MYRIAM TELLIER, ENTREPRENEUR #COURAGE

There are many turning points in the lives of business people. For Myriam Tellier, co-founder of Planette produits écologiques , the bumpy road to entrepreneurship would not have been the same without her aunt's last wishes, without the partnership with her mother and without a frank discussion with a businesswoman who inspires her...

An occupational therapist by training, a teacher and researcher at the Université de Montréal where she is completing a doctorate, Myriam Tellier was destined for a great academic career. However, her life plans were turned upside down when she was called upon to accompany her aunt who was suffering from terminal cancer until the day before her death. "I had several deep discussions with her about the meaning of life. My aunt had worked hard for years only to leave without realizing her many retirement plans."

After his death, Myriam questioned the person she was. "I wanted to use my strengths to build something that was more like me."

To make sense of her aunt's death, she decided to change her lifestyle, particularly when it came to household products. "I took classes to make my own 100% natural products after a French student introduced me to Marseille soap!" Her chemical-free recipes were a hit with her friends, aunts and cousins. With her mother Ginette Éthier, she founded the company Planette produits écologiques. "In two years, we opened 55 points of sale, we built a community that follows us and the online store is still going strong," says the mother of three.

Money, the unloved

Despite her success, Myriam Tellier, who has 14 years of experience as an occupational therapist, still can't shake off imposter syndrome. Looking for guidance and advice – "accessing information is a real challenge as a young entrepreneur!" – she makes a list of people who inspire her and who she would like to meet. Danièle Henkel is on the list.

A meeting is arranged between the two women. "From the start, I told her: I don't want money. There are banks that offer me some. What I want is an outside perspective on my project. In just a few minutes, she was able to track down my troubled relationship with money."

Since she started her business, Myriam Tellier has told anyone who will listen that she is not a "saleswoman" and that her goal is not to make money. "Since that exchange, I have come a long way. I understood that money could be healthy by allowing me to grow and evolve in my business. I thought that money was against my values, when in reality, it can be consistent with them. It can be used intelligently to take my eco-responsible projects further and to give back to others, in particular."

Since then, the entrepreneur has been much closer to her numbers. "I've learned to no longer be afraid to do things to get where I want to go..."

Growth

Growing doesn’t mean losing sight of your mission and values. “Making our products in a factory would be more profitable, but I’m not ready to give up on my project of social participation for people with disabilities. I like different people and there are a lot of companies that do business with me because I inspire them, so I win on another level.”

With this trajectory, the entrepreneur is ready to take 2019 by storm, which will be a year of growth. “I have decided to leave teaching and devote myself entirely to Planette. It will not be easy, because I am still not able to pay myself a salary and this will be the case for several more months, with the hiring of new employees, a move… But it is a family project and everyone is ready to lend a hand to succeed in this next step!”

#COURAGE

Courage has been identified by Marie-Josée Gagnon, President of Casacom, as one of the leadership trends for 2019-2020. For us, Myriam Tellier perfectly embodies the courageous entrepreneur who acts in coherence and transparency with her values.