Florence Grocq started her first company, Le Canard Gourmand (The Gourmet Duck - isn't that a nice name?) 5 years ago, to bring fine food from South West of France to Switzerland.

The second company, NatureJoy, was founded last year. It creates delicious and healthy fruit and vegetable juices mainly from the regional bio products from Valais in Switzerland.

With two young companies to manage on a daily basis, Florence sure knows a thing or two about what it means to be busy. One of those entrepreneur stories where we keep it real: the life of an entrepreneur is great, but it also has its challenges. And living a healthy life when we are too busy thinking about the next step is something that we all have to keep in mind.

Real life entrepreneur stories.

You have an interesting career history. It started in the banking sector and now you are running not one, but two companies active in the nutrition and health sector. Quite a change. Tell us a bit more about your history and why you decided to make this change. We like to hear successful entrepreneur stories.

I was working in the banking sector until 5 years ago. It has become too stressful for me so I decided to become my own boss and start my own company. And I also wanted to do something that can help people live better.

5 years ago, in 2012, I have started Le Canard Gourmand, a company importing fine food from the South West of France, an area were the art of living combines with healthy food.

Last year, I have started Naturejoy to propose bio, fresh, natural and vegan juices made in Switzerland. The fruit and vegetables we use are bio and are mainly grown in Switzerland. To enhance the health potential of the juices we added bio algaes and bio natural vitamins.

 

So, not only living better, but also adding a touch of color, gourmet and "joie de vivre". But what do you tell people who think that healthy living equals following very strict diets, or baning certain products from their diets. How does what you do align with living a healthy life?

The food is the best way to recharge your body with energy and vitality. The best way to be in good shape is to eat good food without additives, prepared following traditional recipes to insure that the taste is preserved.

The motivation to start Le Canard Gourmand was the fact that the products we have here were not sufficiently selected in quality and finesse. People who want to buy these fine foods didn't have the possibility to know the real source of the product. And there was no information regarding origins and traceability.

It is very important to know the suppliers of the food. This gives the consumers an additional insurance regarding the quality of a well-done and tasty food.

 

Let me play the devil's advocate. What would you answer, for example, to those who say these kind of products are not healthy because too fat?

Do you know that the South West of France is the region whith the lowest percentage of heart deases?

And if this is not enough to convince the skeptic, the Chinese medicine considers that the duck with its sweet flavor, tones the yin of the kidneys, promotes diuresis and nourishes the stomach.

 

I have learned something today! So, to continue on this path, you have started another adventure: natural juices.

Today people work hard and have not necessarily time to take care of themselves. 

My idea was to help people feel better, to be healthy and to improve their wellness by giving them the necessary elements for a balanced diet. To allow them to clean the body but also to bring pleasure with delicious juices.

A naturopathe worked with me on the recipes and the components of the juices. We wanted to make sure the juices were both balanced and tasty. 

They bring to the body the proteins, vitamins and elements not provided by an inadequate diet.

 

With two companies that you have to manage simultaneously, what is you biggest challenge? Let me guess: time?

Not necessarily time, in general. I would say taking time for myself is one of the biggest challenges I face nowadays. When I manage my priorities, everything else has a higer prioriy than taking time off to relax and recharge.

 

What do you do to fix this? 

I make sure to schedule time during the week to go out, practice sports or just go for a walk to enjoy the beautifull surroundings we have here in Switzerland.

I also make sure I don't skip meals (even when my schedule is packed) and eat well. I believe that good food is the basis of a healthy, balanced life.

 

What would you recommend to busy entrepreneurs and business leaders who live a busy life but want to stay healthy and on top of their game? 

I think we can, each of us, develop our potential and keep a good health through a healthy and balanced diet even if we live a hectic life. Good food is the fuel that keeps the engine running better and longer.