Today’s Notable Young Professional is Louis-Philippe Therrien, who directs operations at Bonanza Gardens while shifting his focus to growing his Florida-based real estate endeavour during the winter months. What was the inspiration behind his dual professional role? Find out in today’s profile…
Elevator Pitch: Describe your job in a nutshell.
I divide my time between a few projects. I direct operations in Eastern Ontario and Quebec for Bonanza Gardens, a wholesale company that supplies, manages, and services major retail outlets. It’s a niche business that is exceptional and very exciting! Since it is harder to sell flowers during our long winters, I take advantage of that down time to grow my Florida-based real estate endeavour. Between selling flowers and buying real estate, I devote a lot of time to a philanthropy project, Let’s Bond, aimed at uncovering taboos about mental illness.
Why did you start working at your company? What was the inspiration for this career route?
I started working in the flower industry as a student in Ottawa. My love for management and flowers grew alongside the operations over the years. It’s a business that makes people happy and allows me to have fun.
What is the best part of what you do on a day-to-day basis? The most challenging part?
The best part for me is the fact that I have no office, no routine, and I get a ton of face time with everyone involved; suppliers, partners and customers. I need the live interaction. The garden centre retail business is seasonal, with exhilarating highs and long lows. Managing those lows is definitely the most challenging part for me. With the real estate in Florida and Let’s Bond, I’ve almost covered the down time.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
That’s a tough one. I don’t usually think that far in advance. Hopefully I’ll have gone around the world at least once.
What does success look like to you?
Success to me is the perfect balance between health and business. It is the ability to live a healthy and active lifestyle while running a business, not the other way around, when the business runs your lifestyle and impacts your health.
What is the most memorable milestone in your career?
It wasn’t part of my career at the time, but I won the world juvenile ski championships at 15 years old. I got to feel what it’s like to be #1 for a day in your life. It’s given the confidence and the drive to get back up there, regardless of what I undertake.
Do you have any advice for other young professionals?
Hard work never goes unnoticed. Stick to what you love, because if you’re not passionate about it, you’ll never be #1.
Do you support any charities? If so, which one(s) and why is that important to you?
I support the Mental Illness foundation. It’s a cause that reaches out to almost everybody directly or not at one point in their life. We are working to uncover taboos and create a mental health support culture here in Montreal. If we can help as many people as possible inform themselves on these problems, we can reduce the agony and the loss in productivity.
What to you is notable?
Generosity, integrity and daring minds.
Blackberry, iPhone, Android, or Other?
iPhone.
