Reading the title, you might think I'm "Pro-Trump."

Nope. Absolutely not, "not in a hundred years" as my grandmother would say.

I deleted three paragraphs from this introduction because when I reread it, I thought, "damn, you didn't pull any punches" 😅 so I'll just say that I find the character grotesque and crude, and we'll leave it at that.

Now that we've cleared that up, I'm going to explain in what kind of unicorn world I can assert that he has accomplished anything beautiful.

Low blow Donald…

I'm not telling you anything new (I hope) by saying that the issue of tariffs is a hot topic these days.

Just a few weeks ago, we were sending water bombers and their crews to help the U.S. with their wildfires in California. And now, as soon as our backs are turned, we get a knife between our shoulder blades.

Ouch. Come on man. Really?

Well. From there, we can't help but be a little stunned, feel betrayed by our neighbor, and our pride hurt. We wonder "but why?!". We thought we got along well, that we were a good team…

Whether the tariffs are justified or not is not even the basic point; we would have naively expected civilized dialogue and negotiations.

But then again, like Mr. and Mrs. Everybody, my knowledge and understanding of the underlying national and international issues are quite limited, and I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT claim to offer an enlightened view on this specific aspect.

The only thing I know is that things are never as simple as they seem, and I have no intention of going down that slippery slope.

I am writing this text for an entirely different reason: I want you to observe the situation from another angle. 🧐

Trump, without knowing it, has managed to do for us what we struggle to do for ourselves: awaken our pride, our motivation, and pull us out of our stupor of indifference.

He has just awakened the indomitable Quebecer who had been hibernating for too long.

Dare I go further…?!

I would even say that the unthinkable is happening; Quebecers are now proud to be French-Canadians and are ready to man the barricades with their brothers (and sisters) from another mother, the English-Canadians.

And that, I find beautiful.

Stop encouraging local shopping!

I came across a Facebook post by Nicolas Duvernois the other day, the first sentence of which was: "LET'S STOP ENCOURAGING LOCAL SHOPPING!"

I thought "FINALLY!" 👏

I agree 100%. I worked for several years in a non-profit organization and every time someone bought something from us, we used the phrase "thank you for your support!". It was also our default sales pitch.

I HATE THAT PHRASE.

I find it insulting.

It implies that people don't buy because they like our products, that they want to have them, but because we're a bit pathetic and they buy to "encourage" us, as if they were patting us on the shoulder with the same smile we give to children who knock on our door to sell us chocolate…

"Encouraging" a business is not a lasting impact gesture. We encourage once in a while, when we feel like earning Karma points.

"Encouraging" a business is not a consumption habit.

Buying a Quebec or Canadian product should not be a "support" gesture like buying a cardboard-tasting chocolate bar from a kid. For it to make sense and have a real impact, it must become a habit, a reflex.

👉 And the only way to change an old habit is to replace it with a new habit.

If we change nothing, nothing will change.

Faced with the economic upheavals we are experiencing, (tariffs or not) we have two choices:

1. Choose anger, hatred, and put your energy into shouting anti-Trump slogans to anyone who will listen while waving a Quebec flag, as if that would change anything other than generating more hatred and more anger.
2. Choose to keep your zen and put your energy into looking for the rose growing in the pile of 💩 and nurturing it so it can bloom.

Ultra cheesy image, but I choose the rose. 🌹

We feel so powerless in this kind of situation, that we often forget that we have a choice. We have a choice in our actions, and we have a choice in our reactions. To say that we are powerless is a lie.

Regardless of our political allegiances, we can choose to live our daily lives according to our values, and in a way that makes us proud.

We can choose to make our money talk. We don't realize how much every dollar spent or invested is a vote; not for a political party, but for the reality we want to live in. ✅💲

Our responsibility: a matter of habits

Most of the time, we consume without asking too many questions about the product, other than "will it satisfy my need/desire?" or "is there a cheaper one?".

Not so long ago, every purchase had a big impact on the local economy because almost nothing was made abroad. And when it came from elsewhere, we knew it pretty quickly!

My grandmother often told me how having oranges for Christmas was a holiday luxury… 🎄 And we won't even talk about chocolate!

Now, the majority of products we consume come from outside. These are choices we've made over generations, which have had a direct impact on our economy and businesses.

I'm not saying it's a "good" or "bad" thing, just that we have a share of responsibility in our current economy.

Responsibility: from the Latin responsabilis (12th century), meaning "who must answer for their actions".

In short, we can't be outraged that the small local grocer has closed down if we always buy everything in bulk at Costco.

Our responsibility?

To get in the habit of asking ourselves another question before making a purchase. Let's also ask ourselves: "Will this purchase send my money out of the country, or will it benefit my community, my province, and my country?" It's unrealistic to think we can buy EVERYTHING locally (and not necessarily desirable), but we should at least have the reflex to ask the question to make more informed choices.

“Think big S’ti”

I'm not saying we should boycott everything from the United States; that's another debate. For better or worse, they are our neighbors and economic partners, and even if four years of Trump are likely to generate a lot of ink, one day he will be gone and we will still be neighbors.

But wanting to boycott the USA is a normal reaction. It's human nature: when we are pushed, it's our reflex to push back. We want to feel like we have the upper hand. The problem is that you can't push someone into changing their mind by pushing them. You can't win if you fight human nature; you'll just push each other indefinitely like two little boys in a schoolyard who end up with bloody lips and knees.

“So what, we do nothing and turn the other cheek?!?”

Nah, not at all. 😏

We have SO many great businesses in Quebec and Canada, and products that have nothing to envy to big American brands. Let's be curious and alert when we hear about a local company we didn't know about. Let's make it a reflex to ask ourselves "what do they have to offer that I could try?".

Let's find local products that we love, that we'll want to buy again and again, and that can replace products in our consumption habits.

And guess what!?

By doing that, you'll not only be satisfied with your purchase every time, but you'll also help these amazing companies grow, develop, and carve out a place for themselves in the North American market, and maybe even worldwide! And that, to my ears, sounds even better than a boycott.

In short, when possible, let's choose Quebec, choose Canada, so that our businesses can have the resources they need to grow, innovate, and stand out, and to become a benchmark that will make us say "Man, Canadians have got it going on."

And you, do you have any "local favorite" businesses and products?

Beyond economic scenarios, politics, tariffs or no tariffs, I believe we are at an important pivotal moment.

The rise in pride and solidarity towards Quebec and Canadian businesses reminds me a little of what we experienced during COVID; against all odds, despite the restrictions, closures, and difficulties generated, we witnessed the birth of many businesses during the pandemic that could not have survived without this surge of solidarity.

Obviously, the context was not the same, but the problem risks being so.

The problem is that a surge of solidarity, a purchase to "encourage," doesn't change our consumption habits. It gives a boost in the moment, but it doesn't solve anything in the long term.

Once the "crisis" has passed, we return to our old habits of bargain hunting at Costco…

What if we changed our habits for good? If we find Quebec products that truly meet our desires, why go back to an American product? No need to cut your Costco card, they offer plenty of Quebec and Canadian products, and if they notice an enthusiasm for local products, that's what they will continue to offer us!

Yes, often it costs a little more, but don't forget, every dollar spent is a vote for the world you want to live in.

My top 3 "local favorites"

I think one of the best ways to promote local businesses and products, individually, is word-of-mouth: we need to talk about the treasures we discover and share them!

Okay, I'll set an example, I'll start!

Here are my three most recent discoveries that are now essentials for me, and which are three Montreal businesses:

1. The all-purpose cleaner from The Unscented Company. Strangely, I love their bottle as much as the product inside! Finally, a bottle that doesn't feel "cheap" in hand, which has a perfect spritz (you have to try it to understand 🤣). There's no fragrance, so with each bottle I add a few drops of essential oils depending on my mood. They also sell "refill" sizes, which is really great.
2. The protein blends  from GoodProteins (especially Mocha!) If you're a bit food lazy like me in the morning (or just in a hurry) and tend to skip breakfast, or if you work out and need a protein boost, these drinks are just perfect. Nothing like the powdery texture and weird stevia taste of other such low-sugar powders. And I jumped when I looked at the nutritional information; it's far from "just" a protein shake! The vitamins and minerals in each serving make it much more complete than what I would have made myself for breakfast anyway… 🤣 (btw, the Mocha one tastes a bit like Coffee Crisp… 👌)
3. The curl balm from DesignMe. They don't just have cream for curly hair, but a full range of products for all hair types. But if you have curly hair, you know that finding THE cream/mousse/gel is not easy, so I was very skeptical about trying something new. I was flabbergasted by the result: it's now my new official favorite cream, and as a bonus, it smells better than the one I used before!

That's my top 3, but honestly, I have SO many products in mind that I just went with the 3 most recent discoveries. Maybe I should write a whole article about it? 🤔😅

And you, do you have a top 3 to share? Or even a top 2, or a top 1! I want to know, tell me all about it in the comments below the article! 😀

P.S. Are you an entrepreneur?

Since it's relevant in this context, I'm going to take the opportunity to give a little "plug" for La Tranchée! If you don't know it, it's a Francophone entrepreneurs' community where we support each other on the forum, and the course portal is a goldmine on web marketing essentials: website creation, ecommerce, online advertising, automation, etc.

Forum membership is now free, but if you choose the paid plan, you'll get access to several member-only courses and every dollar invested in your subscription is returned to you as credit to purchase advanced training, in addition to a basic discount percentage on all training. If you're interested and have any questions, let me know! ☺️