My So-Called Digital Life

Chantal Payette's Bio

Chantal Payette, founder and President of Whatever Media Inc., is a pioneer in the traditional and new media industries with an impressive portfolio of innovative television, arts, film and new media projects.

Payette has worked with some of the leading media and advertising companies in North America such as Alliance Atlantis, Discovery Channel, and Leo Burnett, helping to create their iLeo interactive department.

As a consultant, Payette has worked for the US government, MIT, Boston Consulting, and for such clients such as BCE Inc, Rogers Wireless, National Geographic and the Royal Bank, among others.

Recently, Payette spearheaded the online media strategy for Rogers Wireless, C2 and Coke Classic for MacLaren McCann, an Interpublic company. She used her background in convergence to strengthen penetration of mobility services and create cross-media partnerships and opportunities. Payette has also been active of late assisting a leading North American travel corporation in its re-branding process, as well as developing new online business opportunities for several leading fashion designers.

In 2003, Payette instigated media and new media strategy for the Toronto ’03 Alliance; a group of local business leaders dedicated to helping the city recover from the economic downturn due to the SARS scare. Toronto ’03 were instrumental in bringing the Rolling Stones, Justin Timberlake and others in to Toronto to show over 500,000 fans and the world that Toronto was back.

Before that she was Vice President of Interactive for Television at Alliance Atlantis Communications. There she worked to create a new division and to develop Internet strategies to support all facets of each project’s corporate objectives, online and offline. Her focus was on the digital component of television series, such as CSI, movies of the week, mini-series, film, fact-based production, kids, original content, distribution and M&L across all digital media. Payette also has had extensive experience both in front and behind the camera. From 2000 to 2002, Payette was a regular contributor to Discovery Channel’s flagship show, @discovery.ca on issues of technology and media. A frequent guest and panelist on such network shows as TechTV, Canada AM, and MediaTelevision, Payette has also appeared on the CTV National News and on NewsNet, the 24 hour cable news channel.

Bringing her corporate skills to the creative sphere, Payette has produced documentaries on Somalia, Afghanistan and Kazakhstan and produced two short films including the highly popular “DeathStar Repairman,” a tribute to STAR WARS - check it out at www.deathstarrepairmen.com. Payette’s experience in filmmaking has proven invaluable in furthering and broadening her skills in iTV, broadband, VoIP, wireless and mobility.

Payette began her new media career at U of T in the Information Technology Services division in 1990, where she created and designed the pre Internet CWIS Gopher system. In 1994, Payette created the award winning interactive department for the CHUM Media group which includes Bravo!, MuchMusic and CityTV. Payette regularly speaks, teaches, writes and advises on the industry. She has spoken at and chaired conferences at the Toronto International Film Festival, Digital Hollywood, New Media, Online to Profit, CDMA, Canadian Institute for Film and Television, Convergencetv.com and for Apple Computers. In addition to writing for The Toronto Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, Playback, Marketing Magazine, and Digital Journal, Payette is presently at work on a book about online business and e-commerce to be published in early 2007.

Named one of Chatelaine’s “Digital Women of the Year”, Payette has appeared in Report on Business magazine, MONEYSENSE, FLARE Magazine, the National Post, the Ottawa Citizen, and Canadian Business. Payette sits on the advisory board of PEN, the CJFE, the Fireball, the Dora Mavor Moore Awards, and Digital Eve.

Foxy girls at the Surf Expo

There are a lot of things i’m thankful for. The basics: food, water, high-speed. But last year was a great year for me as I had my ecommerce site snazzygirl.com up and running for its first full year. There were tonnes of snags, problems, confusions, mistakes, issues, complaints…as there always is when starting a new business (they don’t tell you that in those ‘how-to’ books, by the way). Despite it all, Snazzygirl has surpassed what i expected…so i’m lucky for that…but what i’m really thankfull for is all the great designers and people i’ve met along the way. Some of those people are Jen and Suzie from Foxy Originals based in Toronto, Canada. They came to the Surf Expo in Orlando and I met them for dinner…we had an amazing time and of course, plotted the world domination of aluminum jewelry. They one of my great assets on the site…and they’ve been amazing to deal with. So no rant today, just praise!

Transition From Dribbling Baby to Infant to Child

Today I was completely overwhelmed. So much so that I felt it was difficult to do work. Paralyzed in the thought of how much work I really had to do.

What perplexed me the most my ecommerce site Snazzygirl.com. Its over a year old, something that was a “capitalist” idea with dreams of grandeur, so long ago, has finally found a place to stand. It is no longer the quivering, begging, whining infant of last year - it can now walk on its own and soon, almost talk.

Its the shift from idea, to working idea, to good working idea to full fledged (do i put even more money and time into this and make it a real business ) idea. I need to talk the site to an inventory situation and i’ve talked to several fulfilment houses about it and I’ve decided on one in Tennessee. This will solve my shipping problems which are too huge to even mention, cut my costs (by investing money upfront) and well, give the site the professional service stature it needs and deserves.

But i have to say, its scary. that next step. Its like…this is it, there is no turning back. There are so many things to consider that i need the fulfilment house sales guy on the phone today for 2 hours just to go over the details and the costs. The funny thing was, I had ideas for him for his software, to make things better, that they haven’t considered…which they are going to now implement. should i get a discount or what?

This is not a small move and I worry about the transition for the designers. Even though there are over 60, its a family, its a personal relationship and I’m not sure how they will react to consignment, though most large sites are doing so. The site is certainly pulling in the hits and getting the press.

Stay tuned…i’m sure there will be much more to come.

No Tech At The Beach!

I just got back from the Bahamas. the abaco island. a little retreat, in the middle of nowhere. it was a wonderful, blissful five days with just me, the golf cart, a top 10 beach and several pina coladas - and no internet connection.

why, you ask, would i want an internet connection? well, its more that i need to check on my business and SMS and phone calls with my staff don’t cut it when customers write and say they didn’t receive the goods they ordered.

I managed to scam a man’s wireless internet connection that was next store to my friends condo. i could see through the window that he had his place set up like NORAD. One stand alone and three laptops. Is that was a legal “consultant” needs these days (as he described himself).

the connection was dodgy at best and if i moved, ever so stealthly five feet between the trees and a boat, i could get the solid internet connection…that i now had to pay for. how much you ask. $40.00 US for the week. can you believe it? what a rip off…

it went down all the time…with reports of “fibre down” situations constantly and it was slowest thing since 1200 baud. well maybe no, but it was slow.

apparently, it will eventually be replaced by a true and solid connection…not one bouncing off the islands, literally. it doens’t help the “consultant” had a great connection with this “private” guy but when the guy suddenly died, he took the passwords with him.

ah island life. even the making of drinks is a slow process.

for me, its more…45 minutes away is the US..with all the power needed to be connected and i can’t even get a GPRS connection on my phone. apparently the GSM connection is a new thing. most people’s phones don’t work there. what’s the big deal?

it capitalism at its best and at its worst. protection of culture and the people has prevented progress at the rapid pace that we all expect to be at. but maybe that’s a good thing. after all, isn’t that why you pay to go to places like that…to wind down?

nah, i don’t buy it.