Nadine Pirotte is a humble, passionate and committed woman. To my question about the origin of her commitment to women’s entrepreneurship, she replies, “I’ve always been interested in the female cause, in parity, I’ve always been a militant for women”. This commitment has been the common thread running through her professional career. With clarity, concision, humor and lucidity, Nadine shares with me her thoughts on the status of women and entrepreneurship, as well as her experience with Compagnie F.
Over a cup of coffee, I have the chance to meet and talk at length with Nadine Pirotte, former General Manager of Compagnie F, where she worked for six years.
How did Compagnie F come into being?
Compagnie F is a Montreal-based non-profit organization founded in 1997 in the Mile-End district. At the time, the neighborhood was characterized by a high concentration of low-income earners and immigrants. Compagnie F was born of the need to provide women from this population with the means to regain their independence. At the time, it was only just beginning to be understood that women’s autonomy was a vector for social development.
Comprehensive, tailored support
Compagnie F supports three cohorts of fifteen women each year. The aim is to evaluate their business idea, check its potential and refine it with specialists over the thirteen weeks of the program.
None of this is easy. Nadine explains: “We don’t sell dreams. We’re talking about realistic projects that take into account the individual and surrounding factors. We have to reconcile the dream with the possible. Nadine insists that it’s not all a question of willpower.
The content of the program is rich and adapted to each group. No ready-made presentation. On occasion, they have even revised their approach to the curriculum in the middle of the program, in order to best meet the needs of each group. We adapt to each cohort,” explains Nadine, ”while providing in-depth content, without shortcuts.
The strength of the program lies in its personal development, emotional management and self-awareness. As Nadine points out, “today, personal development is a must, but to have thought of it 20 years ago was an innovative and enlightened vision”. In this respect, Compagnie F can pride itself on being a pioneer.
Men and women: a different education?
There’s a question on my mind. I put it to Mrs. Pirotte: do we teach women differently from men?
Nadine is convinced. According to her, “it’s important to take a different approach, one that takes into account our gender and our values”. Nadine also points out that “the cursor of success for women is not the same as for men.” Success can be a question of figures, rankings and visibility, or it can be a response to human and social issues.
In the course of her experience, the ex-director has found that in single-sex groups, women are able to take more risks. Among themselves, they are less restrained. It’s also important to have a more concrete, more human, more meaningful approach, and to make the content meaningful to a female audience.
What is the impact of such a program?
For Nadine, the results are positive. She knows that many women have been marked by this training. The guidance and support provided by Compagnie F has enabled them to break out of their isolation, regain their autonomy, personal satisfaction and self-confidence, and that’s what counts for the ex-director. It’s also by developing and deepening their skills that some of them have been able to set up their own businesses, reorient or reinvent their careers.
“Women come out of this program much more aware of their values, adopting a different positioning in the world of work into which they fit better.” – Nadine Pirotte, former director of Compagnie F
Female entrepreneurship today
In her six years’ experience, Nadine has gained a good understanding of women’s entrepreneurship. She notes a genuine recognition of the value of women, their talents and their specificities. However, she deplores the fact that this often remains theoretical, and is embodied more in rhetoric than in reality.
What I remember about Compagnie F is its mission: beyond learning about entrepreneurship, it promotes and participates fully in the social and economic equality of women.
Nadine sums up Compagnie F as follows: “it’s a state of mind that we instill.”
Nadine Pirotte, a sociologist by training, teaches entrepreneurship courses at a naturopathy school. She is also an individual coach in business, entrepreneurship and management.
