Santa Chow: Approaching Difficulties with Perseverance and Grace

Dress for Success is pleased to welcome Santa Chow, a Dress for Success Vancouver client and success story, as one of four speakers at the Inaugural Success Luncheon on Wednesday, October 30th at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

Santa Chow - Dress for Success client
and success story  


As an intelligent, fearless and strong-willed single mother of two, Santa Chow has the determination to succeed that is nothing short of astounding.“I know I can achieve anything I dream of because I have the will and the power,” she says.

Forty-six year old Santa immigrated to Canada in 1983 from Hong Kong and studied grade 13 in Toronto while her brother attended university. From there, Santa relocated to Winnipeg to attend university herself, but while in Winnipeg she contracted a rare lung disease doctors had never seen before. Santa spent a year in hospital for treatment and even had part of her lung removed. "I almost died from that incident."

Santa regained her strength and after several years returned back to Hong Kong where she worked in the family business as the CEO and controller of her father’s three factories. After four years, Santa left Hong Kong once again and moved back to the Canada with her husband, a dentist she met in Hong Kong.  

Santa worked managing her husband’s business for 13 years when her life took a sharp turn. Her husband asked Santa for a divorce. They had two children together, Tabitha and Sebastian. “When my husband left me and the children, I lost my marriage and my job at the same time,” she says. “I felt like I had nothing left.” Slipping deep into clinical depression, Santa went to see her family doctor. He recommended taking anti-depression medication, but instead Santa turned to natural medicine for healing and discovered running. Jogging for three hours every day, Santa produced the much needed endorphins her body required to start feeling better.

Feeling strong and healthy and ready for a new challenge, Santa joined the YWCA. No longer wanting to depend on a man, “I wanted control over my fate and destiny and to take charge of my life.” Through the YWCA, Santa rediscovered the direction she wanted her life to take and in 2005, she completed a full-time, female-only, six-month long program to become a contractor and learned the skills of the trade. “I completed the course and learned all the wiring, plumbing, carpentry, dry-walling, and tiling. I excelled at all five subjects, but I really love carpentry. I made furniture for my house; the bookshelves and my king-size bed. I made it all myself.”

From there, while juggling two part-time jobs and raising her two children, Santa attended UBC and finished the psychology degree she was unable to continue due to her illness in Winnipeg. 

After she graduated from UBC and through a friend’s recommendation, Santa was offered a job with FranchiseLink, Canada’s largest network dedicated to helping consumers navigate franchise and business opportunities.

When she secured a position with FranchiseLink, Santa became part of the Dress for Success Professional Women’s Group (PWG). The 18-month PWG program provides employed women with a network of support, practical information and inspiration to achieve success in careers and in life. Through the PWG, Santa was paired with a mentor, Kim Conroy, a chartered accountant and a career coach. “She gives me advice, she looked at my resume and once a week she gives me personal counseling.”

Since starting her job with FranchiseLink in December 2009, Santa has been promoted to Director of Asian Franchise Development. “I am the bridge between two cultures, the Asian business market and the mainstream North American market.”

Santa says that Dress for Success gives women the encouragement to educate themselves, and by doing so, the ability to make their lives and the lives of their children better.

“When we make changes for ourselves, it affects our children too, it shapes their lives. Dress for Success gives us encouragement; that even if we are alone, without a partner, we can do things on our own. We can make an impact in the world.”

About Dress for Success Vancouver

Dress for Success Vancouver is an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support, and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Since its inception in 1999, Dress for Success Vancouver has helped more than 17,000 women towards self-sufficiency.

Event Details
Get your tickets at www.dressforsuccess.org/vancouver
Enjoy a 3 course lunch and the opportunity to network with other prominent business contacts across all sectors.

All proceeds are in support of Dress for Success Vancouver!

Client Spotlight, Cathyleen Chan

Name: Cathyleen Chan

When did you first get introduced to Dress for Success Vancouver? I was first introduced to Dress for Success Vancouver in the fall of 2011 and was amazed that women who were in need were decently helped.

What has been your most important lesson from the PWG program? Networking is a must here.

What is your occupation? English Instructor.

Who is your hero? Anyone who faces challenges is my hero.

Where is your dream vacation? No dream vacation. I am where I am; things come to me naturally.

What is your motto? Hope for the best, prepare for the worst and take whatever it is.

How Dress for Success inspired me in Miami

This July, I was fortunate enough to be selected as a delegate of Dress for Success Vancouver's Professional Women's Group (PWG) for the 9th annual Success Summit. It is a Dress For Success Leadership Conference for women, hosted by Kimpton Hotels in Miami, Florida. I had the privilege of meeting other delegates from Dress For Success branches around the world, who will all be leading their groups in creating community action projects (CAP) over the next year in their respective locations.

Genevieve Sechter, PWG Member

When I first arrived in Miami, I marveled at how surreal it all seemed. Friday morning I put on the suit that I had been fitted into for a special photo shoot. Tiger lily in hand I headed to the studio. My curls were styled by RedKen, and Bobbi Brown made sure my face was camera ready. I was relieved to hear one of the staff say, “This lily really stands out in this conference room.” I wondered if she knew it represented my soul. Either way God and I both knew I needed to hear that. The photographer was absolutely amazing. All of this was for the first ever Dress for Success coffee table book, “Threads” being created by co:collective in New York. It will weave together the stories of several women who ended up at the doors of Dress for Success. It is expected to be released in December and I am curious to see how it all comes together.

Over the next couple of days, we got to hear from a host of inspirational women, including two of the delegates with the most successful projects from last year. They shared their journeys, triumphs, struggles and general project models with us. It was very inspiring. What struck me the most was that anytime something is really worthwhile you are going to want to quit. You and people around you are going to come up with so many reasons why something is not possible, but that does not need to stop you. In simple terms, it was said, “You are going to want to quit. Don't.” These delegates were the most surprised by themselves and how willing people were to help them when they asked.

By the end of the weekend I definitely had one of those, “If I knew then what I know now” perspectives. All of my concerns walking into the weekend were completely unnecessary. I was the right lady for this. I belonged. I could do it. Knowing you are not alone is a powerful thing. I was affirmed and validated again and again by the speakers, the delegates and the coordinators. As they shared their stories I certainly did pick out threads of mine and shared the mutual shock with other delegates who said, “It was like she was telling my story.” One of the most important things I took away was that anything is possible, we do not need to be defined by our present or past circumstances. I've always believed that, but it was a different thing when I was in a room full of women who are at different places on that very journey, and many of them have been right in my shoes at one time or another.

My CAP is an embryo right now, but here's what I know. I want to use the arts to bring healing and celebration to people. This could take many different forms, including a one day event with follow up, a weekend, or a 12 week evening program. My first step will be to launch a vision for my PWG and get their feedback. Once I have a team on board we can brainstorm the details, secure resources and get started! My initial decisions will involve which community of people to offer this gift to, whether to partner with an organization(s) or whether to secure required components independently, as well as which parts to handle myself and what to delegate. I chose this topic because the arts have been an integral part of my personal journey of healing, starting with acting and dancing roles in biblical plays as a young teenager, and painting and poetry in my later teen years. Through art, going deep can seem like playing, and sometimes it is. If you are an artist that would like to contribute a workshop or if you have a space that you would be willing to donate or any other ideas to offer, please comment below or find me on Facebook and send me a message.

Genevieve Sechter
PWG Member
Dress for Success Vancouver

DFS Vancouver Presents Kathy Butler at Inaugural Success Luncheon October 30th, 2013

Dress for Success is pleased to welcome Kathy Butler, Managing Director, Co-Head of CIBC World Markets' Investment Banking Group Canada, as one of four speakers at the Inaugural Success Luncheon on Wednesday, October 30th at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. 

About Kathy

Kathy Butler is the Co-Head of CIBC World Markets’ Vancouver Investment Banking Group.  Kathy joined CIBC’s Investment Banking Group 17 years ago in Toronto, and has been involved in a number of M&A, equity and debt deals in a variety of industries including telecom and technology, consumer retail and forest products.

Kathy holds an MBA (Honours) from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance (Honours) from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia.

Kathy is on the BC Jobs and Investment Board, the board of Atira Women’s Resource Society and is a Partner of BC Social Venture Partners.

About Dress for Success Vancouver 
Dress for Success Vancouver is an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support, and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.  Since its inception in 1999, Dress for Success Vancouver has helped more than 17,000 women towards self-sufficiency.

Event Details
Get your tickets at www.dressforsuccess.org/vancouver
Enjoy a 3 course lunch and the opportunity to network with other prominent business contacts across all sectors.

All proceeds are in support of Dress for Success Vancouver!