Build a bigger business | Lively founder on finding (and filling) the gaps in a $13B industry

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Last fall, eight winners of Shopify’s Build a Bigger Business competition were flown to Tony’s Fiji resort Namale for both group and one-on-one coaching sessions with him. One of the winners was an entrepreneur that Tony personally selected from the entrants – Michelle Cordeiro Grant: the founder of Lively, a brand that is fusing athleisure and lingerie to bring comfort and style to women’s intimates.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Michelle began her career with Federated Merchandising Group, creating brands and product for one of the world's largest retailers. Grant instantly fell in love with the entire process from concept to customer, and realized that her passion was in supporting, creating and developing amazing brands and products.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Grant spent the tenure of her career with the industry leaders – Federated, VF Corporation and Limited Brands/ Victoria's Secret. Her work at Federated focused on the development of private label brands and at VFC, Grant was responsible for launching global brands like Nautica Women’s Sportswear. Seeing the shift in the market towards e-commerce, Grant moved to Victoria’s Secret where she focused on merchandising and strategy for VS's digital arm. Once Grant realized she wanted to create her own brand, she spent a number of years at a thriving startup, Thrillist Media Group, overseeing their commerce division. By working for top retailers, traveling the globe to meet world class manufacturers and spending a couple years with an incredible startup, Grant learned the importance of creating a strong brand affinity, crafting a quality product and building a dynamic team.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While working with Victoria's Secret, she learned that this $13B lingerie category, in the US alone, was dominated by this one brand, with one point of view. Grant was inspired to create a completely new experience for the category – one she coined Leisurée – and so LIVELY was