We are pleased to present a new portrait this week, as part of our mini-series "Les Entrepreneuses de la Halte".

Today we meet Me Joëlle Thibault, LL.L., D.E.A., Ph. D., who is a lawyer specializing in the prevention and resolution of disputes between people at work. She acts as an ombuds (tonombuds.ca), mediator and investigator for various organizations.

She has been a member since September 2021 and we sincerely thank her for sharing her story with us.

What made you decide to become self-employed?

"I come from a family of entrepreneurs and my parents were very inspiring role models. They valued autonomy and independence of spirit.

So after a few years as an employee, it became important to be my own boss and define how I wanted to contribute professionally."

How do you manage your confidence in yourself and your project?

"Meditation has helped me for several years to step back and put good and not so good experiences into perspective. The reaction of the people I accompany also helps me to continue. I feel like I am helping in a concrete way at a time when people are going through difficult times. It gives me confidence and energy."

And regarding the magnitude of the tasks at hand is often a source of demotivation and stress, how do you handle this flood of emotions?

"I know my limits and I know when I have to stop or reduce the pace. This is important because the success of my interventions depends a lot on my ability to listen and my mental availability. If I'm psychologically exhausted, it's not enjoyable or helpful."

What advice do you wish you had received when you first started out?

"In the beginning, I felt like I could do anything, but I didn't have the experience or the network of contacts. I wish I had learned earlier how to build a circle of contacts that were professionally stimulating and that I also enjoyed meeting."

We would like to thank Me Joëlle Thibault once again for the trust and time she gave us for this interview. We appreciate her professionalism and she is for us a source of inspiration for many people wishing to start their own business.

What do you think of this journey?

See you next week for the next portrait!