A little bit more about me!

Hello and welcome to my blog. I'm Jeannette Duguay - known as Jen by my peers. I like to work hard, and I also like to play hard.

To me 'playing' means enjoying new experiences, and learning new things.

Even more so, playing is helping and empowering people, connecting with friends, having meaningful heart-to-heart conversations, and solving the world's problems... always accompanied by coffee and bon-bons.

As the founder of TAZZU® Business Networking Community and JenTekk Web Solutions, I wear several different hats. Yet, none are as important to me as wife, daughter, sister and friend.

Some would also describe me as a woman of faith, a slave to my creativity, fanatical about hot yoga, and having a large appetite for adventure and food of almost any kind. I'd say that's pretty accurate.

Here's a bit of my story!

Musician and singer

Music has always been a passion of mine. I taught myself to play guitar during my elementary years and eventually took lessons - following a few years of piano lessons.

After years of listening to music delivered on every form of music media available to man, including 8 Tracks, and taking vocal lessons followed by a smattering of performances, I ventured out and recorded my own 6 song EP. Two local radio stations even spun my disc.

I eventually found myself touring across Canada for a couple of years... an experience that gave me a whole new appreciation for the phrase "living out of a suitcase". In '95 I was touring with a show that caught the attention of a national television program who flew me across the country for a live interview, and performance. Those few years proved to be an intoxicating mix of excitement and exhaustion.

My career journey

At the ripe age of 8 my first job was door to door sales – no kidding! I saw this wonderful ad in the back of a comic book, promising me free gifts if I sold their "All Occasion Greeting Cards with a Free Pen". I gathered my allowance, placed an order, and was soon on my way peddling my newly acquired product from a little red wagon.

Since those days of great wealth, I did the usual waitressing, secretarial and retail sales jobs.

A little bit more out of the ordinary were my summer stints as a Dairy Farm Hand. Yes, milking cows, driving tractor and hauling hay – only to be outdone by my year and a half as a Trimsaw Operator at the local sawmill.

On an even more unconventional side, I spent 4 years as a Truck Driver for an airline cartage company, fighting my way through the traffic of Greater Vancouver only to decide that what I really wanted was a "Girl's Job".

I quickly fled to the nearest college, grabbed my Hair Design Diploma and for a wonderful 15 years proceeded to enjoy my newly found skills and talent.

The wild wild web

Finally came my awakening to the magic of the computer, the World Wide Web, and all its seemingly endless possibilities. The web had cast its spell on me. I spent hours surfing the internet, taking in the colours, graphics, design, cool effects, and vast amounts of information.

It was during this time of enchantment that a repetitive strain injury – common to hairstylists – propelled me to devise Plan B or was it C, D or E!?

After taking six months to research the internet technology industry and local colleges, I enrolled in a Web Design/Internet Programming Course. The blending of my natural creative talent with my technical aptitude demonstrated to be a remarkably unique and fulfilling combination.

In November 2001, and at the top of my class, I grabbed my well-deserved diploma and ran with it.

Today

Immediately, I founded my company JenTekk Web Solutions and was blessed early on to secure clients like the Vancouver Community College, BC Library Association, Provincial Health Services Authority, BC Ministry of Health, and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada to name a few.

In 2006 I launched an online business networking community website called TAZZU® out of a desire to meet and network with other professionals.

In 2008 I sponsored & co-hosted several WordPress and Joomla Community events including Canada's first (and "only" at that time) Joomla!Day Vancouver.

Today, JenTekk is an established web design and development company serving medium-sized businesses and not-for-profit organizations from all around the globe, across Canada and locally in BC, the Greater Vancouver Area, as well as the Fraser Valley.

My philosophy on life...

Simply put... pay it forward.

"Do good wherever you go. After a while, the good you do will come back to you." ~ Ecclesiastes 11:1 (Easy-to-Read Version)

My unique journey has brought me to this place: eternally thankful for family and friends, appreciative of all the blessings and trials, successes and failures, and inspired by the turning of the seasons.

I have met many amazing people over the years, and look forward to meeting many more. If there is any way I can help you, give me a shout either by phone or email. I'd love to chat with you - over coffee and bon-bons of course.