For the past month, I have been preparing for one of the most decisive pitches of my career, in front of 20 investors from the Canadian market. Never before had I dedicated so much time and energy to refining a presentation. But for this pitch, I knew that it wasn’t enough to just present our numbers well. I had to embody our vision. Every detail was meticulously crafted because I had exactly 7 minutes to captivate the audience and 7 more minutes to answer their questions. This moment had to resemble a finely tuned choreography, worthy of the great Canadian ballets. A ballet where every movement – every word – was calculated to create impact.
The challenge wasn’t only about the presentation itself but also the language. I had to deliver this pitch in English, my second language. This was another obstacle to overcome. Like many French speakers, I had to carefully choose words that were the most natural for me to pronounce while keeping the strength and intention of my message intact. This rigorous preparation was, without a doubt, one of the boldest challenges of my career.
Today, we are celebrating the fruits of this boldness: we have been selected to join the prestigious L-SPARK incubation program, which is specifically designed for SaaS companies like ours. This program isn’t just an opportunity; it’s a springboard that will propel us to new heights. Through its high-level mentorship and strategic coaching, we will be able to strengthen our foundation, not only to consolidate our current growth but also to access funding that will fuel our expansion.
We are close to reaching $100,000 in monthly recurring revenue and have a clear path towards $2.8 million in annual recurring revenue by 2025. Participating in L-SPARK will allow us to create even stronger foundations, ensuring not only our company’s sustainability but also our ability to continually innovate.
You may wonder why I’m sharing this story. As the President of illuxi, I’m also a manager leading a team of 15 people. Like any leader, I had a mission: to succeed in this pitch. And to do so, I called upon human expertise. I reached out to mentors, coaches, and even created an internal intervention team—a real “SWAT team”—dedicated to helping me through this process. Throughout this journey, I reinforced my belief that mentorship, coaching, and continuous learning are at the heart of success. And this bold and human approach is precisely what we implement at illuxi, both in the learning journeys we offer and in the technology we develop for our clients.
As a leader, it’s essential for me to experience these challenges firsthand because I firmly believe that a good leader must practice what they preach. Every challenge I take on reinforces our mission: to offer our clients and their learners a top-tier learning experience that is flexible, personalized, and, above all, human.
Everyone celebrates victories in their own way. Some people toast with a glass of wine, others enjoy a nice meal. For me, celebrating means running. Right after this intense pitch, I put on my running shoes and went for a 10 km run through Ottawa. This run allowed me to transform my stress into energy, to release my emotions, and fully savor the moment. For me, running is a way to free myself, a catharsis that helps me move forward. That’s how I chose to celebrate this pivotal moment in our journey.
I want to thank everyone who supported me throughout this process, including my children and my better half, who noticed the extra hours of work I’ve put in over the past month. A huge thank you to my family, friends, colleagues, partners, and of course, the L-SPARK team for their unwavering support. After a month of intense preparation, it feels like I’ve played my pre-season game and earned my place in the big leagues.
I am proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, and I’m excited to see where this new step will take us. Together, we will continue to grow illuxi while providing exceptional service to our clients and their learners.
