You Belong in the Room

#11: As we turn our focus to the Women's Powership Symposium, Lindsay is joined by Brenda Rosenberg for a special chat reflecting on the journey behind Season One of You Belong in the Room.

What began as an idea became a series of conversations with remarkable women who generously shared the experiences, lessons, and decisions that shaped their lives. In this mini episode, Lindsay and Brenda look back on the moments that stayed with them most, the vision that brought the podcast to life, and the people who made it possible. They also share why this podcast was always meant to be more than a show. It is the foundation of a growing movement to help more women step into the conversations and decisions that shape their futures.

To every guest, partner, sponsor, supporter, and listener, thank you for believing in this vision and helping bring it to life.

This may be the end of Season One, but it's only the beginning for the Powership Collective.

We'll see you on October 13 at the Women's Powership Symposium.

Website: powershipcollective.com

Instagram: @powershipcollective

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ThePowershipCollective

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/powership-collective

#10: In the Season 1 Finale of You Belong in the Room, Lindsay Hollinger sits down with social worker and psychotherapist Tegan Webster for a powerful conversation about coercive control, financial abuse, emotional manipulation, and the subtle ways people can slowly lose their sense of agency inside relationships.

Tegan explains why abuse is often far more complex than most people realize, how coercive control develops gradually over time, and why so many women struggle to recognize the signs while they're living through them. Together, Lindsay and Tegan unpack the connection between financial participation and personal freedom, the role support systems play in helping people navigate difficult circumstances, and how friends and family can offer meaningful support without judgment.

They also explore why financial abuse is about far more than money. It's about access, information, choice, and the ability to make decisions about your own life.

Tegan shares insights from nearly two decades of supporting women experiencing intimate partner violence and explains why knowledge, community, and access to resources can be life-changing.

This episode also highlights the connection between Powership Collective and Auberge Shalom's Access to Justice Program. Tegan helped establish the program to support women facing legal barriers while navigating intimate partner violence, separation, and family court proceedings. Through Powership's annual symposium, proceeds from ticket sales help support this important work, reinforcing a shared belief that women deserve access to the information, resources, and professional support they need to make informed decisions about their futures.

This season finale is a reminder that these conversations are not abstract. They shape people's safety, autonomy, confidence, and ability to participate fully in their own lives.

About the Guest

Tegan Webster is a social worker and psychotherapist with nearly twenty years of experience supporting women experiencing intimate partner violence, coercive control, financial abuse, and separation. She has spent most of her career at Auberge Shalom, a Montreal-based organization dedicated to supporting women and children affected by intimate partner violence through counseling, shelter services, prevention initiatives, advocacy, and legal support programs.

Tegan helped establish Auberge Shalom's Access to Justice Program, which provides women with access to legal resources and support during some of the most challenging periods of their lives. She is recognized for her trauma-informed approach, her commitment to empowering clients through information and support, and her ability to navigate complex family dynamics with compassion and nuance.

What You'll Learn

• The difference between healthy, unhealthy, and abusive relationship dynamics
• What coercive control actually looks like in everyday life
• How financial abuse impacts freedom, choice, and autonomy
• Why abuse is often difficult to recognize while it's happening
• The connection between financial participation and personal agency
• How isolation develops and why support systems matter
• What to say (and what not to say) when supporting someone you care about
• Why documentation can become an important tool in difficult situations
• How to think about safety planning and building options
• Why knowledge, information, and community create opportunities for change

Key Takeaways

• Coercive control often develops gradually rather than through a single event
• Financial abuse is about access, information, freedom, and choice—not just money
• Isolation can make difficult situations feel even more overwhelming
• Support should create safety, not pressure
• Validation is often more helpful than advice
• Awareness helps people recognize patterns earlier
• Building financial knowledge can create more options
• Documentation and preparation can be powerful tools
• Community plays a critical role in helping people navigate difficult circumstances
• Knowledge creates options, and participation creates power

Website: powershipcollective.com

Instagram: @powershipcollective

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ThePowershipCollective

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/powership-collective

#09: Join Lindsay and Natasha Girouard for a deeply human conversation about estate planning, wills, incapacity, trusts, marriage, and family dynamics. Rather than approaching estate planning through fear or technical legal jargon, Natasha reframes these conversations as acts of care, clarity, participation, and protection. Together, they unpack why so many people avoid talking about wills, incapacity, aging parents, inheritance, and financial vulnerability until life forces them into crisis.

Natasha explains the practical realities of wills, protection mandates, powers of attorney, and family structures in Québec, while also exploring the emotional side of these decisions: perfectionism, grief, trust, fairness between children, blended families, and the desire to leave behind not only assets but values.

This episode is a reminder that estate planning is not only for wealthy people, older people, or moments of crisis. It is one of the clearest ways to protect the people you love, reduce chaos during difficult moments, and participate more actively in the decisions shaping your life.

What You’ll Learn

• Why people avoid conversations around wills and incapacity
• The difference between wills, protection mandates, and powers of attorney
• What actually happens if you die without a will in Quebec
• Why estate planning is about life, not death
• The risks of “trusting your spouse to handle everything”
• Why women often delay signing legal documents
• How blended families create unique estate planning challenges
• The difference between “fair” and “equal” inheritance
• How addiction, mental health, and vulnerability affect planning decisions
• Why communication and transparency prevent family conflict
• How incapacity planning protects both partners
• Why estate planning documents should evolve with your life
• The emotional meaning behind family objects, homes, and inheritances
• How to start planning before everything feels perfect

Key Takeaways

• Avoiding the conversation does not avoid the consequences
• Estate planning is one of the clearest forms of protection and care
• Incapacity planning is just as important as drafting a will
• Trust should not replace understanding
• These documents are an extension of your values
• Family conflict often comes from misunderstanding and lack of communication
• “Fair” is not always equal when it comes to inheritance
• Perfectionism prevents many people from starting
• Communication with professionals and family members is essential
• Estate planning is not reserved for the wealthy or elderly

About the Guest

Natasha Girouard is a notary and the partner in charge of BCF's Wealth Protection group. She works closely with individuals and families navigating complex emotional and legal decisions surrounding inheritance, protection mandates, blended families, aging parents, and long-term planning. Known for her empathetic and deeply human approach, Natasha helps clients approach these conversations with greater clarity, confidence, and care.

Subscribe to You Belong in the Room for thoughtful conversations that help women participate more confidently in the decisions that shape their lives — across money, relationships, health, leadership, and legacy. Share this episode with someone you love, and visit Powership Collective for more information on the podcast and symposium.

Website: powershipcollective.com

Instagram: @powershipcollective

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ThePowershipCollective

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/powership-collective

#08: Most people think of divorce as the end of a relationship. But in many ways, it reveals how that relationship actually functioned all along.

Join Lindsay and family lawyer Carly Flam as she shares what years of working closely with couples in crisis have taught her about healthy partnership, financial transparency, power dynamics, and the conversations most people avoid until it’s too late.

They unpack the invisible systems operating inside modern relationships, from unpaid labour and mental load to financial avoidance, dependency, and decision-making. Carly explains why healthy marriages are not built on one person “handling everything,” but on shared awareness, participation, and the ability to ask uncomfortable questions before crisis forces them to the surface.

This conversation is not about preparing for divorce. It’s about understanding how to build a relationship that is informed, balanced, and resilient from the start. 

In This Episode

• What a healthy partnership actually looks like in practice
• Why unpaid labour and mental load have real economic value
• The financial conversations couples avoid and why they matter
• Why earning more money does not automatically create agency
• How women unknowingly give up power in relationships
• What divorce law does and does not care about
• Why financial transparency is essential in a healthy marriage
• The importance of having your own bank account, credit, and financial awareness
• Why you should think about what it would be like to divorce someone before marrying them
• How asking better questions can completely change your life

About Carly Flam

Carly Flam is a family lawyer specializing in divorce, custody, financial settlements, and relationship-related legal disputes. Through years of working closely with individuals and families during moments of major transition, she has developed a uniquely honest perspective on partnership, communication, financial agency, and the systems that shape modern relationships.

Beyond her legal practice, Carly is a passionate advocate for women’s empowerment, financial awareness, and helping women build the confidence, knowledge, and professional networks needed to participate more fully in the decisions that shape their lives.

Website: powershipcollective.com

Instagram: @powershipcollective

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ThePowershipCollective

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/powership-collective

#07: Most people avoid conversations about aging, caregiving, money, dependency, and end-of-life planning... until a crisis forces them into the room.

Karen Flam shares what decades of working closely with families navigating aging, long-term care, financial hardship, grief, and caregiving have taught her about freedom, responsibility, and the emotional labour women quietly carry.

We unpack the invisible realities that emerge as life starts asking more of us: caring for aging parents, navigating difficult family dynamics, making financial decisions under pressure, and confronting the hard conversations most people delay for far too long.

Karen also reflects on her own experience rebuilding her life after becoming a widow at a young age and why financial agency became deeply tied to freedom, dignity, and peace of mind.

This conversation is not about fear. It’s about preparation, awareness, and learning how to participate more actively in the decisions that shape your future, before urgency takes away your options. Because avoiding the conversation does not stop life from happening.

In This Episode

• Why financial freedom is deeply connected to dignity, autonomy, and peace of mind
• The emotional and financial realities of caregiving and aging parents
• Why women are often socialized into invisible caretaking roles
• The hard conversations families should have before crisis hits
• What to look for when aging parents begin needing support
• Why every end-of-life decision has financial implications
• The importance of wills, mandates, and financial planning
• How avoidance quietly keeps people stuck and unprepared
• Why women need financial awareness, agency, and independence
• The difference between being wealthy and feeling financially free

About Karen Flam

Karen Flam is the Director of the Donald Berman Maimonides and Donald Berman Jewish Eldercare Foundations, where she has spent more than two decades working closely with families navigating aging, caregiving, long-term care, and end-of-life realities.

A passionate advocate for eldercare, philanthropy, and women’s financial agency, Karen is widely recognized for her leadership in the aging-services sector. In 2019, she received the prestigious Dr. Herbert Shore Award from the Association of Jewish Aging Services (AJAS), which is the organization’s highest honour recognizing outstanding professional leadership and service to older adults across North America.

Known for her honesty, humour, and deeply human perspective, Karen brings a rare combination of practical insight and lived experience to conversations about money, freedom, responsibility, and resilience.

Website: powershipcollective.com

Instagram: @powershipcollective

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ThePowershipCollective

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/powership-collective

#06: Join Lindsay and Sylvie Trottier for a thoughtful conversation about wealth, responsibility, power, and the emotional complexity attached to money.

Together, they explore what it means to benefit from systems that are fundamentally unequal, how shame and avoidance can shape people’s relationship to wealth, and why Sylvie eventually reframed her discomfort into a sense of responsibility and action. The conversation moves far beyond traditional ideas of philanthropy, touching on climate change, inequality, community resilience, parenting, purpose, and the question at the centre of the episode: What is enough?

Sylvie shares her personal philosophy around granting, investing, and advocacy, explaining why she believes money should not only be given away thoughtfully, but also invested and leveraged in ways that help shift systems themselves. She also speaks candidly about relationships, raising children around wealth, perfection paralysis, and why community, not accumulation, is what truly creates safety and belonging.

This episode is ultimately a conversation about using influence intentionally, participating in difficult conversations rather than avoiding them, and building a version of success rooted in integrity, humanity, and shared responsibility.

About the Guest

Sylvie Trottier is a philanthropist, climate advocate, and systems thinker focused on advancing more equitable and resilient communities.

Her work spans philanthropy, impact-driven investing, climate and community resilience initiatives, and advocacy around structural inequality and systems change. She is involved with the Trottier Family Foundation, whose work includes climate action, science, education, housing, migrant rights, and community health initiatives. She also founded Dents-de-lion, an organization focused on the future economy and the justice system.

Sylvie is passionate about helping reimagine the relationship between wealth, power, community, and long-term societal wellbeing. Her work is grounded in the belief that philanthropy should not simply alleviate symptoms, but help address the root causes of systemic issues.

What You’ll Learn

• Why money is often emotionally charged, regardless of how much someone has
• How wealth can create shame, guilt, paralysis, and responsibility simultaneously
• Why “charity should not be a substitute for justice”
• The difference between giving money away and shifting systems
• How Sylvie approaches philanthropy, investing, and advocacy intentionally
• Why community matters more than unlimited accumulation
• The relationship between money, power, safety, and belonging
• How women are often socialized differently around wealth and influence
• Why perfectionism and avoidance prevent people from participating meaningfully
• How to think about “enough” in a culture driven by endless accumulation

Key Takeaways

• Wealth is emotional, relational, and deeply connected to systems of power
• Money alone will not create safety, fulfillment, or belonging
• Responsibility can become empowering when paired with action
• Philanthropy is most impactful when it addresses root causes, not only symptoms
• Community and strong social systems benefit everyone, including those with wealth
• Women need to participate more actively in conversations around money and influence
• Avoidance and perfectionism often prevent meaningful action
• Integrity comes from aligning values with decisions and behaviour
• Wealth can either reinforce inequality or help challenge it
• Building a better future requires participation, courage, and collective responsibility

Website: powershipcollective.com

Instagram: @powershipcollective

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ThePowershipCollective

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/powership-collective

#05: Join Lindsay and Annick Charbonneau to unpack what actually happens when women move beyond financial participation and begin controlling capital, influence, and opportunity.

As the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Accelia Capital, Annick has spent years evaluating founders, building companies, making high-stakes decisions, and investing in the future of technology and entrepreneurship. Together, she and Lindsay explore the relationship between money and power, why women are often conditioned to overprepare before taking risks, and what changes when women stop waiting for permission to step into leadership and ownership.

The conversation moves beyond traditional financial literacy into the realities of venture capital, decision-making, confidence, mentorship, burnout, boundaries, and the importance of building communities that actively support women financially, not just emotionally.

This episode is a powerful reminder that women don’t only belong in conversations about money, they belong in the rooms deciding where it goes.

About the Guest

Annick Charbonneau is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Accelia Capital, a $60-million venture capital fund. An entrepreneur who founded and managed two technology companies, she has more than 20 years of experience in management and technology.

A passionate advocate for women in entrepreneurship and technology, Annick is deeply involved in supporting the next generation of founders and leaders. She contributes to promoting female leadership through numerous organizations and initiatives, including the McGill Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship and the McCall MacBain Scholarships. She also serves on the board of directors of Fiera Capital.

In 2023, Annick received the Québec Business Woman Award in Digital Technology and Innovation from the Réseau des Femmes d'affaires du Québec. She holds a degree in Business Administration from Pepperdine University and completed studies in Artificial Intelligence and Business Strategy at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

What You’ll Learn

• How venture capital actually works behind the scenes
• What investors truly look for in founders and ideas
• Why perfectionism holds so many women back from opportunity
• How confidence is built through action and decision-making
• The relationship between money, power, and autonomy
• Why strong communication and trust matter more than perfect pitches
• How Annick protects her time, energy, and attention intentionally
• What women underestimate about themselves in business and leadership
• Why community and networks can change the trajectory of a career

Key Takeaways

• Capital shapes which ideas, companies, and futures get built
• Decision-making is a skill that strengthens with practice
• Women are often conditioned to overprepare before taking risks
• Relationships and trust are central to investing and leadership
• Mentorship matters, but financial support changes outcomes
• Protecting your energy and priorities is essential for long-term success
• Confidence comes through participation, not perfection
• Women belong not only in conversations about money but in positions directing it
• Strong networks and communities create momentum and opportunity
• Sometimes the most important thing you can do is raise your hand before you feel fully ready

Companies Mentioned

https://accelia.vc/en/portfolio-company/elihealth/

https://accelia.vc/en/portfolio-company/heylist/

Website: powershipcollective.com

Instagram: @powershipcollective

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ThePowershipCollective

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/powership-collective

#04: Join Lindsay and Natasha Launi in exploring what financial literacy actually looks like in real life: from running a business to navigating motherhood and making everyday decisions about money. Through her own experience, Natasha shares how curiosity, asking questions, and engaging earlier can completely shift your sense of control, confidence, and freedom.

This conversation reframes money not as expertise, but as participation and highlights the cost of waiting.

In This Episode, We Cover

• Why financial literacy is about participation, not expertise
• The role of time and compounding in building financial freedom
• How everyday decisions reflect your financial habits
• The impact of social and cultural conditioning on women and money
• What women need to understand before maternity leave
• Why transparency in relationships is critical
• The real risk of not investing

About the Guest

Natasha Launi is a lifestyle and event photographer, business owner, and mother. Through her work and personal experience, she has developed a thoughtful and practical approach to money, grounded in curiosity, learning, and real-life decision-making.

Key Takeaway

You don’t need to know everything about money to start. But waiting comes at a cost... and the earlier you engage, the more freedom you create in your decisions, your time, and your life.

Resources 

• Rich AF By Vivian Tu (Your Rich BFF)
• Future Rich Person By Haley Sacks (Mrs. Dow Jones)

This episode is proudly sponsored by Launi Photography. To learn more about their work and services, visit launi.com.

Website: powershipcollective.com

Instagram: @powershipcollective

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ThePowershipCollective

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/powership-collective

#03: Many women grow up believing their careers should follow a clear and stable path. But what happens when that path no longer feels aligned?

Join Lindsay and Laure Goubau to explore how values, purpose, and thoughtful risk-taking shape a more authentic and fulfilling life. Through her experience building Gloria and navigating her own career decisions, Laure shares a perspective on purpose not as a single defining moment, but as something that evolves over time.

This conversation offers a grounded look at the tension between stability and fulfillment, and what it means to make decisions that reflect who you are becoming, not just what is expected.

In This Episode, We Cover

• The role of values in shaping career and life decisions
• Why purpose is not something you “find” once
• The tension between stability and fulfillment
• How to approach risk thoughtfully rather than impulsively
• The impact of alignment and authenticity on overall wellbeing
• The unique pressures women face when making career decisions

About the Guest

Laure Goubau is the founder of Gloriacoach.com. She supports organizations and leaders across Canada in navigating one of the most overlooked influences on career trajectories and leadership development: women’s health. Through coaching and workshops, Laure and her team of ICF member coaches aim to prevent attrition, sustain productivity, and advance gender parity. They work with women navigating IVF, chronic illness, burnout, perimenopause, pregnancy and pregnancy loss, cancer - and everything in between.

Website: powershipcollective.com

Instagram: @powershipcollective

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ThePowershipCollective

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/powership-collective

#02: What does success actually look like, beyond what we see online?

Lindsay sits down with Katherine Garbarino, entrepreneur and founder of KGMTL and GLW Girls, whose work sits at the intersection of lifestyle, wellness, and influence.

Together, they unpack the pressure to appear like you have everything figured out, the decisions women make to protect perception, and the often unseen emotional cost of visibility.

This conversation explores how social media shapes our relationship with money, success, and self-worth, and what it takes to move from performing a life to actually living one.

Key Topics Covered

• The pressure to “have it all together”
• Appearance vs reality in visible success
• Making decisions based on perception vs alignment
• The emotional cost of visibility
• Quiet competition between women
• Empowering vs performative spending
• Social media and lifestyle inflation
• Responsible influence and decision-making
• Building self-trust in a highly visible world

About the Guest

Katherine Garbarino is an entrepreneur and the founder of KGMTL and GLW Girls, platforms that reach thousands of women through content centered on lifestyle, wellness, and entrepreneurship. Through her work, she offers a window into the realities behind visible success, navigating the balance between influence, business, and personal alignment.

Website: powershipcollective.com

Instagram: @powershipcollective

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ThePowershipCollective

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/powership-collective