + Business

Babies, Business + Breakfast Spring 2019 Pop-Up Event. Photo by Charlene from Van Veit Creative

Babies, Business + Breakfast Spring 2019 Pop-Up Event Recap

On Wednesday, May 1st 2019, a group of parents including expectant mothers, parents of pre-school, middle school and teenage children, took over the Incubator Room at Algonquin College’s new Discovery, Applied Research, and Entrepreneurship (DARE) District.

Babies Business + Breakfast May 2019 Pop-Up Event by Amy Maureen Lynch — I talk with my hands a lot, especially when I don’t have one of my children on my lap! Photo by Charlene from Van Veit Creative

Babies, Business + Breakfast Spring 2019 Pop-Up Event. Photo by Charlene from Van Veit Creative

As Founder of Babies, Business + Breakfast, I believe parenthood and professional development don’t have to be mutually exclusive and thankfully, so do the speakers, sponsors and community members who joined us to mix babies and business, blurring those life and work lines a bit more!

We mingled over breakfast and coffee, in between sitting on the floor to build blocks and read books, meeting others and putting faces to names, before the interview-style panel session started.

Special thanks to our sponsors, Algonquin College’s DARE District, for hosting us and to local family lifestyle photographer, Charlene, of Van Veit Creative, for documenting this unique experience.

What does parent-friendly professional development look like?

There was stroller parking, baby change tables on site, a play area and a table set up with colouring paper, crayons and markers. There was also paper and pens for the parents to take notes during the talk.

The wagon we used to transport our event supplies into the venue from the parking lot doubled as a stationary climbing station, used by babies practicing their standing and walking skills.

Parents arrived with babies in slings, carriers, strollers and holding little ones’ hands at the DARE District’s open plan space to find the room in the centre of Level 2, which was buzzing with happy chatter and baby babbles.

Some friends and formerly strangers–now Babies, Business + Breakfast attendees–it was awesome to see the concept and community unfold in real-time!

It takes a lot of preparation, patience and a bit of courage to venture into business spaces with kids, but everyone who attended amazed me with their positive and friendly attitudes, open minds and willingness to share and learn.

I interviewed panel guests, Sunshine Tenasco, Karla Briones and Susan Richards, on the topic of ‘How She Built It’, with questions covering business, mindset and parenting.

Their business offerings range from services to products, online to bricks and mortar, with industries spanning fashion, retail, hospitality, finance, consulting and events.

As parents, you’re often faced with unsolicited advice from strangers and loved ones alike, covering what worked for them, what they think will work for you and what parenting ‘should’ look like.

Since there are so many ways to set up, run and grow a business–as with raising a family–we focused on storytelling and experiences over advice, to illustrate how they went about setting up and running their respective businesses, while parenting.

How She Built It Highlights

Sunshine is a First Nations Mommy of four kids from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg, Founder at Her Braids, CEO of Pow Wow Pitch and previously, Founder of Quemeez.

For her, bringing children into work settings is the norm and at pow wows and business gatherings in First Nations communities, the two are always present and intertwined.

Karla is a Mexican-Canadian Mom of two kids, Founder at Karla Briones Consulting, Franchisee of Global Pet Foods and Freshii, Co-founder of Frida’s Attic, an Advisor at Invest Ottawa and mentor with Futurpreneur Canada and World Skills’ Entrepreneurship Connections.

She has grown up in an entrepreneurial home and witnessed her parents navigating life and work when they relocated from Mexico to Canada. These experiences informed her approach to business, encouraging her to experiment as a child and launch multiple businesses in Ottawa as a parent, alongside raising her family.

Susan is a Mom of three kids, is Virtual CFO and Co-Founder at Numbercrunch, Founder of Givopoly, Co-Chair of the Board of Directors at Invest Ottawa and Board Member at Kanata North Business Association.

She has brought her pre-teen and teenage children in their earlier years to networking events and travelled with them to business meetings, creating her own ways to meet her corporate commitments while caring for her young family.

Some key points from our guest speakers

Your time is YOUR time, carve it out for yourself each day or week:

Depending on your schedule and what works for you
Whether that’s before the house is awake, once the kids are on the bus or off to daycare, napping or after they’re in bed, take some time for yourself
From five to 30 minutes and beyond, it all counts, is sacred and needs to be prioritized

Family structures and working styles vary so do what work best for you:

Sunshine is a single parent and has sole custody of three of her four children; she focused on her need for rest; time to herself doing non-parenting and non-business self-care; and keeping a lean team and a flexible schedule so she can have low overheads, higher profit and better control of her time
Karla spoke about her experience as a new parent and new business owner, the feeling of the need to control and ‘do what is best’ for your child and your business, which can often result in burn out; she now spends set hours on each of her businesses, regularly reviews the metrics and meets the team; she has learned to hire good people, trust them to do the work and get out of their way and in doing so, has created more freedom for family time
Susan talked about 4:30 a.m. starts to get on top of things before the day started; using commute times and activity runs to connect with her pre-teen and teenage children and have really good conversations; the need to limit distractions and focus on the task at hand, whether it’s parenting or work, there’s no in between for her and she tries to be fully present; and talked about parenting emergencies always taking priority, sometimes sending your work day sideways

We talked about money and whether those exploring a business idea or looking to grow, should seek financing from outside investors or lenders over bootstrapping:

The cost to sustain a business is often much greater than the cost to startup a business and test an idea, consider those implications, look at the cash flow required and stay on top of your numbers
Speaking to potential customers about their problems, proposing your solution and asking them to commit (an enthusiastic yes means nothing, you want cash in hand!) will help with validating your idea and ensuring you have at least 20 potential users or customers is a good start
Sales are great but profit is key, if there’s no money left over after paying your expenses, you have a hobby and you have created a volunteer role for yourself
More capital intensive businesses may require different funding arrangements (bricks and mortar) but you need to research the market opportunity, create a business plan and examine if it’s the right one for you

We shared parenting and business lowlights, as well as their learnings:

Unexpected bodily functions, emergency clean ups and times when meeting props came in handy to avoid further embarrassment
The ever present ‘parenting guilt’ and how your view of a negative situation when you’re mixing life and work can actually be a positive and exciting experience for your children, creating opportunities to bond and make memories in a different environment
Changing life stages as the audience was a mix of expectant and current parents of pre-school age children, and how the time available in the early years looks drastically different when kids are in daycare, school, activities, growing up and becoming more independent, resulting in your schedule and responsibilities shifting depending on the phase you’re in

All while the attendees listened, laughed, nursed and fed their children, played on the floor, watched their children wander and explore.

The vision for Babies, Business + Breakfast

I’ve been participating in personal and professional development since my two children were newborns (they’re currently 10-months 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.

As parents, we are oftentimes building our careers while building our families.

So why does it sometimes feel like an either/or situation when it comes to life and work?

Should it feel like a special request to ask where the baby change facilities are?

Is it normal to feel isolated and excluded as a parent, when you’re never alone but sometimes lonely?

Flexible + Remote Work Resources For You:

FREE Digital Resources, Templates + Guides

• Template – Remote Work (With Kids) Time Blocking Made Easy [LEARN MORE]
• Guide – Babies + Business Mini Guide To Navigating The Corporate Jungle (With Kids) [LEARN MORE]

Learn more about Babies, Business + Breakfast™.

Read about my previous experiences bringing babies into business settings in the following blog posts:

Reciprocity and parent-friendly event planning

This week we gathered to celebrate the first 2019 Pop-Up Event for Babies, Business + Breakfast at the Discovery, Applied Research, and Entrepreneurship (DARE) District in Ottawa, Canada on Wednesday, May 1st.

We laughed, we cried, we commiserated. Naw, we mostly just laughed!

We heard from panel guests, Sunshine Tenasco, Karla Briones and Susan Richards on the topic of ‘How She Built It’, with questions covering business, mindset and parenting.

It was awe inspiring to have everything come together as it did: the speakers, the venue staff at Algonquin, the event photographer, Charlene Van Veit, my husband and kids supporting me on the logistics side of things. All gave their time and assistance in order to help get this event off the ground and I’m delighted to say it went well.

From the time I emailed my newsletter list to share the upcoming event date (without a venue or speakers secured), to the requests from the general public and business community to support it, things started to come together over the month of April.

A bit of magic with a side of prep

But I won’t say it was pure magic or intuition which guided the experience, as there were quite a few event administration steps and actions I took to keep things chugging along.

Think cold calls, meetings, pitches, follow up emails, promotions, research, interview prep, A/V testing and even catering and coffee making.

It’s the unglamorous side of event planning but it’s also the inspired actions, which enable the seemingly serendipitous and crazily coincidental moments to transpire.

In addition to taking action I also believe in letting go and seeing what happens, following my intuition, the power of reciprocity, the abundance of opportunities available and expressing gratitude regularly. I know there’s something bigger than me at work here.

When I pitched to the three speakers, asking them to give their time and share their honest experiences with my audience, they all said YES.

And like clockwork shortly after my second speaker request (as in hours), I had an ask from CreativeMornings Ottawa for ME to speak at THEIR upcoming event on the theme of ‘Inclusive’ on April 26th.

I would have a little over a week to prepare, my husband would be away for work–as in across the world in China–so I’d be solo parenting and it was a few days before my event on May 1st. But, I also said YES.

Amy Lynch and family speaking at CreativeMornings Ottawa — Photo by Finn Lin for CreativeMornings Ottawa

Reciprocity, baby!

I have learned (sometimes the hard way, sometimes the easy way), when you don’t ask, you don’t get. As I’ve become clearer in my ‘asks’, I have also become more gracious in my acceptance of things (love, help, time, advice, money) and I also in turn give what I can, when I can.

But oh my, I was not prepared for what I would receive over the past month!

Amy Lynch and family presenting at CreativeMornings Ottawa — Photo by Finn Lin for CreativeMornings Ottawa

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Love for my family and I from strangers, acquaintances and loved ones.
Help for my family and I from strangers, acquaintances and loved ones.
Time to listen and share stories from strangers, acquaintances and loved ones.
Advice for my community and I from strangers, acquaintances and loved ones.
Money for my community’s growth from strangers and acquaintances, in order to invest in themselves alongside their loved ones.

Also, I found a $20 bill in a puddle in the parking lot yesterday morning when I did daycare drop off! No joke.

And this morning I was asked to speak at another event in June.

Reciprocity, baby.

But please also know, I spilled coffee grounds in my car on the way home from a great event, forgot my charger at the venue and accidentally took their USB PPT clicker home with me. 😳

It’s not all good times, joy and laughter but lately, it mostly is and I will always be a bit clumsy, forgetful and quirky, so it’s to be expected.

A proper event recap will be coming soon, with photos and all.

And a SAVE THE DATE: I’ll be attending the Spring Market as an exhibitor on Saturday, May 11th from 9-11 AM at Buy Buy Baby (Ottawa Trainyards location) if you’re in the neighbourhood, doing some last minute Mother’s Day shopping or simply want to say hi!

It’s FREE to attend and I’ll post more about that on here, social media and in the newsletter over the coming week.

But for now, thank you for reading and have a lovely weekend!

Flexible + Remote Work Resources For You:

FREE Digital Resources, Templates + Guides

• Template – Remote Work (With Kids) Time Blocking Made Easy [LEARN MORE]
• Guide – Babies + Business Mini Guide To Navigating The Corporate Jungle (With Kids) [LEARN MORE]

Some of my other #BYOBaby into business settings experiences are detailed on these blog posts, if you want to learn more about:

Learn more about Babies, Business + Breakfast™.

Parent-friendly presenting in real-time at CreativeMornings Ottawa!

Amy Lynch and family at CreativeMornings Ottawa

I don’t often post pics of my kids on social media but since I just did a talk on the theme of ‘Inclusive’ for CreativeMornings Ottawa alongside them both, here’s what the evolution of a 5-min lightning talk looks like when you’re with a 10-month-old and almost three-year-old in front of a room full of attendees!

Scroll through to get a short video clip and all pics are courtesy of the CM Ottawa volunteers, Finn Lin and Amber Warren, as well as front row attendee, Sonia Allaham. 🙌

[Full disclosure: Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa we made it out of the house in time, rolling up at 8:29 a.m. Otherwise, we would have still been at home when the event started.]

Baby In The Boardroom: Creating Parent-Friendly Business Spaces + Experiences

Baby in the carrier, notes on a high table, stool nearby for back up, PPT slide clicker running by the CM Ottawa host Maxine Patenaude, toddler being watched by another CM volunteer Amber Warren – until he decides to join us up front 10 seconds in!

Toddler lingers nearby shyly while baby tries to grab my mic and hair, frustrated because it’s his nap time, he wants to crawl and why can’t he play with my non-toy, toy?!

Toddler loses shyness, starts rolling Lightning McQueen lego car, wandering around, I ditch the baby carrier and hold on to him with one arm and they seem content for another 30 seconds.

Baby wants to play on the floor too, so I put him down, him and his bro start pushing the stool around (screechily) on the concrete floor, I pause to consult my notes in between stopping the getaway stool.

Pick up where I left off, then the Lego pieces get a good screech on the floor before I grab one, wrap it up, hand over the mic, pick up the baby and head to the door for a bit of fresh air, snack for us all and to nurse the baby in a quieter hallway.

When the other talks wrap up, we go back for the panel, they both join me, another speaker, Sharon Nyangweso, offers to hold my baby and I get a question, before the event ends and we begin the 30 minute routine of washroom break for diaper changes, collect our jackets and prep for a rainy walk to the car.

It really took closer to an hour to leave because so many former strangers, now acquaintances, came up to thank us, congratulate us, speak about the talk, share their stories and smile kindly at my kids who were (I’m biased but hey) absolute superstars!

You can download the FREE Babies + Business Mini Guide I mentioned in my presentation here.

Quick sneak peek video courtesy of multi-talented CreativeMornings Ottawa volunteer (and on-site event childcare provider!), propmaster and designer, Amber Warren:

Looking for more parenting and professional development inspo, resources and community?

Subscribe for future emails at bit.ly/BabiesBizBreakfast.

Some of my other #BYOBaby into business settings experiences are detailed on these blog posts, if you want to learn more about:

#BYOBaby to CreativeMornings Ottawa!

#BYOBaby to CreativeMornings Ottawa!

I’ll be doing a five-minute ‘Lightning Talk’ at the April CreativeMornings Ottawa event on the theme of ‘Inclusive’. 👶🏼🌈⚡️

It will cover some of my experiences, what can happen when you bring children into business settings and inclusive experience tips for organizations, venues, caregivers and their loved ones.

I will have my 10-month-old and 2.5 year-old with me…going to try to wear one and get the other to sit with snacks and a supervising adult in the front row.

BUT will most likely end up juggling my kids throughout the talk or having them both on stage with me, croissant flakes, milk moustaches and all (them, hopefully not me).

Tickets are free and will be released on the CreativeMornings Ottawa website this Friday, April 19th. First come, first served and it almost always sells out!

The event itself will take place Friday, April 26th between 8:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. at the Ottawa Art Gallery, which is conveniently located across from the Rideau Centre, has elevators and baby change tables on site.

Bring your kiddos, we’d love to meet you!

Learn more about Babies, Business + Breakfast™.

Get the FREE Babies + Business Mini Guide

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.

Bringing babies into an (entrepreneurship and innovation) incubator

Amy Lynch's baby in the DARE District business incubator

April showers bring #BYOBaby into biz settings superpowers

Amy Lynch and baby at Invest Ottawa April 2019 — Baby and I before a meeting with one of our guest speakers at Invest Ottawa…wearing winter gear in April!

We (my kids and I) have been busy over the past few weeks prepping for our first Pop-Up Event of the year on Wednesday, May 1st, 2019!

In between washing their winter gear and trying to pack it away for another six months (c’mon Mother Nature!), I’ve been making calls, meeting people and trying to make things happen around my family’s schedules.

This week I’m delighted to announce we’ll have three guest speakers, all parents and multiple business owners: Sunshine Tenasco, Karla Briones and Susan Richards.

You may have the inkling of a business idea or be in the thick of balancing childcare, business and life in general.

Perhaps you’re thinking of making a career change or maybe you simply want a daytime outing at a convenient time, where you don’t have to worry about your kids being an inconvenience*.

*I don’t believe parenthood and professional development have to be mutually exclusive but not everyone may feel that way.

Either way, this ‘Babies, Business + Breakfast’ Spring Pop-Up Event is for you!

I’m gathering these guest speakers to answer a few questions about their background, experiences, challenges and insights, before it opens to everyone in attendance for your own Q&A – in between baby wrangling, feeding and potty breaks.

GUEST SPEAKERS

We’ll hear from:

Sunshine Tenasco
First Nations Mommy of 4 from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg
Founder at Her Braids and CEO of Pow Wow Pitch

Karla Briones
Mexican-Canadian Mom of 2
Founder at Karla Briones Consulting, Franchisee of Global Pet Foods and Freshii, Co-founder of Frida’s Attic

Susan Richards
Mom of 3
Virtual CFO and Co-founder, Numbercrunch, Founder of Givopoly, Chair of the Board of Directors at Invest Ottawa

Fuel up on fresh business inspiration, strong coffee and get connected to other like-minded parents. 👶🏻📈☕️

REGISTER FOR THE EVENT HERE!

I’m also thrilled to announce the event will be held in an accessible and inclusive venue, at Algonquin College’s Ottawa Campus in their brand-new DARE (Discovery, Applied Research, and Entrepreneurship) District.

The event will be held in their Business Incubator (no pun intended, it’s the real name) in Room C278 on Level 2, which can be accessed via elevators and is also right beside a few washrooms featuring baby change tables. Whoohoo!

I will be sharing detailed parking, public transit and venue navigation instructions with registered guests the week of the event.

Here is a sneak peek of the DARE District (business) Incubator, with my baby outside exploring the space.

This event is for parents (first and foremost) and their families (I don’t expect you to leave the kids at home).

You also want to invest in yourself, get inspired and meet others like you. I’ve met lots of people over the past year, who don’t want to separate their personal and professional lives (and this is about connecting you all!)

My own children are the reason I keep pushing for inclusive programming and accessible spaces. They inform what I do and why I do it.

If you plan on attending, make sure you RSVP via Eventbrite as I won’t be selling tickets at the door – I will be busy juggling my baby and making sure everyone has a good time! 🎉

Learn more about Babies, Business + Breakfast™.

Get the FREE Babies + Business Mini Guide

Some of my other #BYOBaby into business settings experiences are detailed on these blog posts, if you want to learn more about:

Babies, Business + Breakfast: Spring 2019 Pop-Up Event

Babies, Business + Breakfast: Pop-Up Event May 2019

Join us on Wednesday, May 1st for parent-friendly professional development!

In case you missed it, be sure to check out the details of our first event in 2019.

This is for the parents who don’t often venture into business settings because of early morning or late night event start times.

The ones who don’t have childcare, or maybe you do but it doesn’t cover before or after hours (when most of these events seem to happen).

Or perhaps you’re *not quite* comfortable letting a stranger look after your child (yet…or ever). 😳

I get it – I’ve been bringing my kids (almost three years old and nine months old) into business settings since they were weeks old.

They are the reason I keep pushing for inclusive programming and accessible spaces. They inform what I do and why I do it.

This event will be held midday (10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) midweek (Wednesday) and will be parent and child-friendly.

Breastfeed, bottle feed, babywear, stroller rock, change diapers, give snacks, offer cuddles, do what you have to do, so you can also do something for you (always wanted to be a poet). 🙌🏻

I will start announcing the panel speakers for the ‘How She Built It’ event on Wednesday, May 1st 2019, in my upcoming ‘Babies, Business + Breakfast’ newsletter, this my blog and social media.

If you plan on attending, make sure you RSVP via Eventbrite as I won’t be selling tickets at the door – I will be busy juggling my baby and making sure everyone has a good time! 🎉

Fuel up on fresh business inspiration, strong coffee and get connected to other like-minded parents. 👶🏻📈☕️

You’re not the only one who wants to do what you do, alongside the ones you love.

I believe parenthood and professional development don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

As such, I have a lot of #BYOBaby into business settings stories to tell (good and bad) but too many to write about here.

There’s a book in it and I’ll share that some day soon but here is a bit of perspective if you’re curious, considering it or have tried it in the past.

The good: I often have complete strangers approach me, with beaming smiles, asking questions, offering to make me a coffee or grab me a chair.

Faith in humanity = officially restored after living as an expat freelancer for a while and getting a bit jaded from attending too many awkward networking events solo.

The bad: Explaining the concept of parent-friendly professional development to someone and them nodding in agreement, only to exclaim, “But the children wouldn’t actually attend, right? How would anyone concentrate?”

Well…at least she listened to the concept, even if she didn’t understand it!

The ugly: Having a complete stranger compare me bringing my newborn to a conference to people who fly with children and inconvenience other passengers.

I do both: bringing babies into business settings and travelling with them too (shock, horror!)

Amy Lynch: Google Campus London Campus for Mums 2016 — Bringing babies into business settings since 2016

The good ones encourage me to keep on keeping on, the bad ones cause me to reconsider my key messages and delivery style and the ugly moments are thankfully few and far between.

I mostly smile, nod, move along and reflect after the fact. Then I note them for future stories, as they aren’t my ideal target audience anyhow!

Last week, I visited Algonquin College’s new DARE District with my baby to have a meeting and tour the space.

Just two kids, visiting a new social innovation lab in the city, checking on the baby change situation in the loos and talking about accessibility, innovation and inclusion.

Also spent part of it crawling around hot desks, scoffing digestive biscuits and smiling at strangers (him, not me…except for the last two, guilty)!

Click on the link above to learn more: I am happy to report it has baby change facilities, there is (paid) parking on site, accessible buildings and – while most rooms aren’t child-proofed – it is a great open concept space to meet others, attend events and work remotely.

Some of my other recent (and positive!) experiences are detailed on my blog, if you want to learn more about:

#BYOBaby Activism

We’re going to events and posting our experiences, to encourage others to do the same.

I’ve been advocating for programming and resources for parents who would like to participate in professional development alongside their children. And you can too!

Use one or all of the hashtags #BYOBaby #startupyoung #parentpreneur to share your adventures with children in tow via social media

Please comment on this post or contact me via this online form, if you’d like to be featured on my blog and newsletter in future! 😃

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Choose Yourself First: Women Making Art (And History)

I thought I’d share a bit of reading material I’ve been using to help with the past five months I spent hibernating during one of Ottawa’s coldest winters in a while.

A recent book I’ve been reading is called ‘Broad Strokes: 15 Women Who Made Art And Made History (In That Order)‘ by Bridget Quinn and it is full of badass artists, many of them also mothers.

One of my favourite takeaways so far is ‘Art Before Dishes‘ from a book published by artist Susan O’Malley, ‘Advice from My 80-Year-Old Self‘ the year after she died unexpectedly, aged 38, pregnant at that.

A bit dark but stay with me here.

You see, I have been thinking a lot about mortality, especially since having kids, when I found myself faced with it as a reality a bit more due to major surgeries, living away from family, trying to organize wills, putting down some ‘roots’ etc.

Much of what I’ve been doing over the past decade (pre kids and after) has been motivated by death.

Moving countries multiple times, going back to school, changing careers/industries, proposing to my now husband, continuously learning, experimenting, practicing art, writing regularly and most recently, bringing my children into business settings.

My motto has pretty much been, “You are going to die some day, so give more than you take and do what matters to you.”

Because in the end, the clock is ticking, your time here is unknown and you have the power to change your reality, through mindset, creativity and oftentimes bold actions. As these artists and changemakers have done.

All belong to you and stop with you. Use them wisely.

Highly recommend the book and a few other authors I have been reading over the past few years, who may help you on the self-discovery path to choosing yourself first include:

A bit of self-help and much ego, limiting belief and self-imposed limitation checking, with a side of some financial literacy.

What happens when you start choosing yourself first?

Based on my experiences:

It may cause friction.
You may burn bridges.
Relationships may change.
You may quit jobs and/or move cities, countries.
Deep seated fears will emerge.
You may find yourself venturing into the unknown.
Changing directions and starting over is optional, but in my case, has been almost certain.
Positive news: It can and will get easier but it’s not always going to be ‘the easiest’ option.

However, this is often also integral to your:

Thoughts reframing.
Intuition resurfacing.
Reality changing.
Self-awareness improving.

Other, more tangible side effects can include:

Living where you want to live.
Loving who you want to love.
Creating the work you want to create.
Being the kind of human being you want to be.

All can positively impact your mindset, health, your wealth and the relationships you value.

But of all of ‘the relationships’, the most important one is with yourself!

Choose yourself first.

Good to remember, great to embrace and often much harder to start living by.

Improving your financial literacy as an act of self-care.

Spending time on your own personal and professional development.

Making time for creative endeavours and play.

Exploring new options, routines and ways of living.

It all counts!

Little steps and progress over perfection.

The easiest way for me to start when I want to try something new, has been to retreat into a book for a fresh perspective, take from it what I will and then implement what I admire into my life, when and how I can.

I also like to work on my mindset, surround myself with other positive people, seek out advice from those who are where I want to be and do a solid gut check every now and then to be sure I’m on the right path.

Have you been doing any of the above lately and if so, do you have any authors or books you recommend? I’m all ears!

What I’ve been up to lately

Settling into life in Canada with my growing international family, practicing art, travelling and writing about all of the above on my blog, social media and my seasonal newsletter.

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I’ve also been conducting #BYOBaby activism at spaces and events around the city, advocating for programming and resources for parents who would like to participate in professional development alongside their children.

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Visiting Algonquin College’s DARE District with kids

Amy Lynch with Baby: Algonquin College DARE District Ottawa Campus

#BYOBaby to the DARE District

This week, my nine-month-old son and I had a meeting at SLiDE (Service Learning in Design & Engineering) a social innovation lab located at Algonquin College’s Ottawa Campus in the new DARE (Discovery, Applied Research, and Entrepreneurship) District.

I first heard about the DARE District over a year ago, when I was part of a team organizing a CEO breakfast series, as part of a contract marketing role I was doing for a consulting company in Kanata’s tech hub.

The guest speaker one month was Cheryl Jensen, current (but soon to retire) President and CEO of Algonquin College. She spoke of the vision behind their new multidisciplinary space, focused on connecting students, researchers, the Indigenous and business communities.

It sounded great and I was looking forward to visiting the space once it opened. I was especially curious if it would be parent-friendly, as I had been discovering many business venues in Ottawa were lacking facilities to encourage entrepreneurs, professionals and students (who also happen to be parents) to use their spaces.

I thought about current access to professional development events and spaces in the city and decided I should try to create something for parents.

Check out this pop-up event on May 1st for more info and continue reading below for details of my recent visit to Algonquin College’s DARE District with my nine-month-old son.

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Visiting Algonquin College with kids

I last visited the campus in May 2018 when I was eight months pregnant with my second son, bringing along my almost two-year-old toddler.

We met with the Academic Manager of Algonquin’s Continuing Education Department in a boardroom beside the Dean’s office, discussed their current programming options and I outlined my Babies, Business + Breakfast pilot program, which I had launched a newsletter for.

This hour-long meeting inspired me to write about one of dozens of encounters I have had in bringing my (at the time only one child) into business settings in Canada and England.

Which sparked a reaction from readers I wasn’t expecting (awe, encouragement, disbelief, applause), lighting a fire under me to continue sharing my experiences with my own and other audiences, advocating for more accessible and inclusive spaces in my new home city and ultimately has informed the direction my writing (and parenting) has taken lately.

As life would have it, I took almost a whole year to visit the DARE District since its’ opening in May 2018. I am so glad it did because we had more to talk about!

When I met my contact at SLiDE, I informed him I would be bringing at least one child with me, if not two. He said children are always welcome. Wow! Great start.

I then had a bout of winter flu, as did one of my kids, so we rescheduled. Three times. Still no issue.

Another not-so-great start was when I made a wrong turn, couldn’t figure out where on the campus the DARE District was and took a while to get parked and the baby unloaded.

Making me quite late for our meeting. But baby also had a longer nap on the drive there. All good, not a bother.

Amy Lynch with Baby: Algonquin College DARE District 2019 — Visiting Algonquin College’s DARE District with my 9-month-old son. Despite my lack of smile and the blurry pic (due to baby juggling) it was a very positive experience and we’ll be back again in future!

When we finally made it, I parked in Visitor Parking, where you can get a ticket and pay upon exit. Other options include parking and paying at a pay-and-display meter or using nearby public transit.

Lots of sidewalks for strollers, elevators and accessible doorways to help you enter the buildings when you have your hands full and/or have little ones with you.

When I got to the SLiDE lab (level one in case you’re looking!) we discussed what I’d been up to over the past few years.

I shared a bit about my time abroad, as an expat and remote worker (read lone wolf) prior to becoming a parent, how ‘my #BYOBaby activism’ all began because I didn’t have a ‘village’ around me and I didn’t think it would be that odd to bring a baby into business settings (it kind of was…still is).

These are all important points since a lot of the parents I have been speaking with aren’t from Ottawa originally and also want to do something for themselves, alongside their children (so I’m not so odd when you speak to them!)

So I also shared my recent participation in Impact Academy alongside my newborn son and local #BYOBaby activism where I’ve been visiting a handful of coworking and business spaces.

He described Algonquin’s new space, how it’s currently being used and potential future uses…all while my son crawled around the space, ate a very messy digestive biscuit and babbled every now and again.

My host didn’t bat an eye and gladly let my son explore before we ended with a quick tour of the DARE District but he did say he hoped they had baby change facilities on site (they did!)

I of course made a visit to the non-gender and womens’ bathrooms in order to check it out and test the facilities. I didn’t peek into the mens but I am happy to share if you have a child with you and need a baby change table, there is more than one on site.

I didn’t have time to check out the third floor library but we will be back to do that another time and I also didn’t take many pics of the space as their website does a better job.

Algonquin College DARE District Womens Washroom with baby change facilities

Algonquin College DARE District Barrier Free Washroom signage

Algonquin College DARE District Barrier Free Washroom Facilities – complete with a baby change table and wall hooks!

You may be wondering, “Really Amy did you visit just to take a photo of the loos?”

Well, yes. And more.

You see, in the span of this year, I have gotten more feedback from people about what matters to them.

As it turns out, being able to use the bathroom AND also not have to change your child on a floor, in a public space, in your car outside in all weather or on your lap, is a very important thing.

I have visited a handful of coworking and business spaces – focusing on innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership – around the city. At the time, none had baby change facilities! Now I can happily say, Invest Ottawa and the DARE District do.

Other important items include, a place nearby to park. An elevator in case there are only stairs and you have a stroller. A doorway which you can actually fit your stroller through.

But the most crucial, for me anyhow, is a welcoming atmosphere: feeling like you belong and the space has been designed with your needs in mind as a parent and your hosts are willing to accommodate you in a respectful and positive manner.

I’m delighted to share, there’s a new space in town which ticks all of those boxes and will hopefully have more parent-friendly programming very soon.

DARE District is located at Algonquin College, 1385 Woodroffe Avenue in Ottawa.

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I’ve been conducting #BYOBaby activism at spaces and events around the city and sharing it on my Babies, Business + Breakfast newsletter, social media and this blog.