The Retail CEO's Playbook for Surviving a "Black Swan a Year”

In this episode, Paul sits down with Sarah LaFleur, the founder and CEO of M.M.LaFleur, to reveal the battle-tested playbook she used to navigate near-catastrophe and build a resilient, profitable business.What do you do when your revenue crashes by 50% overnight? Or when your primary lender goes bust, giving you just two weeks to raise $3 million? Sarah shares the raw, unfiltered story of her journey—from tutoring to make ends meet in the early days to facing a "black swan a year" in the brutal world of retail. She offers a masterclass in leadership, grit, and the psychological fortitude required to turn existential crises into defining strengths.This conversation is essential listening for any entrepreneur, executive, or leader who has ever felt like a failure, faced imposter syndrome, or questioned if they have what it takes to keep going when everything is on the line.➡️ In This Episode, We Discuss:(00:00) Introduction to Sarah LaFleur's extraordinary story(00:49) Growing Up Between Cultures: The Diplomat Father & Entrepreneur Mother(03:38) The Pivot: Why She Chose Bain & Co. Over a Life in International Development(09:37) The Startup "Dog Years": Tutoring for 3 Years to Make Ends Meet(12:54) The Mission That Kept Her Going: "The World is a Better Place When Women Succeed"(19:26) When You Feel Like a Failure(22:47) The Truth About Leadership: Why Being a CEO is an "Acting Job"(33:34) The COVID Crisis: How M.M.LaFleur Survived a 50% Revenue Crash(37:18) The 3-Step Crisis Playbook(45:33) The Scariest Moment: Lender Goes Bust, Forcing a $3M Raise in 2 Weeks(49:09) Bento: Relaunching an Idea Profitably After Failure(55:43) Final Thoughts: Finding the Art and Science in Business and LeadershipCONNECT WITH OUR GUEST:Learn more about M.M.LaFleur: https://mmlafleur.com/Connect with Sarah LaFleur on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-miyazawa-lafleur-530ab1a/CONNECT WITH THE HOST:Connect with Paul Hurley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulhurley2/