Michelle Cordeiro Grant is a serial entrepreneur, brand builder and innovator. After building an impressive career at household names in retail, she moved into the startup world. In 2016, she founded LIVELY, a leisurée brand (leisure + lingerie) that inspires women to live passionately, purposefully and confidently. In three years, she grew the brand from concept to 5 brick-and-mortar stores, 165,000+ ambassadors, and $105M acquisition. In 2022, Michelle founded GORGIE, an energy drink brand. Michelle talks to Nancy about how she decided to sell her business, what’s changed in marketing and branding over the last three years, the power of collaboration, and how sharing her wellness journey created a community that’s the secret to GORGIE’s success.

Michelle Cordeiro Grant is the founder and CEO of GORGIE, the founder of LIVELY, an angel investor, and a podcast host. She previously worked at Thrillist Media Group as a vice president of merchandising.

Timestamps:
[00:00] Introduction
[03:09] Why LIVELY was created
[04:47] Deciding to sell LIVELY for $105M
[06:31] Emotional impact of selling LIVELY
[08:19] Transitioning from lingerie to beverages
[10:16] How the idea for GORGIE started
[11:40] Building the GORGIE brand identity
[14:01] Importance of community for GORGIE
[15:21] Key lessons from LIVELY to GORGIE
[17:27] Balancing retail distribution and marketing
[19:36] Fundraising advice for female founders
[21:50] Why relationship-building matters in fundraising
[23:14] Building businesses as a solo founder
[24:47] Hiring the right team for growth
[25:56] Balancing business and family life
[26:49] Staying positive and motivated
[28:28] Benefits of connecting with nature
[30:25] Advice for entrepreneurs in competitive markets
[31:50] The 80-20 rule in brand differentiation
[33:16] Michelle’s favourite GORGIE flavour
[33:36] Must-have travel items for business trips

Follow Michelle on https://www.instagram.com/the_michellegrant/

Resources Mentioned:
GORGIE | https://getgorgie.com/
LIVELY | https://www.wearlively.com/
How the Cupcake Queen Broke Free of Her Brand by Candace Nelson | https://bit.ly/3WAbnSh

More From Nancy:
https://www.instagram.com/nancytwine/
Website | http://www.nancytwine.com/

More From Makers Mindset:
https://www.instagram.com/makersmindsetspace/

@themakersmindset

Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify | https://bit.ly/makersmindset

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