Episode 4: Growing up too fast, the other side of the story
Dear female readers,
We're back for this new episode. Last time, I told you about the Covid episode. This completely crazy period was a real turning point for Ginette Garde. A springboard, even.
In just a few months, the brand has grown at a speed I never would have imagined. Orders were explodingNew things kept happening one after another, and I was carried by an incredible energy. So much so that I already saw myself at the head of a large company. I had a thousand projects for Ginette, and I told myself: “This is my moment. And I'm certainly not going to miss this opportunity.”
But looking back, I realize that this period was completely out of time. Almost a mirage. And I sincerely think that many of us were caught up in it. illusion.
We need to put things in context: the whole world was in lockdown. No businesses were open. The big chains, the ones we saw everywhere, suddenly came to a standstill, and many hadn't yet really developed their e-commerce. Then there were us, the small brands born on social media100% digital brands, those that already knew how to sell online and speak directly to their community.
You could no longer buy in stores… but you could still buy online. And that's where everything took off for Ginette Garde. So, was it luck? I don't know. But being there at the right time, that's for sure.
The first lockdown is ending and I am completely overwhelmed. I structure the companyI rented offices, expanded the team, production grew, and sales continued to increase. I felt like I was at the peak of my success. Then came the second lockdown. But this time, it wasn't frightening. You were still there for me, and in the meantime, everything had changed: I was no longer just offering a few designs, but entire collections. There was an incredible adrenaline rush.
And then the months go by. The second lockdown ends, shops slowly reopen, travel resumes, restaurants fill up again… in short, real life returns. And I didn't see that coming right away..
Because in reality, throughout this entire period, we were in a parenthesisIt was a time when people consumed differently and a huge movement of solidarity arose around small businesses and independent brands. But inevitably, at some point, everything returned to normal. Budgets changed, and so did priorities. Holidays, outings, and plans resumed their place.
And that's when the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship began. Sales have begun to decline graduallyNot because the brand was no longer popular, but simply because this exceptional period was over.
Except that, in the meantime, I had built a business based on figures that ultimately weren't reality.Like many entrepreneurs at that time, I had aimed too high, too fast. We were still making good figures, but my expenses remained enormous.
So I had to make some difficult decisionsAnd the hardest thing of all was firing people. I can tell you I hated it. I even cried. Because at that time, even though the company had grown, I didn't yet have HR to handle that kind of situation for me.
But entrepreneurship is also about this: knowing how to face reality. Understanding that remaining in denial will never save a businessSo I restructured, reduced, and reorganized in order to continue. And if I had to do it again, I would.
Moreover… I had to make other difficult decisions afterwards, but for very different reasons.
In the next episode, I'll tell you about the Industrial tribunal that I went through. How I experienced it, what it taught me, and above all, this rarely discussed reality: bosses aren't always the villains in the story. Sometimes, they too can find themselves victims of certain situations.
And believe me… that episode also deserves to be told.
See you soon,
Manon