Chantal Michel has a simple philosophy about life.
“When you drive a car and you look back, you’re going to go where you were. But if you stay focused on what’s in front of you, you’re going to go where you want to be,” she says. “If you’re always looking back, you can’t move forward.”
It’s a philosophy that has served her well.
Today, Chantal leads multiple businesses in Quebec’s book industry, including a thriving network of independent bookstores, a book distribution company, and a digital management system used by independent bookstores. She was also president of the Librairies indépendantes du Québec cooperative, leading major national projects that will shape the industry for years to come. And as a 2025 recipient of a RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award, Chantal is seen by many as an incredible success.
But if you ask her, she’ll tell you she hasn’t always had it easy (“my life is very wavy… it’s never been a straight line”) and that what’s gotten her to where she is today is the uncanny ability to stay laser focused on her goals and a desire to build something big for the book community.
Placed in foster care at age two, Chantal began life facing more obstacles than most people will ever encounter. “It was an experience that shaped my resilience and determination very early on because when you’re in foster care, you don’t imagine becoming a success let alone an entrepreneur… I was only the third foster child in Quebec to go to university.”
When she graduated from McGill in 1994, she struggled to find work that fit her personality. She didn’t like routine, and she found that she thrived on challenges. Instead of playing the waiting game for the right corporate opportunity, she took a leap and created a role for herself. She began Promotion du Livre SDM, a book distribution company, where she and her husband Martin became business partners. They built the distribution business together over 15 years, learning the industry inside and out.
By 2009, Chantal and Martin wanted more. They saw an opportunity to expand beyond distribution into retail, so they bought Librairie Raffin, one of the oldest surviving businesses on the famed Plaza St-Hubert and a cornerstone of Montreal’s literary culture, when it was facing bankruptcy. With the purchase of Librairie Raffin, Chantal suddenly found herself managing 125 employees instead of 25 virtually overnight.
Suddenly, Chantal wasn’t just managing the book distribution business she knew well, she was running retail bookstores with physical locations, staff, inventory, and customers walking through the doors every day. The business model was completely different, and she had to learn fast.
When she was forced out of the location where the bookstore had operated for 45 years by a competitor, Chantal found another space right across the street – (“[the competitor] thought I would close, but I didn’t. I was closed for only a few months, but I reopened, and now it’s a success”).
And she had to stare down blatant sexism in the boardroom.
“When we met people, they would always talk to Martin and not to me, because I’m the woman and I’m blonde,” Chantal says. “I remember one meeting where I answered ten questions, and every single one was directed to Martin. Finally, I looked at them and said, ‘It’s me you should be talking to,’ and that’s when they finally started to acknowledge me directly.”
She also battled breast cancer. “They removed both breasts,” she says. “I had five operations over two and a half years and kept working.”
Through it all, Chantal says she’s learned a few things about building business.
One, you can’t do it alone. “Don’t take on everything and let the weight rest on your shoulders alone. Don’t be afraid to have people who are very strong working beside you and supporting you in your journey.”
Two, you have to stay focused on what drives you rather than what holds you back. “You don’t have to have money. You don’t have to have everybody beside you. If you have passion and if you trust yourself, you can grow where you want to go.”
Lastly, you have to have hope. When asked how she has remained so positive despite everything she’s faced, Chantal returns to her driving analogy. “I always see in front of me, not what’s behind me. I see where I want to go, not where I have been. When bad things happen, just think it’s going to get better.”
She adds that being named an RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur of the year has been a deeply emotional experience for her. She attended the awards ceremony with her sister and her best friend of 47 years. (“I wanted to share this moment with two important women in my life.”)
“I never imagined receiving such a precious recognition. I didn’t build my career on a goal of winning awards. I just moved forward, guided by my conviction, my passion for books, and my desire to build something meaningful and lasting… [the award] has been like a gentle but powerful tap on the shoulder telling me ‘well done, Chantal,’” she says before adding: “It’s also something that reflects the collective effort that has gone into building what we have. It’s about my team and about working together with great people.”
Looking ahead, Chantal notes she wants to give back and pay it forward to other women entrepreneurs. She’s considering moving into consulting for book businesses and cultural enterprises, so she can share everything she’s learned.
“I would like to be a mentor for other women. I would like to help them, to inspire them to believe in themselves and say, ‘you’re able.’ You don’t need a lot of people [to believe in you]. You only need one person; and that person is you.”