The Peaks and Valleys of my Life During the Pandemic, and how I’m Carrying on in 2021
Looking back, 2020 proved to be quite a challenging year for all of us. We all had to adapt, find resilience and peace in the midst of everything brought by this unprecedented global pandemic. For some, it meant downsizing their businesses and letting go of colleagues. And for others, it was about managing growth or being opportunistic.
On a personal level, a lot of us had to let go of traveling plans or reduce them to local tourism. We had to make our social lives a distant, masked or a virtual one to some close exception. The few and lucky of us got to shuffle their lives around and make room for their passion projects, while others had to switch careers or reinvent themselves so they could bring bread and butter onto their tables.
Yet, this is (another) text about resilience, acceptance and perseverance, it is also one about hope and happiness. Below is what has allowed me to go through 2020, and what’s keeping me going for 2021 — without being overly optimistic on when, how or what, this post-Covid life will be.
When COVID first hit, I lost a job I loved, but I also had to say goodbyes to colleagues (and individuals) I appreciated both on a professional and personal level. You know that feeling of having it all together, but then in the snap of a finger, your life crumbles apart and you suddenly “lose” everything you’d work so hard to build and put together. Like anyone who has experienced this, I was left with a sweet and sour taste. I know I’d be fine, but god-damn, I felt so close to the finish line…
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My new unemployed life got me to spend a lot more time at home than I ever expected. My home became my sanctuary. I spent time (a lot of time) browsing the internet, online shopping, scrolling through my social feeds, setting up virtual calls with my friends, but also reading the news and looking up the numbers. All I remember hearing was the number of daily cases or deaths rising, the (many) theories on how and when the virus originated, and how different countries were adapting or reacting to it. Montreal started by shutting down, then we quickly shifted towards lockdown.
Eventually, spring came and things started to get smoother. For Montrealers, spring means winter is over, and for me, it meant new beginnings. I had just completed an online interior design course, and had gratefully landed a position at a consulting firm specialized in communications and reputation management. I felt like I was back in the game.
When summer arrived, things picked up for me. Life slowly started feeling like “normal” again. Although we all knew that summer would be much different from usual, we were finally able to see friends, go to parks, and play outdoor sports. For a city like Montreal that thrives on outdoor events, festivals, and tourism, it was devastating. Streets were empty (and still are to this day) and businesses started shutting down. I witnessed my “hometown” losing its spark, its soul.
On the bright side, in the course of that same summer, my friend Yasmina and I decided to launch our very own interior design studio. The idea came to us shortly after one of our softball games and before we knew it, we were mapping out plans for what our business would look like. We shared a passion for interior design and had accumulated a few experiences (good and bad) as first-time home-buyers that we aimed to share with others. On top of everything, we strongly believed that “well-being at home can have positive impacts on everything else in your life, including yourself”, a belief we still hold true to this day.
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Life is seasonal, it has its highs and lows, sunny and darker days. That was fall.
Not only everyone realized this virus wasn’t going anywhere, but I started to be busy. Really busy. I remember trying to manage my time between my clients at the firm, our new interior design studio, and some other contracts I was picking up on the side. At some point, my head was spinning with to-dos, deadlines, and deliverables. I undeniably started feeling overwhelmed and by that time, my stress level was already through the roof.
Sadly enough, I woke up one day and my entire body was covered with a skin rash. Stress was covering me from head to toes. I had hit a point of non-retour. I had to wear a turtleneck to go to the office and attend a client’s meeting. What a disaster. Worst of all, this happened right before I almost burned my place down because I forgot something in the oven. True story.
My manager at the time decided it was time for me to take a break, and go on a vacation — something I hadn’t done in 11 months. It was overdue and I was too. That was back in November.
I chose Mexico for its amazing weather, its famous point and beach breaks. I rented a little room near a famous surf spot and surfed my ass off for three weeks. It took me about a week to disconnect, get my stress level under control and have my skin back to its normal self — thanks to the cool ocean breeze and the salty water.
A few weeks and many waves later, I felt much better and had come to peace with the fact I needed to create change. I came back to Montreal and the next day I had “a talk” with my former boss at the firm. Better for us to split ways. The smoothest work termination I’ve experienced to date: a mutual decision on both our parts. Although we had tried, we just weren’t meant to be.
At that point, everything else in my life started to shift. I started making more time for people and projects I believed in. Yasmina and I finally (and successfully) launched Les Casanières, our interior design studio.
On the upside, I had been reconnecting with Caren, one of the Managing Partners at Benjamin David Group (BDG), a digital marketing agency based in Montreal. Caren and I had been following each other for a few years now, going on virtual coffee dates, literally liking each other’s posts, and just being in “awe” about each other’s achievements, secretly hoping that “timing” would work for us at some point…
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Flash-forward to today, February.
Les Casanières has been growing organically and at an outstanding pace. Neither Yasmina or myself could have anticipated this. Our feelings continually go from feeling beyond grateful to full-on “oh my gods.” Of course, you expect people to invest in their homes when it’s COVID, but to us, it’s almost like this leap of faith was meant to be. We’re so thankful for all the clients, the referrals and the projects we get to work on. And so much more is coming, so stay tuned.
On top of this, the timing finally worked out for Caren and I. A few weeks ago, I (finally) forged an alliance with Caren and the whole BDG team. An amazing way for me to stay connected in the business and tech startup world, but also stay on top of my expertise (digital marketing) and help companies, big or small, achieve their business objectives. And what to say about the people I work with: they aren’t just experts in their own field, they are as equally as business-driven as they are open-minded individuals, and as hands-on or strategist as the role will require them to be. They wear many hats, but that of “humble overachiever” is the one that fits them the most. And it starts at the top of our company.
For those of you who think there could be competition between Les Casanières or BDG; there isn’t really. I try to manage my life evenly. Every day has its challenges, it’s “how-the-heck-am-I-going-to-make-this-happen” or “I-am-never-going-to-have-the-time-to-go-through-my to-do-list”, but there is always a way and there is always time for stuff you enjoy doing or people you love to work with.
And truth is, like in any relationship, there isn’t a shoe that fits all. I believe I am one of the lucky ones who happen to have the best business partner and the best boss ever, a rare but healthy and unbelievably amazing professional combination. The type that elevates me not only on a professional level, but also on the personal one.
I hope that anyone can find their perfect pair or just THE one that will carry them through the good and bad, the high and the lows.
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This text would have not been published without the support of many wonder women: Chaandani Khan, Roxanne Bernard and Alexandra Kahr, former colleagues and now friends that happen to be great copywriters. Thanks also to Kristen Theodore for challenging me on the edits and for picking up on my French expressions. And obviously, Yasmina, Myriam and Caren — thanks for being amazing colleagues, partners and managers.
