Over the years, I have been inundated with requests about how the Women’s Directory and Conferences came into being, so I finally decided to spill the beans about our history. For the past 25 years my clear belief about the status of women has been that if we stand together, we are much stronger than when we stand alone. Although independence is highly valued and reinforced in our society, it does not result in a strong community. Rather, it builds strong individuals who may or may not work with others.

The ‘improved’ concept of inter-dependence is one in which people rely on each other, sharing their knowledge and experience for mutual benefit. This concept applies also to raising children, and this vision has been, and remains very much a part of my personal life, with my children and grandchildren.

Thirty years ago as a single parent, this vision for interdependence began to evolve. At that time, child support was seldom enforced and women had few, if any community resources. A group of single mothers of young children was formed, and we banded together to help each other. That interdependence made us all stronger, as we could draw on resources beyond our own. Sharing of our time and meager resources made us all stronger. Inter-dependence became my mantra.
My vision for women has slowly taken shape over the years. I’ve been fortunate enough to attract dynamic women, who have been formed into a gently woven web of supporters of the Women’s Directory and Conferences. These projects have become a valuable resource for working women. We are fortunate that our trusted advisors continue to invest their time and energy, to maintain the quality of the Directory and Conferences.

 

The Women’s Directory is an annual publication, with business references and information for business, professional and corporate women. The Women’s Conference is a bi-annual event that provides a professional development day for business women. Both projects strongly rely on the types of inter-dependent relationships, which began for me so many years ago as a single parent and new entrepreneur.

Today, the vision for inter-dependence continues as the motivation to create Conferences where women meet to learn from community leaders and make valuable business and personal connections. For me, it is essential that The Women’s Conferences include music and fun. Sometimes we feature a local comedienne, a local energetic music or dance group, or a solo musical performer. Learning is facilitated by laughter and relaxation, so the informal atmosphere provides the perfect space in which women can connect.

Women’s priorities and commitments cover a broad spectrum of activity including career management, family, and community. The Women’s Conference celebrates women’s achievements. We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of women, as well as organizations that assist and promote women.

The Women’s Directory which began in 1989, was created to produce concrete and meaningful contacts for women. The hundreds of requests for information we receive each year could be answered by producing The Directory. In the beginning, it could have been a simple list, but it was more powerful when we added articles, biographies, and photos of local women. The past 12 years have resulted in many changes to the publication. Every year London’s business women begin phoning the office, anxious to know when the new publication will be available to them. The Directory is an example of how inter-dependence is put into practice. Over the years we have observed women connecting with each other, forging partnerships in business and as friends, to enhance their lives. Quite simply put – the Women’s Directory efficiently does its’ job well!
But why did I actually go forward with this work? My professional training as a Certified Graphoanalyst and World Association Document Examiner, gave me a unique career as a handwriting specialist. My first job with the Dartmouth Free Press, writing an Ann Landers style column about handwriting, was the first of many other national papers. Soon there followed television and radio shows, teaching and speaking at conferences all across North America. No one in Canada, and few people in the USA were full time professionals in this field.

My work was mostly with men, and I began to miss the connection with other working women. It seemed to me that there were boat, hunting, fishing, car (etc., ) shows for men, but nothing for women. I decided to remedy that. In 1983 in Halifax, my children and I naively opened the Canadian Women’s Exhibition – a grand name for a humble show. It was definitely a learning time, and from then until now there have been numerous changes. When we moved to London in 1985, and discovered there was again nothing for business women, my children and I again (naively again…) booked the Fairgrounds and began to assemble the Women’s Showcase. It was a very large show, open to all women, and heavily concentrated on business displays. Part of the early shows included a speaker schedule, fashion shows, the one and only fantasy hairstyle show in London, entertainment, dynamic fashion shows, and anything else we could imagine that would capture the interest of Londons’ women.

Our focus today is a very specific group of women – those in business, the professions, corporations, or non-profits. My children remain firm cornerstones of the events today. Barbaralee is the first person you see at the Conference twice a year. She handles all registrations and pre-conference organization. Nathalie, our ‘Nifty Nat’, works with set-up, distribution of the Directory and endless behind-the scenes chores. My son James is my computer guru who helps with my graphics and data challenges. Chris, my Son-In-Law is my website creator. Friends are not beyond our reach. Dedicated advisors, Wilda Thomas, Sandi Delaney and Linda Lustins, and volunteers who return to the conference event after event over the years, all work together to keep the project in motion – and operating smoothly.

The new generation of females in the family, granddaughters Kathryn, Ruth, and Sarah, will gradually learn how to step into the gap and work beside us. Behind the scenes, they have all worked to fill goodie bags and organize the storage area after conference, and find what we need before the day begins. My grandsons are also interested in our family enterprise. They willingly help with set-up, tear down, and pre-conference work. It is truly an inter-dependent conference – one that I would not even attempt without my trusted friends, advisors, volunteers, and family. Inter-dependence is a wonderful way in which to live one’s life. It protects us from being totally devastated when catastrophe befalls, and it is certainly worthwhile sharing the thrill of success with all who participate. All of us in the community and personally, are richer for it.

 

Other business ‘firsts’ in my list, are:
1972 the youngest person in Canada to work full time as a Certified Graphoanalyst (26 years old)
1972 Created the newspaper column You and Your Handwriting
1973 Created the television and radio regular broadcasts of You and Your Handwriting (Halifax, London)
1975 Became Canada’s premier conference speaker as a Certified Graphoanalyst
1975 the first and only person in Canada to earn a living as a Certified Graphoanalyst
1975 You and Your Handwriting column began in Ottawa, resulting in the most mail ever received by the Ottawa Journal for a featured newspaper column
1983 created in Nova Scotia, The Canadian Women’s Exhibition, the first women’s show in English Canada
1985 Woman’s Showcase in London
1986 Fantasy Hairstyle Show
1986 Women in Business lecture series
1989 Charity Bachelor Auction
1989 Women’s Business Directory
1990 Taste of London
1991 Speaker’s Showcase
1995 Business Women’s Conference (as it is today)
1995 Mandating fun and entertainment as part of Business Conferences
2003 The Fairy Godmother Projects

I recently turned 60. My grandmother always said that life began at 60, so I’m waiting to see what else is in store for me. So far, life has been an amazing journey. It will be exciting to experience the rest of my life – in business terms as well as personally. I’ve only just begun!

Article – Giving Voice magazine, London, Ontario, March 2006
Interestingly enough, the handwriting was on the wall when this woman, who, in exploring her own inter dependence and following her belief that if women stand together they are much stronger than when they stand alone, has become a legend in her own time.

Diann Vail’s accomplishments are testament to her legend. Long before the first women’s conference held in Halifax in 1983 or the 1989 launch of her annual Women’s Directory, she had blazed her own trail and led the way for others. As a young woman in the early 70’s she launched a very successful business as a certified grapho-analyst when there were only a handful of professionals in Canada. Her business began with a newspaper column, and quickly expanded to on-air television, radio, guest conference speaker, and document examiner.

Today Diann creates The Women’s Directory, a resource of business information and references for professional and corporate women. The Women’s Directory was formulated in 1989 as a way to produce tangible and meaningful contacts for women. Prior to its creation, hundreds of calls were fielded each year from women requesting information. There was an obvious need that the Directory could meet. “It became a more valuable resource when we added articles, biographies, and photos of local women,” Diann explained. “Over the last decade or so there have been a lot of changes to the publication. Each year, London’s business women begin calling the office, eager to know when the new publication will be available,” Diann smiled.

Diann says the Directory is an example of how inter-dependence is put into practice. “Over the years we have observed women connecting with each other, forging partnerships in business and as friends, to enhance their lives.”

She hosts two Women’s Conferences a year; professional development days for women from a wide range of corporate, professional, small business and non-profit organizations. “The Women’s Conference celebrates women’s achievements and I’m extremely pleased to be a part of something that recognizes the accomplishments of women,” Diann said.

“So much of what I do relies strongly on the types of inter-dependent relationships created over 30 years ago as an entrepreneur and sole parent provider for my family,” Diann said. “I remember back then, when child support was seldom enforced and women had few, if any community resources. A few of us, mothers of young children, banded together to help each other. We became stronger because we could draw on resources beyond our own,” Diann smiled. “Inter-dependence became my mantra; one in which people rely on each other, share their knowledge and experience for mutual benefit. This concept applies equally to business and to raising children,” she said with a grin, “and this vision has been and remains very much a part of my entire life.”

That same theme of inter-dependence is evident at her conferences. “Here women can meet and learn from community leaders and make valuable business and personal connections,” Diann explained. “For me it’s essential that these conferences include music and fun, so we usually feature a comedienne, an energetic music or dance group, or a musical performer.”

So how does a woman go from being a Certified Graphoanalyst to an organizer of one of London’s biggest events for women? “Most of my work as a Graphoanalyst was with men and I started to miss the connection with other working women,” she said. She also discovered that while there were several venues for men that included car, boat, hunting and fishing shows, she said she didn’t ever recall seeing similar functions for women. “I decided to remedy that,” she laughed.

She described the time in Halifax, during 1983 when she and her children opened the Canadian Women’s Exhibition. “It was such a grand name for a humble show and since then I have learned so much,” she added. “When my family moved to London in 1985 we again discovered there was very little for business women.” She booked the Western Fairgrounds and began to assemble the Women’s Showcase. “It was a very large show, open to all women, and it was primarily a trade show with business displays of products and services for women,” Diann explained. “The early shows included a speaker schedule, fashion shows, the one and only fantasy hairstyle show in London, entertainment, and anything we could imagine that would capture the interest of London’s women.

“Obviously my vision for women has slowly changed shape over the years and I’ve been fortunate enough to attract a dynamic group of talented women, who have become a close web of advisors to the Women’s Directory and Conferences,” Diann said. “Without them, these networking opportunities would not be the excellent caliber that they are today”.

Diann’s most recent project was inspired by an Oprah Winfrey show where Oprah interviewed a Californian pastor who had given $100 bills to several people in his congregation. He challenged them to do something good in the community and then report on their project. Knowing that London has some extremely dynamic women, Diann decided to incorporate this idea into her conferences. During her 2003 fall conference, she launched the Fairy Godmother Projects. Her emcee, Louise Karch of Carswell Partners, loved and embraced the idea. Louise, totally charged with enthusiasm, arrived at the conference with a bright pink magic wand. She periodically waved it throughout the day, with those tinkling magical sounds to signify the beginning of something grand. “At first, we weren’t sure if anyone was going to step up to the challenge,” Diann said, “but five women jumped to their feet when Louise asked for volunteers. The Conference funded the first five projects and conference participants have funded the rest. We haven’t once looked back.”

Neither has the fairy godmother. Louise, wanting to increase the excitement and inspire conference delegates to fund future projects, used a Bette Midler approach. With the help of Garber’s Bridal Fashions she returned in a wonderfully beaded and sequined pink wedding gown. Wearing her new Pepto-Bismol pink wedding dress, fully accessorized with a set of wings and a sparkled crown, Louise the Fairy Godmother “flew” to the stage and introduced the projects to the 2004 spring conference. It took ten minutes for the audience to donate $1000 to fund ten more women volunteers. The following conferences raised $1300, $1600 and $2200. All of the funds were sent into the community to inspire projects of good will on behalf of the business women of London.
Some of the projects were: women told how they funded a road safety program to help students recover from and prevent future fatalities; another described how her money helped a one parent’s support group raise public relations and buy bus tickets so other moms could afford to come to meetings; another, with tears in her eyes, described how she and her colleagues helped a young boy with cancer, and his family, go to Toronto in a limousine after his chemo treatment to the Hockey Museum of Fame and to see a Leafs game; and finally a woman created a Children's Art Program in St. Thomas and how, with the sale of the their art cards, she would fund future projects. It was moving and inspiring stories like these that encouraged conference participants to get involved, and donate to send more volunteers into the city.

To date, (March 2006), the Fairy Godmother Projects have raised $6600, to support valuable and interesting projects mostly in London, but as far away as Eastern Europe; South Africa; and Peru. Working together, Diann’s theory has once again been supported that when we work together we are stronger and can accomplish amazing tasks.

Diann credits her family, friends and team of dedicated advisors for the success of each conference. From filling goodie bags, collating, and organizing floor space, to post conference clean-up, her children provide ongoing support. “My children remain firm cornerstones of the events today. My daughter Barbaralee handles all registrations and pre-conference organization,” Diann said. Her younger daughter Nathalie, dubbed ‘Nifty Nat’, because of her comedic routine of power tools and duct tape in the kitchen, helps with conference set-up, Directory distribution, and other endless behind-the scenes chores. Her son James is her computer guru and data management guy.
“This year I turned 60,” Diann said. “My grandmother always said that life began at 60, so I’m waiting to see what else is in my future. So far, life has been an amazing, wonderfully challenging, and unpredictable journey.”

For more information about the Women’s Conference or Directory, or if you’d like to get involved in the Fairy Godmother Projects contact Diann by phone at 519.668.5677 or by email at diann@vailweb.net, or visit her web site at www.diannvail.com.