In this episode of Message Received, host Jennifer Madigan speaks with Erin Benjamin, Executive Vice President, Advocacy & Strategy at the Ottawa Board of Trade, about what it actually takes to move people and make change happen. Drawing on decades of advocacy, including her time as founding President and CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association, Benjamin shares how the first-ever economic impact study of Canada's live music sector helped shift the industry from a nice to have to a must have in the eyes of government. They explore why common ground is the starting point for any coalition, how relationships and reputation shape whether your message lands, and why she believes collaboration is Ottawa's biggest opportunity right now.
00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:28,840 [Jennifer Madigan]
[upbeat music] Hello, and welcome to Message Received, a podcast by Syntax. I'm Jennifer Mattern. On this show, we talk about how messages actually land, how strategy, storytelling, and audience insights come together, and why some ideas cut through while others don't. Each episode, I'll sit down with people who shape narratives for a living, leaders, builders, and communicators who understand what you say and how you say it really matters. Let's get into it.
00:00:30,620 --> 00:01:12,820 [Jennifer Madigan]
Today's guest is Erin Benjamin, one of Canada's most respected advocates, coalition builders, and industry leaders, and someone I have long admired. For more than three decades, Erin has helped unite industries, influence public policy, secure support during times of crisis, and build organizations that create lasting impact. As the first president and CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association, she transformed a fragmented sector into a powerful national voice. Today, she serves as Executive Vice President of Advocacy and Strategy at the Ottawa Board of Trade. Erin has built a career around bringing people together, finding common ground, and helping organizations turn ideas into action. Erin, welcome to Message Received.
00:01:12,820 --> 00:01:15,480 [Erin Benjamin]
Thank you so much for having me. This is awesome.
00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:21,940 [Jennifer Madigan]
Yeah. I'm so excited for our chat today. I j- I want to talk a bit about your journey from musician to advocate. How did that happen?
00:01:21,940 --> 00:02:52,549 [Erin Benjamin]
Yeah. I've been playing guitar since I was five years old, and writing songs, and I eventually got more and more serious a- as time went on. And the more I played, the more people I got to know, the bigger my network got, and eventually found my way onto a board of an organization that used to be called the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals. And I ended up on that board because I was living in Northern Ontario, and I didn't feel the organization was serving Northern Ontario [chuckles] musicians. So they, instead of, uh, putting up with me, they put me on the board to help solve some problems, and I was very excited to do that. That was the first board I had ever been a part of. And at, during that time, I was... I'd started my own record label, and I was supporting the sort of evolution of another record label in, in... I was living in Sudbury at the time, and, uh, building my career as an artist, touring and making records. And, um, but when I joined this board, maybe a year or two after joining the board, the one per- the one paid staff person got, became quite ill and was unable to do, uh, the job anymore. The, the board chair and the, uh, vice chair took me out into the hallway during a board meeting in Toronto one day and said, "You know, would you consider stepping off the board and, and take, take- becoming the office manager of this organization? You know, it doesn't, it's not a heavy lift. You're very organized. Maybe you could do it while you're, while you're running your own career." And, and I was, uh, uh, they said, "You know, we have $5,000 in the bank, and, uh, that can be yours-
00:02:52,549 --> 00:02:52,549 [Jennifer Madigan]
[chuckles]
00:02:52,549 --> 00:03:26,030 [Erin Benjamin]
... and maybe more if you can figure out [chuckles] how to raise some more revenue and get this organization back on its feet." And, and, you know, I had... I, I went to, I studied theater in university. I mean, I, I was running my own career as an artist, sort of just by instinct and, um, and learning from others as I went, and so I had no business training skill. Like, no skills whatsoever, really formally. And in a, in a, in a heartbeat, I said yes, because $5,000 to me at the time was a huge amount of money. I said yes, and, uh, I said, "But you, I think you have to call me the executive director. I don't want to be an office manager."
00:03:26,030 --> 00:03:26,350 [Jennifer Madigan]
Yeah. [laughs]
00:03:26,350 --> 00:04:08,600 [Erin Benjamin]
[laughs] So that is, uh, that is how I started. That was the first association. It w- it's now known as Folk Canada, actually. It's gone through a couple of name changes and different... It's evolved into something different than it was at the time that I became the first ever executive director. But it was through that organization that I really learned the power of the united voice and what we could do as a community to make positive impact and change for a group of people that I cared greatly about then, and very much, uh, still do today. Um, and, and ultimately went on to, to lead three organizations, uh, with that same sort of philosophy and theory that we were stronger together, and that by building a united voice, we could make real positive change.
00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:16,529 [Jennifer Madigan]
When you took over what would become the Canadian Live Music Association, what was the perception of live music that you were trying to change? Or was there a perception, I guess?
00:04:16,529 --> 00:05:55,220 [Erin Benjamin]
Well, no, for sure. So the founding board imagined for themselves a world where they had a united voice in live music. Every other segment or sector of the music industry in this country is represented by an, a trade association or an industry association, except for live music. And, uh, there was, uh, an opportunity in Ontario in the probably around 2010, 2012, when the government of the day was building something called the Ontario Music Fund, which today is known as the Ontario Music Investment Fund, as we've gone through different versions of the, of the program and different governments, but it still exists to this day. And the, and the government at the time was, uh, consulting with industry, and they were going to associations to ask for input. And they went to the recorded sector. So the, there are two different organizations who represent recorded music, major labels and independent labels, and the government asked them how they, the pro- the fund should respond to live music's needs. And of course, that was, uh, deeply, deeply frustrating to actual live music as folks, and so they decided in that moment to create the organization to ultimately change perceptions of the ro- the role that live music plays on behalf of artists and in the Canadian, and in and for the Canadian economy. So it was really an opportunity to... I always say it was a, it, it was our chance to g- to get organized internally and externally. Internally, the, the industry really needed to i- to, to put some, its cards on the table and say, "We wanna work together because we know we are stronger together." And externally, it, it was our opportunity to say to government, "Here is the value of our economic, cultural, and social contribution to Canada and to artists."
00:05:56,048 --> 00:06:20,388 [Jennifer Madigan]
Yeah, and you did re- remarkable job and spent years trying to convince governments, or convincing them actually, that live music is a lot more than culture, that it has the economic development, tourism, and community-building values. How do you reframe an issue in a way that gets people to pay attention? I mean, this, of all of the issues that governments have to pay attention to, I would imagine, you know, in the arts and culture space, that's even harder than in other spaces.
00:06:20,388 --> 00:06:29,338 [Erin Benjamin]
It's eternally hard, and it's, it's such a head-scratcher for me because I, I feel, not to be a bummer, but, like, I feel it's like a failure of my career is,
00:06:30,358 --> 00:08:15,348 [Erin Benjamin]
uh, having been unable to f- to finally cement better fiscal policy on behalf the, of the, at least the live performing arts. I mean, I could say creative industries. We look at film and television, and you've got some serious policy, uh, legislative, uh, policy that's not going anywhere. Um, but on the, on the live performance side, um, it s- it seems to be hit and miss over, over the decades. I've just never really understood why we haven't been able to make up more ground, and I think it's because ultimately the storytelling that we set out to do and, and the change we set out to achieve at the Canadian Live Music Association, and frankly every other organization I've, I've led, just hasn't landed in the way that... We, we still believe the arts are a nice to have, not a must have. And until we get there as a, as a culture, uh, we will never have the, the political heft of, of some of our, uh, even adjacent sectors. Um, you know, when our... Oh, and I don't want to jump any guns here, but the, the first ever economic impact study the, that I delivered at, in, in, on behalf of the Canadian Live Music Center, we, my- myself and my team, you know, we demonstrated our, our contribution to GDP and jobs and all of that, but we also showed that we were larger than fisheries and just slightly smaller than automotive in terms of contribution to the economy. And in, in that way, that was our, my way of finally saying, "Oh, they're, you know, they're never going to be able to look away from this again." But, you know, to this day I can confirm that, that live music still struggles to, to really convince government that we deserve, that it's in Canadians' best interest to really fix some strategic policy that incentivizes the growth of the sector.
00:08:16,488 --> 00:08:21,538 [Jennifer Madigan]
Why do you think that is when they have this, you know, evidence in front of them? Why do you think they still haven't made that shift?
00:08:21,538 --> 00:10:07,268 [Erin Benjamin]
Um, competing interests. We're not organized enough. Our lobby isn't big enough or strong enough. As despite the, uh, the, the, the great impact and the, the years of service of, uh, of those like me working behind the scenes in the music industry, and, and not just live, but the music industry broadly, uh, we just haven't been able to convince government for whatever reason. I honestly, I don't, I'm not sure I know because the economic arguments we make are the same we would make i- the approach, the strategy, same in every other sector. But I just think that deep down people, governments believe that this industry will always find a way. It always has. COVID was the first time in history the federal government had ever, ever put money into the commercial side of the live music sector, and that was to sustain the infrastructure. And our argument at the time was about infrastructure and, and, and enable, and ensuring we enabled the survival of that infrastructure for, so that artists of the future could have places to perform, that rebuilding that infrastructure would be much more costly than saving it in the moment. But I just, I'm just not sure I know. I think that, uh, the, the heritage portfolio d- ver- and I'm gonna say this with deep respect, um, is not the one everyone's clamoring to have. You know, deep respect to our current minister and all the ministers before. I mean, as far as I'm concerned, it's the most precious portfolio in, in so many ways because it, it helps us tell the stories about who we are and who we are becoming and who we want to be. I don't know any other sector that does that. Um, and I know this to be important to everyone, no matter what your job is. So I don't know. Um, I, I hope in my lifetime I, I see some really material, meaningful, permanent change in this regard and those that come after me, um, w- will be, uh, you know, will c- will con- are continuing this, um,
00:10:08,338 --> 00:10:19,848 [Erin Benjamin]
the conversation because it's, it's such a miss and we are so far behind globally when it comes to effective policy and, and therefore our ability to compete on a global stage.
00:10:19,848 --> 00:10:26,268 [Jennifer Madigan]
You still did have many successes. Are, are there any moments that really stood out for you amongst your career in music?
00:10:26,268 --> 00:10:50,888 [Erin Benjamin]
Oh, so many. And look, yeah, I mean, it's, it's, it's disappointing to me to, to reflect on that piece, but that's... But you're so right, like so many amazing things. I'm so proud of, um, m- our tiny team at the Canadian Live Music Association and, and, and the other, again, I have to acknowledge the other organizations that I led because they were all p- sort of part of my own journey as a leader as well and helped shaped, uh, my thinking and, uh, and approach and s- strategic sort of
00:10:51,928 --> 00:11:40,568 [Erin Benjamin]
ideation around how to create change. Certainly our success, I, I don't know, success is a weird word to use maybe, but the fact that the live music industry survived at all post-COVID, um, was down to the work of the Canadian Live Music Association and, and many others. I'm very proud of that because we had... Prior to that, we'd been saying the exact same things for, for years. So to view, to the point, like g- you know, government, you know, it, it was 20- the 2022 federal budget when we saw an allocation of $70 million for live music venues and live music operators, promoters, and there was a, there was a group there that was going to be serviced by this contribution. Never in the history of ever have we seen the words live music venues in a federal budget. And while, while some people may not read budgets like the rest of us do [chuckles]-
00:11:40,568 --> 00:11:40,758 [Jennifer Madigan]
Yes. [chuckles]
00:11:40,758 --> 00:12:47,272 [Erin Benjamin]
... that was a, that was a, an incredibly emotional moment for me, and it was, um, a very important moment for our industry. There was a, not just a sigh of relief, but a, I mean, a, uh, there was, it was desperate. There were d- there were, there was a lot of desperate moments in our industry during COVID and for those in the hardest hit. Anyone listening to this who worked in any tourism, travel, hospitality, live events knows exactly what I'm talking about during COVID. So that was a, that was a, you know, that was a really, the, that there was good leadership there and I'm proud of that. And then of, of course, I've referenced it, the, the first ever economic impact study of Canada's live music sector. We'd never counted ourselves. We didn't know how big or small we were, and I and my board had always said if we could just get some numbers on paper, surely we could, uh, we could walk with government arm in arm to that moment where we decide for once and all that, you know, really quality fiscal and cultural policy would be in the best interests of Canadians, the Canadian economy, Canadian artists. And so we released that in January of 2025, and boy, it feels like yesterday. Um,
00:12:48,412 --> 00:13:43,212 [Erin Benjamin]
and, uh, where we, where we identified that our industry is con- contributing almost 11 billion to GDP and creating over 101,000 jobs. A- and with- without... The point of this research was, and this is what I'm, I guess, proud of, is because we were able to draw a big red circle around the, the opportunity gap. Like, this is without any policy incentivizing growth. Imagine if we actually worked together to try to harness this industry, what could that look like? So those are two things that stood out to me, and then the last thing I might say is just, you know, wonderful, wonderful teams and working with incredible people. I'm very, very proud of the young people that, um, I was able to bring into organ- three organizations over time and, and the folks who remain at the Canadian Live Music Association today are some of the finest people I've ever had the privilege of working with, and they taught me a lot, and that, I carry that with me today. Um, uh, very meaningful relationships I've had over the years working with great people.
00:13:43,212 --> 00:13:52,152 [Jennifer Madigan]
Oh, that's amazing. When you're working in advocacy, how do you know when public opinion or government opinion is actually beginning to shift?
00:13:52,152 --> 00:14:55,632 [Erin Benjamin]
Uh, elected officials take your calls pretty quick. That happens. You know, again, during COVID, there, you know, it was crickets pre- uh, up until, like, we worked really hard the first year of COVID, and then by the time, when the, when we finally got to that budget, suddenly everyone wanted to talk to us, right? So that's one sign. I think that it, it's a really interesting question. I don't think there's a real science. I mean, I'm not a government relations person. I'm sort of, you know, as an association leader, I'm, I'm a bit more of a feel person because I r- you know, br- more of a b- a bridge builder than an actual sort of behind the scenes government relations person. So my perspective might be a little bit different than some others. But in terms of... I, you know, I think here's a great example. You know, all of the work that the Canadian Live Music Association has done has had a ripple effect, and even if I might be frustrated with the, with the lack of policy today, but there's a r- there's a slow and ever unfolding ripple effect. For example, Parliamentary Secretary David Miles is now doing a study as, inside the, uh, standing Committee on Canadian Heritage on the importance of small live music venues in Canada.
00:14:56,902 --> 00:15:34,202 [Erin Benjamin]
That's amazing, and, and I, I, I adore him. He's an incredible politician, he's an excellent musician, um, and he's a friend and, uh, just a terrific guy and, and has this line of sight that is unique to him possibly as a parliamentarian and, and as a result of some of the work that we've done, and others, and his own experience as a touring musician, he's able to maybe think about things that are important to the infrastructure of touring in this country. Obviously, a huge country. Touring infrastructure is fundamental to the career development of the artists that we know and love, and the ones we haven't met yet, but whose songs will change our lives. And, uh, uh,
00:15:35,312 --> 00:16:18,312 [Erin Benjamin]
in terms of changing hearts and minds inside Parliament, sometimes it takes that person so slowly seeping into the subconscious of folks who are, who get it, and whether they're in the, the heritage portfolio or elsewhere, or who are supporters and champions, and ultimately inside Parliament can help change, uh, minds or in, or educate others who may not have had the same sort of access to information or, or, or, uh, d- maybe they don't have folks in their ridings who have the same issues, et cetera. So I think that there's that, that opportunity is huge and can't be under, um, underappreciated when, when you can c- we, we have so many champions at, uh, uh, inside Parliament and, and they can really help open doors inside for you.
00:16:18,312 --> 00:16:35,192 [Jennifer Madigan]
You talked about bridge building, and I do think, like, there's, there are so many different types of roles in advocacy and in government relations and whatnot, but when it comes to building coalitions, that bridge building makes a huge difference. So I'm wondering how you build coalitions among, amongst people who don't always agree.
00:16:35,192 --> 00:16:55,122 [Erin Benjamin]
I've transitioned out of the live music industry now and into the Ottawa business community, and, and I'll, I'll try and see if I can build a bridge myself between those two worlds because this is, I mean, it's, it's really the, the work that I did in the, in the live music space and it got, got me so excited about the Ottawa business community that I wanted to come and try it here. It's about common ground.
00:16:55,122 --> 00:16:55,152 [Jennifer Madigan]
Right.
00:16:55,152 --> 00:18:24,504 [Erin Benjamin]
It's about identifying common ground. So I used to say that, you know, live music folks are, uh, uh, proprietary, territorial, elbows out competitors and entrepreneurs who don't play well in the sandbox together because they ha- they k- they keep their cards close to their chest, but everyone has common ground. Whatever that common ground is, is it, is it policy change? Is it access to capital or g- or government support? Is, whatever it is, is it, is it something municipal like bylaw changes? Is... So on everyone, we really set out to find that common ground because we knew if we could identify the common ground, we could, we could ultimately work together, if only on that common ground. And the secret ingredient is once you work together, you're more likely to like each other, and the more you like each other, the more willing you'll be to work together and, and, and, and, and find more common ground, and this is proven Over and over again, at least in my experience. So, um, well, you know, the, the live music sector, very diverse from the little guy to Live Nation, as I like to say, and there's a lot of friction inside that industry for a good reason, and, um, a lot of it, uh, has been a very un- it is a very... Well, I wouldn't, I don't know if unregulated is the right term, but it, it's not an industry that has worked in a coordinated fashion. The, the, the Canadian Live Music Association is only 12 years old. It, it's, uh, relatively, uh, Wild Westy in terms of unlike for s- I don't know, like education or medicine or like so many other sectors have, you know, rigorous
00:18:25,784 --> 00:19:29,804 [Erin Benjamin]
p- policy around them. And so this is a very different field, and, um, as a result, people have done things their own way, and, uh, very hard to wrangle tho- that group of folks to the table and, and very, very challenging. So I think in an Ottawa context, uh, it can be a lot easier when you're working with a... Well, so far I feel that the common ground in a city like Ottawa with the business community is very obvious to a lot of folks. You know, we wanna impact, uh, local prosperity, quality of life. Uh, we wanna create the conditions for business to thrive here. And so there's, there's, there's tons of common ground, and I'm really excited to start activating those networks here, and that's a big part of my new job is to bring folks together segment by segment. We have things called policy councils here, and I love the term because ultimately bringing people together with like common ground to identify policy opportunities, and therefore to ultimately move the needle on making change inside government in the best interests of not just of the business community because ultimately what is, is good for the business community tends to be good for the community community.
00:19:30,844 --> 00:19:39,624 [Jennifer Madigan]
Right. When you look at Ottawa today, what issue do you think deserves more attention than it's getting right now? Is there one or a few?
00:19:39,624 --> 00:21:25,824 [Erin Benjamin]
Well, we're in a municipal election year, right? And so I don't know if I can answer that question, uh, directly. I would say that, uh, we continue to have an incredible opportunity to work together. We have, uh, a strong mayor and council who have proven themselves from my perspective to be very amenable to collaboration. I do think that collaboration is at, will, is and will remain our greatest opportunity. So moving through the fall into the election and, and no matter who is sitting in, in, uh, chambers come October 27th, um, or whenever [laughs] the official turnover date is, the day I- the election's the 26th, the- our greatest opportunity will be opportunity and, and looking at that common ground and, and seeing where the gaps are. No, no matter if we're talking about housing or transit, energy, defense, all of the things that are ve- very much top of mind here at the Ottawa Board of Trade. So collaboration's in, and, and, and I don't think we've always been good at that here. Uh, I think that folks like the Board of Trade and friends at, uh, Invest Ottawa, Ottawa Tourism, many organizations, uh, have really worked to overcome that. And our, our... The momentum here is just remarkable. On the ground, I don't know if you feel the same way I do, but, um, things, uh, feel like they're changing at the speed of light here to me in terms of our ability to, uh, work together and, and I- and tackle big problems, and even small problems and, and different problems, and problems that have been, have, you know, perception problems or reputationally. You know, j- I could... Just the number of things happening in the summer. I mean, there's n- I could point to so many things about what the city's doing right right now. Um, it's a g- it's a great time to be collaborating and identifying opportunities and making change.
00:21:26,964 --> 00:21:47,203 [Jennifer Madigan]
It really does feel like an exciting time in the city right now, and I don't know if that- it's- if I'm in the bubble too, but, but I am feeling a bit of momentum there. You and I serve together on United Way East Ontario's board of directors, and community involvement has been constant throughout your career. I'm wondering why that part of things has been important to you throughout your career.
00:21:47,204 --> 00:21:51,264 [Erin Benjamin]
Well, first of all, congratulations on your appointment to board chair. This is incredible-
00:21:51,264 --> 00:21:51,964 [Jennifer Madigan]
Thank you
00:21:51,964 --> 00:22:56,804 [Erin Benjamin]
... for the organization and the community, and I'm very proud to serve this board, uh, and, and especially under your leadership. I think it's, uh, a very exciting times for that organization as well. And it's funny, I think that I, I can trace your question right back to the United Way very specifically in 2018 when there, there was a series of tornadoes that struck our s- beautiful city. And I got, I, I found that a very, um... I was personally... I wasn't personally impacted, but I watched the story unfold in the news, and I was very, very, very taken and moved by the affected families then because, I don't know, uh, tornadoes, they freak me out. I just... We always, there's always weather, severe weather events. This one really got to me. And, um, I, um, I, I set out to raise money for the affected families, and ultimately, uh, me and many of my incredible colleagues and friends worked together to produce a concert that we called After the Storm, which was the name of the emergency, um, strategy that, that, uh, was used to capture all of the work that went into post-tornadoes, After the Storm.
00:22:56,804 --> 00:22:57,354 [Jennifer Madigan]
Mm-hmm.
00:22:57,354 --> 00:23:26,064 [Erin Benjamin]
And the United Way very, [laughs] uh... Well, the United Way helped, uh... They were the fundraising organization for that concert, and because they were working as part of the emergency response network for the After the Storm movement. And so I got connected with United Way for the first time, and, and I sort of got brought into the United Way family, and they very kindly gave me r- some recogn- uh, the Community Ambassador Award, which was just, like, I still can't believe that. It was just the, the highlight of my life that night with the, the gala.
00:23:26,064 --> 00:23:26,114 [Jennifer Madigan]
Aw.
00:23:26,114 --> 00:24:28,654 [Erin Benjamin]
It was just incredible. But I, but I guess then before that, there's, um, my work with the Unison Fund, uh, Canada's leading music industry charity. They raise funds for artists in industry in need, and I served on that board for many years and was chair during COVID. And I guess, I, I, I mean, I think my parents instilled this quality in me. My mom is always, still does, uh, volunteer for, for various charities, and I just understand d- deeply how important it is to give back, um, and to be part of something that isn't just about industry. I do... I say things like ... you know, economic impact a hundred million times a day, and that is, that is great, but that doesn't define who I am and my values exclusively. I care extreme- it's one reason why I've come to work at the municipal level after serving at the national level, and before that provincially. Working locally to me really, really matters, and my community matters to me, whether that's the, my music family or my, my, uh, my Ottawa family. And I
00:24:30,214 --> 00:25:23,234 [Erin Benjamin]
can't see why I wouldn't do that. [laughs] It see- there are so many charities who need so much support, and being a board member at any organization is a deep privilege. Being able to help an organization like the United Way make strategic choices about impact is an incredible honor, and it really matters to me. And also, the last thing I'll say about this is that I'm trying to inspire my children to grow up with the same mindset, and I think I, I think, you know, leading with empathy has always been my MO. It's why I've been proud to have amazing teams, right? I mean, for as a, as a leader I'm a, I'm a ch- people first person, and my neighbors and, um, my neighborhood and, um, my extended Ottawa family are very important to me. I want health and happiness, [laughs] it sounds super naive, but for everyone, and everyone has a small part to play in that.
00:25:23,234 --> 00:25:32,994 [Jennifer Madigan]
Yeah. No, no, I completely understand it. I'm wondering, do you think it also helps you be a better advocate or do you think it's contributed to the work that you do day to day as well?
00:25:32,994 --> 00:25:53,084 [Erin Benjamin]
Yeah, totally. I mean, it's a holistic approach to city building, and you can't just, like I say, it can't just be about repres- like working at the Board of Trade or representing the business community, although it's very, very important to me and has been for a long time, long before I took this job, uh, as a former board member of the Ottawa Board of Trade for many years during COVID as well. There was a lot going on during COVID. [laughs]
00:25:53,084 --> 00:25:53,164 [Jennifer Madigan]
[laughs]
00:25:53,164 --> 00:26:37,594 [Erin Benjamin]
Um, but, uh, no, absolutely. Look, I mean, I think we all have a responsibility to our neighbor. I've just said it, I'm gonna repeat myself. Um, and that the more we understand that, it's the same, it's the same ethos I had as leading the Canadian Live Music Association. I mean, we're all in this together, and the more we see the intersectionality, whether we're talking about policy, uh, whether we're talking about, uh, neighborhood action, whether we're talking about municipal politics, we're all in this together. Instead, and understanding our role and responsibility as a human being for the short time we're on this planet brings me, I think, great clarity to why I'm here in the first place, and I just wish I could d- I wish I could do more. I always talk about, like retire- what would you do if you w- if you retired? I'm like, "Oh, one day I'm [laughs] gonna retire." I, not today.
00:26:37,594 --> 00:26:38,644 [Jennifer Madigan]
One day. [laughs]
00:26:38,644 --> 00:27:08,654 [Erin Benjamin]
But, uh, and I, I've always said like, I will volunteer as much as I possibly can. I would like to do more of it because I think it's just so rewarding, and there are so many incredible organizations doing work that I'll never get to do i- in a really like direct hands-on way. So many, a- and, and connected to so many challenges that we have here in this city that it, and that it takes a village to overcome those challenges, and all of us working together more than ever. So yeah, I mean, I, I would like to do more of that work and hopefully I'll get to in the future because it's, um, it really is the point of it all.
00:27:09,954 --> 00:27:26,154 [Jennifer Madigan]
Yeah, my favorite part of any event tied to United Way is when they have someone come up and talk about their story, about the impact that the, the organization is having, maybe through a micro-grant or through funding a program. It's just, it is, there's so many people doing incredible things in our community, so.
00:27:26,154 --> 00:28:02,934 [Erin Benjamin]
Yeah, and when you walk down the street, and anyone who has a, an, a negative or untoward sort of comment tossed in Ottawa's direction just simply cannot see the kind of empathy that those of us who have lived here or are either from here or have lived here a lo- for a long time like myself, we have for our community. And the way that the city works together, and again, I'll come back to my theme of collaboration, I've never seen anything like it. And I'm not from here. Um, I've lived in a few diff- places, um, across Canada and in the world, but I'm, I was taken by the city and more so every day by our ability to understand
00:28:04,194 --> 00:28:09,714 [Erin Benjamin]
the, what I'm talking about and the, the, the idea of working together and creating that impact. It's quite special.
00:28:10,874 --> 00:28:11,274 [Jennifer Madigan]
Mm-hmm.
00:28:12,374 --> 00:28:20,634 [Jennifer Madigan]
For any leaders out there who are trying to advance an issue they really care about, what do you think there's one thing they should start doing right away or one thing they should stop doing right away?
00:28:20,634 --> 00:28:38,504 [Erin Benjamin]
I, I think it would depend on the, on the sector. I would say stop talking to the media about the problem and start getting strategic and building relationships so that behind the scenes you can try and solve problems without going public. I don't know if we're go for ... I went straight there in my mind. I don't know if this is helpful advice.
00:28:38,504 --> 00:28:39,314 [Jennifer Madigan]
No. [laughs]
00:28:39,314 --> 00:28:46,994 [Erin Benjamin]
I, I get very frustrated when I see organizations talking to the media about things that could easily be resolved with better relationships.
00:28:46,994 --> 00:28:47,013 [Jennifer Madigan]
Yeah.
00:28:47,014 --> 00:29:01,114 [Erin Benjamin]
So I think that listening is number one, consultation. I didn't know that as a young leader, by the way. I'm an I learn the hard way. I have some tattoos on my arm that remind me to stop talking and listen.
00:29:01,114 --> 00:29:01,354 [Jennifer Madigan]
Really?
00:29:01,354 --> 00:29:11,314 [Erin Benjamin]
And, um, yep. I had a very bad day when, in ear- in the early days of association leadership and I walked [laughs] Rideau Street and got some ink on my arm so that I would never-
00:29:11,314 --> 00:29:12,384 [Jennifer Madigan]
What do they say?
00:29:12,384 --> 00:29:12,504 [Erin Benjamin]
... hopefully-
00:29:12,504 --> 00:29:13,774 [Jennifer Madigan]
I need to know. [laughs]
00:29:13,774 --> 00:29:16,814 [Erin Benjamin]
Well, I'll, I'll, I'll tell you another time. Maybe at a United Way board meeting.
00:29:16,814 --> 00:29:17,114 [Jennifer Madigan]
Okay. [laughs]
00:29:17,114 --> 00:31:13,578 [Erin Benjamin]
But, uh, but I think that listening, listening is, and, and, and being attuned, whether it's to your team, to your family, to your community, to your, to your, your colleagues and peers and, uh, um, making sure that you're, that you've got all the perspectives that you need before making decisions, very important. And I do, I, I think that building relationships, like obviously this sounds maybe obvious, but if you're not out there networking on behalf of your organization and building more relationships with both the unusual suspects and the u- maintaining the usual suspects, uh, those r- those relationships, that you're missing an opportunity. I say this to young people all the time, especially my own kids, and any time I get to be in front of a class or, or a group of people that, um, this world is built on who you know. And sometimes as organizations, especially small ones, we maybe take for granted that people understand who we are and what we're about. And you can never have enough conversations about- ... what you're doing and, and why your vision matters, and, and really building, maybe you're building up empathy, maybe you're building up awareness, maybe you're educating folks. But the more relationships you have, and you asked me how, how we, how we change hearts and minds in government or along those lines, and it's really about relationships. I can walk over to Parliament Hill and, and, and give a bunch of parliamentarians hugs at this point in my career because we're friends. We like each other. We spend time together when we can. We've built those relationships. We don't always agree on everything. Not a chance, right? There's only so much sometimes they're gonna be able to do for me in the ask department. But having those relationships at any level of government, inside your community, cross-sectorally, or whatever, it is really, I think, a, an important place to focus at all times. It isn't just about the value proposition you deli- you deliver to your members. It isn't just about your ability to impact economically, culturally, or socially. It is about
00:31:14,778 --> 00:31:37,368 [Erin Benjamin]
empathy and caring and, and, uh, nurturing relationships because you never know when you're gonna need someone, that one person who you haven't met yet, who's gonna help make a decision that's gonna change your life. So I hope that's not too long an, an meandering an answer, but I, but I really believe that relationships are the, are the, are really what it's about, in addition to all the other things I've declared it's about. [laughs]
00:31:37,368 --> 00:31:37,398 [Jennifer Madigan]
[laughs]
00:31:37,398 --> 00:31:41,998 [Erin Benjamin]
And, uh, but just so important to, um, being able to create impact. Yeah.
00:31:41,998 --> 00:32:01,578 [Jennifer Madigan]
No, I love it, and I think especially in a, in a city like Ottawa, I grew up in Mississauga, and I came to Ottawa, and it's like a, it's a big city that feels like... Everyone says this. It feels like a small town, right? And you never know when those relationships, when you might cross paths with someone again, I find, in Ottawa. So I think that that sort of thing is especially important here. But everywhere.
00:32:01,578 --> 00:33:31,438 [Erin Benjamin]
No, it's so true. I grew up in Toronto. I lived in Montreal, and then I lived in, uh, small town northern Ontario, um, and various places, and for as I was, when I was an artist, and, um, yeah, I mean, it's, it's, it's really true. I don't think it's rocket science. Like, I don't think it's complicated, and easy for me to say, possibly. Like, I grew up b- I'm, I consider myself to be an insanely privileged human being who has, uh, had a lot of access to incredible things, like an education, um, and a full fridge, and all of these things, and I'm very grateful for that, and never, ever... Well, I try very hard not to take that for granted. And remember that other people have lived very different lives, uh, that would bring me back to why, um, volunteering is so important and trying to give back. But ultimately, um, i- in the, you know, I know our, our, our mayor is on his, uh, kindness journey, um, which I think is a beautiful idea, and if we all take a moment to remember the empathy piece, I think that's what sets Ottawa apart. I mean, I just sense that every day, whether I know someone or not here. And I don't wanna go on and on. Like, it's g- like, I don't wanna belabor at this point, but I do think that it's really important to note that we have a, something special in the water in the city, and, uh, not to take it for granted and, and to understand how to talk about it a bit so that we can inspire others to hopefully feel the same way, uh, and leverage it for their own impact.
00:33:31,438 --> 00:33:36,358 [Jennifer Madigan]
Absolutely. Thank you so much for giving us so much of your time today. It was really great chatting with you.
00:33:36,358 --> 00:33:58,478 [Erin Benjamin]
Likewise. Great questions, and thank you again for all that you're doing to give back to the community. Your leadership is amazing, and the energy that you bring to the table is just, it's warm and wonderful and smart and strategic, and this is, these are the ingredients for a successful organization and, and, and, and I think for the city that Ottawa's becoming, too. So it's just great to get to work with you.
00:33:58,478 --> 00:34:13,838 [Jennifer Madigan]
Oh, thank you so much. [upbeat music] That's it for today's episode of Message Received. If you enjoyed listening, follow or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and you can find more from Syntax Strategic on LinkedIn and at syntaxstrategic.ca. I'm Jennifer Madigan.