Carolyne Côté had never run a business before, but in 2019, she was handed the keys to one. After 15 years at the helm, Sandrine Guérin, founder of Verveine et cie, was ready to move on, and Carolyne—an employee since 2016—was intrigued by the prospect of carrying this legacy forward. Her passion for supporting healthy living helped her overcome the doubts of first-time ownership.

In the third part of our roundtable series from 2025, we’re sharing insights from retailers about the approaches that have been the most effective in fostering motivation, engagement, and resilience among their employees—especially during periods of rapid change and economic uncertainty.