Karine Delage wants you to know she means business. This lovely lady’s been working her tail off from the age of eight when most of us were still eating worms on the playground. Fast forward a couple decades later, and she’s her own PR powerhouse with her firm, Karyzma Agency. Find out more about this diligent dynamo in today’s Tastemaker Q&A…
Give us a snippet about you. What should be people know?
People should know that I grew into this industry on my own; nobody in my family is a part of this world. It helps to prove how anything you believe in is possible, and that you just need to work hard to get where you want, no matter where you come from.
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I started out of nowhere as a journalist when I was 8-years-old, and worked for the biggest magazine in Quebec (7 Jours) by the time I was 13. At the time, I was covering all the biggest awards shows in the States. I then started doing more PR stuff, learning as much as I could on my own. I moved to Toronto nine years ago to work on my dream: owning my own PR firm. It’s not always easy, but I can say that I have accomplished what I wanted and it’s not stopping there – this is just the beginning!
Also, people might not know this but I used to be in a swim team in Quebec, and I swam at the Quebec Games in the open water when I was 15-years-old – I still love swimming even now and think it’s simply the best sport there is!
Finish this sentence: I love Toronto because…
…of the diversity in culture and the fact that even though I moved here nine years ago from Montreal, I still discover something new every day.
What do you love most about the world of marketing and PR/promotions?
I love how everyday brings something different. There isn’t a day that I don’t learn something new about what I do. Because it’s not a 9-to-5 job, you never know what can happen and I love the stress that it brings. I’m not a shy person either and I love the networking aspect; always meeting new people is a great feeling. And the satisfaction of getting your clients tons of coverage or seeing the results after organizing a major event that you worked so hard for is fantastic.
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If you weren’t running your own agency, you would be doing _________.
I don’t see myself doing anything else; it’s been my passion to be in the industry since I was 8-years-old, but maybe I’d work as a producer or TV host. I just love informing people on new and exciting things!
What’s your favourite restaurant and why?
I love food and have never had one favourite restaurant, but I can say that if you guys go to Montreal I love going to simple restaurants such as Casa Grecque and Steak Frites. I love to keep things simple. In Toronto, I love the new Mexican/Spanish restaurant Olé Olé located at King and Jarvis.
What’s your favourite drink and where do you go to get it?
My fave drink would be a sweet martini and the place I love to get them is at Hey Lucy on King Street or Eat My Martini on College. I simply love the varieties that they both have.
Let’s get social for a mo’. How can people stay up-to-date of all your city-trotting?
People can stay up to date with me via Instagram, on Twitter and Facebook, and my website.
