On Thursday, November 5, 2026, I was invited to take part in CISO Open Mic Montreal at the Club Saint-James to present the journey I went through while writing my book, Apprendre sans anxiété.

A 5-minute mini TED Talk aimed at Chief Information and Security Officers far more experienced than me. No slides, no notes, but a blazer and clean shoes. I had a week to prepare.

Let’s just say I was honored to receive the invitation and it was important to me to rise to the challenge, but I slept very badly the night before. I was afraid I had misread my audience. I was afraid I’d forget what I was going to talk about.

In the end, even though I was far outside my comfort zone, I could really feel that I was getting closer to what I want to do in life.

One single regret: there was a beautiful rug in the center of the stage with the CISO Open Mic logo. The mic was in the middle of the rug. It looked very TED Talk. But one of the guests before me moved it, I don’t know why. Under the effect of stress, I didn’t dare put the mic back in its place and deliver my lyrical flight on the rug. Most of the guests after me did the same, so I told myself that in the end it didn’t matter. Well, the last one to present had a completely different aura from the others. He didn’t take the mic on the stand; he asked the host to use his wireless mic. He parked himself right in the center of the rug. And to some of the judges’ questions, he simply answered that he didn’t have the answers. I was very impressed, and I hope I’ll have the courage to speak to this gentleman the next time I run into him.

Anyway, once again, life rewarded me for stepping out of my comfort zone. I met fascinating people, I got to promote my work, and I was myself inspired by people who have seen a thing or two.

Step by step, I’m getting closer. I’m learning. I’m changing. I don’t regret my short night. I’d do it again tomorrow, if I had to.

See you next spring!

P.S. Since I had put a lot of work into my presentation, I figured it would be worth keeping a record of it. I made a short video that roughly recreates what I said on stage that evening: