Exclusive: LIVELY & GORGIE founder Michelle Cordeiro Grant loves to "encourage women to do it and make sure they have mentorship around them"

After creating successfully LIVELY – “comfortable bras and knickers that blend style and maximum comfort”, according to their website – in 2015 Michelle Cordeiro Grant later he sold it and decided to put it on energy into something else.

“I wanted to create a beverage brand inspired by the strategies of beauty and fashion. A brand with a voice, look and feel that leaps off the page – or in this case the can – and incorporates community and style. This it’s a brand that makes wellness fun and invites people to what we call ‘the good energy club'”, says the entrepreneur exclusively Morning honey. “All the energy drinks I saw were filled with things like erythritol, sucralose and aspartame, either in packaging meant for men or that just didn’t seem relevant to what people want to hold in their hands today. The products gave me jitters and crashes.” I wanted a product that it made me feel good – and one I was proud to keep!”

From there, he created THROATthe zero sugar energy drink with green tea, natural flavors and more.

“I love holding a GORGIE can – it oozes energy and fun and represents our community-focused mindset. Real energy meets feel-good vibe. We LOVE to see our customers and followers show off their GORGIE can all over social media Our friends in fashion, fitness, athletes, entrepreneurs, doctors, nurses, lawyers, firefighters, teachers… you name it, we already see them loving GORGIE,” she says.

One reason the drink was missing from the market was simple: “GORGIE is made by women, for everyone!” he exclaims. “We believe wellness should feel good, taste good, and you are fine with you – all while bringing the fun! GORGIE is where energy drinks meet wellness, delivering a refreshing fizzy drink with added benefits like biotin, B vitamins, L-theanine and no nasties!”

“Where most brands build in a silo, we’ve been building with our community since Day ZERO. Before we even started production, we launched the brand on TikTok by asking our followers and friends what products they really want! Candies? Powders? Drinks?Our Instagram circles have spoken out on what flavors and colors they wanted to see.Our community doesn’t just show up for us digitally, they’re featured prominently on our cans and come together in real life!We like to say we’re the “socially verified beverage” with benefits.’ Not only do our ingredients stand out from the rest of the pack, but our community-driven initial approach is next-level,” he adds.

Plus, GORGIE is “one of the few energy drinks in Whole Foods!” she notes. “Whole Foods has strict standards on the ingredients in the products they carry in their stores! GORGIE meets all of their standards and then some with zero sugar, 5 calories and no nasties like aspartame. With 150mg Green Tea Caffeine per serving size and added benefits from biotin, B vitamins and L-Theanine, GORGIE not only meets Whole Foods requirements, but brings even more benefits to the shelf!”

One of the best parts about Cordeiro Grant is learn from his community and see real-time feedback. Of course, there are challenges along the way, something she’s learned to accept. “I have some incredible mentors who are established industry experts who have taken me under their wings to teach me the ropes,” she says.

While working at LIVELY, the entrepreneur focused only on raising women. “It was a chapter where we wanted to see more female founders — they still do — and more female C-suite executives! Now, not only do we still want to, but we want to see more! We want to see women leaders and owners in more and more industries around the world. This is one of the main reasons I was drawn to beverages!”

“I LOVE helping women! It was a common thread throughout my career, but especially with LIVELY and now with GORGIE. I love encouraging women to do this and making sure they have mentorship around them. I also think actions speak louder than words, showing all the good and bad; the behind the scenes is so helpful. We are all human beings first so we always keep it real and show the human side of running a business which I hope gives a real insight into what it is like,” she continues.

Cordeiro Grant wasn’t sure if starting a business on her own was something she enjoyed, but she was drawn to “finding empty space and exciting opportunities.”

“Now that I’ve started a business – LIVELY – I’m addicted to building brands and building teams and seeing them thrive!” he says she, adding that he’s having a lot of fun right now.

“I’m so thankful for the brands I get to create and the people I meet work with every day. Right now, my focus is on GORGIE, but I hope to continue to invest in other brands and empower other female leaders in any way I can!” she enthuses. “I’m so proud of what I’ve accomplished, but I also know I have so much more I want to do! I am grateful for every step along the way. Good days and bad days, I keep learning and being amazed!”

As for the future, Cordeiro Grant says he has big dreams. “You’ll have to wait and see!” she teases.