Girl Code: Unlocking the Secrets to Success, Sanity, and Happiness for the Female Entrepreneur

What is the Grand Courtâge mission statement?
On the back of every bottle it says, Embrace Life. Dream Big. Accept all
Invitations...This isn’t a contrived brand slogan, it is my personal motto and
how I try to approach life. I like to think of it as a mindset and a philosophy
of how to approach life and really it is the essence of what the brand stands
for. With Le Grand Courtâge I hope to provide a reminder for people to live
life to its fullest, follow their dreams and find the joy in the life’s simple
pleasures. Life isn’t a dress rehearsal and I never want to look back and
regret what I didn’t do. In France, they embody the spirit of the Joie de
Vivre (joy of life) and I felt that by creating Le Grand Courtâge I could

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provide little moments of happiness and remind people that life is a special
occasion.
What is one thing you wish you knew when you launched your
business?
When I started this endeavor I didn’t realize that I needed to plan on things
costing or taking three times longer than projected. The romance of wine
(and food) was of course the allure, but I didn’t comprehend the sheer
volume of work and new things to learn related to an alcohol company. It is
daunting and overwhelming and I definitely didn’t realize when I embarked
on this path that I would have to become a mini expert in compliance, the
legal vagaries of each state, production logistics, supply chain, importing,
securing distributors and of course simply building consumer awareness. In
the beginning of a business, you are capital and human resource
constrained. Both time and money become precious commodities. There are
days where you wonder how you got yourself into this mess and how you
are ever gonna make it happen, but by breaking things down in steps, it
becomes manageable. The inbox will never be empty and as an
entrepreneur there is always more you can do and try. Don’t get so caught
up in being busy that you forget to pay attention to ‘you’. Take time off and
do what feeds your soul so that the creative juices are restored.
Owning Le Grand Courtâge has been surreal, exciting, and scary. Every
time I see a bottle on a shelf or in a restaurant, I’m still a little surprised and
smile. It’s hard to believe that this dream has turned into a reality and I’m
doing it against the odds in a completely male dominated industry. With any
success comes a lot of work and perseverance. There will be days when you
want to collapse in exhaustion and cry and you will want to pack it up and
call it quits. Owning your own business will test your mettle, and you will
give up a lot of your life for a few years. Be prepared. It is difficult to be
your own cheerleader as well as everyone else’s, every day but the hustle,
sweat and tears make the utter joy of success even sweeter in the end.

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