This business profile was sponsored by the CGLCC, Canada's 2SLGBQTI+ Chamber of Commerce. A link to the full list is below.
Glenn Massad is a professional storyteller. After striking out on his own to form the eponymous Glenn Massad Communications, the public relations specialist joined the CGLCC — Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce — to connect with queer-led businesses from coast to coast. As a business owner and consultant, Massad’s long résumé reveals a certain elasticity; he’s managed talent in Los Angeles, done media relations in Yellowknife, and fundraised in Halifax. So, while he makes his living writing stories for others, Massad’s vast skill set hints at a few stories of his own. Speaking with Massad, we learned the secret history of his decades-long career.
“It took me a long time to clarify what I really enjoyed doing,” Massad says on our video call. He studied law at Université Laval, but the courtroom wasn’t for him. In fact, the road to Glenn Massad Communications winds through a few different industries (and even crosses an international border). After he graduated from law school, Massad headed south to Hollywood. This wasn’t the stereotypical LA-bound leap of faith — he never dreamed of the silver screen — but rather a logical choice: in the entertainment industry, law degrees are in high demand.
“Everybody in Hollywood who worked in an agency had a law degree; I don't know why, but that’s how the landscape was,” says Massad. Naturally, this was his way in. Massad spent a decade as a talent agent, working his way up through the ranks. While it’s a long way from Halifax, Hollywood proved to be a pivotal moment for Massad: the city taught him what he loved to do.
“I didn't enjoy being in front of the camera myself or anything like that, really. I enjoyed helping people be in front of the camera [and] with their productions,” explains Massad. As a talent representative, Massad’s interpersonal skills flourished. He worked with cinematographers in film and television, hearing their stories and amplifying their work for a larger audience.
I enjoyed helping people be in front of the camera, and with their productions
After more than a decade, however, Canada came calling. While Canada’s entertainment industry is nothing to scoff at, Massad admits that it wasn’t quite the same as its neighbour to the south. Elsewhere, however, Canada offered an abundance of opportunity. When Massad ventured into corporate communications, he found a number of parallels between his new gig and his past work in Hollywood.
“I enjoyed being the spokesperson for somebody,” Massad says of his work as a talent agent. When he returned to Montréal, this experience came in handy. “In a spokesperson capacity, I became Director of Communications for a startup mining company. I really enjoyed packaging their story — helping them convey their value to their shareholders, to the media. My favorite thing is to prepare a CEO for a news interview; preparing them, writing with them.”
Soon after, Massad joined a public relations firm to broaden his horizons. The young ‘comms specialist partnered with a plethora of businesses, racking up experience in sectors like academia, philanthropy, and healthcare. Now, as he enters his sophomore year of self-employment at Glenn Massad Communications, Massad’s hands-on experience provides valuable knowledge for new projects.
“I really enjoy [owning a business],” Massad says. “I didn't know I would, because I was so structured. I always had a job, so I always felt that ‘automatic deposit and dental plan’ was safe and relaxed.” Even sans auto-deposit, though, Massad’s decision pays dividends. “When you're an entrepreneur, the sky's the limit in terms of how many clients you have and what areas you're working on” he adds.
Glenn Massad Communications has also helped Massad connect with myriad self-employed entrepreneurs and business owners across the region; he remembers friendships born from collaboration. “Being authentic, or growing into one's authenticity, informs the work and informs the who you work with,” Massad says.
“I like to choose — and I say ‘choose,’ but I haven't told anybody, ‘No, sorry, I can't take your money,” he jokes, “but I’ve rendezvoused with people that, because of this authenticity, I'm able to negotiate something that's comfortable for them, in terms of fee structure [or] in terms of, ‘You know what? I don't do that, but I can do this. Do you want to do this?’ It's really organic and authentic. That's what I'm insisting on at this point.”
I always felt that ‘automatic deposit and dental plan’ was safe and relaxed
Given his authentic approach, joining the CGLCC was a natural decision. Massad hopes to continue connecting with the community. He calls himself a late bloomer, having taken time to reflect on his identity and the ways in which he can contribute to the community.
“[I spent] a lot of my time, in my 20s and my 30s, looking for legitimacy. There was something innately not acceptable about being gay, so you had to work harder — do more, perform more, be better — than other folks,” Massad explains. “Had I been more authentic younger, or comfortable in my own skin younger, I think I would have gotten clearer quicker on [questions like], “What's my value to society? What can I do? What would make me happy and how can I monetize it?”
Still, Massad is quick to add that it’s never too late to “get real” with yourself. “Once you have the authenticity down…wow. Like, that whole ‘not performing for love, not performing for legitimacy’ piece — these are therapy dollars at work right now,” he laughs. “I could learn Spanish with the time I spent feeling like I'm not enough.”
Authenticity is integral to Massad’s professional life, too. It colours his approach to business partnerships; whether he’s working with brands, nonprofits, or charities, Massad meets his clients on a deeper level. It’s easy to focus on the production side of communications — writing, speaking, and developing campaigns — but Massad describes his job as a “support role.” He works with a range of clients, and each one has a different level of experience in the field. In turn, his work is not prescriptive, but collaborative; customized communication. In fact, that’s a key reason for Massad’s success: he listens.
“A lot of people are intuitive or self aware. They really know what they want, so my contribution would be to package and execute the message for them,” Massad explains. “The other kind of potential client is not as clear. So, especially with my age and my experience, I can ask the right questions to draw out [their ideas] and help them arrive at the message they want to convey. That's a valuable piece.” To deliver quality work, Massad says it’s crucial to understand his clients. That means listening to their needs and learning about their past experience.
Of course, the entrepreneur has been on the other side, too. To illustrate this, Massad tells me a “superficial-but-related” story about decorating his “loft-looking” living room. While he considers himself an amateur expert in design, the open-concept space left him stumped. His husband, a fitness instructor and personal trainer didn't have any suggestions. So, the pair called a designer to draft a sketch.
“He comes over and… you don't know what you don't know. An expert comes in, helps you gain clarity, and suddenly, I knew what I needed: what kind of sofa, the measurements,” Massad explains. “It’s a weird example, but it's an example of people needing guidance. They know what they like, they know what they want to say, but they need the ushering.”
This anecdote, however tangential, captures the sort of communication that Massad is known for: he’s warm, affable, and — most importantly — he knows when to act and when to listen. For Massad, communication is all about co-creation; working alongside various CEOs, founders, or board members to bring their story to life.
"What if we're lost and we don't know what we want to do? How do you recommend we get clarity?"
This particular, intuitive talent for teamwork is a common thread, tying together all the phases of Massad’s professional life. As he recounts his recent visit to Mount Saint Vincent University, the trait is crystal clear: “They wanted me to come and speak about [my] career trajectory, [and] the question I got from students was, ‘What if we're lost and we don't know what we want to do? How do you recommend we get clarity?’ What I didn't know at the time — and I might not have known anyway — the question to ask is: ‘What value can I provide to somebody, to something, or to the community?’”
It’s a simple query, but the question has kept Massad passionate throughout the years. There’s a constant stream of new organizations to help, collaborators to meet, and friendships to form. With Glenn Massad Communications, he fuels that collaborative spirit.
This is one of a series of business profiles sponsored by the CGLCC, Canada's 2SLGBQTI+ Chamber of Commerce. Here's the full set - so far.
