Angela Sutcliffe
Angela Sutcliffe is an inspiring and driven woman. Having been through many of life’s biggest challenges, she continues to inspire others with her wit, her brilliance and her amazing way of telling stories that matter. She is someone who is there when you need a friend, and she’s a leader to others who want to move forward.
Tell us a little about yourself
Originally I came from England when I was a child. That meant growing up with a very small family – me, my mum, my dad and the cat. Although I dated, I was never moved to marry and have a family of my own until, fulfilling my mother’s deathbed wish, I married for the first time (and probably the last) when I was in my 50’s. Unfortunately the marriage didn’t last.
It’s hard to conceive of “family” when you haven’t had brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles – just three of you banging around doing your own thing.
I’ve always had really exciting work. Between high school and university I went to work at Transport Canada in the office that cleaned up oil spills. Just me and my two bosses. They went to the wreck sites, and I stayed back in the office, preparing press releases and briefing notes for the Minister. In those days, you could be hired as a “secretary” and turn the job into so much more, and I did. I ran with the political end of things, and wound up working as a parliamentary advisor during a truly exciting time in women’s history. Just after the report from the Royal Commission on the Status of Women was tabled, I went to work for the Opposition Critic for the Status of Women, and later for the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women. It was a pivotal time of raising awareness, changing legislation and (we thought then) opening doors to infinite possibilities.
Who inspires you in your life? Who do you look up to? And why?
I get really inspired by “self-made” movers-and-shakers and entrepreneurs – people who have a vision and make it happen. Doris Anderson was one of my early inspirations for autonomous, self-directed women (like my mother, another one of my she-ros) and Dan Sullivan with Strategic Coach is another. I think the attraction is that they have integrity and aren’t afraid of hard work to reach an end result.
What have been some of the biggest challenges you have had to overcome in your life?
Wow, I don’t even know where to start… coming to Canada was a big challenge. I got teased for years about my accent and my clothes – but it made me tougher. Losing my dad to suicide was a challenge – that took many, many years of counselling to get over, and then the depression that set in after I lost my mum – the last member of my direct family. It took me about 18 months to begin to get back on my feet – and directly into my abusive marriage, which was the last (so far) major challenge of my life.
What did you do to move through them?
I didn’t beat myself up for feeling the way I was- I knew I was going through some deep emotional processes and I let them happen instead of medicating to move them along. Of course, I got some darn good counselling and I worked really, really hard to process all the grief, self-blame, fear and other emotions that come up through death and divorce. I’ve learned – and am still learning – a lot about myself, so I guess my answer would have to be that I haven’t necessarily moved through them as much as I’m growing because of them.
What did you learn? What do you wish to share with others?
- You can’t help others until you can stand firmly on your own two feet – otherwise both of you get pulled down.
- You are stronger than you think you are
- Challenges are God’s (or the universe’s) way of getting you to see what you are really made of – and yes, it is often a surprise to discover that you’re made of better stuff that you gave yourself credit for.
What are you most proud of?
Two things: being able to provide 100% for myself (roof over my head, food on the table, bills paid) right from starting out in business 30 years ago and being chosen by Kevin O’Leary’s company to coach the winner and runner up on his reality tv show Redemption Inc.
What do you want your older self to know?
More important, what I have learned as I age is that calamities, given enough years under the belt, are mere blips on the lifeline. What looks like a disaster one minute, once you’ve rolled up your sleeves, can turn around on a dime. Nothing lasts forever – not bad times, and not good ones either. Once you learn how to roll with the punches, life stops being scary.
Favourite quote
First you make a decision – then you make it right.
