The one-woman show behind Vpower agency

 

I’ve been promising this article to my assistant for so long that I now have a new assistant. It was important for me too; I needed to talk about more than services and products on the website and where better to start then by a good presentation of myself; the one-woman show, the tornado behind Vpower.

 

 

Since the beginning, on the blog, I wanted to write about entrepreneurship, mostly Canadian, and mostly female. I wanted to recommend tools, businesses, and readings that inspire me. I also planned on talking about my services, of course, and the products and suppliers we represent.

 

I started with blog posts about products simply because I thought it would be a little extra for our retailers, a good source of information they could easily share. In reality, I also started with articles on products because it’s a lot less scary, it’s in my comfort zone, I did not have to reveal myself for it to be worthy. When it comes to other subjects, I feel you need to know your interlocutor to evaluate if what I write is relevant to you and worth believing. 

 

I’ll try to keep it short, but I doubt I’ll be able! 

 

Who is Vanessa Hogue?

As I am writing these lines, I am 29 years old, married since August 2018 (honestly the most beautiful day of my life) with an amazing man; sweet, caring, hardworking for who I am filled with gratitude daily. (He has worked his way into my life at a point where I thought I’d be alone for a while, at a point where I needed to reconnect with myself, to find who I was and what I wanted. He likes to joke around saying he ran after me for 2 years. haha!) My husband supports me in all my projects, often reminds me how much drive I have, he tells me I’m good at what I do and that I will make it, all this, even if clearly, he thinks I see life through pink-tinted glasses. 

I know…#lucky! We do not have children yet, I hope that we will have this chance in the near future, we cross our fingers for our little miracle. Since last year, I have discovered that I suffer from endometriosis, chronic gynecological disease and probably irritable bowel syndrome. This might be the explanation for our infertility but mostly, it confirms that I’m not crazy! hihi! I often have to cancel appointments, whole days even, or having to leave the house with my magic bag and stopping right in the middle of a sentence because pain is too intense. I am slowly learning to accept my limits and to listen to the millions of messages my body is sending me. I am very close with my family, even if it has not always been the case. It’s new and surprising for me but I realize how precious it is. I have two loving parents who are still very much in love after 30 years together and 22 years of marriage, two entrepreneurs, with construction businesses that have thought me good values and a unique work ethic. 

I also have two little sisters, they’re so inspiring. One is a carpenter and an architectural technologist and the other one is a graduating nurse. One of them is now a mother, to the first baby from the next generation of our family. I have so much love for my family, words are not enough to explain. I also am godmother to my friend’s son, I could literally eat him up. Can you feel how proud I am? I think I am a good friend as well as a present and attentive sister…at least, I try to be! 

My values?

 

The values ​​that guide each of my actions and personal or professional choices:

-Generosity

-Honesty

-Open-mindedness

-Gratitude

Of course, love, friendship, family and good work ethic are also a must! 

 

My experience and why Vpower?

I started to work I was only 15 years old as a salaried job and I often had more than one job at a time. I’ve almost always touched sales and customer service. I also have a lot of experience in marketing, promotion, event organization and management. I studied in fashion marketing and had to quit after my first year with the firm intention to become a stylist. And I tasted it; I organized runways, was published by 2 magazines, worked in a gallery in Old Montreal … To realize that first, I was poor, ah! and, that mentally and emotionally I needed something else. Seeking a stable job (read here income), I start working for a sales agency in customer service and then as a sales representative. It was an extraordinary school and relationships that I still cherish. On the other hand, I wanted (read here need) more advancement, opportunities, freedom, innovation…

At the same time, I worked as a waitress and as a model for promotional agencies from Toronto and the United States. In these situations, I liked the public, the change but I was often asked to refer other bilingual people who had the same style as me and I found that we often lack information and proper coaching to represent clients and not just ” to look good ”.The need quickly arose to start a business where I would have more freedom and control and that would allow me to exploit all my strengths and knowledge. That’s why in July 2016 I left my job as an employee to create my agency: Vpower. A sales representation and marketing event organization agency, for Quebec and Eastern Ontario, to highlight Canadian companies. I really got going by eliminating some side things in November 2016 and since then the number of customers is constantly increasing and slowly income as well. I tried things that are still part of the business today and others that have been left behind along the way. Vpower looks more and more like me and we grow together.

 

More about me, what I like?

My man obviously, cars (not that I know a lot about the mechanic though) sixties muscle cars are my favorite. I love country music and cappuccinos. I consider myself a foodie, a travel and waterside lover.

I love reading anything related to personal development, or anything written by Mary Higgins Clark. I have a thing for catchy marketing, Haggen Daz, fresh flowers to me from me or received without special reasons and shoes especially if they shine, are rose gold, have bows… I apparently buy too many books, coffee cups, and water bottles but, I feel it’s one of the risks associated with my business ahah!

Now what?

At the moment, as I am writing the last lines of this article, I’m dreaming about a new branding so that my image becomes more feminine and reflects my vibe. I currently represent Avanti Press, Ventures, E-cloth, and Omwater Canada. I do not have any events on my agenda but I know that with Fall we will get some request for our brand ambassadors to do some activations. I am so ready for what life as in store for me. I aim to hire an employee this year that will join the team consisting of my virtual assistant and myself. 

One day, Vpower will be the sale and marketing agency to contact for all Quebec and Eastern Ontario companies offering a variety of services that shine lights on their products and services, form website to branding, without forgetting the creation of promotion and event organization but and sales representation. We will have a range of specialist and employees to put everything in place for business. When exactly? Only life can tell. 

 

I thought this article would be long to write, I’ve pushed it back for so long because I was shy and feeling impostor syndrome but finally, it might be long but it took no time to write, it almost wrote itself. Thank you for reading me, I hope that you liked discovering me and that you will choose and follow Vpower in the future.