Posted at 9:00 a.m.
Q. What is Chefs to the Rescue?
R. Chefs à la rescousse is a non-profit organization that Rouge started with Seb the culinary artisan, at the start of the pandemic, in March 2020. The objective of Chefs à la rescousse was to prepare healthy meals for people in need. Thanks to my years of collaboration with Centraide Hautes-Laurentides, we were able to quickly identify the real needs and use the right distribution channels to help quickly and efficiently. Looking back, I would say that this initiative was generated in part by the fear of remaining static and doing nothing more, by the panic of losing our jobs and by the desire to keep the teams occupied, during the pandemic. So, Chefs to the Rescue has allowed us to stay active, do good and help. You should know that the organization was set up in just 10 days! The whole community was mobilized behind this project. We raised $250,000 in donations and delivered an average of 500 dishes per week throughout the pandemic. Today, Chefs à la rescousse is a permanent organization that still works in collaboration with the community center of Mont-Tremblant, La Samaritaine, to continue to offer a collective kitchen.
Q. Does a leader absolutely have to leave his mark in the community, act both within the company and outside the company?
R. The answer is yes, without hesitation. To me, it’s part of a leader’s job to give back to their community, to make a positive difference where they’re successful, and to help make a difference in people’s lives. From the first years of Rouge Marketing, I volunteered my time and got involved. Chamber of Commerce, mentoring, Centraide Hautes-Laurentides, Federation of Quebec Chambers of Commerce, Quebec Parental Insurance Management Board, School Park Committee, Laurentian Economic Development Corporation Funding Committee, Fémina Foundation, and I pass. Giving back to the community is not only a duty, it is one of the best experiences of my career. Self-sacrifice offers incredible opportunities for learning and personal growth that make you a better leader in your own business. Today, I hope to go even further with my impact and the desire to leave my mark with my role as a municipal councilor. I feel like creating a new model, no longer fearing change and taking real action that will save our environment for generations to come.
Q. How should leaders, managers and managers prepare as employees return to hybrid or full-time work? How should they now listen, take care of employees, while taking care of the health of the company?
R. At Rouge marketing, we have always relied on an innovative corporate culture where employee happiness is at the center of all our decisions. Work from where you want and when you want, an unlimited vacation plan and results-based evaluations… Rouge has long understood that an employee is a responsible, autonomous adult who is in control of his or her managing his time. The pandemic was good, it allowed all companies to review their management model and try something else! I sincerely hope that this trial period has made employers see things differently. It is high time to offer workers a better family-work balance. Employees need to be trusted with the way they want to work, whether at home or in the office. Employers must let them build the work environment that is right for them to excel and excel. The 9 to 5 as we know it no longer has its place. Much like the conventional school model is not suitable for all types of students, the traditional business world in offices and on strict schedules is not suitable for all types of personalities. I think that today there are a lot of false ideals that have been dragged around for too long. It takes a reset massive on many things if we want to create a healthy, balanced and still very active society in 50 years!