New Member Spotlight

Name and designations: Sophie Branchaud
Position: Owner, Creative Director
Employer: Sage Designs
Joined MPI in March 2019
Contact information: sophie@sagedesigns.ca / 343-488-8243

1. Tell us a bit about yourself:

I was born in Cornwall, Ontario and lived in and around Cornwall most of my life. I moved to Toronto to study at York University and I lived there for six years. My husband and I moved back home after our first daughter was born in 2007.

2. How did you join the industry?

There was no straight path for me… I had always planned to become a lawyer so I studied Philosophy in university with the intention of going to law school after I’d finished my degree. When I took the LSAT the first time my marks were mediocre at best, but I wasn’t discouraged because I knew that lots of lawyers had to take the test more than once before applying to law school. In the meantime, I worked at a law office as an administrative assistant and event coordinator. I loved the office and the people I worked with but I quickly realized that I had zero interest in being a lawyer as a lifelong career.

After my first child was born my husband and I moved back to my hometown about 30 minutes outside of Cornwall. I was on maternity leave and had no idea what I would do when that was up. I kept an eye out for job postings but in the meantime I had to do something else… I enjoy working so I needed something to keep me busy while the baby slept.

Something got me thinking about going into wedding planning since I’d done some corporate event planning at my last job and I’d just planned my own wedding without any stress or issues… so I found a training program in Toronto and headed back there for a weekend certification course.

That was late 2007.

And so began my 12-year (so far) career in the events industry. I ran my planning business until 2010 when I decided to transition over to florals and decor. In 2010 Sage Designs was officially born and I’ve been designing weddings and events ever since.

3. Social Media:

I recommend checking out my own industry blog, Event Creatives (www.eventcreatives.com), where I talk about my own experiences in the events industry and I also share lots of tips and advice on how to run a successful creative event business. Feel free to reach out with questions or topic ideas!

4. Inspiration:

I’m reading constantly… (usually via audiobook, haha!)... I’ve just finished both “Wolfpack” by Abby Wambach and “The Art of Gathering” by Priya Parker. I loved them both for different reasons but I recommend them highly to anyone and everyone!

5. Professional:

I’ve received wonderful advice from various people throughout my life. One of my favourite pieces of advice is to remember that life is a journey and every part of that journey should be appreciated and enjoyed. So while I’m always striving to achieve the next goal in life, I’m always very mindful and grateful for exactly where I am right now.

6. Personal:

If I could go back and give some advice to my younger self I would have told myself to spend time learning about money; how to earn it, how to save it, how to invest it. If I had known then what I know now, I would have saved myself a lot of struggling and suffering and I think that everyone has the capacity to save themselves this suffering if they take the time to learn.

7. Networking:

I don’t attend a lot of networking events - though I know I should. This is largely why I’ve joined MPI. If I had to choose my favourite networking event it would be Noel en Noir which is an annual holiday social event for wedding industry professionals in Ottawa. It’s always a great time!

8. Favourite Quote:

My favourite quote is one I learned while studying philosophy in university. It’s a quote in a piece of work by Plato where Socrates states that:

“The only thing I know is that I know nothing”.

Socrates was widely regarded as the smartest man alive in his time so this quote is a powerful reminder to keep learning, keep adapting, and to stay humble; there’s always so much more to learn.

Article written by: Chantale Degagne, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

Article Edited by: Darlene Kelly-Stewart, Stonehouse Sales & Marketing Services