As I was reading several articles on the NY Times about the gain of women in the workplace, it reminded me how far my career goals changed over the year. I believe that it is because I grow as a person. At university, I dreamt of being the chairman of a large corporation. I am still as ambitious today except that my priorities changed. I measure success differently.

After working for three awesome actuarial firms over a 7-year period, it was clear that I did not enjoy that type of work. It took me some time to have the guts to go after my true passion. But I am so happy that I did. I am proud of being my own boss, to call the shots and to make daily decisions that impact the success of my brand.

Running a small business is a lot of work. My parents being two successful business owners may explain why I prefer working hard to build my business instead of working for someone else. If I wanted to, I could get a job at a large corporation with a big pay check. But each time I get an offer, a glance at the job description reminds me that their managerial structure is not for me. A director passes most of their time planning and administrating things. I like to create.

It is a Question of Lifestyle

I am often asked why I run my blog instead of writing for a magazine. First, there is freedom. I choose what to put on own editorial. Then, there is the timing of the story. On a blog, you write about what it is happening right now. Plus, I enjoy the direct contact with the readers, the free exchange of information.

But really, the most important factor is that being the editor on my own women magazine enables me to get the lifestyle I want. I can travel where and whenever I want to and still be working as long as I get an Internet connection. I am building my own media. Any serious blogger is. Some blogs have become major media platforms, food bloggers published cookbooks while others opened their retail shops. Blogging provides us opportunities to make a living following our passions.

We are at a time where business models are challenged. New successful models will emerge as we continue to experiment and explore new ways to do business. Maybe it is time that we update success to be more than being at the top of the corporate ladder. I know that I changed my tune when I realized that happiness has to be part of the formula.

MORE:
+ The Mismeasure of Women written by Joanne Lipman in NY Times
+ When We’re Equal, We’ll be Happy written by Judith Warner – Domestic Disturbances column
+ photo was taken when visiting the USS Constitution in August 2009

You might also like these posts

I want to invite all my Canadian readers (except Quebec) to participate in the Pillsbury Baking Challenge. What you need to do to participate is to submit your original recipe made with at least one Pillsbury product. Your recipe can be an appetizer, an entree or a dessert.

The Grand Prize is worth $10,000 CAD. The grand prize winner will receive 4 new Whirlpool appliances and a year’s worth of groceries. The grand winner will get more time to cook and bake with one year of housekeeping services by Molly Maid. There are 3 category prizes and 6 honourable mention prizes.

Judging Team

You have until November 15th, 2009 to submit your original recipe. Know that I am one of the 5 judges for the Baking Challenge with:

• Jennifer Hamilton of Domestic Goddess,
• Erica Ehm of Yummy Mummy Club,
• the Olympian champion Carol Huynh,
• and Jackie Gallagher, a Pillsbury’s kitchenista

It is worth mentioning that Pillsbury gave $500 to a local food bank of my choice. I selected Moisson Montreal, which is Canada’s largest food bank. Moisson Montreal celebrates their 25th anniversary this year.

Now you know why I needed a nice portrait. I wish all participants good luck. Tell your friends about the Baking Challenge. Come back to visit my blog since I will host a surprise gift basket giveaway for Pillsbury before Christmas.

MORE:
+ Pillsbury Baking Challenge

You might also like these posts

I read on the book Six Pixels of Separation by Mitch Joel how new technology will shape the way we think about building in the 21st century. It is not Mitch who made that prediction. It is an affirmation made by William Mitchell, a professor of architecture and computer science at MIT. This is how my topic for my post on Climate Change for Blog Action Day 2009 was born.

I wrote several posts over the years about the need for walking city planning. I think it is the best way to live is to not have to use the car every day. I see a glimpse of hope due to the Web and smart phones. Digital technology means that many people can work from everywhere as long as they can be connected to the Web. As we get more and more access to wireless connections, Voice Over IP and other means to be connected, we are not restricted to our desk anymore.

Inspired by the Village

The main appeal of the European cities is that they were constructed before the industrial revolution. This means that they were built with human scale in mind. Having shops, restaurants and residences nicely integrated in a neighborhood builds a sense of community. We already seen the revival of  abandoned neighborhoods built around multi-functional buildings.

Coworking spaces, which are offices to go to for consultants, developers and telecommuters that come complete with printers, high-speed internet access, conference rooms and community, flourish across North America. We have Station C in Montreal and Office Nomads in Seattle. They are hiccups like the closure of Workspace in Vancouver. This is normal since it involves a different way to do business. Still, the concept behind the community office makes a lot of sense for many people.

Looking at the Future

What do it has to do with taking about Climate Change. Everything! Sharing spaces or using them for double duty reduces our footprint in so many ways.

We have to reexamine how buildings are built in light of what the future will bring. They might not need to serve only one function: housing, work, entertaining. If we can work from everywhere, it changes our commute habits. If we share offices, it reduces the number of office buildings we need to serve everyone. I do not have the solution, but we must envision our actions with how we will live in the future instead of only considering how we live now.

I encourage you to read the last three sections of my post about Imprinting a new North American lifestyle and to check City Guides and European City Life post.

CREDITS:
+ photos: Station C, Kim Vallee (with my iphone), Bixi

You might also like these posts

Last weekend was the 2009 edition of Nuit Blanche in Paris. For the occasion, Gilles Stassart dressed mannequins in food. “Les diététiques” was presented in 4 cycles at 4 Monop’ stores. The most striking piece has to be this Chanel suit made with ravioli. Wow!

+ photo by Le Figaro

You might also like these posts

I read on the New Times this morning that Condé Nast plans to announce that it will close 4 magazines: Gourmet, Cooking, Modern Bride, and Elegant Bride.

I told you last January about the fact that Condé Nast will need to consolidate its cooking magazines into one. With the current status of the magazine industry, Condé Nast could not afford to support both Gourmet and Bon Appétit. At the time, speculations were that Bon Appétit will survive. Lately, a lot of people speculated that Gourmet, with his richer history, would stay.

Honestly, there are many cooking magazines than are more inspiring than Gourmet. My faves of the moment are Delicious, Donna Hay, and the French Saveurs. The biggest problem for Condé Nast was that I typically did not feel buying their 2 cooking magazines was worth it. Plus some months, Gourmet and Bon Appétit talked about similar topics. Which one between Gourmet and Bon Appétit did you buy on a regular basis? For me, it is Bon Appétit. Therefore, I am glad and sad at the same time.

+ Bon Appétit
+ Gourmet
+ via New York Times

You might also like these posts

PARK(ing) Day is an annual, one-day global event where artists, activists and citizens collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spots into public parks or installations.

The idea started in 2005 when REBAR, a San Francisco art and design studio, challenges people to rethink the way streets are used. They wish to reinforce the need for broad-based changes to urban infrastructure.

As someone who walks everywhere I can instead of taking my car, I share their feeling. Urban planners and developers should put priority on pedestrians and imagine cities where we can walk more instead of driving. Walking is good for your mind and your body. You feel more relaxed when you walk than when you drive in traffic.

Popularity of PARK(ing) Day

PARK(ing) Day happened in several cities across the globe. In 2008, 500 PARK installations were done in 100 cities spread in 4 continents. People created picnic places, meeting places, gardening exhibits, kid pool areas, temporary library up to a free health clinic.

All installations must be a non-commercial plus the organizers of every local event must respect a set of rules. If you see the above poster Friday, you will know what it stands for.

Transforming a PARK(ing) spot for a day is not risk-free

Organizing an event like that can be tricky due to parking laws. It is best to obtain a permit from the city first if you wish to participate. Read what happened last year when a Forest Hill gallery put Muskoka chairs on a grassy floor and serve free lemonade on a parking spot on Spadina Street, Toronto.

MORE:
+ Photos via the PARK(ing) Day community

You might also like these posts

For an upcoming event (I will tell you soon), I needed a professionally done portrait. I asked Elizabeth Delage to do my portrait. She is a friend who is a talented young professional photographer in Montreal. It has been a while since I went for a photo session. I had an amazing time!

Elizabeth has a wonderful photo studio. She decided to use natural light to take my pictures. I went there on a sunny afternoon. First, I visited my regular hairdresser Allen at Funky Toque. I told Allen that I was looking for my everyday look, done at its best. Then, I headed to the photo studio where a makeup artist was waiting for me. I brought several outfits. We reviewed the outfits I brought. My green shirt won. We all agreed that a natural makeup would be more appropriate. We also took a few pictures with a grey jacket for when I need a business look.

She put Michael Bublé and other easy listening songs on her sound system. It is important that the songs set the proper mood. I felt relaxed in this warm environment. It is important to feel good for the pictures to look great. I sat on a stool. Then, I smiled a little, a lot, turned my head up, down, on the side. She took hundreds of pictures in a little more than one hour. It was fun! I am thrilled about the results. I recommend Elizabeth if you need portraits, fashion or a lifestyle photos.

A Few Simple Rules

Elizabeth gave me clothing advice before the session. First, it is best to be photographed wearing soft color if you do a portrait. You do not want that what you are wearing, including your jewelry, attracts too much attention. The focus point should be your face.

A professional makeup artist makes all the differences. Believe me, it is money well spent. Dominique T. Hasbani adapted my makeup to the specific conditions of my photo shoot. She took into account how the camera would capture me under natural lights. Ask the photographer to set up the makeup session for you. They will select a makeup artist that suits their photo style. I also told my hairdresser that I want to be pretty for a photo. As you can see, making a good picture is a team effort.

About My Selection

The left photo is the one that I will use for that upcoming event. I prefer a more relaxed photo for my social media avatar and my blog signature. I include a nice photo of Elizabeth working on an outdoor shooting.

PHOTO CREDITS:
+ Elizabeth Delage

You might also like these posts

These wood bikes are absolutely gorgeous. They are pieces of craftsmanship that you should enjoy riding for the long time. They have panache.

The Pandurban is a fully equipped, four season commuter. It will make the envy of your co-workers with these features:

• Shift the 9 speed SRAM hub with a simple twist of the wrist, even when stopped.
• All-weather disc brakes and fenders
• The lights works with a generator. This means that you won’t change the batteries. Both front and rear lights remain on several minutes after you stop.
• Heavy duty, powder-coated steel fork laughs at nasty urban pot-holes.
• A super sturdy rack carries the gear you need for a day or a week.
• Michelin 700-32c puncture-resistant City tires with reflector sidewall.

If you wish for a simpler bike. The Bambooter Commuter is a 3 speed bike that offers the same smooth ride as the Pandurban.

Why Would You Want a Wood Frame?

Besides their beauty, there are other reasons to select a wood frame bike. First, producing a wood bike frame creates less damage to the environment than building a carbon, an aluminum or a steel bike frame.

Now with the advance of technology, they are able to create a durable wood frame. The Renovo wood frame has much greater impact resistance than butted metal or carbon bike frames. Plus:

• Wood absorbs vibration better than steel, aluminum or carbon, producing a smoother ride
• The fatigue life of wood exceeds steel or aluminum, and approaches carbon

Renovo will custom built your bike. You can select between 15 hardwoods and softwoods. The laminated bamboo is the greener option. They produce several models of commuter bikes and road bikes. They cost about the same as a carbon frame bike.

MORE:
+ Renovo Bikes
+ Via Inhabitat and Core77

You might also like these posts

For On the Web the scope is obvious: it’s social media. For At Home, I need 3 or 4 words to capture the essence of the blog. I am hesitating between 2 options right now. I want your opinion. Answer this Twitter poll that I created with twtpoll.

You might also like these posts

You may have noticed a change to the main navigation bar of At Home with Kim Vallee. There is now a Live section where you will find my tweets and live blogging posts.

What will be these live blogging posts?

It will be made of several things. But mainly, there will be quick links. For a while now, I have been searching at a way to add to the curated experience I am trying to provide you. I wish for great pictures on all my posts here. What do I do when I only wish to provide you a quick info? Until now, I relied on Twitter. But 140 characters is not always enough to deliver the message.  I will use Kim Vallee Live to bring this type of information.

Another usage of Kim Vallee’s Live is when I will attend a conference. You will not have long to wait since I will be at the Social Gaming Summit 2009 that will occur June 23rd, 2009. All day, I will rely what is going on at the session through Kim Vallee Live.

Integrating  Layout

I also wish to point out that my second blog, On the Web with Kim Vallee now shares the theme structure than At Home. Like I said in Live, I am integrating my brand. Each component has its own personality.

Blog Out Loud event  in Los Angeles

One last thing. If you are in the Los Angeles this week, register for the first Blog Out Loud event. It should be a great event for bloggers and aspiring bloggers in the creative sphere. Check out what I have to say about the Blog Out Loud event on On the Web.

You might also like these posts

I wish I could do that! I had plenty of meetings yesterday and today. I leave you with my picture after leaving the hair salon.  Copper was in the air.

You might also like these posts

Over the next weeks, I will explain why and how I migrated to Wordpress and why I felt I needed a new layout. This series will be published on my second blog, On the Web with Kim Vallee, which will also get this look shortly (in a week or two).

Update Your Blogroll

I published my Daily Fab Reads at the bottom of the page. It shows 7 favorite links. I will alternate them from time to time. I will also update my blogroll to reflect what I am reading right now. It has been a while since I did it. My blogroll catalogs what I read; for me, it is not about link exchanges. As a curator, I want my blogroll to be a representation og my tastes and sources of inspirations.

Please note that I changed the URL of my blog. If I have the honor to be on your blogroll, I would appreciate if you update my link to http://athome.kimvallee.com/

Places is now fully integrated with my blog. It will enable me to take advantage of the best bells and whistles of the Praized platform. Places also migrated to a new URL.

You might also like these posts