— The — KIMBERLY LALLOUZ EFFECT

Montreal self made entrepreneur Kimberly Lallouz shifted gears from a strong career in fashion to the food industry to follow her passion; hospitality. before she started her first catering company, she was constantly cooking for her friends from the tiny kitchen at home, to where she started building a culinary empire. She systematically opened one project a year for the first six of the last eight years starting with Miss Prêt à Manger in 2010 to the speakeasy Henden hidden inside Birdbar that opened last January. She’s recognized as one of the top chefs in Canada and it’s to no avail; whoever knows Kimberly, knows she is a woman of many talents, who wears many hats in a day. Her tenacity, strength and big heart remain her secret recipe to building not only a successful business, but also a positive mindset to a successful life.

“I’ve been told branding yourself ; having an image, knowing who you are or working towards that, as best as you can,is important so I try to do that- then putting it out there, [when you’re an entrepreneur] that confidence has to be in parallel. I don’t know many entrepreneurs who are behind the curtains - there’s not many wizards of oz anymore, now it’s you, you’re out there.”

And understand that traveling - it humbles you. For me, traveling to experience different cultures, cook or help people in different countries, or whilst travelling seeing how other people eat- I would rather spend my money on that then a really expensive handbag. I look at anything with great value and say : ok how many trips can I take with that?

Everybody has different desires and that’s great. For me I find a lot of renewable inspiration and inner peace that way.

Part of my motto is - push a positive message and make sure that message gets out there the way you want it to. In travel, become one with the cultures you visit when you can, respectfully be part of them. Absorb, listen and learn. I’ve had that interest ever since a very young age and that’s changed me as a person.

How did you find that inner peace ?

It’s a work in progress. For me traveling is solace - In order it’s traveling, ocean, nature. I like to be part of an environment but I like to be in my own bubble. Contrary to what people assume, I can be extremely introverted. I wear a lot of different hats, at different times of the day when different actions are required. I’m always on. I do what I have to do to go where I need to go. So alone time is paramount to having the right headspace to attack the daily. With that said, my home base is Montreal not only because I’m born here, but I am a family woman, I am what they call the glue with my siblings and parents. I would do anything for my family!

When is your sacred “you” time ?

I have to have different moments in a day - my mornings are sacred. My morning routine, going to the gym. In the summer, or when I have my terrasse plants gardening for me is my alone time. At night when I’m with my dog, reading, writing or doing art. Animals are super important

I find. I feel like it’s so hard to lose touch with nature when you live in the city.

My dream, in essence, is to never fully retire, create a lifestyle where I have a few seasonal businesses that run all year long, so I can be at one in the summer and another in the winter, eventually set up an old age home incorporating cooking, growing our own vegetables, having old dogs for comfort… in a nature rich environment.

How did you develop your self confidence ?

It’s not a renewable energy - it’s something that you need to give yourself again and again - you don’t have it one day and continue to have it forever - your bubble can always burst. You can have a competition where you sucked so hard and you start questioning your whole existence, and you realize going through pictures that it just wasn’t your style then you get over it. Self confidence can be going and talking to somebody in Paris that I’ve never met (like I did with Alain Passard who is now a friend and mentor) and say : I want to know you, because you’re such an inspiration in my life - and yes that’s self confidence but a positive message is communicate about your lack of self confidence often, do not mix it up.

So many people, do this more and more. Own your mistakes, and make the mistakes. Self confidence for me, it’s a big word. It’s a daily struggle.

Every time something really horrible happened, it made me stronger. Whether that was a challenge at work, or not getting my way - however which way that is - cause you know we want to get our way as humans. You learn to get what you want by working hard for it, letting go when you don’t- there’s always the fast track or 'cheating' ways - but it’s better to do it the hard way. I had a moment when I was 18 when I thought, I’m not going to blame anyone in my family for anything that I wasn’t privileged with growing up and I refuse to live my life playing (the victim) card. I had a great upbringing, I was exposed to so many places and things that eventually came back in interest in my adulting years- and I owe a lot to my parents for pushing me to be my best from a very young age.

“Own your mistakes, and make the mistakes.”

I also don’t mind saying I had a lot of negative feelings towards my physical appearance (sometimes still do) - little things bothered me - I think that having body insecurities, thinking I was so much bigger than I actually am. I remember, I unfortunately held on to comments for too long growing up, at one point in my life, someone said : don’t make that face, and I thought : but I’m expressing myself. As much as I’m a strong woman, I am sensitive. You wouldn’t expect that.

Where do you get your internal drive from ?

I have motivation, I have plans - I think plans are important. Goals ? Sure you can call them goals but that word might scare people - so I prefer to say I have plans - I don’t know if I will get it done - I believe in projecting and making things happen but I also believe it’s important to be flexible with your own self.