Marie-Julie wanted to save the world. She had been to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, three times before she had even come of age. She had worked in an orphanage and with street children. Already, the notion of wealth creation left her perplexed. What hinders, or even stimulates, the circulation of money? Is there a link with happiness? The young Belgian woman had done a student exchange and spent six months in California and another six in Guatemala; with a bachelor's degree in international trade, based in the Netherlands, she had gone to Beijing. Finally, her master's degree in development economics had taken her to Istanbul. From these visits, she had gathered new experiences, singing languages and a whole range of human subtleties to add to her bow.

Today in Quebec, the entrepreneur has reconciled and connected the pieces of her personal puzzle, which she has chosen to put at the service of businesses. Here's how she brings more meaning and humanity to it.

Demystifying its reason for being

Cutting-edge technologies, digital transformation and process acceleration: to remain competitive, companies are transforming or redefining themselves, sometimes at the cost of a loss of meaning. “I am often called upon to redo strategic planning. My primary objective is then to build relationships of trust in order to return to the very essence of the company, to demystify its purpose and to be able to answer important questions above all: Who are we? Why are we doing this? What value do we generate? I first help to clarify the need, which is often deeper than the initial request.”

Marie-Julie has experience, which makes her able to support employers and employees professionally, but also personally. For her, the two go hand in hand. Having initially focused her efforts on the outside, the young woman began a personal journey several years ago to better embody the change she wanted to see in the world. "I am a development coach at all levels: organizational, professional, personal and even spiritual."

“I can arrive in a company as an economist, with all the authority that my expertise and knowledge of management tools confer, but very quickly, it is my human side that sets the tone. From the outset, I bring great authenticity and depth, which allows us to move towards something more subtle. I do not come to tell people what to do with a knowing posture and talk about efficiency, speed and performance. I go where people want to go, at their own pace, by mobilizing the available resources and the vocabulary that resonates with them, to help them maximize what has value for them. I have this talent for helping people open up, in a safe and caring space. I stay connected to the other person, to communicate in their channel, and to reach them in their reality. I am confident in my ability to facilitate the expression of individual needs and I master the processes that allow collective intelligence to express itself.”

More privacy and authenticity

Marie-Julie offers workshops and training in strategic planning, foresight, creativity and innovation, collective intelligence and team cohesion, she does communication and even events. "The mission, vision and values trio is a popular gateway," she explains. "Many companies contact me through word of mouth, following the results."

She does not hesitate to talk about work differently. "People no longer want to cut themselves into little pieces to fit into the dominant paradigms. However, we are defined well beyond our tasks. I begin my meetings with a simple How are you?, which opens the door to sincerity, and which brings everyone back to their truth. There is permission to say to oneself, in its simplest form. That is what connecting is: realizing that when you push open the office door, all the intimate and personal part is still there. Wanting to split yourself to fit into a role is depriving yourself of vital energy." The facilitator does not hesitate to revisit postures, breathing, use a talking stick, let participants become aware of their bodies and the people around them. "At the moment especially, we want to find our anchoring and a certain stability in the surrounding instability."

For the coach, making room for authenticity and intimacy in the company promotes team cohesion and a common movement towards achieving results. It is no longer a question of a hierarchical or compartmentalized structure, but rather an integrated one, made up of a plurality of talents who invest themselves in tasks that they value. Needs are identified, as are limits and constraints. The corporate culture is built around common values, and it brings people together.

A good place to work, where employers and employees have created real connections, where there is meaning in what we do, is not only a driver of performance, but a way to retain talent.