This is the weekly Amplify newsletter. If you’re reading this on the web or someone forwarded this e-mail newsletter to you, you can sign up for Amplify and all Globe newsletters here.
A year ago, we set out to create a space that highlights the voices, opinions and insights of women with this newsletter. Since then, Amplify has tackled everything from the #MeToo movement to how technology affects how we parent to the necessity – and fragility – of female friendships.
And as the number of topics we’ve covered has grown, so too has our subscriber base. Fifty-two issues later, we’re honoured to be a part of more than 10,000 Canadians' Saturday mornings. And we’re just getting started.
When I look back on the past year, so many of our newsletters have struck a chord with me. One in particular is Stephanie Chan’s. As a journalist at the start of my career, I related to Stephanie’s insights on being a young, ambitious woman and fighting through workplace barriers.
Another was Rasha Mourtada’s beautiful Mother’s Day piece. I grew up with a mother who lost her own mom just after I was born, and was touched by the raw authenticity Rasha shared. Other readers were touched, too, opening up to us about their own experiences of losing parents and the ensuing void that’s impossible to fill.
The stories about the power of female friendships, from Alexis Cameron and Elizabeth Renzetti, resonated far and wide. I heard from several women after these newsletters were published, sharing anecdotes about traditions they have with female friends that could rival any treasured family pastimes.
And as a sports fanatic, I was thrilled to work with Shawna Richer, The Globe’s sports editor and a longtime sports reporter, who wrote about needing to feature more women athletes. I wholeheartedly agree, as I did with Lara Pingue’s take on the power of saying no. Then there’s Lanna Crucefix’s piece, which I think of every time I write an e-mail that starts with: “I just wanted to check in…” And Carine Abouseif’s thoughts on imposter syndrome also left a lasting impression on me, as they did on many readers, who wrote in to say acknowledging that vulnerability is in fact a strength.
I could go on, but you get the idea. And we’ve been so pleased to hear from so many of you over the months, telling us why a particular newsletter spoke to you. On that note, I want to share snippets of letters we’ve received from readers through the year. Some are encouraging, others are inspiring and all of them offer nuggets of wisdom, just as, I like to think, Amplify does.
The next 52 issues will continue to touch on subjects women care about. Motherhood, mental health and professional success, to name a few. We want to have more tough conversations, turning up the volume on even more women’s voices, and encourage you to keep amplifying the women in your lives, too.
Shelby Blackley, editor of Amplify
On succeeding at work
“Speak up. Don’t let others speak for you. Go after your next promotion or new job even if you don’t think you’re 100 per cent ready. Be willing to take risks. Stretch yourself. Build networks and find mentors. Support other women." - Dorothy Milburn-Smith
“If you are offered a challenge, never concern yourself with the notion that you might not be qualified to handle it. I guarantee that your male co-worker is untroubled by any notion that he might not be up to the task in front of him. Say ‘yes’ to opportunities and then dig in and do the work required to succeed at them. You will surprise yourself and grow in the process.” - Jill MacRae
On believing in yourself
“Don’t worry so much (or at all) about what others think. Trust me, it won’t matter 20 years from now.” - Maria Colletta McLean
On self-care
“In my father’s dying days he gave me the best advice I could have ever received...his words continue to resonate with me and I go back to them anytime I need ‘permission’ to take care of myself. He said to me ‘Baby girl (I was 39 at the time), I see you taking care of everyone else but yourself. I see you making sure that everyone else is happy, but I don’t see your happiness. Please don’t get to where I am today with regrets. Think about what you need to be happy and allow yourself to have that...whatever that may be.’ As women we tend to spend a significant amount of time taking care of others ... making sure that their needs are met, that they are happy and cared for. When we forget to do the same for ourselves, we are at risk of burning out, becoming resentful and living with regrets. When we invest in ourselves and make ourselves a priority, we end of having more to give, and everyone benefits.”- Colleen Taylor
On parenting
“Kids will test your boundaries and that’s fine. But they are not really prepared for a world without boundaries. They will appreciate you saying “no” to things because that shows that you are there to protect them. Deep inside they are counting on that protection.” - Jill MacRae
On speaking up
“I want Canadian women to know, particularly outspoken women online, even more particularly black women and women of colour, that they’re being heard – even when they think they’re preaching to the choir or that their voices are falling on deaf ears. It wasn’t until five years ago, in my mid-30s, [that] I started sitting back and listening to women on Twitter, and it is because of them that I now strongly and proudly identify as a feminist, and strive every day to check my privileges and blind spots. You are heard, and you’re changing minds for the better." - Janet Hatcher
Illustration by Jeannie Phan
Inspired by something in this newsletter? If so, we hope you’ll amplify it by passing it on. And if there’s something we should know, or feedback you’d like to share, send us an e-mail at amplify@globeandmail.com.
Shelby Blackley