Latest / Coffee In The Park with Jennifer and Cam / A Coffee with Catherine Brownlee, President of the Alberta Enterprise Group (AEG)

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A Coffee with Catherine Brownlee, President of the Alberta Enterprise Group (AEG) · Coffee In The Park with Jennifer and Cam

• 0:14
  Well, good morning, everybody, and welcome to another edition of the ABA Coffee In The Park.
• 0:19
  My name is Cam Milliken, and I am here with my co-host extraordinaire, Jennifer Herrick, the Executive Director of the Acheson Business Association.
• 0:27
  Good morning, Jennifer.
• 0:28
  Good morning, Cam.
• 0:29
  It is another beautiful day here in Acheson.
• 0:32
  It's a sunny Alberta day.
• 0:34
  And warm, 10 degrees today.
• 0:35
  I know, I was going to wear shorts today, but I decided not to.
• 0:38
  But you know what?
• 0:39
  It's warming up.
• 0:39
  It sure is.
• 0:40
  The snow is melting.
• 0:41
  Spring's coming.
• 0:41
  I know.
• 0:42
  It's awesome.
• 0:43
  I love it.
• 0:43
  It's really cool.
• 0:44
  And we want to thank everybody for joining in and listening to us this morning and remind you that we are coming to you from the Wall Coffee Roasters in the heart of beautiful downtown Acheson.
• 0:55
  That's right.
• 0:56
  So if you hear some noises in the background, some coffee whirring machines or people talking or kids screaming, we've had that happen.
• 1:03
  It's because we're live at the Wall Coffee Roasters.
• 1:05
  That's where we are.
• 1:06
  And if you've never been, you need to come because it's an awesome place to come and have coffee.
• 1:11
  So we're excited about that.
• 1:12
  Jennifer, tell us about some very important people.
• 1:15
  We would like to thank our gold corporate sponsors, which include the Myshak Group of Companies, Genics, Parkland County, and Bow Valley Credit Union.
• 1:23
  Yes.
• 1:23
  And without them, we would not be able to do what we do.
• 1:26
  So thank you very, very much.
• 1:29
  I'm excited.
• 1:30
  We have a fantastic guest today, Cam.
• 1:34
  I'm so excited, Jennifer.
• 1:35
  I can hardly wait.
• 1:36
  She traveled from beautiful Calgary to the heart of beautiful downtown Acheson for this podcast.
• 1:42
  That's right.
• 1:42
  She lives in Calgary.
• 1:43
  We won't hold that against her only because of the flames.
• 1:46
  But nonetheless, I'm glad she's here.
• 1:48
  She's a good friend of the ABA.
• 1:50
  She's a good friend of ours.
• 1:51
  So introduce her.
• 1:52
  It is my absolute pleasure to introduce Catherine Brownlee, who is the president of the Alberta Enterprise Group.
• 1:59
  So welcome Catherine.
• 2:01
  Catherine's here.
• 2:02
  Good to have you.
• 2:03
  That's awesome.
• 2:04
  Catherine, I have to put this out there.
• 2:06
  We don't do video, but people will see a photo.
• 2:08
  Catherine is looking very spring like.
• 2:10
  I love it.
• 2:10
  She is springish today.
• 2:12
  Is that a word?
• 2:13
  Springish.
• 2:14
  She's like, I'm waiting for the daffodils to pop up.
• 2:16
  She is.
• 2:17
  Unbelievable because she's so looking so good.
• 2:19
  I know.
• 2:19
  Yeah.
• 2:19
  So it's often.
• 2:21
  So here we go.
• 2:22
  Catherine, we're going to kick it off.
• 2:24
  Tell us a little bit about yourself.
• 2:26
  Where did you grow up?
• 2:27
  Oh, thank you.
• 2:28
  Well, I'm a true Albertan.
• 2:29
  I was born in Innisfail.
• 2:31
  Innisfail.
• 2:32
  Okay.
• 2:33
  And then grew up on a farm close to Sundre.
• 2:35
  It's actually close to Spruceview, but most people don't know where that is.
• 2:37
  Yeah.
• 2:38
  Innisfail.
• 2:39
  Did you go to the Innisfail Rodeo?
• 2:41
  All the time.
• 2:42
  When I was a kid, I would spend my summers at Sylvan Lake.
• 2:45
  And we would go to the Innisfail Rodeo.
• 2:47
  It was awesome.
• 2:47
  Yeah.
• 2:47
  No, I loved it.
• 2:48
  How long did you live in Innisfail?
• 2:50
  We didn't.
• 2:50
  Oh, you didn't?
• 2:51
  Yeah.
• 2:51
  Well, I did later on.
• 2:53
  We actually, I was born in Innisfail and then grew up on a farm.
• 2:56
  On the farm.
• 2:56
  And then moved to Innisfail only briefly.
• 2:58
  When I was 18 straight out, or 17 right out of high school.
• 3:02
  Where did you go to high school?
• 3:04
  It's called Spruceview School.
• 3:05
  Spruceview School.
• 3:06
  Yeah.
• 3:06
  Shout out to Spruceview School.
• 3:08
  Did they have a mascot?
• 3:09
  We always ask.
• 3:10
  Did they have a mascot?
• 3:11
  Not that im aware of.
• 3:12
  Okay.
• 3:13
  Well, shout out to them anyway.
• 3:15
  So, you grew up on the farm.
• 3:16
  So, obviously, your father, was it grain farm, cattle farm?
• 3:20
  Yeah.
• 3:20
  Mom and dad, we had everything.
• 3:22
  Grain, hay, cows, pigs, chickens.
• 3:26
  You had the whole deal.
• 3:27
  You did have the whole deal.
• 3:29
  And what was it like growing up on the farm?
• 3:31
  Did you like it?
• 3:32
  I did.
• 3:33
  But it was a lot of hard work.
• 3:34
  Yeah.
• 3:35
  Did you have to get up really early and do chores and stuff like that?
• 3:38
  Oh, yes.
• 3:38
  Chores morning and night.
• 3:39
  Had to do that?
• 3:40
  Yeah.
• 3:41
  Couldn't get out of that.
• 3:42
  And siblings.
• 3:42
  Do you have siblings?
• 3:43
  Yes.
• 3:44
  Three younger sisters, one passed away.
• 3:46
  Okay.
• 3:47
  So you all had to get up and do chores.
• 3:49
  Yes.
• 3:50
  And you were the oldest, so you had to lead the way.
• 3:52
  Well, no, I didn't lead.
• 3:54
  Mom definitely led.
• 3:56
  Mom led the way.
• 3:58
  Well, that's great.
• 3:59
  But now that I know that about you, Catherine, I think that explains your really hard work ethic.
• 4:03
  Yes.
• 4:04
  I agree.
• 4:05
  I think that people that grew up on the farm, and rural people, have amazing work ethics.
• 4:10
  Jennifer is saying that because she grew up on the farm.
• 4:14
  I didn't.
• 4:15
  No, but don't you think?
• 4:17
  No, I totally agree with you.
• 4:18
  I 100% agree with you.
• 4:19
  I think people that grew up on the farm are the hardiest, hardest working people around.
• 4:23
  They are.
• 4:24
  Yeah.
• 4:24
  Except for me.
• 4:25
  Shout out to rural people.
• 4:25
  Shout out to rural people.
• 4:27
  Absolutely, farm people.
• 4:28
  Anyway, sorry, we digress there because I knew where she was going with that.
• 4:33
  So like I had to get in on that one.
• 4:35
  So anyway.
• 4:36
  So.
• 4:36
  So then you're on the farm, you're finishing high school.
• 4:42
  What did you want to do, Catherine?
• 4:44
  Were you ready to get out of small town life like most rural young folks were at the time?
• 4:49
  Very much.
• 4:50
  Very much.
• 4:51
  Yeah.
• 4:51
  Although I missed it every day after I left.
• 4:54
  Bizarre.
• 4:54
  But yeah.
• 4:55
  But certainly I definitely wanted out.
• 4:57
  I wanted to experience what I perceived at the time, a bigger life.
• 5:02
  Right.
• 5:02
  Which is my perception as a young person.
• 5:04
  Sure.
• 5:06
  So you went from the farm to?
• 5:08
  I went to Red Deer first.
• 5:09
  And I was at Reeves Business College for a while.
• 5:12
  And then transferred, went to Calgary, followed a guy, after to Calgary.
• 5:17
  And I like that.
• 5:18
  She followed a guy to Calgary.
• 5:20
  Yeah.
• 5:21
  No, because in our last podcast, a guy followed her to Edmonton.
• 5:25
  Remember?
• 5:25
  That's right.
• 5:26
  Yeah.
• 5:26
  So I like that.
• 5:26
  No, I think that's great.
• 5:27
  Yeah.
• 5:28
  Okay.
• 5:29
  Yeah.
• 5:29
  Okay.
• 5:30
  Yeah.
• 5:30
  I followed him.
• 5:30
  He was in SAIT and we got married soon after that.
• 5:34
  And then after we were divorcing, I went to Mount Royal to take social work.
• 5:41
  Oh, did you?
• 5:41
  I started in that.
• 5:43
  Did you really?
• 5:44
  Yeah.
• 5:45
  Except then some of the practicum was working with other social workers and realizing, learning from them after 20 years of experience, that they were only making $800 a month.
• 5:55
  Yeah.
• 5:55
  And I knew for sure I could not save the world on that.
• 5:59
  Yes.
• 5:59
  But that's just fascinating to me.
• 6:02
  We've had other guests with similar stories that started out in social work.
• 6:07
  It's true.
• 6:07
  They're now in other fields, but that's really amazing to me.
• 6:11
  What drew you to social work?
• 6:12
  Why that, Catherine?
• 6:13
  Well, when we were on the farm, the very first TV set we had was black and white.
• 6:19
  I don't know how old I was.
• 6:20
  I think dad was in a wheelchair by then, so maybe nine years old or eight.
• 6:24
  Anyway, the very first image when we turned it on was these kids starving in Ethiopia.
• 6:30
  Ethiopia was the focus back then.
• 6:32
  And so I was freaked out.
• 6:34
  I couldn't believe it.
• 6:35
  We had such abundance of food right there on the farm.
• 6:38
  Hardly ever purchased anything from the store, you know.
• 6:42
  So I started hoarding food in my closet.
• 6:47
  Really?
• 6:47
  Because I was going to take it to them and help.
• 6:51
  And of course, then mom found it and found that my closet was stinking and what's in there.
• 6:55
  And mom being mom, she's Catholic.
• 7:00
  So she wanted me to, she was really promoting me to be a nun, like a missions worker.
• 7:05
  And so I was focused on that for a very long time.
• 7:08
  That's what I wanted to do.
• 7:10
  But then I discovered boys.
• 7:11
  Yes.
• 7:12
  Yeah, it doesn't work in the nun thing.
• 7:17
  Yeah.
• 7:17
  No, I hear you.
• 7:19
  Yeah, no, yeah.
• 7:21
  So hence pivot to the social worker.
• 7:24
  Wow.
• 7:27
  Okay.
• 7:28
  Thank you for your honesty and all of that, because I think that's fantastic, actually.
• 7:33
  I think that's just wonderful.
• 7:35
  But I love, I didn't know that about you.
• 7:37
  And yeah, I mean, both Jennifer and I have worked in the non-profit world and with marginalized peoples, deeply.
• 7:45
  And so, you know, what you say resonates.
• 7:49
  It resonates here because we understand fully and we know those feelings.
• 7:53
  And so that's really incredible.
• 7:55
  Thank you.
• 7:55
  But yeah, it doesn't pay great.
• 7:58
  Sadly, in this world, it does not.
• 8:00
  Yeah, it doesn't.
• 8:01
  Yeah.
• 8:02
  And it's hard on the heart when you can't help as many as you intended.
• 8:05
  It sure is.
• 8:05
  It is, isn't it?
• 8:06
  Yeah.
• 8:06
  I just, I think the story of you hoarding the food is just, you know, I remember when we were young, often my mom would say, if I didn't eat all my food, she'd say, there's people starving in Africa that would like that.
• 8:19
  And so, you know, I would always be a bit of a smart alec and say, well, let's put it in the box and send it to them.
• 8:26
  That didn't go over real well.
• 8:28
  But nonetheless, I felt the same way.
• 8:30
  That was the thing.
• 8:31
  So that's really incredible.
• 8:33
  So social work, you thought, nope, not going to be for me.
• 8:36
  Right.
• 8:37
  And what happened?
• 8:38
  What then?
• 8:38
  So, yeah, so I was, as mentioned, I was going through a divorce at the same time.
• 8:43
  And or did I mention that?
• 8:45
  Maybe I didn't.
• 8:45
  Okay.
• 8:46
  So at the same time, it wasn't working out.
• 8:49
  So I was going to have to go through this divorce.
• 8:51
  And we didn't have a lot of money.
• 8:53
  And certainly didn't through the split.
• 8:55
  There wasn't, i mean we were young kids.
• 8:56
  Sure.
• 8:57
  So there wasn't enough money to finish.
• 9:00
  So I went to the guidance counselor.
• 9:01
  And of course, that was also in the back of my mind thinking, I can't survive on $800 a month.
• 9:05
  And help others as well.
• 9:06
  For sure.
• 9:07
  So I went to the guidance counselor.
• 9:08
  And he'd been watching me.
• 9:09
  And he was saying, you know, you should be like a sales rep or something like that.
• 9:14
  Okay.
• 9:14
  And I don't know if you remember the show called WKRP.
• 9:18
  Yes, that's right.
• 9:19
  WKRP in Cincinnati.
• 9:21
  The first image in my mind was Herb Tarlett.
• 9:24
  And I went, no.
• 9:27
  I love it.
• 9:28
  No, I'm not going to be a sales rep.
• 9:30
  Oh, I love it.
• 9:31
  That's fantastic.
• 9:32
  That's just fantastic.
• 9:34
  So, but I did take some of his advice.
• 9:35
  I took some marketing courses.
• 9:37
  I didn't finish, so I do not have a degree.
• 9:39
  Right.
• 9:40
  I didn't finish, but I had, I got enough of it to go, huh, I kind of like this marketing thing.
• 9:45
  And as a result, I was volunteering at the Eau Claire Y and on Saturdays, there was this little guy named Curtis who I fell in love with.
• 9:53
  He's actually in my first and second book just because I love this kid so much.
• 9:57
  And it was pivotal for me because I started applying to different ads in the newspaper.
• 10:02
  Back then, it was the classified ads, right?
• 10:04
  So I applied to this ad.
• 10:06
  I had no idea.
• 10:06
  It was just a lab in oil and gas.
• 10:08
  And I got called for an interview.
• 10:11
  I was shocked.
• 10:12
  I don't have any experience, how am I getting this opportunity.
• 10:15
  So I go in for the interview.
• 10:16
  And who came around the corner was Curtis' dad.
• 10:19
  And he'd seen me for a year and a half as a volunteer and how I exchanged with his son.
• 10:24
  So he wanted to give me a chance.
• 10:26
  I love that story.
• 10:27
  I do too.
• 10:28
  Yeah.
• 10:28
  That's so great.
• 10:29
  And again, I think it just goes to show in this world, you never know how meeting somebody is going to impact your life.
• 10:35
  You never know who's watching.
• 10:37
  Right?
• 10:37
  And you never know what you're doing, how you're right, how that could impact somebody and where that will come around.
• 10:44
  So that's incredible.
• 10:45
  So you obviously got hired, Catherine.
• 10:47
  I did, yes.
• 10:48
  So then I was in oil and gas sales for 11 years.
• 10:52
  Selling oil and gas?
• 10:53
  Yeah.
• 10:53
  Well, I started with agri-laboratories.
• 10:55
  So I was selling tribology, environmental services, core work for downhole drilling.
• 11:03
  And then I was headhunted each time because at the time, there were not too many females.
• 11:08
  I was going to say, you were probably a rarity.
• 11:11
  Right.
• 11:12
  And as a rarity, kind of stand out.
• 11:14
  Right.
• 11:14
  So was this during the oil and gas boom?
• 11:16
  Yes, very much.
• 11:17
  Things were happening in Alberta?
• 11:18
  Yeah.
• 11:18
  That was 1985-ish, six.
• 11:21
  I forget the year.
• 11:21
  Right.
• 11:22
  And then right until, I was in sales right until 1998.
• 11:25
  Oh, really?
• 11:26
  Yeah.
• 11:26
  Okay.
• 11:26
  Yeah.
• 11:27
  And you liked it, obviously?
• 11:29
  I loved, I love the people.
• 11:31
  Yeah.
• 11:31
  That's my favorite part.
• 11:33
  Certainly love the energy industry.
• 11:35
  I'm always very passionate and big advocate for them, for all of us, for all of us, actually.
• 11:41
  But I just didn't like the sales gig anymore.
• 11:45
  And, and it was a lot of evenings, weekends, early mornings.
• 11:49
  Sales is a tough life.
• 11:51
  It's tough.
• 11:51
  A lot of shaking hands and kissing babies.
• 11:53
  Travel?
• 11:53
  Did you travel a lot too?
• 11:55
  No, it was mostly Calgary.
• 11:56
  A little bit.
• 11:57
  You know, I, I, they would send me out to the field, not thinking that I would, and I'm saying this out loud, John, send me out to the field to see if I would survive it, not realizing the childhood I had.
• 12:12
  Right.
• 12:12
  Yeah.
• 12:13
  I survived it.
• 12:13
  You were no...
• 12:14
  You were tough.
• 12:15
  Yeah, for sure.
• 12:17
  Put your boots on and away you go Don't underestimate Catherine.
• 12:19
  This is what I say.
• 12:20
  John, listen, man.
• 12:21
  That's right.
• 12:22
  Unbelievable.
• 12:23
  Well, yeah, I can, yeah.
• 12:25
  So yeah.
• 12:25
  Okay.
• 12:26
  So you're out in the field.
• 12:28
  You're at the rigs.
• 12:29
  Hanging out with the guys.
• 12:30
  Hanging out with the boys.
• 12:31
  Doing what they're doing.
• 12:31
  Yeah.
• 12:32
  Grab a sledgehammer and knock that thing into place.
• 12:35
  Wow.
• 12:35
  Eating cold Kentucky Fried Chicken because it's the third day at 30 below and we forgot to bring enough food. Never actually thought that the...
• 12:42
  I would imagine camps have changed a little bit, but nonetheless, yeah.
• 12:45
  I imagine they have.
• 12:46
  Yeah.
• 12:47
  That's really cool that you were doing that.
• 12:48
  Thanks.
• 12:49
  Yeah.
• 12:49
  And so you'd be out there just given er' with the rest of the guys.
• 12:52
  Yeah, just doing whatever.
• 12:52
  And they were like cool with you.
• 12:55
  They were like.
• 12:55
  They were so cool.
• 12:57
  I am so grateful.
• 12:58
  Yeah.
• 12:59
  There were a very small percentage of males that were not supportive.
• 13:02
  The ones that were not supportive wanted me out of their office, would phone my boss and say, never a female here ever again.
• 13:08
  That actually happened a few times.
• 13:09
  Well, I bet.
• 13:09
  But the majority were so kind and so understanding and just wanted to do right by me.
• 13:18
  I love that.
• 13:18
  I do too.
• 13:19
  I think that's fantastic.
• 13:20
  I do too.
• 13:21
  And especially in that industry.
• 13:22
  I mean, I'm not sure if it's changed.
• 13:24
  I don't know much about it these days, but I'm not sure if it's changed much.
• 13:27
  But I think the fact that you are out there and doing it is really incredible.
• 13:30
  Like that's just your boots on the ground.
• 13:33
  Oh, yeah.
• 13:34
  That was really, really cool.
• 13:35
  Okay, so then you decided not going to do that no more.
• 13:39
  Yeah.
• 13:40
  Now what are we going to do?
• 13:41
  Yeah.
• 13:41
  So of course, without a degree, only the sales career, I went out to every search firm that I knew to say, what could someone like me do?
• 13:50
  Because they knew me.
• 13:51
  I was the woman sales rep.
• 13:54
  Yeah.
• 13:54
  So the majority said, you'll never make it.
• 13:57
  But there was one guy, and I'm going to say it out loud, Michael Honey, sat down with me and he was like, oh, Calhoun Honey.
• 14:05
  They were the number one executive search firm that I was aware of at the time.
• 14:09
  Right.
• 14:10
  And he let me, he gave me so much time.
• 14:12
  He told me to do this.
• 14:13
  Don't do that.
• 14:15
  You can sort it out with contingency.
• 14:18
  You can sort it out with retainer.
• 14:19
  But if you're going to do that, make sure that there's a clear line.
• 14:22
  This is how you charge.
• 14:24
  If you place someone, make sure you don't pull.
• 14:26
  Like, it's got to be like, gave me all the ethics and guidelines to follow.
• 14:31
  Right.
• 14:32
  So you were now working in an HR placement service.
• 14:34
  I started one.
• 14:35
  You started one?
• 14:36
  The very next day.
• 14:36
  Really?
• 14:37
  Yeah.
• 14:37
  I started Prominent Personnel in 1998.
• 14:41
  That's amazing.
• 14:42
  Because of him, though.
• 14:43
  Yes.
• 14:43
  I could not have done it without him.
• 14:44
  But you didn't work for him.
• 14:45
  No.
• 14:45
  You just decided, I'm going to start my own.
• 14:47
  Correct.
• 14:47
  And he was your mentor, so to speak.
• 14:49
  Yeah.
• 14:49
  That's fantastic.
• 14:50
  Only that one meeting is all we needed.
• 14:52
  Wow.
• 14:52
  Yeah.
• 14:54
  That's all I thought I needed.
• 14:55
  Right.
• 14:55
  Right.
• 14:56
  Yeah.
• 14:56
  Yeah.
• 14:56
  Yeah.
• 14:56
  Yeah.
• 14:57
  Yeah.
• 14:57
  Yeah.
• 14:57
  Yeah.
• 14:58
  Tell us a bit of that journey.
• 14:59
  Oh, man.
• 15:01
  I should have worked for a search firm first.
• 15:03
  It would have cost a lot less money.
• 15:06
  I would have made way less mistakes.
• 15:09
  But you know what?
• 15:11
  I've sorted it out now.
• 15:12
  I love the search business now, the way we've got it set up.
• 15:15
  And it's just where it's evolved so much since 1998.
• 15:20
  Oh, absolutely.
• 15:20
  The way things are done with LinkedIn and how we find people.
• 15:24
  Right.
• 15:24
  So because we have a variety of listeners, and some may not fully understand what a search firm does.
• 15:32
  So tell us, walk us through that a little bit.
• 15:33
  So how does that work?
• 15:35
  Sure.
• 15:35
  So a client will hire us either on contingency or retainer, although the majority of it's now called CBI Business Solutions.
• 15:43
  The majority that CBI will do now is retainer.
• 15:46
  Just because we like to, there's so much work up front.
• 15:49
  So when we get a file, obviously there's a contract signed and we all agree to whatever terms it is and then we start the search.
• 15:56
  And we literally start with everyone.
• 15:59
  My stepbrother, who is a retired detective, police detective, told me that our process in search, which is most search firms, is very similar to when they're looking for the bad guy.
• 16:10
  Okay.
• 16:11
  So although we're looking for the good guy.
• 16:13
  Let's make that very clear.
• 16:14
  You're looking for the good guy.
• 16:16
  So you go everywhere.
• 16:18
  In our case, we're on LinkedIn.
• 16:20
  We do put on Indeed for some postings, but most times we never fill what's on the posting anyway.
• 16:25
  It's usually we're looking for people that are busy, that have a great reputation, and probably haven't applied for a job in a few years.
• 16:33
  That's not always the case.
• 16:34
  Things have changed a lot since the lockdown and behaviors have changed.
• 16:37
  So we're much more open minded than the old days.
• 16:39
  But for this purpose, we go everywhere.
• 16:43
  I'm talking to you.
• 16:44
  I'm talking to you.
• 16:45
  If I'm looking for somebody in Edmonton, you two are my first reach out.
• 16:48
  This is what I'm looking for if you know anybody.
• 16:51
  Then I'm going out through LinkedIn.
• 16:52
  So I've got two LinkedIn profiles and I've got search words that I'm looking for.
• 16:58
  So let's say I'm looking for a production engineer.
• 17:00
  Let's say they have to have Bakken experience.
• 17:03
  So I'll be doing production engineer, Bakken, all first connections in LinkedIn, in both of my LinkedIn's and I send up an individual note to every person that's got those search words.
• 17:14
  Do you specialize in a certain area or you're wide open?
• 17:17
  Not anymore.
• 17:18
  We've actually placed literally into every industry, with the exception only one government person we've placed.
• 17:25
  And I promise that I won't work for the government ever again.
• 17:28
  Catherine! That's another podcast.
• 17:32
  That is another podcast, but we can go down that road.
• 17:36
  Or maybe off air, we can talk about that.
• 17:38
  We'd have a great conversation.
• 17:39
  But I have a question.
• 17:40
  So Catherine, you started this.
• 17:44
  Obviously, your first foray into this, you said you made some mistakes, you learned from them.
• 17:50
  Who took a chance on you?
• 17:52
  Who was your first kind of client that took a chance on you in this business?
• 17:55
  Who hired you first?
• 17:57
  First was Bruce Costin.
• 18:02
  I forget the company he was with, but they were looking for an exploitation engineer.
• 18:06
  And I had the relationship with all of these guys, mostly guys, for years and years.
• 18:11
  So he said, I'll give you a chance.
• 18:13
  And we hired our first exploitation engineer, didn't track it, didn't do anything, didn't make sure I kept notes with who I talked to about it.
• 18:22
  Because I thought, this is probably going to be a one and done.
• 18:25
  I'm not going to ever, I don't even know what an exploitation engineer does.
• 18:32
  I was so wrong.
• 18:33
  That became our specialty.
• 18:35
  Any oil and gas company that was looking for an exploitation engineer after.
• 18:39
  So we got crystal clear on what we needed to do.
• 18:42
  Start tracking, start figuring it out.
• 18:44
  That's pretty cool.
• 18:45
  It is.
• 18:45
  You figured it out.
• 18:46
  That's pretty awesome.
• 18:47
  That's amazing.
• 18:48
  Yeah, it was fun.
• 18:49
  So he gave you your first chance.
• 18:50
  He gave our first chance.
• 18:51
  It took off from there.
• 18:52
  It did.
• 18:52
  Wow.
• 18:53
  And so now what?
• 18:54
  Now you're growing this company.
• 18:57
  No, it's more of a lifestyle business.
• 18:59
  Okay.
• 18:59
  I'm not interested in growing it.
• 19:02
  I love the team that we have.
• 19:03
  Yeah.
• 19:04
  We are all contractors to CBI business.
• 19:06
  Okay.
• 19:07
  And we have search files.
• 19:09
  We do event planning.
• 19:10
  Yeah.
• 19:11
  We've got Alberta Enterprise Group.
• 19:12
  That's our team serves.
• 19:14
  And that's exactly the size.
• 19:16
  I love it.
• 19:16
  Wow.
• 19:17
  Yeah.
• 19:17
  That's pretty cool.
• 19:18
  Yeah.
• 19:18
  So you set up the business model that suits you best.
• 19:21
  Exactly.
• 19:22
  That's awesome.
• 19:22
  Yeah.
• 19:22
  That's really cool.
• 19:23
  I love it.
• 19:23
  So Catherine, you have that entrepreneurial spirit.
• 19:27
  Obviously.
• 19:27
  Obviously, which we love about you.
• 19:31
  Tell us a little bit about how you got involved with the Alberta Enterprise Group.
• 19:36
  ah, thanks.
• 19:38
  That's a good question.
• 19:40
  So, Greg Gartner, who has now passed, insisted, I was working for Moody's Gartner at the time, Moody's Tax, Moody's Gartner Tax.
• 19:48
  And he insisted that I start going to the AEG events because Kim Moody and Greg Gartner just didn't have time to get there.
• 19:55
  Right.
• 19:55
  So it was my responsibility to make sure that I represented Moody's Gartner at the time.
• 20:00
  And I started going and I loved it.
• 20:02
  So I'd come up to Edmonton just for the AEG event.
• 20:05
  Right.
• 20:05
  And then drive home.
• 20:07
  Okay, so we should stop there and let people know what the AEG is.
• 20:12
  Because they hear this, Alberta Enterprise Group.
• 20:14
  But what is the AEG?
• 20:16
  Thank you.
• 20:17
  It's a business advocacy group that loves networking with each other, having each other's back, having a team to lean on to support them when they're having any sort of challenge or question or issues, especially around this tariff situation right now.
• 20:34
  We're getting lots of members that are curious about where to go to get information, etc.
• 20:40
  So we're kind of the hub for, I think our members would say that.
• 20:44
  And then we have industry partners, thanks to Genics and CNRL, that we do our best to do a little bit more for, although not very needy.
• 20:54
  They're very kind and supportive of what we do.
• 20:58
  We've been around since 2007.
• 21:00
  A lot of the co-founders are Oilers owners.
• 21:04
  Well, Tim Shipton, which we had on our podcast, talked about the AEG.
• 21:08
  Talked about the AEG, that's right.
• 21:10
  Yeah, so that's how it started back in 2007.
• 21:12
  Right.
• 21:13
  And so you're the Executive Director now of the AEG.
• 21:16
  Tell us about, just drop some names of past executive directors that people might recognize.
• 21:21
  You know, John Liston, who was always very active.
• 21:24
  John's a great guy.
• 21:26
  And of course, Premier Smith.
• 21:27
  Yes, right.
• 21:28
  So the Premier at one time was the Executive Director.
• 21:30
  She was.
• 21:31
  Yeah.
• 21:31
  Yeah.
• 21:31
  That's great.
• 21:32
  Yeah.
• 21:32
  And so you came into the picture with the AEG.
• 21:36
  And it is a great advocacy organization.
• 21:39
  I love it.
• 21:39
  So you guys continue on.
• 21:42
  How do you fight for business?
• 21:43
  What do you do?
• 21:44
  How do you support?
• 21:45
  You're nonpartisan.
• 21:46
  Yeah.
• 21:46
  So it's not like you're a conservative or a liberal or an NDP.
• 21:50
  You're nonpartisan in that respect.
• 21:52
  True.
• 21:53
  And we have members that are not conservative.
• 21:55
  So I do have to manage that.
• 21:58
  And that's easy to do.
• 21:59
  I mean, that's just loving everybody.
• 22:01
  Kind of the heart that you need to have to be.
• 22:03
  You work with the government that's in power, right?
• 22:06
  And you have to do that for business purposes.
• 22:08
  For business purposes.
• 22:09
  Yes, of course.
• 22:09
  Yeah.
• 22:10
  Yeah, for sure.
• 22:11
  Yeah.
• 22:11
  I mean, that's great.
• 22:12
  And it is a great organization.
• 22:13
  How many members do you have?
• 22:16
  We have 60 some right now, and we employ over 150,000 employees across the province.
• 22:21
  Wow, that's fantastic.
• 22:22
  Yeah.
• 22:23
  Yeah, that's amazing.
• 22:24
  And so you do both these jobs.
• 22:26
  You're the executive director of the AEG.
• 22:27
  You run your search firm and do other things involved in that.
• 22:32
  How do you balance all this?
• 22:33
  How do you?
• 22:33
  Oh, great teams, right?
• 22:35
  Yeah.
• 22:35
  Yeah, great teams.
• 22:36
  And I'm at Anderson as well.
• 22:37
  Yeah.
• 22:38
  So, but that's fun too.
• 22:39
  Great teams wherever we go.
• 22:41
  Yeah.
• 22:41
  That's the only way any of us can get things done.
• 22:44
  So, we're big advocates.
• 22:46
  I know Jennifer for sure is, and I am too in the ABA.
• 22:50
  Women in Leadership.
• 22:51
  It's huge.
• 22:53
  I think it's so important, I think, in this day and age to have strong women in leadership.
• 22:58
  Tell us about that.
• 22:59
  As a woman in business all these years, what were the highs?
• 23:03
  What were the lows?
• 23:04
  How do you, do you still, is there still any kind of sort of stigmas that come against you or any of those things?
• 23:11
  Thank you.
• 23:11
  Just walk us through that a little bit.
• 23:13
  In my early years as a salesperson, yes.
• 23:16
  But as mentioned, there was so much other support that kept me going.
• 23:19
  It did wear on me though.
• 23:21
  I was tired of defending myself because I was young and a female.
• 23:25
  So it was difficult to get that traction.
• 23:28
  But now I'm old, so that's really awesome and nobody cares! Catherine, you're not old.
• 23:33
  Oh, I am.
• 23:35
  I'm turning 60 this year.
• 23:36
  My shattered nerves.
• 23:37
  You're not old, Catherine.
• 23:39
  But wow, that's, you're just, that 60 is the best.
• 23:43
  It's like the beginning of the new horizon.
• 23:45
  That's what it is right there.
• 23:47
  I do too.
• 23:48
  I love it.
• 23:49
  I think it's fantastic.
• 23:50
  I do too.
• 23:51
  I love getting older.
• 23:52
  I'm super excited about turning 60.
• 23:55
  And I do not feel any prejudice in any way.
• 23:58
  And it's been like that since I started my own search firm.
• 24:02
  As soon as I started my own search firm back in 1998, I was still in that time where it was still an issue being a female.
• 24:09
  But because I may support them somehow, I think it shifted the mindset.
• 24:15
  So from then on, I was never treated in that way ever again in anything I've done.
• 24:19
  So when you talk to young women today, what do you tell them?
• 24:22
  I tell them to ignore the glass ceiling.
• 24:24
  That it is only in our mind.
• 24:27
  We can break through.
• 24:28
  And if you're having an issue in your current situation, get out of it.
• 24:32
  Because you're not going to break the mindset.
• 24:34
  It's going to bog you down.
• 24:36
  So go to where you're treated best.
• 24:38
  Yes, that's great.
• 24:39
  That is really great.
• 24:41
  Catherine, tell us about this because you have also co-authored three books.
• 24:47
  That's right.
• 24:48
  Three books.
• 24:49
  Yeah, team effort again.
• 24:51
  Okay.
• 24:52
  But you have to tell us about the books.
• 24:54
  What are they about?
• 24:55
  Well, the first one was way back in 2007.
• 24:59
  And that was how to get a job in the oil and gas industry, because of course, it was boom time.
• 25:04
  And everybody was coming to myself and my team about how to get a job in it.
• 25:09
  And I would tell them the things that I knew based on a headhunter's perspective, and even from a sales rep's perspective.
• 25:14
  So I would give them all the tips.
• 25:15
  But the seminars got bigger and bigger and it was always sold out.
• 25:19
  So the lady, Heather Johnson and I, that were teaching it at the time, we agreed that we just got to do some about this.
• 25:25
  Like let's get the content down so that we're not having to repeat the exact same thing over and over.
• 25:31
  And it was big enough that it became a book.
• 25:33
  Wow.
• 25:33
  And so that was done.
• 25:35
  And then the next one, we were tired.
• 25:37
  Of course, that was pre-LinkedIn.
• 25:38
  Yeah.
• 25:39
  Yes.
• 25:39
  It must have been 2000s.
• 25:40
  Anyway, it doesn't matter.
• 25:42
  For us, we had no social media in the first book.
• 25:44
  So the second book, again, I was tired of saying the same thing.
• 25:47
  Sure.
• 25:48
  The tips are not just oil and gas.
• 25:50
  It's actually for any industry.
• 25:51
  It's actually for anywhere in the world.
• 25:52
  Right.
• 25:53
  So we switched and rebranded, took a lot of the content, added the social media content, removed one piece.
• 26:02
  Can you guess what it might have been?
• 26:03
  No.
• 26:04
  Any tip that you'd have when you're meeting someone?
• 26:08
  Don't smoke.
• 26:10
  That, you know what?
• 26:12
  I don't know.
• 26:12
  Yeah, don't smoke in front of somebody that doesn't smoke.
• 26:15
  Not that I do.
• 26:15
  or would.
• 26:18
  Do you remember old school when we used to meet someone and we'd give them a real hearty handshake?
• 26:22
  Yes.
• 26:24
  So, I had an experience where...
• 26:26
  That's how I grew up.
• 26:27
  So, I meet this power woman for the first time.
• 26:31
  Never met her before.
• 26:32
  Yeah.
• 26:32
  I'm like, I'm gonna, you know, give her a good handshake, look her straight in the eye, do the old school way of thinking.
• 26:37
  Yeah.
• 26:37
  And she just finished getting her cast off.
• 26:42
  So, I started to rethink that, and I thought...
• 26:44
  And at the same time, I was taking a course on mirroring, on how to build a relationship naturally without overpowering, et cetera.
• 26:51
  And I thought, hmm...
• 26:54
  So, maybe I need to change my behavior in that, wherever they are, even if they're doing a limp handshake, do it too.
• 27:03
  Why do I have to be so bold to overpower someone?
• 27:06
  So, man, did that ever shift?
• 27:08
  Interesting.
• 27:09
  No, it is, isn't it?
• 27:11
  I think that's really interesting.
• 27:12
  Because you want to try and be, not assertive, but you want to...
• 27:17
  No, but listen, this is true because, again, growing up as female in the world of business, in a very male-dominated industry, I've also experienced that, where that's what you were taught to assert yourself, that hearty handshake, look in the eye, don't do a limp handshake.
• 27:35
  Right.
• 27:36
  I think that's good.
• 27:37
  That's great advice.
• 27:38
  Yeah.
• 27:38
  Awesome.
• 27:39
  Yeah.
• 27:39
  Yeah, we changed that.
• 27:40
  That was the only thing.
• 27:41
  Good.
• 27:41
  All right.
• 27:42
  And then the third one was how to sell in any economy.
• 27:44
  And that was, that's my performance coach.
• 27:46
  He's a good friend of mine.
• 27:47
  Okay.
• 27:47
  He's the one who convinced me, Stan.
• 27:50
  Oh man, I was not going to do another book.
• 27:52
  Right.
• 27:53
  But he convinced me to literally copy and paste because it's the exact same tips.
• 27:57
  Okay.
• 27:58
  It's how to get the job of your dreams.
• 27:59
  Yes.
• 28:00
  It's how to sell in any economy.
• 28:02
  So all these books are available on Amazon?
• 28:04
  Yes, they are.
• 28:05
  Okay.
• 28:05
  So yeah, just look up Catherine Brownlee and you'll find your books.
• 28:09
  The Cat's tips on how to get the job of your dreams is free.
• 28:12
  So we actually, if they just want to email me, I'll send them a PDF.
• 28:16
  Cool.
• 28:17
  That's awesome.
• 28:17
  That's really cool.
• 28:18
  Yeah.
• 28:19
  Time has flown.
• 28:20
  Almost done.
• 28:21
  Almost done.
• 28:23
  So we have one final question that we ask all of our guests.
• 28:27
  Catherine, what is the best piece of advice you've been given, either personally or professionally, that you carry with you to this day?
• 28:34
  Dad had many dadisms, and one of them was, go as far as you can see, and then you'll see further.
• 28:40
  Ah, I love that.
• 28:42
  Me too.
• 28:43
  That is good.
• 28:43
  That is so good.
• 28:44
  That is really good.
• 28:46
  I love that.
• 28:46
  Go as far as you can see, and then you'll see further.
• 28:50
  You know, we get such amazing advice, and it's all so different.
• 28:56
  I think we need to write a book on all these advices that people give us.
• 29:00
  I think so.
• 29:01
  Advices.
• 29:02
  All these tips.
• 29:03
  They're not tips.
• 29:04
  They're great advice.
• 29:05
  They're great advice.
• 29:06
  Yeah.
• 29:07
  That's it.
• 29:07
  We're going to write a book.
• 29:08
  Yeah.
• 29:08
  Because that's fantastic.
• 29:10
  It is.
• 29:10
  Go as far as you can see.
• 29:11
  Yeah.
• 29:11
  That's just wonderful.
• 29:13
  That's really cool.
• 29:14
  Well, Catherine, how do people find you?
• 29:16
  Like, where do they find you on social media and all that kind of stuff?
• 29:20
  Where do they get you?
• 29:21
  Yeah.
• 29:21
  Thank you.
• 29:22
  I'm on LinkedIn.
• 29:23
  We have our own website, cbibusiness.com.
• 29:26
  But all my contact information is on LinkedIn and website.
• 29:28
  Okay.
• 29:29
  So that's the best place to get you.
• 29:30
  Wow.
• 29:31
  This has been great.
• 29:31
  What a story.
• 29:32
  What a fantastic story.
• 29:33
  Farm girl.
• 29:34
  I love it.
• 29:35
  That's awesome.
• 29:36
  And we love working with you.
• 29:38
  We sure do.
• 29:38
  You're one of our favorite people.
• 29:40
  And I love working with you.
• 29:41
  And I love working with the AEG.
• 29:44
  And yeah, it's just great.
• 29:46
  So thank you for taking the time.
• 29:47
  Thanks for driving up from Calgary.
• 29:49
  My pleasure.
• 29:50
  I really appreciate it.
• 29:51
  I love Acheson.
• 29:52
  Thanks, Catherine.
• 29:53
  Thank you.
• 29:53
  We do.
• 29:53
  She's amazing.
• 29:54
  And we learn so many tidbits and things you just don't know about people.
• 30:01
  Yeah, I know.
• 30:02
  And I didn't know most of that about Catherine.
• 30:04
  And you and I, we do work with her quite closely.
• 30:07
  And I just think it's a fabulous story.
• 30:09
  But I just love her enthusiasm.
• 30:11
  I love her outlook on life.
• 30:13
  I love her outlook on business and politics and all those kinds of things.
• 30:17
  So it was great.
• 30:18
  It was.
• 30:18
  Yeah.
• 30:19
  So thanks, everybody, for listening.
• 30:21
  And we really appreciate it.
• 30:22
  Is there anything we want to tell our listeners about what's going on with the ABA?
• 30:26
  Nope, just some stuff coming up.
• 30:28
  And so, hey, we want you to make sure that you tell your friends, your neighbors, your coworkers, if you don't have any friends, make one so that you can tell them about the ABA Coffee In The Park podcast.
• 30:38
  You can get it wherever you get your podcast or at www.Achesonbusiness.com and be sure to subscribe.
• 30:46
  Subscribe.
• 30:47
  That's the most important piece.
• 30:48
  That is, because then you'll know when the new ones happen.
• 30:50
  You won't miss an episode.
• 30:51
  Yeah, you won't miss an episode.
• 30:52
  And we've got some great guests coming up in the next few weeks.
• 30:55
  Yes, we do.
• 30:55
  So you won't want to miss it.
• 30:56
  So thank you, everybody.
• 30:57
  We really appreciate it.
• 30:58
  Thanks for listening.
• 30:59
  Thanks.
• 31:00
  See you next week.