Sandra Daniel: Winner of the 2024 Great Companies International Women Entrepreneur Award

Name:  Sandra Daniel

Business Name: Openfield Canada

Location: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Establishment (Year): 2018

Category: Consulting

Profession/ Specialty: Management Consulting  

Website: https://www.openfieldconsulting.ca

Company Detail:

Openfield was started in 2018 in response to the accelerating pace of change and the need for new skills and holistic approaches to meet the needs of modern organizations and communities.

Openfield believes that positive change happens at the systemic level and is rooted in principles of psychological safety and consent. The company works with organizations and communities who see the human picture and helps them realize their vision of working better, together.

The team is multi-disciplinary, and they all come to this work from a place of passion and curiosity. The work bridges the divide between disciplines, merging management practices like change management and organizational development with collaboration practices (such as facilitation) and holistic health care (such as clinical counselling) to create workplace and community spaces where everyone can thrive.

Unique Selling Proposition or Competitive Advantage:

In addition to a multi-disciplinary holistic approach to guiding organizational and community-driven change, all of the team members are trained in design thinking. Together, this forms a unique practice starting with the client's needs and adjusting services to meet them where they are at. Not only does this support psychological safety, it allows support for clients in resolving and building robust collective cultures reflective of the complexity of their environments.

Openfield is also a part of a collaborative brand (called Openfield Collaborative) which Sandra Daniel co-founded in 2018. Openfield.co now has people and spaces in North America (Openfield Consulting and the company she owns) as well as in Europe and Asia Pacific. They knowledge share, support other practitioners to work across disciplines to achieve collaborative outcomes and work to shift the collaboration space in multi-stakeholder environments. This means access to talent, capabilities, and experiences around the globe which can be leveraged in local and regional contexts without the cost of a large firm.

Challenges Faced During the Journey

As a female entrepreneur, Sandra Daniel encountered numerous hurdles along her journey, prompting her to reflect deeply on how to pave a smoother path for other women entering the entrepreneurial arena. One of the most prevalent challenges faced, and still confronted at times, is grappling with the sense of belonging in the entrepreneur community. This struggle stemmed from various factors, including the lack of representation for women in business, internalized unconscious biases regarding capabilities, and battles with imposter syndrome. Additionally, fears surrounding successfully balancing motherhood with entrepreneurship added to the complexity of navigating a professional identity.

In the early stages of founding Openfield, Sandra hesitated to label herself as an entrepreneur, despite launching a successful venture. It wasn't until she engaged with other members of the small business community that she began to embrace her entrepreneurial identity. Through this process, she confronted and unpacked the systemic unconscious biases she had internalized and decided to shift from a one-person organization to a team of women, working to change the change landscape.

Today, at Openfield, the team proudly operates as an all-women consultancy, committed to advocating for gender equality, fostering supportive networks, seeking mentorship opportunities, and challenging systemic barriers. Their journey has been one of empowerment and growth, and they remain dedicated to creating a more inclusive and equitable landscape for women in entrepreneurship.

Advice for Women Entrepreneurs:

Sandra Daniel believes each journey is unique to each person's context, there are a few learnings she would share:

1. You are worthy: Know that you are whole, capable, and resilient. That you are enough. Don't be afraid to be vulnerable, to take risks, to feel and experience failure. Keep going because the world needs you.

2. You have a community: Entrepreneurship is a journey and there is a community here to help. Reach out to people who are doing this work, share your vision and form a network. These relationships and mentors can help pull you through when you need it most.

3. You can do it all - just not all at the same time: Women are often expected to excel in multiple roles simultaneously, with the pressure to perform flawlessly in each. However, this unrealistic expectation is not only unfair but also unsustainable. Prioritizing health and well-being, setting boundaries, and embracing diverse strengths and experiences are essential.
   

Instead of trying to do it all at once, the focus should be on achieving greatness in a balanced and sustainable way. Leading by example by prioritizing self-care, respecting boundaries, and celebrating unique qualities and contributions will help redefine success on personal terms and inspire others to do the same.