S3: E36: Creating Visibility in C-Suite with Terri McDowell

01/31/23 • 51 min

“I thought I'm pretty good at what I do. Am I prepared to sacrifice all of that? And why should I have to?“

In this episode, Terri McDowell (She/Her), a Saskatchewan-born, C-Suite business leader gets vulnerable about what is was like transitioning in and on the job, in a profession that's male, cisgender dominant; and she shows us how she is inspiring transgender people professionally, through ‘the art of the possible.’

A Partner & Principal at financial advisory firm Ernst and Young (EY), Terri vulnerably shares, as a transgender woman, challenges and triumphs of her own personal gender transition on the job in a male and cisgender dominated profession, and provides tips on being allies on-the-job and how to avoid corporate pink-washing in an historically challenging period for transgender human rights worldwide.

Show links:

Hey, Cis! TD Connected Community Moment: https://www.menti.com/alkb4uo5chb8 to participate. Then click here for results.

Terri’s CGLCC Business Leader of the Year award:

https://www.simplygoodform.ca/blog/peak-inside-the-Black-and-White-Gala

https://www.cglcc.ca/2022/11/16/business-leadership-award-winners-2022/

Vulnerability of transgender human rights and anti-trans legislation:

Produced and edited in-house.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simply-good-form/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/SimplyGoodForm

Hey, Cis! Season 3 is proudly partnered with TD Bank Group.

MUSIC:

Hey, Cis! thanks musical artist Craymo for our intro/extro song: Be Myself

Written by: Craig Stephen Raymo/Brandon Jarrett/Joshua Daniel Hershfield (c) (p) 2015 Craymo Music, BMI/Moho Music, ASCAP

Website: http://www.Craymo.com

For more beyond binary conversations on being better humans, tips for being an inclusive leader in your field and connecting with trans folks from coast-to-coast, subscribe to Hey, Cis! on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

“I thought I'm pretty good at what I do. Am I prepared to sacrifice all of that? And why should I have to?“

Show links:

Hey, Cis! TD Connected Community Moment: https://www.menti.com/alkb4uo5chb8 to participate. Then click here for results.

Terri’s CGLCC Business Leader of the Year award:

https://www.simplygoodform.ca/blog/peak-inside-the-Black-and-White-Gala

https://www.cglcc.ca/2022/11/16/business-leadership-award-winners-2022/

Vulnerability of transgender human rights and anti-trans legislation:

Produced and edited in-house.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simply-good-form/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/SimplyGoodForm

Hey, Cis! Season 3 is proudly partnered with TD Bank Group.

MUSIC:

Hey, Cis! thanks musical artist Craymo for our intro/extro song: Be Myself

Written by: Craig Stephen Raymo/Brandon Jarrett/Joshua Daniel Hershfield (c) (p) 2015 Craymo Music, BMI/Moho Music, ASCAP

Website: http://www.Craymo.com

Previous Episode

S3: E35: Ending the Year, Extra Queer

Books, tunes and gratitude. Welcome to the final episode of 2022 as we get festive with a Hey, Cis! Year-in-Review.

This episode is hosted by Cyn Sweeney (She/Her) and Isaac Cook (He/They), with Emma Stanley (She/Her).

Emma joins the show from Thailand, and we have to say we're a little envious of her 'winter attire'. In this episode we wanted to reflect back on a rollercoaster year and share some laughs, successes and our gratitude for all our followers and listeners.

You'll remember Emma from our Season 2 episodes on travel this Spring:

S2:E29: Traveling While Trans, The Baggage Fee for Biological Bias
S2: E30: Traveling While Trans, How to Pass as a Canadian

Connected Communities Feature:

In partnership with TD Bank Group...drum roll.... we are excited to add a little jingle in your nog this month, with Episode 35 and an accompanying Queer Cheer playlist, tween and teen book recommendations and more. And we need to hear from you!

What are you listening too and reading?
Add to our playlist and share your books faves

BONUS! Head over to the blog post and download our Top Tunes for the Hols, AND great reads for Queer tweens and teens for the holiday season, thanks to recommendations from two local Queer-owned stores Venus Envy and Cape and Cowl Comics and Collectibles.

Plus, who wouldn't want to see our kitschy team snowscape, cheese-ball recording photos (because, we've no shame. Why would we?)?

SHOW NOTES:

Simply Good Form has been named a Finalist in the upcoming Halifax Chamber of Commerce New Business of the Year of Award! Check out all the amazing business finalists here.

Cyn is a cis, straight beyond binary educator and author passionate about 'beyond binary' inclusion and breaking heteronormative and gender-normative practices. As a mother, storyteller and community writer, Cynthia is inspired by peoples stories - and listening fully. In 1998 Cynthia was told by a Supervisor that she has a 'tendency to go against the grain,' when it came to her 'drive to complete projects'. It wasn't meant as a compliment. Something her 28-year-old self couldn't realize at the time, was that this is one of her super powers. She's grateful everyday for the work she is doing.

Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Isaac Cook is a transgender, non-binary, queer person with a passion for making change. With a degree in Linguistics and Criminology, Isaac has more than seven years of communications, marketing and web development experience with a particular passion for STEM- focused and non-profit organizations. Outside of their work with Cyn at Simply Good Form Inc., Isaac enjoys cooking, travelling, astrology and hanging out with his dogs Aspen and Timber.

Produced and edited in-house.

Hey, Cis! Season 3 is proudly partnered with TD Bank Group.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simply-good-form/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/SimplyGoodForm

MUSIC:

Hey, Cis! thanks musical artist Craymo for our intro/extro song: Be Myself

Written by: Craig Stephen Raymo/Brandon Jarrett/Joshua Daniel Hershfield (c) (p) 2015 Craymo Music, BMI/Moho Music, ASCAP

Website: http://www.Craymo.com

Next Episode

S3: E37: The Intersections of Identity and Financial Security with Mariat Jibril

Mariat Jibril leads with love and her leadership is infectious.

In this latest episode of Hey, Cis! Isaac (he/they) and Cyn (she/her) join Mariat Jibril (she/her) in Vancouver, British Columbia and have a coast-to-coast conversation about being a Black, queer advocate and financial professional working in equity, diversity and inclusion.

"I think we can love and we can lead with love and we can lead with love. You just like being a leader in any organization. You've got to have empathy. If you can live with empathy, then you can never be a leader." Mariat

As interest rates hike upwards with unrelenting stamina, we’re thinking about how our identities impacts our ability to access financial stability.

“Human rights are a part of financial rights,’ says Mariat Jibril, who joins Isaac and Cyn to explore financial stability and how connecting with community is impacting LGBTQ2+, Black, Indigenous, People of colour, Youths, Women, Non-Binary and Persons with disabilities in Canada.

Mariat is the Regional Manager of LGBTQ2+ Business Development at TD Bank Group. She divides her time between British Columbia and Yukon Territory and is a CGLCC LGBT+ Business Advocate finalist 2022; where Cyn had the pleasure of first connecting with her.

Mariat advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion. As a black, queer influencer, Mariat has a passion for creating success for business owners, and the community at large.
Perspectives, insights and resources we loved talking about in this episode.
Show links:

Hosts: Cyn Sweeney (She/Her) and Isaac Cook (They/He)
Producer: Connor Samson (He/Him) podstarter.io
HeyCis.com
The Bridge Blog at Simply Good Form Inc.: TD Connected Communities Moment and Black History Month through a Queer lens
Pflag Canada
Connect with Mariat Jibril on Twitter, LinkedIn

Linktree

Hey, Cis! Season 3 is proudly partnered with TD Bank Group.

MUSIC:

Hey, Cis! thanks musical artist Craymo for our intro/extro song: Be Myself

Written by: Craig Stephen Raymo/Brandon Jarrett/Joshua Daniel Hershfield (c) (p) 2015 Craymo Music, BMI/Moho Music, ASCAP