We recently sat down with Chloe Wilde to learn more about her unconventional career: how she went from getting a B.Sc. in Psychology at McGill University to Etalk personality, and the inspiration behind her inaugural podcast “Healthy is Hot,” in which Wilde brings the words healthy and hot to life with her love for fitness, beauty, and health.
Advice
If there’s anyone who walks their talk, it’s Chloe Wilde. She made a name for herself as the winner of Much Music’s VJ ’s search in 2013, and has since mastered the art of interviewing the entertainment industry’s most coveted names. It’s not surprising that her role as a reporter on Etalk ’s host has been anything short of a success, and that she serves as an inspiration for many young women.
Her new podcast “Healthy is Hot” aims to encourage people to engage with what makes them their best selves, which in turn is a natural extension of everything she represents and hopes to share with her listeners. Wilde strongly believes that being her best self means: “Feeling healthy, happy, confident, and driven… it’shaving that feeling inside that you deserve to be where you’re at; really believing in yourself that it’s all supposed to happen the way it is.”
When it comes to the best advice she’s ever received, Chloe generously shares the sage counsel on confidence from the one and only Helen Mirren at the L’Oréal Women of Worth Gala in 2018: “She told me something that is so simple, something that we all know and have been told before: “fake it till you make it.” If you can do that, you will make it, because you need to just go through the motions and not let the imposter syndrome take its place.”
Style
Whether Chloe is faking it or not, she has us all fooled. She exudes confidence and has that effortless cool-girl French style that everybody strives to pull off. Since Chloe was a little girl, she says she’s been a Tomboy at heart, but always dabbled in some feminine pieces. Even today, she stays true to her girly-grunge style and describes her dream outfit as: “a beautiful dress with some structure, maybe a little fit and flare, with sneakers. I love the juxtaposition of showing those two sides of me.”
She credits her long-time stylist, Katie Tobin, for pushing her out of her comfort zone to experiment with different looks, and has developed a deep appreciation for the team that gets her camera-ready: “You can do your job much better because you’re walking onto a set, feeling your best physically, and that translates to how you feel internally.”
The dichotomy in Chloe’s style is similar to the chasmic difference between what she studied in school and her career today. Her decision to pursue broadcasting was a risk that she was willing to take: “I feel very fortunate that my switch was a successful one. I think it was the right time, right place, and a lot of hard work – but very worth it and I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m glad that I came from a different background and that I studied science before jumping into this industry. I think it allows me to differentiate myself, and bring something unique to the table. The key is that you have to believe in yourself and that it’s all going to work out. It might not be exactly the way you planned, but the pieces will fall into place if you’re willing to work hard, put yourself out there, ask questions, and stay the path.”
It is safe to say that, so far, Chloe’s path has been a “Wilde” one!
Travel
If you scroll through Chloe’s Instagram feed, it is full of dreamy destinations that transport you to the most amazing places. However, it wasn’t always like this.
Chloe comes from humble beginnings and lived in the little town of Hudson, Quebec just outside of Montreal. Growing up, her family was not able to travel often but she did have the opportunity to experience the Caribbean sun with a family she babysat for, and in her last year of high school, she raised enough money through her community efforts to experience a one month volunteer trip to Ecuador that impacted her in more ways than one.
When she finally landed her job in the entertainment industry, travel became more frequent, which allowed her to open her eyes and mind to taste the world. In a way, travel serves Chloe as a form of therapy. When she was going through a tough time in the latter half of her twenties, she spontaneously booked a trip to Portugal for two weeks and did a wild amount of surfing, meditation, and yoga. “I had never once in my life travelled by alone or gone to Europe at that point. It was the best thing I could have ever done for myself.” Her leap of faith to take a solo trip sparked the wanderlust bug and now she cannot wait to explore her next destination, wherever that may be: “Every time I travel and get on a plane to somewhere new, I can’t wait to explore.”Chloe’s next trip is planned for the fall of 2019. She spontaneously booked a trip to Tokyo with her boyfriend Ben Johnston, a muralist/graphic designer, where they will discover and submerse themselves in the art and food scene in Japan.
Her inspiration does not stop at travel. Chloe’s motivation comes in all different shapes and sizes. Even though she loves exploring the world, she enjoys the simplicity of grabbing a coffee and walking around Toronto with “no real game plan, no destination and chatting with people along the way.”
Podcast
One of Chloe’s goals this year was to do more creative projects, with one of these being her new brainchild, the “Healthy is Hot” podcast. Chloe’s vision for HIH reflects her go-getting personality: “I would love for HIH be an international empire, to reach people and remind them that whatever health journey they’re on, that it’s worthwhile pursuing. But I’m talking a big empire – maybe we’ll do some worldwide conferences, maybe we’ll have HIH stores, maybe we’ll have mental health workshops – there are no limitations.”
When asked about her dream podcast guest list, it included the likes of Hannah Bronfman, Michelle Obama, and Dwayne Johnson. It makes sense that her dream guests are a combination of individuals who are known for their presence in promoting fitness for health and extreme talent, much like Chloe herself.
Lola
Chloe’s cool-girl style doesn’t stop at her wardrobe. If you catch a glimpse of her left forearm, there’s a delicate rose tattoo. Although small and dainty, her tattoo reveals a much larger and significant overarching meaning to her life. All of Chloe’s tattoos commemorate something or someone in her life. This rose, in particular, is to honour of her grandmother Lola: “She was, and still is the light of my life. There’s not a day that goes by where something doesn’t remind me of her. She passed away in 2013, and I still think of this woman every day. I have her picture by my desk.”
It is clear that Chloe has a deep admiration for Lola. Her face immediately lit up, and her piercing green eyes were brighter than ever. Her grandmother was a very successful cabaret dancer and show danced in the Quebec City and Montreal scenes of her day: “I wanted to get something that represented her. What is very typical in the dancing world, is after a show, they get presented a bouquet of flowers, and so I decided to get a single.” Chloe describes her grandmother as: “This fierce, independent woman, way ahead of her time. She went on stage every night and absolutely killed it. She was always front and centre; she was definitely a show pony.”
When Lola later moved in with Chloe and her family in Hudson because of her progressing Alzheimer’s, she got to spend a lot of time with her at the farmhouse, and was amazed by the eighty year old who used to love: “to suntan outside outside the farmhouse, wearing a tiny little tube top, a handkerchief around her neck, and high-waisted Bermuda shorts.”
There is no doubt that talent runs in the family. Chloe is continuing Lola’s legacy and it is clear that her successes will continue much into the future. Chloe learned first-hand from her grandmother what it means to be resilient in an industry that requires tough skin: “She still continued being who she was, even though there were naysayers left, right and centre. She wanted to be a showgirl and entertain people, and I think that that is something that I carry with me for the rest of my life. If I’m going to do this, I’m going to do this as me, and not as anybody else, because there’s only one me, and that deserves to be centre stage.”
Future
Chloe clearly deserves to be centre stage and doesn’t take where she is for granted. Her humble attitude towards her success has a lot to do with her achievements so far and cherishes every step of her path: “There’s going to be many big moments ahead, but we have to take a minute to really enjoy the little moments that are just as important and just as powerful. I hope that my future self will remember these moments right now, and not just the incredible highs and struggles that will inevitably come.”
One wonders what one day a young girl will say of her “Grandma” Chloe.
