“Be hopeful. Lead with hope” - A Conversation With Former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama came across in person exactly as you’d expect: at times serious; at others laugh-out-loud funny but throughout she maintained the dignity, grace and approachability that the world has come to adore.

The Queen Elizabeth theatre was packed out, with tickets for Greater Vancouver Board of Trade’s event selling out in a matter of minutes. PwC had bought a few tickets, and thanks to an internal competition and a few strokes of luck, two of those tickets landed in our extremely grateful hands.

As we took our seats, the atmosphere in the theatre was palpable: the anticipation of being in the audience of the former First Lady of the United States caused much good humor, positivity and energy, with lots of acquainting or reacquainting taking place, whether familiar faces or new.

Introductions were given by event hosts and sponsors Iain Black and Anne Giardini, President and Chair (respectively) of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. Their tribute brought the audience to their feet as they welcomed Michelle Obama on stage accompanied by the evening’s moderator, Tamara Vrooman, President and CEO of Vancity. 

For the next hour, Tamara and Michelle captivated the audience. They spoke of Michelle’s time before, during and after the White House; her goals and ambitions, and unique view from which she has seen the world. Michelle stressed the importance of the causes most dear to her: the inspiration of young women and girls and their inclusion in the highest stratas of leadership; nutrition, exercise, and the central role that families play in the creation of healthy foundations; and the need for systemic change in America’s education system in order to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to build a fruitful and meaningful life. Their dialogue offered something for everyone in the room.

Michelle reinforced the fact that elevating female leaders is the responsibility of all - especially current decision makers, namely men. Michelle professed, “men, you still run everything. This is your mess - fix it!” Despite Michelle’s criticism of the current state of affairs she gave male and female leaders a viable pathway to positive change and highlighted the need for men to bring in more female leadership to the tables of decision making. She emphasized the emotional impact of the current state of equality and asked the fathers in the room if to look at their work and envisage if it is the kind of place they would like their daughters to work someday. It was at this point that the audience truly felt the full magnitude of her words.

“Men, you still run everything. This is your mess - fix it!”

Michelle highlighted the power of education and emphasized the personal responsibility of those who have achieved their goals to insure they are taking steps to inspire others to do the same. As First Lady, she lamented that, “if I looked someone in the eyes and said ‘I am proud of you, I believe in you’, that could have an incredible impact on their future,” yet Michelle also underscored the ability of each of us to inspire others and implored us to use her same words in our daily interactions.

“I am proud of you, I believe in you”

Overall, what shone through most brightly was Michelle Obama’s positivity. She consistently weaved messages of shared optimism into her answers, including encouraging us to move beyond negative voices around us, as the vast majority of voices are positive – “there is way more good than there is not”. She spoke of her days canvassing on behalf of her husband, having “kitchen table conversations” with people from all walks of life - something most people don’t really ever get to do. This, she says, cemented her belief that “we are basically just good, decent people”. Her message of hope, optimism, and kindness was infectious and stayed with us as we filed out of the theatre and back into our day to day lives.

“There is way more good than there is not.”

We would like to thank all those who had a hand in organizing the event with a particular nod to The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and Vancity for spearheading this wonderful opportunity for inspiration. Additionally, we would like to take a moment to show some pride for our own employer who is in many ways bringing Michelle’s message to life. PwC’s commitment to the HeforShe program has helped to transform our organization for the better and demonstrates in full force the benefits of elevating female leadership and creating an inclusive and diverse workplace for all. These intentional steps are not just good for business, they are a genuine and unaffected desire to create lasting change and to leave the world better off.

by PwC staff Charlotte Lyons and Brendon Dawson, Mar 5, 2018 - Vancouver BC