For the Honourable Marci Ien, speaking up has never been optional — it’s always been the job. Whether in front of a camera, across the floor of Parliament, or in the rooms where policy gets made, she has spent a career being what she calls “squeaky”, speaking up, even when it’s uncomfortable, even when she’s the only one in the room who looks like her.

As Canada’s former Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, Marci turned the role into a mandate for real, lasting change. Under her leadership, the federal government committed historic levels of funding to fight discrimination and create safer, more welcoming spaces for all Canadians. She helped launched Canada’s first-ever National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence and its first 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan.

Marci recently joined us “Inside Our Boardroom” to talk about the power of using your voice and owning your seat at the table, elevating women in leadership, and leaning into discomfort to grow.

Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

From Newsroom to Parliament: Overcoming Impostor Syndrome

Speakers Spotlight: It’s a big transition going from journalism to politics, how did you overcome self-doubt?

The Hon. Marci Ien: I remember the first time I walked into the great halls inside of Parliament and looked at all the pictures on the walls. None of them looked like me and I thought, what am I doing here? This is too much. Can I even contribute in a way that I’m meant to contribute? Yes, could. But did I doubt myself? Of course.

I walked into a place where people had been politicians for years. They knew what they were doing. This wasn’t a newsroom where I knew what I was doing. This was cabinet, this was the legislature, this was Parliament Hill. I knew how to ask those people questions, but I didn’t quite know how to be those people.

What I found was that being myself, just being who I was, and even admitting that I didn’t know something made all the difference. I asked questions and I surrounded myself with a team that knew things, that lifted me. But did I have impostor syndrome? Absolutely. Did I overcome it? Yes. But I always thought about the people that had put me there, the people that had voted for me, and that believed in me. That helped me to believe in myself more.

The Art of the Pivot: Why Discomfort Is Where Growth Happens

SpSp: Why is it important to pivot and keep an eye out for the opportunity to do so?

MI: If you can do something with your eyes closed and you’re not really learning anymore, then maybe it’s time to think about changing. That’s a scary thing for some, but it’s also really exciting. I’ve lived that.

Taking chances aren’t easy, especially when you have responsibility. I have two kids and yet took chances because I wanted to show them that they have a brave mom. I also wanted to show women that might be watching or interested in my story that these things are possible. That life doesn’t stop when you’re 40 or 50, and that being uncomfortable is probably the best place to be because then you’re learning. It means exciting things are happening.

When you’re too comfortable, that’s the dangerous place to be. It means that you’ve kind of stopped. You’re stagnant. There’s nothing interesting coming your way. You’re putting one foot in front of the other, but you’re not doing anything that’s particularly special. I encourage people to leap even when they don’t think they have the strength to because we often underestimate ourselves, especially women. We think we’re not qualified, that we can’t do it, we have time constraints, all of these different things, but we are more powerful and way smarter than we think we are. That’s why the art of the pivot, of jumping, of diving into something new is important. It’s invigorating.

Being “Squeaky”: Finding Your Voice and Using It

SpSp: You call yourself “squeaky”. What does that mean and how has it helped you?

MI: I’ve always been in places where I was trailblazing in some way and I knew that I was a voice for many. So if I didn’t see the representation, whether it was women or people of colour, I spoke up. As a young reporter in a newsroom, you don’t always have that power. But as I rose up in rank and I could use my voice more, I absolutely did. I did when it came to the hiring process, and in my interviews – I pushed people in interviews. There were some pretty tense ones with politicians through the years, and I learned not to go easy when it was important to speak up. I hope I did the people justice who depended on me the most to speak up.

Years ago, I was the first person to interview Justin Trudeau after Blackface. I went to Ottawa and it was Black History Month and we sat in two chairs and I asked some tough questions. I think the first thing I said was, I’ve got a young son at home who’s wondering about what his prime minister did. We had an excellent conversation, an honest conversation. It’s part of the reason I wanted to run because I remembered that interview and what he said during that interview. So being “squeaky” means standing up. It means, even when you’re afraid to, even when you’re an only, even when there can be repercussions, you stand.

Women in the Workplace: The Wins, the Gaps, and What’s Next

SpSp: Drawing on your experience as Minister for Women as well as your decades in journalism, what stands out as victories for woman in the workplace, and where would you like to see us going?

MI: We’ve got a lot of women in the workplace now. I think it’s about 80% of women working. What we’re not seeing enough of are women in C-suite in this country. We also need more when it comes to diversity. Not just diversity of race and age but diversity of thought. When people come from different places and have different backgrounds and different journeys, they bring a lot to the table.

We need more women in positions of power. That however takes allyship and that’s why more men need to hear about this because they can be allies and they can bring those women in. Women will support women. We also need men supporting women, men that are in those C-suites saying, “Listen, it would be great if we could reach out to qualified women and have them sit on this board.” We need to do better that way.

Now, diversity. When I was in media, all of my bosses except for two, for the more than 25 years that I was there, were women. What I never had was a woman of color as an executive. So when we talk about diversity, we have to get to the nitty-gritty. Because sometimes if we are seeing wins for women in certain places, we’re not always seeing wins for all women. That’s really important, because we’re not really representing what this country looks like otherwise. Hearing from voices, all voices, is so instrumental. That’s something that I’d want to see more of in the future. Women in powerful leadership positions in the C-suite of this country.

Working with Younger Generations

SpSp: As the former Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, do we underestimate younger generations?

MI: My best advisors were my youngest ones because they looked at things differently. What I realized quickly is it’s not about them just being the future, they’re the right now. They are saying and doing things and backing those things up, that we’re afraid to do and sometimes afraid to say. They’re calling us out on environmental issues. They’re calling us out on a lack of policies that benefit them directly, not just their parents, but them. They want to vote and they want to do so at a younger age. They deserve to be heard. They deserve to have a voice at many tables.

I often look at boards and various companies and think to myself, you would be well served if you incorporated some younger people with some newer ideas that have different skill sets. Young people are worried. They’re anxious. Mental health is skyrocketing because they don’t think that they are going to have what their parents had for the first time. Will they ever be able to buy a house? Will they be able to afford what their parents did? Will they ever have stability? They’re anxious and we need to do better by them. That starts with listening, understanding, and also taking some of their advice and actually implementing it into policies, into how we live and work. We can do better.

Hire Marci Ien to Speak at Your Event

Throughout her remarkable legacy in both public service and media, the Honourable Marci Ien has always remained grounded in one powerful principle — great leadership begins with listening. She believes in always learning, leading with empathy, and creating space for others to rise. As a keynote speaker, Marci share lessons in leadership, empowerment, and the art of the pivot.

Contact us to learn more about Marci and how to bring her to your next event.