Andréanne's Journal - March 2025

My last journal entry was about the renovations at the Carrefour Laval store, and I'm talking about it again today because we did some renovations (again)! This time, we completely changed the other side of the wall. We removed the big white cabinet that had been there since we opened. At first, we were really happy to have it; we thought it dressed up the wall nicely and, as a bonus, it meant less expense on our part. Once the store was open though, we realized that it was a problem. It prevented us from putting as many clothes as possible on display in the store, so we decided to remove it after seeing how much more beautiful the other side of the wall looked once we removed the extra storage (I talk about this in the last journal entry.) We were really worried that when we removed it, the wall behind it would be completely damaged and ruined! But in the end, it was okay. Phew! We had to close the store for a few days, but everything was quickly replaced. It looks so much better! I think the store looks three times bigger. I was talking about it with Mylène, our manager, last week, and I told her I was almost embarrassed to have opened the store the way it was in November! I feel like it's 100 times more beautiful and welcoming now, and see this as a great learning experience for the future. :)

By the way, did you like the month of March? What did you think of the collection? We went 100% floral! It was a risk in terms of design and sales because we were afraid of being a little early in the season to offer so many flowers. When you release a clothing line that is a little off-season (like clothes that is really summery before it’s officially summertime), it can be risky in terms of sales. If you're not yet in spring mode and you see the collection, you might very well be looking at our new arrivals and thinking, "Oh my gosh girls, calm down!" But you were in the same mood as us; you wanted to see flowers and FINALLY get rid of the snow.

For my part, I went to Florida for four days with my boyfriend and his colleagues at the beginning of the month. Mathew was attending an orthopedics conference, and his Christmas present to me was to take me with him. As a bonus, we went to Universal Studios! The trip was great for so many reasons: 1) It was my first time in Florida (not the best time to go to the USA, though...) 2) I LOVE going on rides and 3) The trip really did me good. Mathew was pretty busy the first two days, so I took the opportunity to read and relax alone by the pool at the hotel where we were staying. The weather was so beautiful!

In all honesty, this little getaway came at a really good time for me. The last few weeks have been demanding at the office. It's not always been a smooth ride, but I'm slowly adapting to the various ups and downs I encounter. Not so long ago, I avoided all difficult discussions or decisions, but the further I advance in my entrepreneurial journey, the more I realize that it takes a lot of courage on several different levels. It's not a simple, predefined path, but I'm discovering month after month what the path I want to take looks like. If you're in my situation, remember that you are not alone. I work with entrepreneurs who sometimes have 2-3 years of experience and, for them, their entrepreneurial paths seem so clear. I also meet others who have decades more years in the field than me and sometimes, I feel like I've actually gone further than them in terms of defining who I want to be as an entrepreneur. There's no perfect image of the type of entrepreneur you want to be. There's no perfect time to be at your best. As my coach at school so aptly told me: "It's okay if you decide to embrace the fact that you're a CEO after 10 years. It's never too late."

- Andréanne Marquis, Founder