About us

My name is Meg LeBlanc-Kalyta, and I am immensely interested in working for and with Shopify. I am convinced you are the one for me, here’s to showing I may also be the one for you!

I believe I would be a great Guru because I am happiest when helping others, be it big or small, far or near. I love knowing I may have helped in making someone’s day. In the present case, the desire to be a Guru hits especially close to home. Many Shopify store owners have quit their day jobs in order to pursue their dreams in opening a business. I have a tremendous amount of respect for this, and want to help make the experience as positive and memorable as possible for all those who took the leap of faith. My own mother decided to follow her dreams following a severe accident, and I am only grateful she was provided with support and assistance while making her dream come true. It would have been much harder without the know-how and confidence of qualified personnel. I want to help as many Patricias as possible. On the other hand, bigger businesses depend on Guru’s expertise in resolving issues before they affect their enterprises. Here I can only think of my father and his commerce. He is too often left managing everything alone. He shouldn’t have to dread calling in for help. I am positive I can brighten the days of countless Michels, and make the process painless!

I love a challenge, I won’t stop until the job is executed in the best way possible. Take this application; I am writing it on my screen shattered phone, with spotty reception topped with power outages. Oh, all while in India (inspired by Gurus everywhere). When there’s a will, there’s a way.

I prefer work environments where the nature of tasks is constantly changing. I enjoy work that allows me to reinvent myself and think outside of the box. With regards to this, I am fortunate enough to have worked in experimental and promotional marketing for the past three years. This permitted me to gain a tremendous amount of knowledge on products ranging from cars, to televisions and client services. Every month the contracts changed, allowing me to work on a new project every few weeks. It truly provided me with the opportunity to work with, and for people.

I am curious by nature (I have the scars and bruises to prove it) and love learning. I was given the chance to work alongside Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party, M.P for Saanich Gulf Islands and Mother of Dragons, as an administrative assistant. This meant I was tasked with replying to correspondence from constituents and non-constituents. I would research the topics brought forward profusely, and had the pleasure of replying in her name. I believe this experience would help me in becoming the best Guru I can be.

I truly enjoy conflict resolution, and problem solving. Through my years in University, I was lucky enough to be part of a club comprised of an inspiring group of women. Alpha Phi International’s chapter in Ottawa is made up of over a hundred women of various backgrounds, programs, countries, religions and cultures. I was honoured to be elected as the chapter’s first President upon our installation. Starting our club from scratch made us feel like we were building our very own start-up, one that focused on philanthropy and education. Being the representative of such a diverse group of women was no small task. Do you know how hard it is to get one hundred girls to agree on one thing? I was responsible of resolving internal disputes, as well as keeping parents comfortable, informed and at ease with our operations. As a new chapter, we were also made to report to our International office regularly. Strict guidelines and rules had to be observed, I took pleasure in reporting that they were all followed. As our representative, I was lucky enough to partake in our International leadership conventions, where I met inspiring women who were among the first to enroll in colleges across the United States. I managed the chapter’s internal and external affairs with the help of an executive board. We worked as a team, and the fruit of our labour exceeded our expectations. With the help of other Greek organizations on campus, we raised thousands of dollars for charities in Ottawa. In the past three years, we raised additional thousands for CHEO in winning the annual Derby Days, a competition meant to raise funds for sick children. Alpha Phi’s official charity is women’s heart health, a cause which I continue to support as an alumni.

Alpha Phi exemplified that beauty lies in diversity. On a personal level, it gave meaning to “the strength of the wolf is the pack, and the strength of the pack is the wolf”. I would love to be part of such an inclusive and diverse organization again.

Lastly, I want to be a Guru because the possibility of working remotely means I could spend time with someone very special. I am a single mother to 145 pounds of dog, as my shop may have suggested! I rescued my little boy over a year ago now, and he has treated me to the best year of my life. He brightens up my days, and I can’t picture my life without him in it. I have become a proud militant for the breed’s safeguard, and partake in many fundraising activities for the rehoming and rehabilitation of rescued Danes. Sadly, the life expectancy for giant dog breeds is 6-8 years. Guinness reached the dreaded statistic on June 4th. I promised him a new life, one free of cruelty and disregard, and I’ve kept my word. Now that I am done school full time, I am hoping to work from home so that he may not be alone for 10 hour days. Some may say my priorities aren’t straight, and that it’s childish to even mention him. He may be a part of my life, but I am all of his. It’s incredibly humbling and rewarding to be the one a living being depends on, so ultimately. I would be unfathomably grateful if I were given the chance to be challenged, grow, help my community’s entrepreneurs, have fun, and do so with him napping on his ginormous bed. A promise is a promise, and we shook paws on it! You can expect such passion to transpire in all aspects of my life.

What other essential matters might you want to know about a potential Guru?

• I was born on a full moon, the night’s thirteenth baby at St-Jean-sur-Richelieu’s regional hospital, on October 31st 1993. And I’m not even that spooky!
•  I cannot be trusted around chocolate;
• I am a proud member of the Ottawa Great Dane walking group (cult). Come see us at Conroy Pit, 10AM on Sundays;
• I have been a vegetarian for the past 9 years;
• I paint; abstract naked bodies. Art is a serious hobby for me;
• I am an active member of Ottawa’s Ukrainian diaspora;
• I grew up in Montreal, where I learned to love other cultures and languages from a very young age;
• I'm a notorious midnight snacker.

This application is made possible by the past three years spent in our capital; they have provided me with experiences and opportunities that have greatly shaped the young adult I have become. I know I have much more to learn, and I would love for it to be through Shopify. I consider myself to be a team player, driven, caring, dedicated, passionate and trustworthy. If given the opportunity, I would be honoured to show you what I have to offer.