Because Healing Starts in the Hands of the Women
To hear Sandi speak is to hear her stories of humble beginnings. With laughter and enthusiasm, she shares of growing up in a house without running water, the proud daughter of a beautiful Anishinaabekwe from Seine River First Nation and a passionate, hilarious Frenchman from St Jerome, PQ.
Sandi grew up in poverty but she didn’t know it for in her family home, success and joy were encouraged. Her Mom may have been limited by her own internalized oppression but her Dad wasn’t. He encouraged her crazy dreams of running her own business one day. He cheered every “A” she brought home. And he told her OFTEN that she could be anything she wanted to be, IF and only if she was willing to work hard enough to get it.
But when she was only 17, her dad died and her world changed.
The Dark Years ...
With the voice of her father now gone, Sandi did what so many young women do – she set out to find someone to tell her she had value, someone to tell her she was worth loving, a mindset that made her the perfect victim for an abuser.
Ten years of domestic violence followed for both Sandi and her two small children.
Eventually she got out. Eventually she remembered her mother’s teachings, how your value is not dependent on whether another person can see it or not. And eventually, she found her voice.
#NoShame #NoGuilt
A Dream Comes to Life!
A single mom of two small children meant an income was needed and Sandi found one in an environment that matched her hope – an Indigenous employment and training agency. For 20+ years, she and her colleagues encouraged Indigenous men and women to go back to school, to find a job, or to even start their own business. She rose from the receptionist all the way to the Executive Director of a $4 million company but she wasn’t done.
With the sudden passing of her mother, Sandi realized firsthand that tomorrow is not guaranteed to anyone. She walked away from that dream job to start her own company, to become the cheerleader for those men and women in First Nation communities that she thought of as brothers and sisters.
For five years, she focused on Indigenous empowerment until one day, she received an email …
Best-Selling Author
Turning Point ...
Business was steady. Sandi loved working with the First Nation communities that emailed her whenever a challenge arose but this email was different.
The sender was a vice-president of a national Canadian corporation. As the email explained, they had been working on writing an “Indigenous Engagement Strategy”. They had, in fact, completed it and that is when they realized (in his words) that they were “six white guys sitting around a table, talking about how to work with Indigenous people”.
As the email explained, they thought they best ask an Indigenous person for advice and insight, and suddenly, Sandi’s entire career changed.
Suddenly she realized all the. years that training had been offered for Indigenous peoples on how to work in and succeed in mainstream with NO CORRESPONDING TRAINING FOR CANADIANS ON HOW TO SUCCEED IN FIRST NATION MARKETS.
She thought of the statistics, the high turnover of Indigenous staff working in Canadian industries, the low recruitment, and the money wasted as a result, a loss so often blamed on the Indigenous without a voice.
It Is Time to Succeed!
And Finally ...
Through business analysis and reflection, Sandi realized 99% of the time, the human reaching out to her for help, to book a seminar or workshop, to buy a book, to sign up for her membership … was a woman.
Indigenous or non-Indigenous, it didn’t matter. On both sides, the healing, the relationship, the reconciliation was beginning to happen in the hands of the women as the Elders had foretold long again.
So whether you are Indigenous or not, female or not, Sandi (herself a strong and proud Anishinaabekwe) is more than willing to help.
Nowadays ...
For more than 16 years, Sandi has answered the calls (and emails) from HR Directors, Program Directors, Chiefs, Salespersons, Marketing Directors and more. All saw the need for change within their organizations or communities. All knew they needed guidance. And Sandi was there to help.
Nowadays, Sandi continues to “balance the feather” working with the First Nation communities and Canadian hospitals/clinics, colleges/universities, municipalities and small to medium size businesses.
When not spending quality time with her children and grandchildren, Sandi is busy creating new offerings for the people she loves to serve.
Stay up to date with Sandi's upcoming engagements, seminars, and her powerful teachings!