Author Blaise Hunter honoured with national Influencer Award

A local author and motivational speaker has been recognized with a national award.

Blaise Hunter is a Women of Inspiration – Influencer award winner this year from the Universal Women’s Network’s virtual awards gala on Saturday, which is presented to the woman who has a global vision coupled with a contagious message to share with the world.

The former Lakeland area author wrote Heroine: Embrace Your Flaws & Own Your Awesome in 2018, and since then has expanded her message about infertility to inner strength and purpose for a broader audience.

Hunter said she heard she was nominated in July, but she doesn’t know who put her name forward.

“Somebody nominated me. I’m not sure who so it’s still a mystery, but I’m very thankful and just appreciative that what I’m doing is being noticed by people so that was an incredible honor just to be nominated,” she said.

“There was 150 finalists. And they have been so encouraging, so supportive. They’re all strangers to me. And yet I get messages every day encouraging me, how can they help me, how they can connect with me. How can they leverage my business with their business?

“It’s an incredible group of women that are just accomplished and doing amazing things in this world and truly making an impact.”

Partnering with the Dragonfly Centre in 2018, they began Footprints infertility and pregnancy loss support group, to help couples overcome pregnancy loss.

Hunter has been busy in the past year and a half, moving to England for six months, before returning to Alberta and settling in Medicine Hat.

In the COVID world, she has found new ways to expand her reach as the past several months have been a challenging time for many.

“My business and my model is all about is you got to lean into it and turn your pain into your gift,” said Hunter.

“With COVID, everyone in this world is experiencing some sort of setback? And how do we still be fertile in our lives amongst a barren season? That can apply to anyone male or female.

“Whether you’re having infertility or loss issues physically, or with your own business, or just with your current purpose, or your passions: how do we stay on that line of our purpose-driven and have passion and fire for our life when we’re facing all these blows.”

The Universal Womens Network is a global platform based out of Calgary committed to gender equality and helping advance women in their communities and workplaces.

“We are advocates of women-owned and women-led businesses, and champion female entrepreneurs,” said CEO Monica Kretschmer in a press release.

While Hunter is preparing for another move to British Columbia in the coming weeks, she continues to share her message on her website and podcast Blaise the Trail.

“This award means my voice is being heard. The more battle cries we can unleash upon this world, the more change we will see.”