We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ally Stone a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Ally thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Any thoughts around creating more inclusive workplaces?

Being a woman in the business world has been quite the ride, full of challenges and victories. If I were to drop a nugget of wisdom for building a more inclusive workplace, I’d say let’s open up the conversation. We need to chat about the stuff that affects both men and women working together. When we get everyone talking and understanding each other, we break down walls and make a workplace where everyone feels valued. Let me share a little snippet from my own journey as a woman in the speaking industry with The Inspired Leader. A while back, I had this incredible chance to speak at a big event. It had the potential to boost my business to the next level, and I was over the moon about it. But when it came to discussing my fee, the event organizer had assumed I would do it for free. I asked if the other speakers were doing it pro bono, and it turns out they weren’t. So, I questioned why I was seen differently. The organizer didn’t have a good answer, just that he assumed I’d do it for free, and I wasn’t in the budget.
That moment was a tough one because, sure, it was a massive opportunity, and I could’ve done it for free. But I realized there was something bigger at play. I needed to honor myself and my worth by saying no. It was a bit disappointing because, had others been doing it for free, I’d have been on board. But knowing it was just assumed for me was a bit disheartening. So, I decided to wait for an opportunity that recognized my value. And guess what? Plenty of those came knocking.
This whole experience opened my eyes to the fact that, as women, if we want to change the narrative of how we’re seen and valued, we need to start with each other. It’s about supporting one another and refusing to settle for anything less than we’re worth. Together, we can shift the game and create a workplace where everyone gets the respect they deserve.
My work with. The Inspired Leader aims to create a community where women who lead and run businesses can thrive and where they can learn more about who they are and how they want to show up. This is important work for me because when women come to the table with confidence and a mindset that is open to conversation and perspective, I believe they can change the way women are seen in today’s work environments, a shift that is desperately needed in today’s evolving world.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I stumbled into the world of leadership and business back in 2005, and since then, I’ve been a partner and leader in the hospitality industry with the Original Joe’s Restaurant Group in Northern Alberta, helping develop 12 successful businesses and teams. As the Director of Culture and Leadership Development within that organization, I dove deep into understanding what it truly means to be connected as a leader and how that connection drives the success of any business. Fast forward to today, I’m now the founder and CEO of The Inspired Leader. My mission is all about the transformational practice of bringing humanity back to the heart of business. Now, what does that mean? Well, the company operates on two vital arms. First is the ‘Individual Arm’ where I partner directly with amazing women entrepreneurs and leaders, empowering them to thrive in their careers and businesses. On the flip side, there’s the ‘Organizational Arm’ where I team up with organizations, working with mid to senior-level leadership teams, helping them to cultivate their leadership presence, and foster genuine connections with their people.
Now, what sets The Inspired Leader apart? It’s the unwavering commitment to inspiring and empowering individuals and organizations to hit their full leadership potential. It’s all about prioritizing a culture of authenticity and connection. I’ve worked with thousands of leaders from all walks of life, and in 2022, I was honoured with the Transformational Leader Award by The Universal Women’s Network, a moment that reminded me of the importance of this work and the impact it is having on women and businesses alike.
I’m not just an entrepreneur; I’m also an ICF Executive Coach on a mission to attain my Master’s designation. You’ll find me sharing wisdom as an inspiring speaker and facilitating workshops; my future plans for the company include half-day retreats and a 2-day conference for women. I am also a certified Meditation Teacher and a HeartMath Resilience Mentor. I’m all about blending leadership and well-being; I believe that when we bring these two worlds together, we become unstoppable.

Any advice for managing a team?

In the world of leading teams, I’ve found that the key to maintaining high morale is rooted in vulnerability. Connecting with your team requires opening up, not just about the successes but also about the failures. It’s a two-way street, and for everyone to lean into vulnerability, there has to be a foundation of safety and trust. I often get asked what vulnerability looks like in a team setting, and my response is simple: it’s about openness, shared experiences, and building meaningful relationships. One common concern I hear, especially in coaching and workshops, is whether vulnerability can go too far. Leaders must discern the line between vulnerability and oversharing. While being open about your feelings is essential, it’s equally vital not to burden your team with your worries. As a leader, it’s not your team’s responsibility to carry your concerns. Still, they can and often should be aware of your emotional state and, at the same time, have confidence that you, as a leader, can navigate through challenges.
Leadership can be a lonely journey, often described as “lonely at the top.” That’s where peer groups come in as game-changers. Having a group of peers provides a space for leaders to be vulnerable with others who understand their unique challenges. This external support is instrumental for leaders to thrive and reach their full self-actualization and success. This is why creating community through The Inspired Leader is foundational. We all need support, whether that be a leader providing support to their team or a leader offering support to another leader; I create a space for leaders to connect with other leaders and get the support they need to keep growing and advancing within their careers.
In essence, vulnerability in leadership is a continuous journey toward creating a culture of openness and trust. By understanding this delicate balance and having the right support structures in place, leaders can foster an environment where both they and their teams can flourish.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

So, resilience is a significant word to me. I have spent a lot of time thinking about it throughout my life and my career, and I’ve had many different circumstances that have made me consider what it means to be resilient. So, to start with, I will say that resilience to me, is not our ability to push on through the adversities that enter our lives; more so, resilience is our ability to show up and be authentic with the adversities that come into our lives.

I was completely aligned in my career with the Original Joe’s Restaurant group. I loved what I was doing, and I felt like I was completely living out the purpose I was meant for in my career. It was an incredible time; of course, it wasn’t without its challenges, but I woke up each day with a deep connection to what I was doing and motivation to continue on.

That all changed for me in 2018 when my husband suffered a brain injury. Now, here’s a little bit of backstory: We had been partners in the restaurants together for 14 years before this incident. Chris (my husband) and I had an incredible working relationship together and created something really beautiful in those restaurants.

In 2018, we went to Tokyo, Japan, for Chris to run the marathon there; at this point in his life, he was a competitive marathon runner, and we have been travelling all around the world for him to run different marathons. I was excited about Tokyo as I had never been to Asia and was looking forward to the experience. Yet when we arrived, nothing went as planned; I knew something was wrong with Chris even when we got there; there were little signs, signals that something wasn’t right; when I questioned him about them, he brushed it off, which looking back I’m not sure who wouldn’t have done that. Then, my worst nightmare, the night after the Tokyo marathon, I was sleeping in our hotel room next to my husband when I woke up absolutely freezing. I felt as though I had been dipped in an ice bath, and in my sleepy state, it took me a few minutes to figure out what was going on. I reached down and realized the bed was completely soaked. It was wet and freezing cold. I started to rub my hands across my body in a panic and I realized it was dry. Only the underside of me was wet that had been lying on the mattress. I then reached over to my husband and touched his arm. It was clammy and cold. I turned on the light and looked at his face. It was pale white and covered in sweat.

That night would start us on a journey that would forever change our lives. By the time I got Chris to a hospital in Tokyo, he was conscious, which was a good thing, but neurologically, he would have changed forever. No one really knows for sure what happened to him in Japan; the best theory is that he got a virus that potentially got into his spinal cord and then into his brain and caused swelling.

Upon returning home to Canada, we were still in Chris’s acute phase of his brain injury. I was home with him for two months to care for him and try to get our feet back on the ground. There came a point, though, where I knew it was important for me to get back to work, back to leading the restaurants. What I didn’t realize was how hard that would be without Chris.

On my second week back at work, I was heading in to run the senior-level leadership team meeting, and as I pulled up to her office and put my hand on the car door to get out, I found myself paralyzed in my car. It was a strange feeling for me because I had never experienced an inability to move forward in such a way. It was in that moment that it all came crashing down on me: the reality of my life, my fears about leading this team and my ability to do it, and just how little I had been taking care of myself over the last few months, and it all came down on me like an emotional sledgehammer.

I sat in my car and cried, realizing I was in no state to run a leadership meeting. I called one of my peers and asked him to come out and speak to me. I still, to this day, imagine his reaction when he saw me in the car. I remember he opened the door, knelt beside the driver’s seat, and held my hand.

He let me feel it all, and at some point, through tears and heaving to catch my breath, I said to him, “I don’t think I can do this.” Do you know what he said? He said that’s OK. This was a pivotal moment for me. I hadn’t for one moment thought that since all of this happened, it might be OK that I wasn’t OK. That it might be OK that I needed support, that I needed time to heal.

That day was the start of me fully embracing the adversity we were facing in our lives. I knew in that moment that if I didn’t find ways to take care of myself, show up for myself, and learn how to navigate these challenges in an authentic way, not only was I not going to be able to lead this team and this organization, I wasn’t going to be able to be there for myself.

So I started. It was a long journey. There was a lot of healing and acceptance that needed to happen before I could begin to move forward, but once I did, I fell back into alignment. I started to see and find meaning and purpose each day, and my outlook on the world became brighter.

Now, here’s the interesting thing about this story: I could never return to where I was before everything happened in Japan. That part of my life was gone, and it was in accepting that part was gone that a new chapter in my life could emerge. If you had asked me before Tokyo if I would’ve ever left the restaurants, my answer would’ve been absolutely not! I loved where I was, and I loved what I was doing. However, this adversity in my life changed my perspective on how I saw the world, and I began to see that there was so much more out there for me than I had seen previously. And as I began to open to those ideas and thoughts, the world began to bring them to me. I started speaking (my worst fear, lol), I started working with other organizations and sharing my learnings of what it takes to create an extraordinary team culture, and most importantly, I started working with women, helping them to achieve their desired level of success in their lives and their careers.

So here I am, in this new chapter of my life and loving every minute of it. If I could go back in time and change what happened in Japan that fateful day would I, of course. I wish nothing more for my husband than to have his health back and be able to live the life he dreams of. Yet something has shifted for me through this adversity; it has changed the lens through which I see the world, and in that shifting, I have shown up as a different woman. I am more self-actualized; I’m clear on my values and what I can bring to this world. This, to me, is the gift that has been given to me in light of this challenge I’ve been navigating in my life.
We will all face adversity in our lives; the question becomes, what will we do when it shows up? It’s my hope and sharing my story, you have the courage to ask yourself the same question. I fully acknowledge that this is not an easy question to answer. But for those who do ponder it, I believe we will be more able to see what waits for us on the other side of that adversity and find ways to navigate it with resilience and authenticity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://theinspiredleader.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allystone__/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllyInspiredLeader
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ally-stone-4010a560/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAj2973t-OsS0dkgqut1l1Q https://bit.ly/AllyStoneTheInspiredLeader

Image Credits
Jenna Kiernan Jessica Hoover