Run it Like a Girl

Orlena Cain is a woman who can’t sit still. On top of her full-time job as a morning radio show host in Belleville, Ontario, Orlena is a budding stand-up comic, an author, and an entrepreneur. She’s been involved in modelling and voice over work. She’s had acting roles in commercials, worked on ET Canada and was a host on the Shopping Channel. But life was far from rosey growing up just outside of Belleville, where Orlena says she faced daily abuse; mental, physical and sexual. On this episode of Run It Like a Girl, Orlena Cain walks us through her incredible story of perseverance, determination and sacrifice, and her journey back from the depths of despair. She talks about the importance of mentorship and giving back, and has some strong words of advice for young women who are struggling.

As a student at Ryerson University, Rhiannon drew the attention of a founding board member of the Economic Club of Toronto, a prestigious hub for the who’s who of Toronto businessmen. She was invited to meet the Club’s president to talk about an entry level job. After six months on the job, Rhiannon worked up the courage to approach the club’s CEO about some ideas she'd been working on to modernize the organization. The re-brand from the Economic Club of Toronto to the Economic Club of Canada, with a national focus, had been one of Rhiannon’s key ideas. She advanced through the ranks of the organization, and when the CEO left the company to run for public office, Rhiannon, at the age of 28, took charge of the club. The Economic Club of Canada provides a platform for discussion and dialogue, often featuring world leaders and influencers such as Michelle Obama and Amal Clooney. The club’s audience includes some of the most senior and influential leaders in Canadian business, industry and government. Rhiannon has been named, twice, as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Business by the Women’s Executive Network.