My Story

la-44WEBHow did an Old Bat like me end up here?

I was supposed to retire but I thought I would die of boredom if I didn’t have some real purpose and some real relationships.  So I kept on finding new things to learn and great new people to know.

Now it’s time to retire again (from my coaching work) and find something interesting to do.

Greetings Third Agers
I’m LowellAnn and I’ve been computing since sometime in the 1980s when I was employed by the Canadian government as an Employment Counsellor in Yellowknife NT.  In the 1990s, I took early retirement and opened my own consulting business, providing leadership development and facilitation to government departments and local businesses.  Eventually, I added Executive Coaching to my list of services in Victoria BC.

My first website, workstyle-lifestyle.com, was quite an adventure as I learned how to give instructions to my web developer, Blain.  Later, I connected with a great new web developer Ryan, who was willing to coach me through the design and development myself.  We created at least two different sites together – the most recent was my coaching site lowellann.com. Since then, I created beingyourownceo.com. And more recently I have combined these sites into one.

I discovered that I love learning new things and experimenting with new sites.  This site has been developed without the assistance of a coach. However, I do have a wonderful community of support.  At Wealthy Affiliate, there is great instruction for the person interested in creating an online business.

Since joining WA, I have developed two additional websites:  LadiesWalkingSticks.com and VictoriaChinatownCare.ca  Stay tuned for another that is in the planning stages – It is now complete! ArcticCarvings.com

It’s nice to meet you here!

What Inspires Me

The most inspiring activity for me is staying current in my field and branching out into new fields of interest. I was particularly inspired by many books throughout my career:

  • Peter Senge’s Fifth Discipline;
  • Michael Gerber’s E-Myth;
  • Steven Covey’s Seven Habits, First Things First, and 8th Habit;
  • Frederic Hudson’s Life Launch;
  • Esther & Jerry Hicks’ The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent and The Astonishing Power of Emotions;
  • Ken Wilber’s – A Brief History of Everything,  Integral Life Practice,  The Religion of Tomorrow and more;
  • Robert Kegan’s Immunity to Change;
  • Marcus Sheridan’s They Ask You Answer;
  • Ray Edwards’ How To Write Copy That Sells
  • David Drake’s Narrative Coaching
  • Chip Conley’s Wisdom At Work
  • Jeff Wallace’s Launch
  • SusanRhodes’ The Integral Enneagram

Today, I’m excited and inspired by all the online tools that are a boon to the solopreneur – the ever-changing world of YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram.  And recently I found Discord – Join my Community there!

My biggest inspiration right now was the hosting of Being Your Own CEO Success Circle for solopreneurs via Zoom and OBS (Online Broadcast Software). We enjoyed each other’s company while sharing techniques and information and providing moral support to each other.

Currently my biggest interest is reading and learning about our Canadian First Nations. I really enjoyed The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King.

What do I believe?

  • Firmly believe that men and women can benefit from using their right brain (feminine skills) in business. And they can be independent and successful in business regardless of their age.
  • Contribution to community is what provides meaning in our lives.
  • Live Streaming (YouTube or Zoom) will change the way we do business on the net.
  • YouTube is the best place to interact and market for solo entrepreneurs who want to connect with other businesses and gain profile with Google Search.

My Leisure Time Joys

Morning Walks at Sunrise

Health

Maintaining good health is very important to me. My fitness friend Robyn and I aim for an hour four mornings a week. We have discovered the joy of sunrise on the beach and that it’s a great way to begin the day!  I’ve also discovered this is a great time to play with photography from my smartphone.

 

Balcony Garden

Environment

My indoor/balcony gardening gives me a great deal of pleasure. It’s fun to be able to tell all my northern friends and clients about the flowers that are in bloom throughout the winter in Victoria.

 

 

Getting Higher Choir

 

Community

For 17 years, I have participated in Victoria’s famous Gettin’ Higher Choir, a community choir based on the belief that anyone can sing. It’s a great way to meet like-minded folks, connect with our love of music and support a community in Mozambique.  We have two performances per year when it’s amazing to be on stage with roughly 200 others.  I have also been associated with sister choir Wavelengths

Volunteer Experiences

  • Instructed Gettin Higher Choir members in the use of Zoom so they could participate in the virtual choir experience necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic;
  • Created and posted announcemnts to Community Waves Choir Facebook Group;
  • Participated in the development of the Bruce Parisian Indiginous Library at Victoria’s Native Friendship Centre;
  • Active leadership in HOST (Home Office Support Team) and WBN (Women’s Business Network)
  • Board of Director Activity: Moncton School Board, Yellowknife YWCA as President, Victoria’s Bridges For Women as Treasurer

Educational Experiences

  1. Graduate Executive Coaching Program (Royal Roads University)
  2. Presidents’ Club Sales Program (Sandler Sales Institute)
  3. Gateway to Developmental Coaching (Interdevelopmental Institute)
  4. Adult Education Diploma (St. F.X. University)
  5. Team Development and High-Performance courses (from private consultants)
  6. Total Quality Transformation training (Lethbridge Community College)
  7. ICA Technology of Participation training (Institute of Cultural Affairs)
  8. Numerous Courses: employment, interviewing, testing, career counselling (provided by my employer)
  9. B.A. Degree (Mount Allison University)