It’s really about being very, very early in the morning. I always started working super early. Usually around 5am. I try to stretch that out to 6 p.m…. vacation not vacation, weekend, weekday, it’s my natural rhythm. It started when I had children. I had a career, the father of my children did too, so that was kind of the deal, originally: I left super early, that allowed me to be there earlier at the end of the day. Then it seems like it stuck throughout my career.
I have a weakness for red licorice. When I fly, it’s very easy at the airport to pick up some little Twizzlers, cherry or strawberry. I would like that, to cut this habit. It makes my children laugh. These are often gifts, when visitors come to the house…
I stop thinking about it. Often my best way is to put on my running shoes and go for a run up the mountain. I’m lucky enough to live right on the edge of Mount Royal. So I literally walk out of my yard and then into the trails. Lots of ideas come to me when I’m running. I often stop and take a note because I don’t want to lose my idea.
My best way is to exercise. I tried to do meditation, it’s not much for me… But yesterday, I had a really big day, I arrived, I connected to my Peloton application and I went hiking boot camp. It’s 60 minutes and you don’t have a choice. You really drop out, because you’re almost in survival mode, doing your exercise.
I often recommend the book that, in the last year, has had the greatest impact on me. Right now, it’s Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin. It’s the story of three students who start a small video game company. It’s so touching, about the importance of communication, about the decisions we make that have a long-term impact… It really touched me.
I realize that I took risks in my career. Then every time I took a big risk, something happened. For example, when I arrived at Videotron, I was given a big job from the start with management scope. There was the wireless development stage, a project which was very ambitious: it was still 1 billion in investments… So I had several tests at Videotron and they gave me projects bigger and bigger, which eventually allowed me to become CEO. It’s a career opportunity to be able to have this opportunity.
Collaboration for a common goal. This is the fundamental key to achieving a major objective, if we are all oriented towards the same destination and we place the collective good before our personal success.
It’s not easy because it happens all the time, but it’s politics. There are big political games, that’s okay, but politics is nothing really positive. I would like to see less ego, sometimes. In any organization, there are people who put their ego before the collective goal.
This is my investment in the love of my blended family. We’ve been together 23 years; Everyone is doing well, we are happy. I had two children aged 4 and 7, then my husband had two children aged 5 and 7. We’ve all been living together this whole time.
It’s not necessarily in order, but a combination of all that: someone who is capable of having a great vision, who listens, who values teamwork… So it’s not a one-man show. Someone who is resilient and courageous.
