10/14/2026
The 5th Annual Empowering Auto Flagship Conference in Toronto was nothing short of historic! Under this year’s theme, “Progress Over Perfection,” the energy was electric as we explored what it truly means to take bold action, cultivate resiliency, and navigate the future of automotive.
Here are the game-changing takeaways we’re bringing with us:
1. Courage is the Ultimate Skill. The phenomenal MC, Stephanie Henry | On-Air Host (Founder of She Auto Know), kicked us off: being afraid but doing it anyway is a superpower. “Being ready isn’t a feeling—it’s a decision.”
2. Resiliency is Built in Ordinary Time The incredible Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe reminded us that resilience is a practice, not a trait. Her high-performance protocol? Focus on the “home team” first (pour into your family), get outside, and treat failures as stress behavior, not misbehavior. “We cannot hate ourselves healthy.”
3. Human & AI: Augment, Don’t Displace In our AI fireside, Shweta Subramanian (VP of AI & Automation at Element Fleet), alongside moderator Stephanie Wallcraft, demystified the next era of Agentic AI. The consensus? Keep “humans in the lead, not just in the loop.” As EdgeTech Academy JenniferAlsop and Vishnu Raja (.ai) shared, AI is for everyone: “I belong in AI too.”
4. The Dealership of 2030 Must Be More Human The retail panel, moderated by .m.newman (hr4__), challenged standard industry norms. Leaders like Greg Smith (autocanada), Dri (Policaro Group), Grace Stein (Leavens Chrysler), and Stephanie Cooney-Mann (napaautopartscanada) underscored that we aren’t just in the car business—we’re in the people business. To advance women, we need flexibility, formalized succession, and genuine connection.
5. What Chair Are You Sitting In? To close, the powerhouse Dr. Karyn ❤️ Leadership & Relationship Expert broke down Emotional Intelligence (EQ) into the “Three Chairs” (Blind, Disguised, and Confident). The goal? Strive for that middle “Confident” chair—the place of self-respect, goal-stretching, and a fierce focus on progress over perfection.
🤝 The Power of Partnership
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