Spotlight on Leading Lenders - Tina Dickieson
April 07, 2022
Listen to Tina's full interview below
As part of its Spotlight on Leading Lenders series, the Leading Lenders' team had the chance to sit down and chat with Tina Dickieson, Executive Director of Community Business Development Corporation (CBDC) Central PEI.
In this podcast-style interview, Tina shared her amazing story as a leading lender and provided great insights on the realities of working with women entrepreneurs in rural Canada. To learn even more about Tina and all of the incredible work that her and the entire CBDC Central PEI team is doing, we invite you to watch the Leading Lenders' Panel Discussion #2: Fostering Relationships Between Lenders and Women Entrepreneurs in which Tina participated.
Interview Breakdown and Highlights:
Introduction (from start to 1:00): Words of Welcome from the Leading Lenders' team and introduction of Tina Dickieson, Executive Director of CBDC Central PEI.
Youth, Education and Start of Professional Journey (from 1:00 to 7:30): Tina speaks about her life growing up in a small town in Prince Edward Island, including the importance her mother had on her personal and professional journey, reinforcing how crucial it is to have a female role model to help shape a positive future for young girls. Tina also talk about her studies and how she made the switch from attending university in Vancouver, thinking of becoming a veterinarian, to finishing her studies in a Business program in Calgary where she then started her career in accounting.
Embracing Career Change (from 7:30 to 10:00): Listen to Tina speak about pivoting her life at 17 years of age and going to Business School in Calgary and how important it was for her to embrace her career changes throughout her entire professional journey and knowing that it's okay to pivot and try something new.
Career in Accounting (from 10:00 to 25:00): Tina speaks about her career in accounting in Calgary and realizing that a career in accounting was not enough for her — despite being successful at her job. Tina shares how important it was to feel secure and have an income, but also wanting to connect with people and how she felt she was not getting that important aspect in her accounting career.
The Turning Point and Moving Back to Atlantic Canada (from 25:00 to 27:00): Knowing that her career was not fulfilling enough and with many members of her family moving back to Eastern Canada, Tina decided to move to Nova Scotia, which marked a major turning point for her personal and professional life.
Career Switches and Returning to PEI (from 27:00 to 33:00): Occupying different jobs that helped her acquire multiple skills outside of accounting when moving back to Atlantic Canada, Tina's journey finally brought her back to her home province of PEI where she ended moving on the same road she grew up on. Having lived out multiple great experiences in different jobs, Tina landed her dream job when she joined the CBDC Central PEI family, being able to combine the skills she learned throughout her accounting career and her love of working closely with people and her community.
Barriers to Women Entrepreneurship in Rural Regions (from 33:00 to 40:00): Based on her experience, Tina talks about some of the barriers for women entrepreneurs, especially in rural regions. She indicates that one of the most notable barriers for women entrepreneurs in rural regions is their confidence level. Tina says that even though most women entrepreneurs come to meet lenders with excellent and creative ideas, they often ask for smaller amounts. The lack of networks is another important barrier noted by Tina.
CBDC Central PEI, Character Lending and the Importance of Community (from 40:00 to 46:00): Tina shares how the CBDC Central PEI team is there to nurture the success of entrepreneurs by recognizing how crucial it is to get to know your clients and by getting involved in the community. Tina encourages lenders to accompany the entrepreneurs during the many steps of their entrepreneurial journey and provide not only loans to their clients, but also help them find what they need to succeed based on the entrepreneurs' definition of success.
The Importance of Networking (from 46:00 to 48:00): Tina reiterates how networking is a key aspect of business success for all entrepreneurs. She indicates that, most of the time, women have less extensive networks which can be an significant barrier, especially in rural areas where these networking opportunities can be harder to find. Tina mentions that getting her clients connected with other women entrepreneurs and support organizations is so important as there are many people that can help women entrepreneurs during their journey.
Hopes for the Future (from 49:00 to 55:00): Despite the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in rural regions and with those challenges having been even more present during the pandemic, Tina remains positive for the future of women entrepreneurship as she has worked with many inspiring women entrepreneurs that have been able to thrive and achieve their goals. As Tina mentions, it's okay to not try to do it all on your own, to make mistakes, to ask for help— but most certainly to dream big.
As part of its Spotlight on Leading Lenders series, the Leading Lenders' team had the chance to sit down and chat with Tina Dickieson, Executive Director of Community Business Development Corporation (CBDC) Central PEI.
In this podcast-style interview, Tina shared her amazing story as a leading lender and provided great insights on the realities of working with women entrepreneurs in rural Canada. To learn even more about Tina and all of the incredible work that her and the entire CBDC Central PEI team is doing, we invite you to watch the Leading Lenders' Panel Discussion #2: Fostering Relationships Between Lenders and Women Entrepreneurs in which Tina participated.
Interview Breakdown and Highlights:
Introduction (from start to 1:00): Words of Welcome from the Leading Lenders' team and introduction of Tina Dickieson, Executive Director of CBDC Central PEI.
Youth, Education and Start of Professional Journey (from 1:00 to 7:30): Tina speaks about her life growing up in a small town in Prince Edward Island, including the importance her mother had on her personal and professional journey, reinforcing how crucial it is to have a female role model to help shape a positive future for young girls. Tina also talk about her studies and how she made the switch from attending university in Vancouver, thinking of becoming a veterinarian, to finishing her studies in a Business program in Calgary where she then started her career in accounting.
Embracing Career Change (from 7:30 to 10:00): Listen to Tina speak about pivoting her life at 17 years of age and going to Business School in Calgary and how important it was for her to embrace her career changes throughout her entire professional journey and knowing that it's okay to pivot and try something new.
Career in Accounting (from 10:00 to 25:00): Tina speaks about her career in accounting in Calgary and realizing that a career in accounting was not enough for her — despite being successful at her job. Tina shares how important it was to feel secure and have an income, but also wanting to connect with people and how she felt she was not getting that important aspect in her accounting career.
The Turning Point and Moving Back to Atlantic Canada (from 25:00 to 27:00): Knowing that her career was not fulfilling enough and with many members of her family moving back to Eastern Canada, Tina decided to move to Nova Scotia, which marked a major turning point for her personal and professional life.
Career Switches and Returning to PEI (from 27:00 to 33:00): Occupying different jobs that helped her acquire multiple skills outside of accounting when moving back to Atlantic Canada, Tina's journey finally brought her back to her home province of PEI where she ended moving on the same road she grew up on. Having lived out multiple great experiences in different jobs, Tina landed her dream job when she joined the CBDC Central PEI family, being able to combine the skills she learned throughout her accounting career and her love of working closely with people and her community.
Barriers to Women Entrepreneurship in Rural Regions (from 33:00 to 40:00): Based on her experience, Tina talks about some of the barriers for women entrepreneurs, especially in rural regions. She indicates that one of the most notable barriers for women entrepreneurs in rural regions is their confidence level. Tina says that even though most women entrepreneurs come to meet lenders with excellent and creative ideas, they often ask for smaller amounts. The lack of networks is another important barrier noted by Tina.
CBDC Central PEI, Character Lending and the Importance of Community (from 40:00 to 46:00): Tina shares how the CBDC Central PEI team is there to nurture the success of entrepreneurs by recognizing how crucial it is to get to know your clients and by getting involved in the community. Tina encourages lenders to accompany the entrepreneurs during the many steps of their entrepreneurial journey and provide not only loans to their clients, but also help them find what they need to succeed based on the entrepreneurs' definition of success.
The Importance of Networking (from 46:00 to 48:00): Tina reiterates how networking is a key aspect of business success for all entrepreneurs. She indicates that, most of the time, women have less extensive networks which can be an significant barrier, especially in rural areas where these networking opportunities can be harder to find. Tina mentions that getting her clients connected with other women entrepreneurs and support organizations is so important as there are many people that can help women entrepreneurs during their journey.
Hopes for the Future (from 49:00 to 55:00): Despite the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in rural regions and with those challenges having been even more present during the pandemic, Tina remains positive for the future of women entrepreneurship as she has worked with many inspiring women entrepreneurs that have been able to thrive and achieve their goals. As Tina mentions, it's okay to not try to do it all on your own, to make mistakes, to ask for help— but most certainly to dream big.
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