He used charm, others’ personal tragedies and fake celebrity endorsements. How Christopher LaVoie cast his reality show and reeled in successful entrepreneurs. (Photo: Provided by Christopher LaVoie)
Christopher LaVoie used the deaths of his mother and father for show business purposes, but not to raise money for a worthy cause. He also used a personal tragedy for his show. The show that got him to where he is now is about helping his neighbors in a small Toronto suburb.
“We can do the best for our communities and we’re willing to do the impossible.”
The show, “The Business of Business,” is the creation of Christopher LaVoie. The host uses real business owners to make a case for his philosophy of being a problem solver for the people he serves. In a world where corporate America seems to own the way people and businesses are treated, LaVoie’s approach is an eye-opening perspective.
The reality television host is a former reporter as well as an award-winning magazine editor. For a long time, he and his wife were the only showbiz parents in their hometown, and their son was the only showbiz kid in his class.
“I had parents who went through the experience of raising a kid with a celebrity in the family. Nobody else did it,” says the 31-year-old. “You don’t see the celebrity come in for a visit. There’s no media coverage. No one knows what a celebrity’s like or can be like. You have to find that out for yourself. That’s what I did.”
He started the series while he and his family were still trying to settle in Toronto, which is where the family lives.
“I had to find out for myself how I was supposed to behave, so when I came here to Toronto, I started thinking about it and I thought it would be good to know that I could do it and find that out for myself