France Forget is pleased to be part of the SADC des Laurentides mentor team. Altruistic at heart, compassionate, and passionate about human capital, she had felt drawn to mentorship for quite some time before committing to it. Wanting to offer her time to accompany and support entrepreneurs in their projects, she has been an active mentor within the SADC des Laurentides unit for the past year.
After working for more than 40 years in a family business, France passed the torch to the next generation to move towards new challenges. Founder of France M as well as Productions Sincronicita Inc., she is a seasoned businesswoman and an inspiring human being. Authenticity, integrity, and commitment are among her values. A daring woman with a rich professional background, she understands the challenges that entrepreneurs may face. Moreover, seeing difficulties as favorable opportunities leading to learning, she encourages her mentees to surpass themselves, to develop and strengthen their self-confidence. By asking them questions, she helps them broaden their horizons, consider multiple solutions rather than just one, clarify their vision, and identify blind spots.
Beyond words, she observes with respect and kindness the silences that occur during a discussion. During these pauses, she knows that the mentee is either reflecting, experiencing an emotion, or feeling a blockage. “The important thing is not to try to fill all the gaps. It’s really about listening, welcoming, and being on the journey with the person you are accompanying,” she explains.
For France, mentorship is an enriching and rewarding experience. By accompanying entrepreneurs, she finds that she receives as much as she gives. Witnessing the development of her mentees, and seeing them become better entrepreneurs, she remains humble while feeling a sense of accomplishment. Far from her the idea of taking credit. “It’s thanks to this whole process and the work that the mentees do by themselves,” she specifies.
By Dyane Bouthillette