Episode 5: My Labour Court

Dear female readers,

It is often said that entrepreneurship is an adventure full of ups and downs. I believe that's true. But what is less often mentioned is that some difficulties do not concern sales, cash flow, or even the company itself.They affect you personally.

The story I'm going to tell you today is one of those.

I wish I could tell you every detail, every exchange, every moment. But some stories belong to several people, and some things should stay private. So today, I'm simply going to tell you how I experienced it.

My labor court.

The first and, I sincerely hope, the last.

This story begins with someone in whom I had immense trust. One of those people you rarely meet in a professional lifeSomeone with whom you share everything: successes, hardships, doubts, dreams.

In a small company, relationships are different. You don't just work together, you move forward together. This person had become my right-hand man.

And then one day, something broke.

Not all at once. Not in a big explosion. More like a crack slowly appearing in a window. At first, you don't want to see it. Then it grows. Until the moment you understand that you can never go back.

I then made a decision that seemed to me to be the most reasonable for everyone: to separate in a simple, respectful and peaceful way. I sincerely thought we were going to turn the page intelligently. I was wrong.

At that time, I was seven months pregnant with my third child. Physically, I was tired. Emotionally, even more so.

I remember the nights when I slept poorly. That knot in my stomach that compounded the one I felt with my baby. I remember the tears too. Because at that time, I wasn't just dealing with a work conflict. I was experiencing grief.

The heartbreak of seeing a relationship of trust crumble. The heartbreak of discovering that someone you thought you knew can sometimes become a stranger.

Then the procedure began. The lawyers. The letters. The accusations. The files. I, who had created Ginette Garde with so much love, now spent my time defending myself, explaining, justifying, proving.

And the most difficult part wasn't even the procedure, it was loneliness.

Because an entrepreneur already carries a lot of burdens. But when a situation like this arises, one sometimes feels like they are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders.

I remember arriving at my office one day with my big pregnant belly. And I felt like a stranger in the company I had created..

I wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone. I was careful about every word, every sentence, every decision. As if everything could be misinterpreted or turn against me.

This period broke something inside me. Not my determination. Not my desire to undertake. But a kind of naivete.

This belief that trust is always enough. This belief that when you act with sincerity, everything inevitably turns out wellI understood that day that one could be a good person and still experience profoundly unjust situations.

Until then, I thought I was strong in the face of anything. After all, I had created a company, overcome difficulties, taken risks, and shouldered significant responsibilities. But this experience has revealed my vulnerabilities.

During that time, I often felt like I had to hold on for everyone: for my company, for my teams, for my clients, for my family.

While, sometimes, deep down, I just wanted someone to tell me that everything was going to be alright..

This story has changed me. It has made me more cautious. And stronger, too.

Looking back, I have no regrets. Because every challenge eventually teaches us something. And this one taught me to set boundaries, to listen more to my intuition, and to understand that trusting others is a strength, but protecting your business is another.

After months of stress, doubt, and wasted energy, the decision finally reverted to what had been planned from the start.When I think back on it today, I sometimes think that all of this could have been avoided.

I know this topic can be controversial and that some may not share my point of view. And that's perfectly respectable.

Today, I'm not trying to convince anyone. I simply wanted to tell you a piece of... my story.

Because we often share successes. But injuries are also part of the journey.

Thank you for reading.

See you soon,

Manon