Dayna Chamberlain holds many roles.
She is one of the most recognized and admired women in the community for her indomitable business and leadership skills.
She manages Jones-Parkview Funeral Services, is the program head of the funeral director certificate course at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, and sits on several notable boards in the community.
Despite a hectic schedule, Chamberlain has decided to venture into what she calls a “passion for leadership” by starting her newly launched business, Leadership in Stilettos and Lipstick.
Being a trained John Maxwell speaker and continuously enhancing her leadership skills, Chamberlain has set out to empower women to reach their full potential by launching a business that will provide all the tools and resources needed for women to success.
Empowering women, Chamberlain says, is the core mandate of Leadership in Stilettos and Lipstick.
“This was born from a passion to mentor and assist women successfully in their pursuits of success and happiness. Through the facilitation of workshops, luncheons and online resources, I hope to assist in that journey,” Chamberlain expressed.
She says the idea to launch a business of this nature was born out of her own journey to find resources that facilitated mentorship and leadership for women.
“When I was looking for mentoring and a sharing of ideas, there were little resources and the resources I found did not really help me in my pursuit. I was not looking for the 'quick 10 step-guide to success.' I was looking for something deeper,” Chamberlain explained. “What I learnt is that success is built on three or four things: relationships that we build, equipping ourselves with the tools and resources we need, our attitude, and the ability to lead others.”
With this in mind, Chamberlain wanted to establish a business that would help others tap into their greatness with the necessary support locally. She broke down the inspiration behind the Leadership in Stilettos and Lipstick name.
“The inspiration comes from my love of shoes,” Chamberlain says with a laugh. “Marilyn Monroe quotes 'Give a girl a good pair of shoes and she can conquer the world.' I find it fitting. My shoes are an extension of my mood and what I am trying to accomplish. For example; if I am attending a seminar and need confidence, I will wear my stilettos because when I wear my stilettos, I stand straight, I am taller, and I feel more confident. In other situations, such as at a family function, I throw on a pair of funky sneakers because I feel comfortable and relaxed.”
And for the latter part of the business’s unique name?
“I added the lipstick for the same reason. I recall one summer when I was about 14 and I wasn't having a good day. I was with my grandmother. That day, she felt something was wrong. She asked, 'what’s wrong?' I replied, 'nothing.' She said, 'I know there is and I know how to fix this mood!' She pulled out the brightest red lipstick I had ever seen, and she smeared it on my lips, whipped out a mirror and said, 'a little lipstick makes everything better.' I remember laughing with her and she was right, I did feel better. My experience has taught me that I am not alone in this. To me it is about finding what empowers you, what makes you feel confident and ready to take on the world.”
In the same way she was empowered by that childhood experience, Chamberlain wants women to feel that kind of empowerment and support when they utilize the services that Leadership in Stilettos and Lipstick has to offer.
“It is my mandate to empower women to live a healthy, happy, balanced life filled with purpose. I want women to connect, learn, inspire and lift each other up,” she emphasized. “The business is new and growing. Right now, the business can offer some time as a group with ‘lunch and learns,’ or workshops. I am currently working on an online platform of resources that can be accessed. In our busy worlds sometimes, we just need to download a quick quote that will change our day and inspire us. In April, memberships will become available to the general public.”
She says however, that even though her mandate focuses on empowering women, men can also access useful resources.
“When I began, I felt pulled towards empowering women and to support them in their dreams, but that does not mean that men cannot benefit from the value of the resources I can provide. Anyone who wants to learn or feel they can learn from me are welcomed.”
Leader Extraordinaire
Despite the fact that Chamberlain holds several leadership positions, she decided to deepen her horizons with this new business venture. For Chamberlain, starting Leadership in Stilettos and Lipstick was almost like ‘fate.’ Winning a prestigious PRISM Award for Leadership and Management in 2014 prompted Chamberlain to take a deeper dive into leadership.
“I have always been told that my story is inspirational, and I am a great role model. Eventually, when you have enough people telling you, and you see results, you can begin to believe it yourself. I had been asked to become a Dale Carnegie trainer who is a well-known Leadership Trainer. At the time in my life, that was not the direction I was going in. But as life moves forward, things changed. In 2014, I won a PRISM award for Leadership and Management and that began the turning point. I never imagined winning. That opened my eyes to the idea that I was actually making a difference in lives and bringing value to others,” she said.
“I am a trainer with the John Maxwell Team and shortly I will be receiving my certificate and be completely certified. I had done training with Dale Carnegie and really learnt a lot and loved the people that are with the company. But one day, I was introduced to John Maxwell and suddenly something ignited in me. So, I did my research and read his books and I have never felt so aligned with a belief system in bringing value to people. It is bringing value to others that makes us successful. It is what excites me. When you find what excites you, you need to follow that path.”
Chamberlain also talked about how her roles in other capacities have prepared her for this new venture.
“In my roles as GM/VP of Jones-Parkview and a program head with Sask. Polytech, it is necessary to have strong leadership roles. What is more important is the ability to bring value to the people that I work with, the people I meet everyday, my students and my family. I sit on the Moose Jaw Chamber of Commerce Board and Moose Jaw Habitat for Humanity and having the training and expanding my network has brought me my own personal success.”
She said Leadership in Stilettos and Lipstick will also provide a similar support system and help others find their own success.
“If you want to find support and resources in your journey, I am here to assist you. I am not going to teach you '10 Quick Steps to Success.' I am going to set you up with the necessary tools already inside you that you may or may not know already exist. Many don't realize that the money you make is 12.5 per cent knowledge and 87.5 per cent your ability to deal with people. I am going to help you with that 87.5 per cent! I will also be at the What Women Want Trade show in April, so stop by my booth and say hi and let's work on that 87.5 per cent.”
And Chamberlain’s advice for women looking to start their own business? She says, “do it but do it because it is a fire burning inside you. Reach out to others for help and live that dream! I encourage those looking for deeper meaning of success and or feeling stuck to reach out. Whether it is to me or to others, reach out. Remember it is within all of us and with the proper tools the sky is the limit.”
You can access services at Leadership in Stilettos and Lipstick by emailing dayna@leadershipinstilettosandlipstick, through Facebook, or her website.
