The Dress for Success Ambassador Program: Empowering Women To Tell Their Stories with Amy Robichaud and Natasha Irvine

By: Bart Egnal

If you aren't familiar with the power and impact of Dress for Success you need to listen to this episode, where Bart meets with Amy Robichaud, Executive Director and Natasha Irvine, Communications Director, both of Dress for Success Vancouver. Over the course of the pod Bart learns about the impact and mission of Dress for Success Vancouver, and how it goes so far beyond providing women with suits for jobs to build skills, confidence and enabling professional growth. Amy and Natasha talk about the birth of the Ambassador program which empowers women who have been through Dress for Success Vancouver programs to become advocates and get on stage to tell their stories. They discuss the training provided to these women, how they learn they bring value through storytelling, and how to build presence and confidence.

Visit dfsvancouver.ca to learn more and go to https://www.successluncheon.ca/ to get your tickets for their 10th annual Success Luncheon!

 

00:01 Teaser

00:23 Show introduction

00:58 Welcoming guests

02:11 What is Dress for Success about?

05:29 Examples of people who’ve been helped by Dress for Success

10:07 Sharing stories with the ambassador program

12:34 Finding ambassadors

14:23 The importance of a community of women helping each other out

17:21 What do ambassadors do?

22:39 Leveling the playing field

23:55 What advice does Dress for Success give on telling your story?

25:36 Vulnerability – how much to share when telling your story

28:08 Scars not wounds

30:29 Presence

31:42 Flipping the script

34:27 Future of the ambassador program

35:24 What’s next for Dress for Success?

35:50 The effects of the pandemic on professional women

36:55 How to get involved

38:19 Bart’s closing remarks

38:57 Thank yous

39:15 Outro