Personal Branding Portrait Series || Building your Personal Brand Abroad with Astrid

Astrid Moulin and I have a few things in common – we are both from Europe, grew up in small towns and moved to Canada without the expectation of staying here. We met through social media as Astrid was also a guest on Kate’s podcast, The Newcomer Collective. Having followed Astrid for a year, learning about the community she has built, I thought it would be interesting to talk with her about her journey to Canada, her blog Fringinto and her personal branding and networking skills.

You’re a French expat living in Toronto. Tell us a bit about where you come from and how your journey brought you to Toronto.

I grew up in a very small town in France. I love it there, but you know, it’s the same people you’ve known since you were a kid and you don’t really have room to grow because they all expect you to stay the same person as you were. I was a sales representative in the construction industry and I knew that after three years with them I wouldn’t be able to grow anymore. So I thought maybe it was time for me to go abroad and follow this dream. It had been in the back of my mind for a long time, but I always thought it was really hard to make the move – I’m not saying it’s not hard – but I thought it was impossible. But I saw people from my school moving abroad and I thought if they can do it, I’m sure I can do it too. The main reason I went abroad was to learn English, because my English was very basic and I couldn’t really have a conversation. Also, I wanted to put myself out of my comfort zone to see who I would be in an environment where I didn’t know anyone.

Why did you chose Toronto?

I didn’t know much about Canada, to be fair, so when I got my Canadian visa, I decided to go to Vancouver or Toronto. So I chose Toronto because it’s the economic capital, a lot of head-offices are here and I wanted to work on my career. But you know, 7 years ago you didn’t really have access to all the resources that you have today. So I didn’t have anyone to talk to, it was just me checking Google Maps.

How did you find your first jobs in Toronto?

My first job was at Yorkdale Mall in Toronto, in a retail store. I went to every single store in the mall and just gave them my resume. My English was very broken and I learned a few sentences at home and just told people that I really wanted to work. I found my first job, stayed for three months and then I was looking for a new job where I didn’t have to work on weekends, so I could meet new people. I found a job in an IT company in the sales department. There were many French speakers there, which was really cool, so I had some French people to talk to and share our experiences. Then I moved back home, and when I came back to Toronto I applied mainly through LinkedIn. I think I found all my jobs through LinkedIn, except when I worked with the team (Toronto Basketball team, The Raptors), that was through my network, through someone we knew in common. She knew what I was doing with my blog and Social Media, so she asked me for lunch and explained what she was doing with her Marketing team. At the end of lunch, she offered me a job . I am not a sports person, so I had no idea what it meant. When I told my friends that I had lunch with this woman and that she had offered me a job to work for the team, they couldn’t believe it. So many people want to work there.

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” Astrid’s favorite quote

You just mentioned a very important point – your network. How did you build up your network and what would you recommend someone who arrives new to a city?

I would recommend to put yourself out there. For French people that’s very hard, it’s just not something we do culturally. I grew up with it because my family has a company and my dad always told me that it is important to have different people around you because they can help you and you can trust them. So having a network was always something normal for me. Also working in sales, it was important to have a network. What I did here in Toronto is that I started volunteering at networking events that took place every month for about two years. I got to know a lot of people and it helped me grow my network. I also just put myself out there, asked questions, talked to people and brought a business card. I know many people say that business cards are for old people but I always give my business card. First, it’s so much faster than asking someone to find them on LinkedIn. And even if they add you, they have so many contacts that they will lose your information. With a card they will take it, read it in front of you, put it in their pocket and when they get home they will remember you. I think the process is what makes it so important.

How do you use LinkedIn for your business?

I actively use it when I want to find someone. For example, there is this new app to avoid food waste that was just launched in Canada and is very big in France. I messaged them on Instagram but they were not responding, so I tried to find the manager on LinkedIn and reached out to him. He connected me right away with the Marketing team. That’s one way of using it. The good thing about LinkedIn is that you can check who is who and you save so much time. When you meet someone at an event, you won’t know what they do, but on LinkedIn you can check and it really helps you building up a network. Once you are connected with them, you can strengthen the relationship by commenting on their posts and having nice conversations. It’s easier to reach out to someone on LinkedIn, especially in Canada.

Yes in Europe it doesn’t seem to be that common yet to just reach out to someone on LinkedIn…

Quote Astrid Moulin

Let’s change the channel – I’m curious to hear about your blog. Why did you start it? Because you moved abroad or/and because you love blogging?

I have always loved blogging. Even in high school I had a blog. I created Fringinto when I moved to Toronto. I was writing the first blogpost on the plane, and it was just to keep something for my one year here and so my parents could see what I was doing. I started posting on Instagram a few months later, and I remember a few Canadians asking me if I could post my outfit because they liked the way I dressed, and I was like “Mhm sure…. why would anyone want to see my outfit?!” It also helped my confidence. So yes, it just started as a memory of my year here. When I moved back to France, I did something for my home town because no one was talking about it, so I helped and created a community there. I created a running community for girls, because I wanted newcomers to be able to meet locals, so running was just an excuse. When I moved back to Toronto, French people asked me if I could share my experience and if I could explain this and that, and so my blog, which at first was just a diary for my mum, turned out to be about my story and explaining life here. Yesterday I had a picnic with my followers, about 25 people, and at some point I looked around and thought, it’s still crazy to me that the reason these guys are all here is because I posted something. I still can’t process that. Or when someone talks to me in the street. But I’m so lucky that my community is so nice and interactive.

How did you build up your own personal brand?

Stay true to yourself, because that will be easier than being someone else. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You have to make amends between what you see and who you are, but you also have to look at yourself and listen to people around you saying what makes you different. What makes you different will help you stand out. For me, for example, I respond to every message I receive because without my followers I am nothing, it has to be an exchange. Just yesterday at the picnic they told me that so many bloggers don’t respond. As a blogger you have to build a community and make people want to stay with you. They need to feel that you are relatable and that you could be their friend. Understand your value and what makes you different from other people. Be honest, authentic and true to yourself. Be positive and inspiring and give people a reason to stay around.

When I was a sales representative, I know that people used to say “the girl with the big glasses, the fringe and the high heels” – so even physically, if you have a strong identity, something that makes you different, don’t be shy, be your own person.

Today’s takeaways from talking to Astrid:

1. Don’t let your language skills or other barriers come in your way, just prepare and try it.

2. Put yourself out there: Volunteer to meet new people, talk to people, build up a network.

3. Don’t hesitate to reach out to someone on LinkedIn.

4. But: Always carry a business card with you.

5. Be honest, authentic and true to yourself.

Make sure to follow Astrid on her social channels:

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

LinkedIn

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For my new Personal Branding Portraits Series, I’m talking to female entrepreneurs and business owners about their journey, their goals and challenges, and how they built their personal brand.

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