How Female Founders Can Use Failure as a Catalyst for Success in Business
Starting a business is never without its challenges, and when you're juggling motherhood and entrepreneurship, those challenges can feel even greater. As the sole founder of Coeur et Maman, I faced those hurdles head-on when our initial launch as a fashion brand didn’t go as planned. However, through that experience, I learned some valuable lessons that I want to share with other female founders.
Lesson 1: Pivot When Necessary — The Importance of Adaptability
Our first launch aimed to establish Coeur et Maman as a luxury fashion and lifestyle brand with, starting with a fashion launch and a plan to eventually expand into accessories. But the reality was that the high upfront costs for fashion weren’t financially feasible for us. Our launch failed, miserably, and with it if felt like my hopes and dreams too. Whilst I must admit that this was quite a blow, which took over a year to recover from, I'm now happy to say I have learned to push past it.
In order to allow the business the best chance of survival, and with the urging of an executive coach, I had to come up with an updated plan for the business.
Hence the decision to pivot. We decided to park fashion and focus on accessories for now, starting with nursery prints. This wasn’t a failure but a smart business move. We’ve now shifted toward something that allows us to obtain financial feasibility and become a going concern, buying us time to realise our wider goals around the brand.
Our brand ethos, values and mission have remained unchanged - helping families curate lifelong childhood memories, create new traditions and heirlooms, and create a sense of belonging. We are just doing this slightly differently to how we first imagined we would.
Sometimes, pivoting isn’t about giving up—it’s about finding the path that will give you a fighting chance to grow and scale sustainably as a start-up.
Lesson 2: Resilience Is Key — Setbacks Make You Stronger
Going through a failed launch wasn’t easy, but it taught me resilience. When things didn’t go as planned, I didn’t let it shake my confidence long term. Sure, the early months were hard; there was sadness, shame and fear. But with time, I grew back my strength, and my determination and resolve to see this business succeed renewed. What I have come to realise, as I go through the same set of challenges now (and some new), is that I have become less phased by setbacks. If something isn't working I course-correct more quickly, always focusing on the next steps and doing things that can lead to clear results.
For any female founder, especially new mothers balancing family responsibilities, resilience is critical. There will always be challenges, but it’s your ability to bounce back that determines your success. Failure, as I have learned, is a simply new information that you use to make better decisions going forward.
Lesson 3: Don’t Take It Personally — Learn from the Experience
Another important lesson was learning to separate myself from the business. I realised that failure didn’t mean I was incapable, but that the plan simply needed adjustment. Once I detached from taking things personally, it was easier to troubleshoot, adapt, and make better decisions.
I also realised that because Coeur et Maman had been the product of my own personal life experience, I took its dreams and visions and held them too tightly. Any threat to that vision, any business feedback that suggested I needed to change plans, was seen as an affront to my very existence. So I resisted change. I fooled myself into believing I was being tenacious and believing in the original dream; that I was showing a strong business backbone.
I have since learned that by treating challenges as learning experiences rather than personal setbacks, you become more efficient at managing your business.
Lesson 4: No Backup Plan Means Greater Focus
For some, having a backup plan can be comforting. But for me, not having one has made me more motivated to succeed. Knowing that I have to make this work is keeping me focused and driven. I am agile, I am determined, and I am resourceful.
Where I use to take half measures and throw money at things, I now want to know how best to do something to create the best experience for our customers, whilst remaining nimble as a business. If I fail this time around, it will not be because I didn't try hard enough.
Join Us on the Journey: Growth From Failure
At Coeur et Maman, we’ve used these lessons to grow stronger, be more resilient and innovative. By shifting focus to nursery prints and luxury accessories, we’re excited to build something meaningful whilst having the chance as a business to live to fight another day. We look forward to more unfolding over the coming months.
We are excited to announce the upcoming launch of our luxury nursery prints, designed to reflect the beauty of family life. Our collection offers a range of sizes and colours, perfect for personalising any nursery. Each print has been carefully chosen and designed to hold significance and meaning, which you can adapt into your own and weave your own stories and traditions as a family.
Our prints also make the perfect gift, either for a baby shower, a christening, a birthday, or even as a grandparent. Whatever the occasion, there is a print somewhere in there for you to make your own.
We will announce more details about the launch soon. In the meantime, please consider subscribing to our newsletter to join our waiting list for an exclusive early access into the limited launch.
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