Today’s Notable Young Entrepreneur is Claude-Alicia, the creator of the Montreal-based fashion lifestyle blog, ConscienceCoupable. We caught up with her to find out more about what inspires her and what advice she would share with other young professionals…
WORK
1. Describe what you do in less than 140 characters. Go.
I run a fashion based website called ConscienceCoupable, that combines everything I love, from travel, to unorthodox styling, to bad jokes.
2. What was the inspiration for your career route?
It occurred very organically from my desire to give the material possessions in my closet a greater purpose. The term ‘guilty conscience’ is deep-seated in my being, so much so, that it inspired me to create a platform where I could express myself through street style, and text by venting all my neuroses to my readers.
3. What is the most memorable milestone in your career so far?
Being invited by Marchesa to London Fashion Week was pretty cool, but every time a young lass approaches me to tell me she loves the blog and I make her laugh, pretty much takes the cake.
4. Where do you see yourself in 5 years, 10 years, 20 years?
Anxiety happens to be one of the many neuroses I made reference to, and thinking of the future happens to be a pretty big trigger for it, so I tend not to look too far ahead. I’d like to think this format of self-expression will still be around in some evolved form, and I’ll still be employing it. If I can continue to do what I love bigger and better everyday, and later have babies and retire to Hawaii with my hunky husband, I think that would paint a pretty great picture of the future.
5. Do you have any advice for other young professionals?
Always do you. Uncertainty is just the inability to come to terms with what you know you want. So don’t listen to the people who doubt you, don’t understand what you are doing, or your critics, just stay on the path and always do the best you possibly can. This way no matter the outcome, you know you will have done everything in your power to make your dreams come true, and I bet you’ll be pretty happy.
6. Do you support any charities? If so, which one(s) and why is it (or they) important to you?
I was born and bred admiring strong women, in a culture where equality felt like a given, so the fact that issues related to feminism are still being raised and debated to this day is astonishing to me. Unfortunately, the reality is that in certain parts of the world, women strive for much more vital and basic needs than equal pay. Though one injustice doesn’t lessen another’s importance, I feel it imperative to improve the quality of life of women who are denied basic human rights because of their gender. Through Plan Canada’s “Because I Am a Girl” campaign, money is raised towards bettering these young ladies’ education and healthcare, providing clean water and food security, and undertaking livelihood initiatives and economic empowerment. I have been involved with the cause since joining their #BrighterFuture movement, and sponsoring young women in Asia, Africa, and South America, so one day we can truly say that girls’ rights are human rights.
7. What is one major challenge that you’ve had to overcome in your career? How did you overcome it?
Self-doubt is a daily challenge I feel any person trying to accomplish anything comes across, more often then they’d wish to. I’m not sure I’ll ever overcome it, but it’s a great reminder to give myself a swift kick in the ass, and to get back up.
8. What does the word notable mean to you?
Something or someone worth a mention, and I feel pretty cool being one of yours.
PLAY
1. Where is your favourite place to wine/ dine in your city and why?
Le Bremner, because it feels like Cheers every times you walk in…?where everybody knows your name? I’m convinced all the greatest humans Montreal has to offer are employed by Crown Salts.
2. What’s the most visited website on your Internet browser? The most played song on your phone?
YouTube maybe, because I’d rather watch strangers apply makeup on the internet than have actual human interactions? Millennial problems, you know. As for song … I just checked and somehow George Michael & Elton John’s “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” takes the top spot with 242 plays … must have been one hell of a night.
3. Who’s one person you think everyone should be following on social media?
You SHOULD be following, @CNNbrk…but you probably WANT to be following @dilfs_of_disneyland.
4. What’s your favourite country to visit and why? And what’s the next one you plan on travelling to?
Japan because they have an amazing Disneyland and everyone is super polite, and we are heading to Italy because I’m craving some carbs.
5. What gives you the greatest FOMO?
Tagging the location of the party you are supposed to be at on Instagram, while sitting in bed eating babka and watching Gilmore Girls.
6. What’s your guiltiest pleasure?
Early 2000s Britney Spears and chips. A lot of them.
7. What’s something you wish you didn’t spend so much money on? What’s something you wish you spent more on?
I wish I spent less on literally everything I trick myself into believing is necessary for me to stay alive. I do wish I had the cajones to spend more on in-app purchases though. It just doesn’t feel right you know, but I’d have such a sick Pokemon Go account.
8. And finally, what does success look like to you? Work, play, or otherwise…
Success is waking up happy more days than you wake up sad.