Building business on values: A conversation with Blaise Fontaine
This International Women’s Day, I had the pleasure of stepping into “The Bright Side” to write a guest blog highlighting women in business. Immediately, I thought of one of our clients, Blaise Fontaine, co-founder of ProACTIVE Planning, and wanted to share her journey as a business owner, the work she does, and what meaningful support for women in business really looks like. Before our conversation, I expected to hear stories of growth and success. What stood out to me most, however, was just how grounded and intentional Blaise is about her values, her work, and the way she has built her business over time.
Blaise’s business—ProACTIVE Planning—works with linear infrastructure operators across sectors such as transmission, pipelines, and rail, supporting projects where stakeholder involvement, community engagement, and long-term relationships are critical. It’s work that exists in the gray areas—the kinds of challenges that can’t be solved with a checklist or a standard process.
When Blaise talks about ProACTIVE Planning, she doesn’t rely on buzzwords or polished explanations. She describes the business in practical terms, saying, “We resolve more complex issues related to linear infrastructure planning, development, and operations.”
“I am really big about impact,” Blaise stated. Rather than treating engagement as a procedural requirement, she focuses on what participation looks like and what it leads to over time. That perspective shapes the projects ProACTIVE Planning takes on and the way they work with clients. For Blaise, impact isn’t something added at the end of a project—it’s built into the process from the very beginning.
Her decision to start her own business was shaped by experience and by what she observed while working for others. Blaise has seen firsthand how skills, dedication, and ideas often create value for organizations, yet rarely translate into ownership or autonomy. As she put it, “If you’re not working for yourself, you’re really limited in the way that you can bring new ideas and creativity to your work.”
Starting ProACTIVE Planning gave her the ability to decide how she worked, who she worked with, and what she stood for. It was not only about financial independence—it was about building something aligned with her values and having the space to do work in a way that felt meaningful. That clarity has guided the business from the beginning and continues to shape how it operates today.
Relationships were a recurring theme throughout our conversation. Blaise spoke openly about how central they are to her approach to business. “Relationships are everything in business; they are everything,” she said. She contrasted this with more transactional consulting models she has seen, where projects are driven purely by revenue. That kind of work, she explained, felt empty. For her, relationships with clients, partners, and communities are the foundation of everything.
That same values-based approach extends beyond ProACTIVE Planning through Blaise’s work with the Indigenous Power Coalition. She shared that she co-founded the organization and remains deeply involved. “My work with the Indigenous Power Coalition is really special because it is a nonprofit,” she explained. The coalition works on behalf of First Nations to advance clean energy projects that prioritize leadership and long-term benefit. Blaise described this work as “career peak stuff,” noting that it allows her to witness Indigenous Nations lead major infrastructure projects that benefit communities and Canada as a whole.
Confidence was another theme that stood out. Blaise talked about finding her voice as a leader and how much that changed the way she shows up in her business. “Once I really found my voice and that sense of confidence in myself and my work, that was a really big thing for me,” she shared. Today, she is clear about boundaries and expectations. “Clients respect you more when you are assertive and clear about your boundaries,” she said.
As we wrapped up our conversation, we talked about International Women’s Day and what meaningful support for women in business really looks like. “Women holding each other up,” Blaise said simply. She spoke about confidence, representation, and self-advocacy. “Know your worth,” she said. “Nobody else is going to tell you your worth and be accurate.”
Talking with Blaise was a powerful reminder that successful businesses do not have to sacrifice integrity for growth. ProACTIVE Planning is proof that a business built on trust, relationships, and clear values can be both impactful and sustainable. For International Women’s Day, her story reinforces a message worth repeating: Know your worth, stand your ground, and build something that truly reflects who you are.
