Earlier this month, I attended the TELUS Creator Summit with several of my fellow #telus_partner members. As always, returning from a few days with TELUS in Vancouver, I am on a high.
Disclaimer – This post was written in partnership with TELUS as part of their #TELUS_partner program. All thoughts and opinions expressed on this blog are honest and my own.
I feel renewed in creativity, full of useful knowledge and information, and my heart is full because of the acts of giving included in our TELUS Creator Summit experience. It’s taken me two weeks to process all of the information and reflect upon our experiences. This was truly one of the greatest experiences I have had. Not only were the TELUS experiences well organized and informative, and we gained a lot of insight into the company and their philosophy, but the group of content creators I was with were amazing.
TELUS Creator Summit
TELUS Days of Giving – PADS
While many people know TELUS as being a network provider, they may not be aware of all of the other things TELUS is known for. One of the things that makes me proud to partner with TELUS is that we share the same philosophy of giving back to community and making a positive impact where we live.
TELUS Days of Giving is just one of many opportunities for the TELUS team to volunteer throughout the year. Since 2000, with team members and retirees, they have contributed more than $525 million to charitable and community organizations and volunteered 8.7 million hours of service in their communities. This is why TELUS is Canada’s #MostGivingCompany.
We were able to give back while we were in Vancouver by volunteering at PADS. PADS (Pacific Assistance Dogs Society) breeds, raises, trains and supports certified assistance dogs, partnering them with people living with disabilities, and with community care professionals. The work they do there has a huge impact on the lives of those who rely on the assistance of these special dogs.
We got to learn about what PADS does, how they train their assistance dogs, and we learned about their clients and how the dogs help them. While at PADS, our team also rolled up our sleeves and gave back by cutting grass, pulling weeds, cleaning out sheds, and doing some general work around the property.
We got a good section of the property cleaned up by removing weeds and doing other jobs around the place. Casie looks cute even when working away at weeding!
PADS also received a donation from TELUS.
Okay, I’m also a dog lover with two dogs of my own. Being around the dogs and pups at PADS definitely made my day.
TELUS Health for Good
Many people I speak to are surprisingly unaware of TELUS’ involvement in healthcare. At the TELUS Creator Summit, we learned firsthand about TELUS Health/Health for Good.
We travelled to the East Hastings area to learn about how TELUS is having an impact on Canadians living with homelessness by providing them healthcare.
Providing healthcare to people on the streets can be a challenge, as they may not always be able to visit a doctor. TELUS’ Mobile Health Clinic is a health clinic on wheels and it is equipped with TELUS LTE Wi-Fi network technology and TELUS Health electronic medical records.
The mobile health clinic has everything needed to provide care to those who need it. It is equipped with a reception area, examination room, doctor’s work station, and it is designed to meet the needs of this portion of the population while providing compassionate care where and when they need it the most.
TELUS believes that everyone deserves access to healthcare regardless of their socio-economic status and they are committed to improving the lives and healthcare experiences of Canadians by revolutionizing access to information and care through digital products and tools that lead to better overall health experiences.
We were able to go into the mobile health clinic on location and check it out. I was impressed that it really was a doctor’s office on wheels. This is once again, another reason I feel really proud to be aligned with such an incredible company.
TELUS Network
When people hear the name TELUS, network is probably the first thought that comes to mind. Did you know that TELUS is officially Canada’s largest and fastest network and that they have won every major network award two years in a row for network speeds and quality performance?
I can attest to that, as I use my phone for work and personal use whether I am travelling overseas, to remote areas, or even if I’m just at the lake relaxing with friends and family. I can rest assured that if I need to get an email sent out to a client or make a quick work call even if I am in the mountains, I can! Case in point, I was able to work from my phone and keep in touch with my husband when I was in Hawaii. More recently, when I was at the Creator Summit in Vancouver, I was able to share videos and photos with those who matter to me most — while we were in the mountains!
We spent the day at Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver, explored and went zip lining. I have to tell you that I conquered my lifelong fear of heights at Grouse Mountain when I went zip lining!
While exploring, I was able to share with my family because of our largest and fastest network — TELUS! Because TELUS is focused on bridging the digital divide and providing next generation services to all Canadians (both rural and urban), they are enabling a more connected digital life for all Canadians. They make it easier to stay connected. I moved from an urban environment to a rural one 15 years ago, so I can attest to the reliable network coverage. Since I work remotely as a Digital Strategist and a Social Media Community Manager for several clients, I rely on my network for work.
TELUS Optik TV
While sadly for Ontarians and Canadians who do not live in British Columbia, Alberta or Quebec, Optik TV is not available for us presently. 
We did get a chance to experience Optik TV at the TELUS Optik TV & Movie Night during the Creator Summit!
I’m a bit jealous that we don’t have Optik TV in Ontario! The new Optik TV® packages now include premium entertainment options like Netflix and Crave + Movies + HBO. TELUS Optik TV is the first and only provider in Canada to offer Netflix and Crave + Movies + HBO and more bundled directly into TV packages. Before these were add-on options, but now they are included! Just choose and customize your theme pack.
Another thing is that with TELUS Home Assistant, only TELUS Optik TV gives you hands-free control of your TV! How cool is that?
TELUS Wise – Digital Well Being Workshop
As someone who works online, I admit that I spend a lot of time looking at a screen. I also admit that I find it challenging to leave work at work, because work happens to be in my home office…and with me wherever I go (my mobile device). Though I work remotely, one would think I can easily arrange my work schedule to suit my lifestyle, and while sometimes that is true, most of the time I do stick to a 9am to 3pm work schedule when doing client work. I work from an office that just happens to be in my home.
Admittedly, I am trying to learn to disconnect and unplug a bit more and live in the present.
Smartphones and social media are consuming more and more of our time than ever before. I think it is a great thing that TELUS Wise can help Canadians stay healthy in our digital world. I think it’s incredibly important to have a healthy relationship with technology and our digital life.
TELUS Wise happiness engages teen students in a conversation about building and maintaining a healthy relationship with technology offers tips on well-being in our connected world.
We ended the TELUS Creator Summit with a Digital Well Being Workshop that included doing yoga. 
I think I will have to expand on this part in a separate post, because I really want to talk about FOMO vs. JOMO. You see, I have always been a go, go, go, attend every social function, host all the dinner parties, attend every event kind of person. I have always been social and I thrive on being in the company of others. I wouldn’t say my Fear of Missing Out was because I was afraid to miss out on things, but more that I really just love being with people. At the TELUS Digital Well Being Workshop, I learned about JOMO — the Joy of Missing Out. Quite frankly, it sounds amazing. It’s something I want to explore more and embrace. I’m working on my JOMO. Blog post about that to come!
I learned a lot at the Creator Summit and came out feeling refreshed and inspired. Many thanks to the incredible folks at TELUS for putting together such a wonderful event. Big thanks go out to my fellow content creators. What a fun few days we shared!
If you have a chance, I highly encourage you to check out my fellow content creators and say hi!
Check out their posts that they shared from the TELUS Creator Summit!
I didn’t know TELUS did all that! Sounds like a great company..
Yes! Eva, there are so many amazing things that TELUS does that many people may not even be aware of. I am hoping my posts bring awareness to the incredible things the company does!
I had no idea that Telus did all that! That is great. Thought they were just a phone company.
Jules, glad I was able to share more about TELUS and what they do for their community!