SOPHIE
REIS
ENTREPRENEUR, SPEAKER, AUTHOR
TRAINER & INSPIRATIONAL HEALTH & WELLNESS COACH
"Nothing is impossible; you just have to create it."
Sophie Reis has over 20 years of experience in brand management, strategic alliances, public relations, advertising, and business development for major brands, both on the client side and in agencies.
After more than 12 years in the high-performing telecommunications sector, her innovative spirit inspired her to take a leap to bring her expertise to local entrepreneurs and organizations. She co-founded the launch of the crowdfunding platform La Ruche in Montreal in 2016, which has since become an economic development tool recognized by the Quebec government and major private partners.
A mother of two, after traveling to nearly 50 countries around the world, often multiple times, she combined her passion for travel and communication with her love for family and entrepreneurship. In 2016, she created the first Quebec-based website for traveling parents, bbjetlag.com. Her book Le Guide des parents voyageurs: s'inspirer, s'informer, s'équiper - 0 à 12 ans (Trécarré, 2018) became a bestseller in Canada and Europe.
In the fall of 2020, she received a diagnosis of aggressive breast cancer (found unexpectedly with no family history), which turned her life upside down.
In remission from a fast-spreading breast cancer, she launched the platform Un cancer en cadeau in 2021. Involving over 100 doctors, researchers, and specialists, her book Un cancer en cadeau: apprendre, comprendre et s'outiller pour agir(Trécarré, 2023) quickly rose to the top of the charts as the most comprehensive guide for understanding and taking action in response to cancer.
By sharing her story of resilience and action, she aims to inspire patients and their loved ones to reclaim their power in their own way, helping them navigate this challenge with grace and vitality.
As a speaker, trainer, and consultant in innovation and business development, she now shares her story of resilience, awareness, and action, intertwining her professional and personal journey while highlighting her unique approach to transforming adversity into opportunity.
Socially engaged, she actively promotes the mission of gardetescheveux.org as Vice-President of its Board of Directors, serves as Chair of the TELUS Community Investment Committee, is a patient ambassador for the CHUM Foundation, and is a member of the campaign cabinet for the University de Montreal’s major fundraising campaign.
EXPERTISE:
From short inspirational talks to half-day workshops or full event hosting, Sophie’s content is tailored to meet your needs.
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KEYNOTES
Turning Adversity into Opportunity: The Power of Awareness, Confidence, and Action
This talk (or workshop) explores how to transform adversity into opportunity and adapt to change, focusing on the importance of resilience and action.
Discover how Sophie developed her ability to take action in the face of personal challenges, including cancer, and how she applied her lessons and professional growth to regain control of her life. She encourages reflection to help identify one's “X” in their professional life while sharing concrete solutions to improve physical and mental well-being for overcoming life’s biggest challenges.
Be prepared to be captivated by Sophie’s moving story, delivered with her legendary dynamism and humor, and equipped with solutions for overcoming adversity.
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WORKSHOPS - (All of Sophie’s workshops can be paired with an introductory inspirational talk.)
Stress: Learn, Understand, and Equip Yourself to Take Action
In this workshop, Sophie invites you to understand stress and its mechanisms. She helps participants recognize signs of stress and anxiety, which are often hard to detect. This session combines knowledge, tools, and examples from her own experience, offering practical ways to manage stress daily and prevent it from becoming chronic.
Cultivating Resilience
In this workshop, Sophie shares the fundamentals of resilience—the ability to rebuild and surpass oneself in the face of life’s challenges. She explores why some people are better able to bounce back than others and identifies the ten key factors influencing resilience. Finally, she offers practical, innovative solutions for cultivating resilience.
Self-Awareness: Finding Your Purpose
A workshop that delves into the concept of purpose and how it strengthens our ability to face challenges. Focusing on the importance of self-awareness and exploring the Japanese concept of Ikigai, Sophie provides practical advice on cultivating resilience through purpose.
Building Trust: In Yourself and in Others
This workshop highlights the pillars of trust within a team: reliability, openness, acceptance, and alignment. To strengthen these pillars, a transformative exercise called “The River of Life” is introduced. Each team member is invited to write about significant life events and then share them with the group. This exercise fosters listening skills, self-confidence, and authenticity. As a result, team bonds are strengthened, creating a strong, cohesive unit.
Preparing for Travel with Baby or Young Children
In an interactive workshop format, Sophie guides participants through preparing for travel with a baby or young child. From preparation to arrival, this session covers all the key questions!
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PANELS AND HOSTING
Whether moderating a panel, conducting an interview or podcast, or speaking as an expert, Sophie covers the following topics:
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Finding Your “X” | Stress Management | Mental Health | Well-Being | Cancer
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Transforming Ways of Doing Things | Innovation
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Entrepreneurship | Intrapreneurship
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Family | Mompreneurship | Travel
LANGUAGES :
LOCATION : MONTREAL, QC
TOUT LE MONDE EN PARLE : LE CANCER VU D'UN AUTRE ANGLE
TESTIMONIALS:
PODCASTS:
PUBLICATIONS:
A CANCER AS A GIFT: LEARN, UNDERSTAND, AND EQUIP YOURSELF TO TAKE ACTION
The best-selling oncology book in Quebec!
"We too can become specialists in our health and an integral part of our care team."
In the fall of 2020, at thirty-eight years old, Sophie Reis was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer, found unexpectedly, with no family history or symptoms. Both strong and vulnerable, she shares her story openly, revealing the lessons she now considers gifts of her illness. *A Cancer as a Gift* also provides a detailed journey through oncology, making it a reliable, practical resource for those with cancer, empowering them—and those supporting them—with the knowledge and tools to take action.
THE BEST-SELLING FRENCH GUIDE IN ITS CATEGORY SINCE 2018, NOW REVAMPED FOR 2024!
Whether you're embarking on a long journey or a weekend getaway, this practical guide is designed to fully equip traveling parents, making life easier before departure, en route, at the destination, and upon return. It covers it all!
The Benefits of Family Travel
- Tips for Planning Your Trip:flights, accommodations, documents and paperwork, health and safety, and more…
- Advice on Packing, Navigating the Airport, Enjoying the Flight, Traveling with a Child with Special Needs, Road-Tripping as a Family, and Having Fun at Your Destination
- Smart Packing and Equipment Choices
- Practical Lists, Handy Checklists, and Much More!
This new edition, enhanced with fresh content, reaffirms this guide as THE family travel reference—a must-have tool for parents and future parents!
ARTICLES:
Action Was My Lifeline
"Action was my lifeline because when you're diagnosed with cancer, you only get five minutes with the doctor. People are left on their own and often turn to social media for support. But do they really find the right answers there? I don’t think so, and that’s why this book exists. It's a real need for patients."
A Cancer as a Gift
"One more reason to enjoy buying and reading her book, easily available at www.sophiereis.com, is that a portion of the proceeds goes to organizations such as the Quebec Cancer Foundation."
Travel Journal
"Each chapter has been revised and enhanced to reflect current circumstances. 'Family travel is booming, needs are evolving, and the post-pandemic context has created a certain unease among many traveling parents,' observes author Sophie Reis."
For the Eternal Traveler
"If the mother you’re looking to spoil wants a resource to know everything before traveling with children (0-12 years), tips for planning the trip, packing advice, and useful checklists, these 400 pages packed with practical information are just what she needs."
New Edition of the Parents’ Travel Guide
"This guide also includes plenty of tips, like traveling light, booking flights on Tuesdays or Wednesdays (between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. for the lowest prices!), using price comparison tools (Expedia, Google Flights, FlightHub), and remembering to bring adapters and power converters."