SISTERTALK 2016
By: Toni Francis
Karlyn Percil is a Speaker, Author and Leadership Development Coach who has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Network. She is the Creator and Founder of SisterTalk Group, a women’s leadership network where women come together to have “Elephant Story” conversations on life and love.
With a firm belief that she has a role to play in the arena of female empowerment and a keen sense of her ability to have a positive impact on the lives of other women the native Saint Lucian founded Sistertalk. With this movement she has taken her place at the head of a large circle that truly has no end. Karlyn will tell you that Sistertalk started as a small gathering that, for many women, soon became a lifeline towards self-acceptance and self-discovery. Afternoons in an apartment talking about love, laughter, pain, abuse, career, the courage or lack of courage to face one’s demons and at times even one’s successes soon landed Karlyn and her friends on Oprah’s Lifeclass. That was when everything changed. Karlyn will easily tell you that three years later Sistertalk is as big as it is and successful as it is because Lady O put it on the map.
The women who have participated in Sistertalk events over the years have come to realize the impact that these courageously open and deeply supportive talks were/are having on their personal and professional lives. On October 16th, I attended the 3rd annual Sistertalk conference. Every Sistertalk event has a key message or theme, this year the theme and the question before us all, “can women really get along”. The conference promised to celebrate sisterhood, explore the love, betrayal, scars and joys of female friendship and the impact of these on the community of sisterhood. Through networking experience, authentic and “naked” table discussion led by inspiring Table Mentors, the afternoon offered an exploration of the dynamics of female friendships. Attendees would leave, not only with amazing gift bags donated by event sponsor Lush Canada, but also with tips, tools and solutions on how to heal, rebuild sisterhood, as well as one’s connection to one self and others in the community of sisterhood.
In a beautifully decorated conference room at the modern and inviting Thompson Hotel in Toronto, over 120 women spent an afternoon focused on their relationships with themselves and their relationships with other women. As one of the mentors supporting the conversations for the afternoon and imparting my own personal experience in this area I was blown away. Blown away first by how the room was decorated, the space was inviting, safe, sexy, soft, powerful, whimsical, all girl with the right balance between innocence and maturity. The space created held marks of Karyln’s personal style and echoed her message and belief that we each have a responsibility to uplift and help each other rise. As guests entered the room they attended stations for a personal exercise one of positive affirmation, the other a process to discard a past hurt. There was a photo area, where pictures in front of a rose wall, created by Belle Choze, an Ottawa based interior design company that would allow those in attendance a special place to capture memories of the day. The food, music, intentional room layout and the support system in place, coaches/counsellors on hand, were all there to ensure the afternoon was a success. All easily wove into the theme of celebration of a key relationship in our lives, the difficulties we sometimes experience in those relationships as well as the growth that is possible as we work through the lessons and become better versions of our best selves.
The formal part of the afternoon began with an opening statement from Karlyn. The guide for the afternoon was Alicia Mathlin, Life Coach and Wellness Guru; she led the guests through a breathing exercise that served to prepare the body for a journey and the soul for the work that would follow and the mark it would all leave. The 10 mentors who shared the role of host with Karlyn are all successful women who have made a mark in their respective arenas. They are self professed “works in progress” who just happened to be in a position to share their journey and life lessons in some unique ways and with a vulnerability Karlyn will tell you is essential to growth. The mentors provided their insight into the questions of betrayal and competition between women. Powerful statements were made, wounds were exposed, applause, laughter, tears and good old fashioned “aha moments” happened on the spot showing the authenticity that enveloped this event. At the table conversations women of all ages sat with strangers and friends to seize an opportunity to have a real conversation about themselves and their relationships with other women.
The afternoon was cathartic and event ended with the firm realization that female friendships, as defined by the terms of those involved, are as necessary as air. The other definitive realization, Karlyn Percil has a real following and her mark among the women that have had the privilege of crossing her path is undeniable. Here’s to hoping that her mark makes its way to Ottawa for Sistertalk 2017!
About the writer
Toni Francis is President, St.Lucia-Ottawa Association.