I am Marie Vivies. I was born in Fontenay le Comte and I grew up in a rural Vendée village called Antigny. I have always been attracted to the English language, that is why I focused my studies on discovering the working of its mechanisms. I also wanted to discover my own country, so I attended university in various cities around France: Angers, Rennes, Poitiers and Lyon. It was thrilling to experience life in a big city, but the years I spent there also made me realise how deeply I was attached to the Vendée.

I taught English for 5 years but something was missing. It took time to understand that teaching English was not making me happy. Practicing it in conversation with people not known to me was more pleasant than explaining the language to youngsters. In fact, what I really liked was making someone discover something during a conversation. Thus, I changed careers and started training in tourism. It may seem a quite logical and rational choice. But in fact, I was slowly moving toward the fulfilment of a dream.

There are many charming places in the south of Vendée. Among them is one village that has captivated my heart and soul. It’s a medieval city suffused with history, folklore, quiet nature, and conviviality. It brims with creativity to such an extent that it sometimes feels like magic. Some of you may already know this sweet and tingling need to go for a walk in Vouvant.

It is the very reason why I decided to create my own job.

Following my decision to switch careers and completing my studies, I am now a registered tourist guide and I gently build a professional path toward self expression, certainly for myself but also for people who are keen on visiting Vouvant.

I have formed the company Vouvant & Moi, selecting two concepts to channel my energy and turn this project into a reality.

Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE)**

The microenterprise status not only makes me an independent worker, but also gives me the opportunity to cooperate with various structures. Thanks to this approach, I can develop my perspective and, in the meantime, be part of something bigger with people whose business model is based on similar perspectives (such as inthevendee.com).

This echoes to the fact that alone we can go faster but together we can go further. With this operating mode, it becomes possible to reach a greater objective, which leads us to the second concept: rely the activity on permaculture principles.

Permaculture

Permaculture is not only a way to grow a garden; it can become a way of life based on three fundamental notions.

1. to put humanity at the center of everything
2. to preserve our environment
3. to create abundance and share it

I will tread on this path with humility. I don’t intend to reach perfection and I don’t want to force the people I work with to do the same in their lives. I just want to do my best to show it’s possible to do one’s part, one step at a time. Some of you may already apply these principles – with or without knowing it – and I suppose there are many ways to put them into practice.

The positioning I chose, is to keep humanity at the core of my occupation. As such, I will continue to explore personal development. I am convinced that when we reach a peaceful self-esteem as a human being, we can develop a mindset that casts benevolence upon each and every individual, fostering interaction. I want to create a space-time dedicated to discovering each other.
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