When her name was called out, Janet Bannister leapt to the stage, shaking hands with the event organizers. She pulled the microphone away from the podium and cleared her throat. She paced the staged with the energy of a stand-up comic, drifting from one end to the other, engaging both sides of the packed room. She wore a near-permanent smile, punctuating her speech with laughs. She was excited to share her message with the audience.
鈥淚 love meeting...people,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a pleasure to be here tonight.鈥�
The crowd gave her their full-attention, chuckling at her jokes and applauding her anecdotes. After a long evening of speeches and meals, Janet Bannister was the main event.
Bannister was the guest speaker at the 20th annual Yorkton Chamber of Commerce (YCC) business dinner on May 9. Dozens of people filled St. Mary鈥檚 Cultural Centre for the event. Mayor Bob Maloney and MLA Greg Ottenbreit were in attendance.
YCC reached out to Bannister to be their guest speaker and she eagerly accepted.
鈥淚鈥檓 so happy to be here in Yorkton,鈥� she said. It was her first-ever visit to the Saskatchewan town.
Bannister, a partner with Real Ventures, is perhaps best known for founding and growing Kijiji, the popular online classified advertising service. Bannister, who often speaks with business owners and entrepreneurs, uses her life experiences to highlight the themes of her speeches.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to talk about my story and the lessons I鈥檝e learned along the way,鈥� she said.
Bannister loves speaking with business-minded people.
鈥淚 have so much respect for [them],鈥� she said.
Bannister鈥檚 main topics included persistence, determination, and following your passions.
鈥淥ften when you鈥檙e feeling you need to give up, that鈥檚 when you need to double-down,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 never a straight line to success.鈥�
Bannister encountered hurdles early in her business career. She sold homemade muffins as a teenager, walking up and down Toronto streets trying to get stores to carry her goods. She heard plenty of 鈥渘o鈥檚鈥� but she persisted until a few stores accepted her baked food.
鈥淚t was a great learning experience,鈥� she said. 鈥淒on鈥檛 change your goal; change how you鈥檙e going to get there.
鈥淕rit and perseverance are often the difference makers.鈥�
After college, Bannister moved to Silicon Valley to work for eBay. She focused on improving the company鈥檚 online capabilities.
鈥淚 combine analytical thinking and creativity,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 enjoyed the entrepreneurial spirit in California.鈥�
Bannister鈥檚 time in California, while positive, made her appreciate her home country. She moved back to Canada with her husband. She developed the idea that would evolve into Kijiji. eBay told her she could lead the new service in Canada, but she wouldn鈥檛 have a safety net.
鈥淸eBay told me] if [Kijiji] isn鈥檛 successful, [I] might not have a job here,鈥� she said. 鈥淪ometimes I like to be the master of my own fate.鈥�
Bannister grew Kijiji into its popular form. emphasizing the customer experience.
鈥淭his isn鈥檛 just a site to make money,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e had a greater mission.
鈥淲e almost talked about [Kijiji] like a utility.鈥�
Bannister wrapped up her career story by encouraging the audience to seize onto the their passions.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to listen to your heart,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so easy to do what people expect you to do.鈥�
Bannister fielded questions from the crowd, including topics of female representation in the business world, encouraging children to follow their dreams, and how to overcome personal and professional obstacles.
鈥淒on鈥檛 worry about not knowing everything,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to make mistakes.
鈥淭hey make you a stronger person.鈥�
