Hello to you, curious souls,
Let's go today to meet Pascale Baussant, business manager specializing in wealth management consulting and a woman committed to the climate.
From the first fears of an entrepreneurial adventure to a resounding success
After a preparatory class, Pascale joined the Kedge Business School in Marseille, and completed her studies at ESCP Europe, with a view to specializing in wealth management. She is indeed attracted by the two aspects of this discipline: the technical side and the human side – she enters into the intimacy of clients, sometimes famous, and that is fascinating!
Pascale is an employee for seven years, until the wealth management consulting firm in which she is a partner files for bankruptcy. She is 29 years old, a 3 month old baby, and has just lost all her savings.
She decides to try everything for everything by creating her own company. Period of stress, big leap into the void... She goes on sleepless nights. But taking risks is the only way to avoid having regrets. Soon, Pascale's business takes off, word of mouth works, customer loyalty is there.
Pascale advises today not to wait to have a stable situation to get started, because we are constantly finding excuses: "Entrepreneurship is the business of a lifetime". We must also be attentive to the poles that life gives us.
The development of its ecological awareness and its actions to make things happen in business
At the age of 40, Pascale wonders what the ultimate goal of her business is, and what she can bring “in addition”. She begins to take an interest in sustainable and ethical finance, and decides to transform her company into a socially responsible company.
According to her, finance is one of the levers of the energy transition and the environmental fight, and Baussant Conseil is the perfect example. Pascale and her team are now considered responsible investment pioneers and ambassadors.
As much as there are many manuals on how to improve one's ecological footprint on an individual scale, it is more difficult for a company to know where to start. And especially for a small business. This is why Pascale wrote the book "Small manual for the company: how to act for the climate?", which was published in March 2020 by EMS editions. It is the result of several years of research and life-size tests, and the author has relied on her own experiences to pass on her learnings to as many people as possible. Sharing model, all of its copyrights go to the GoodPlanet foundation.
More than 1,500 copies have been sold in six months, which shows that this book meets a real need. Its author wants to show that even small businesses can make a commitment to the climate: she strongly believes in action and the importance of leading by example.
Among the advice she gives to improve her environmental actions, there are very simple examples. Let's start with the choice of typeface: opting for an ink-efficient font can save between 25 to 33% of ink – a very real impact.
Another idea, to fight against plastic waste: offer a water bottle to each employee, and be careful to choose a water bottle made in France. On average, a French employee uses between 600 and 700 cups per year, the stakes are high.
An iron fist in a velvet glove
Pascale's company has joined the 1% for the planet collective, and Pascale has become one of its administrators. The principle of 1% for the Planet? Donate 1% of annual turnover to environmental organizations. The Baussant Conseil firm thus supports Veni Verdi, who is working to transform the roofs of Paris into vegetable gardens.
Unlike many women, Pascale has never suffered sexist remarks during her career, although her chosen field is mainly male (only 15% of women among the leaders of wealth management consulting firms). She never tried to work as a man. We sense in her the "iron hand in the velvet glove". She kept her identity, her gentleness, her sense of listening, and that's also what made her successful. She also finds that her job is particularly well suited to women, due to its flexibility (teleworking, etc.), and the (central) place of listening skills.
Because entrepreneurs can often feel alone with their project, Pascale created and led an entrepreneur club for ten years. Allow entrepreneurs to take a step back, discuss with others who have gone through the same stages... Pascale strongly believes in mutual aid.
His advices
Pascale is constantly on fire and has a lot of energy to spare. A quality that has helped her throughout her career: her sense of organization. Do not hesitate to delegate and trust your collaborators, even if it can be difficult. Thus, just after creating her own consulting firm, Pascale did not wait to recruit an intern, then an employee, in order to maximize ideas and share the tasks.
Being rigorous without being a perfectionist allowed him to prioritize. We often drown in details that are not essential. You have to let go, and agree to keep a hint of dissatisfaction in yourself.
Her tips for getting better organized:
- Write again and again to do lists
- Leave free slots in your agenda to have time to manage the unexpected
- learn to say no and not accept all requests: conferences etc.
For Pascale, entrepreneurship "is not a sprint, but a marathon". You have to know how to listen to your body and your mind to go the distance and keep a balance of life in all circumstances.