By Isabelle Huot, nutritionist, dietitian, founder of Kilo Solutions, and winner of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award at Artistri Sud’s 2017 Tales of Triumph event.
Translated from French by Marie Bernard-Brind’Amour
I always dreamed of being a missionary in Africa. After studying psychology and occupational therapy, I chose nutrition, with the intention of organizing missions in developing countries. I completed my postgraduate courses (Master’s and PhD) with only one goal in mind: to become part of the World Health Organization and to help communities from disadvantaged backgrounds as best as I possibly could. Rather, the twists and turns of life led me into a media-centered career and through this I have helped many Quebeckers to eat better thanks to my chronicles, books and articles. I founded Kilo Solution in 2009 because I found that no healthy solution was available to people who wanted to lose weight. This society of abundance in which we live creates a major public health problem: that of overweight and obesity.
We are a long way from my original mission, which was directed towards people suffering from malnutrition. Two extremes, overindulgence and lack of food, each with very different solutions. Through entrepreneurship, I have experienced several challenges, I have met scammers, and I have encountered several important problems both in the manufacturing and distribution of my products. After each obstacle, I got up, looked toward my goal and never gave up. It is in the very nature of the entrepreneur!
The mission, the vision, and the values of Aristri Sud speak to me. Through this organization, women recover from the worst difficulties, gain self-confidence and earn a living from their talents, persevere and never lose hope. They have all my admiration! Let’s also celebrate all the Artistri volunteers who make it all possible!