Tire specialists are not all the same. This slogan, accompanied by the photo of Charlyne Ratté in 1995, began to change the face of the car industry, the life of a brave young woman and also Pneus Ratté customers.
“After that, I didn’t have to prove myself as much. And when you no longer have that need, you can develop the business there, ”says the vice-president of the Ratté group, who from there saw the women appearing in the garage.
Charlyne Ratté has lived her life on the fringes. At the age of 14 she was cleaning in the family business founded in 1934, then worked in the warehouse and unloaded trucks with tires.
“I did something abnormal and it made me feel good,” she says.
Charlyne was diligent at school. At 14, she bought an old English car that she couldn’t drive yet, but which she was able to restore with the help of her colleagues. Almost all of his salary was used to buy pieces for Madame La Liberté, the nickname of this unique teenage companion.
shareholder at 16
By the time she was 16, she had already bought shares from her father, who wanted to retire early. She would be part of the next generation, along with her older brother, Stéphane, who runs the company.
Nothing was made easy on Charlyne’s path as she struggled for credibility in a man’s world.
When she moved into sales, clients asked to speak to a consultant. These referred to Charlyne, who had all the knowledge.
“I’ve always told myself that I have to be the best. A deep desire to succeed gave me strength and an immense desire to prove to my father first that I am capable. »
Was he proud of her? Charlyne has no certainty because he never had those words for her. He was a man who made it the hard way and one of those guys who never knew how to say I love you.
become an entrepreneur
When the young woman and her brother bought all the shares in the company in 2001, they wanted to do things differently. Taking risks for growth achieved through acquisitions.
“That’s when I really became an entrepreneur. I finally had the freedom I was longing for, a world of possibilities,” she recalls.
Again there was no ease on his way. When she had her first child, we didn’t really give her time to enjoy it. We had to get back to work quickly.
last chance honey
Twenty-one years later, at 47, Charlyne is expecting her second and believe her, she’ll be taking a break with this long-awaited last-chance baby.
The life of an entrepreneur, she still loves it. But not at the expense of her life as a mother. She is not alone on board and is going ahead full of confidence today.
After the holiday, Charlyne will dedicate herself to following the deployment of Pneus Ratté, which now has 23 points of sale in Quebec and an online shop in Canada under the Point S banner.
She will do so with the joy and confidence of those who no longer need to prove themselves.
Much
- entrepreneurship is? “Dare and act, then innovate. It’s not enough to have dreams. »
- If you could change one thing in the world what would it be? “If everyone could have kindness and respect for one another, we would have a better world. »
- Who inspires you? “I admire women in general. We’re hot! In every generation we have had to fight to take our place. »
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