Seeker Chick Julia and I attended the Business Sisters – Consœurs en Affaires Annual Conference 2026 on Monday, November 9th, and what a wonderful day it was!
I have attended this event for the past few years and was very happy when organizer Doreen contacted us to ask if The Seeker Community would be their Media Sponsor. (Of course we said Yes!) I was even more excited when she mentioned that she would be hosting this year’s event in Cornwall at the Best Western Parkway Inn & Conference Centre, as it has been held in Rockland for the past few years. That meant over an hour’s drive for me and a very early start to my day!
This year, it was only a 20-minute drive to Cornwall, although it was still an early morning compared to my usual schedule!
Julia and I actually kicked things off by attending the Pre-Conference Networking Event and Dinner, which included a special one-hour tutorial by Janelle Boucher, Make-Up Artist. I don’t wear make-up myself, but it was still interesting to learn about applying it properly. Although, I have to admit, it all seems to take a little too long for me, so I think I’ll stick with my lip gloss for now!
Anyway, back to the Conference itself, which began with Registration and Breakfast at 8:00 a.m. I took a short video of some of the ladies who had arrived early, and by 8:30 a.m., we were welcomed by Doreen, followed by an Opening Ceremony with Bea Tarbell. By this time, the Cabaret Room at the Best Western was packed! We then heard from Event Sponsor Denis Lapierre of ACCFutures.
Conference day is always very well organized, with plenty of breaks to visit the exhibits and Relaxation Lounge with Infrared Light Therapy by HIRA, play games and enjoy the VR Experience from Poptronic, and, of course, enjoy a wonderful lunch along with the breakfast, both catered by the Best Western.
At 8:45 a.m., there was an interactive “Opening Panel” and “Roundtable Discussion” titled “Rewriting the Business Mixtape: New Models for a Changing World.” The panel featured, from left to right, Bea Tarbell of JT Business Services, Caroline Saint-Mleux of ImpactON and Layla Saligane of Nala Community.
We also heard from Kat Rendek of SDG Counties, a Conference Sponsor, as well as Josianne Villeneuve from Conseil scolaire de district catholique de l’Est ontarien, another Conference Sponsor.
Throughout the day, there were three rounds of workshops. This is such a great idea, but you really do have to make some hard decisions about which three to attend because they all happen at the same time, and the topics are all interesting!
Just look at the choices (some were in English, some in French and some Bilingual): Money Psychology Secrets Every Business Owner Needs to Know; Keep It, Buy It or Sell It: Making Your Business Work for You at Every Stage in Your Life; What I Wish I Had Known Before Starting My Business; Ask Me Anything About Running a Small Business; AI Without the Overwhelm and Human Interaction in the Age of AI; Found and Followed on Instagram; Redefining Success; Maintaining Your Identity Through Entrepreneurship; Mandalas for Creativity, Mindfulness and Discovery; and Naming the Invisible: A Transition for Women Entrepreneurs.
Do you see the hard decision I had to make with that list?
I chose Money Psychology, AI Without the Overwhelm and Maintaining Your Identity Through Entrepreneurship. I think the last one, with Bea Tarbell, was my favourite. She began the workshop by asking each table, how many businesses, between everyone at your table, have you been involved in and we were shocked that between the five of us sitting at the table, there was a total of thirty business ventures. She went around the room asking each table and the table with the highest number was forty. She got us thinking about many things that we normally wouldn’t even think about and ended the workshop with us all making crowns using words that we felt described our personalities. It really made us stop and think about who we are, both with and without our business hats on!
Another highlight of the day was the “Fireside Chat”, where we heard about the business journeys of four women: From left to right) Jennifer Glenn of Pick, Plant and Prune; Tara MacWhirter of Garden Path Homemade Soap; Sylviane Dutrisac of Cafe Butte & Bine Farm; and Chantal Lavergne of Oh Color Me. I’m sure many of the experiences and challenges they shared were familiar to those of us who own and operate our own businesses. For me there were certainly plenty of relatable moments!
The discussion was moderated by Chris McMartin of Scotiabank Women Initiative and Doreen Ashton Wagner of Business Sisters. We have seen Chris at numerous Business Sisters events over the years, but with tears in her eyes (and I’m sure there were tears in many of ours), she shared that this would be her last event in this role as she moves on to pursue other avenues in her own business journey. We wish her all the very best!
After the Fireside Chat, there were plenty of door prizes handed out, as there always are. But then came another tear-jerking moment!
Doreen’s husband, Heinz, approached her with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, thanking her for everything she has done for all of us ladies, and for him as well. Doreen was visibly surprised, and I thought it was such a lovely gesture. This is a woman who gives and gives, never expecting anything in return. Well, except for selfies with all of us ladies, of course! Something she is excellent at taking, unlike myself!!!
I thought this was such a perfect ending to a perfect day, especially considering how much time, energy and love Doreen puts into organizing these events for all of us. Thank you for everything you do, Doreen!
I absolutely love these events because you get to meet and network with so many like-minded business women (and I managed to get pictures of some of them!), all while learning from the panels, roundtable discussions, Fireside Chats and workshops that take place throughout the 10 hours we spend together.
It’s the kind of day you leave feeling incredibly motivated, but also a little tired! I know I was! I felt like a sponge, soaking up so much wonderful information, inspiration and encouragement.
I’m already looking forward to next year’s conference, which Doreen told us will be even Bigger and Better!
Shared on Facebook by Mai-Liis Renaud.
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