Episode 2: The Alignment of the Planets
In the last article, I told you about the turning point that allowed me to allow myself to dream. Today, I'm telling you how 8 rue Charlot magically came to me.
When you seek, you find
As soon as I felt aligned with this boutique opening project, I was impressed by the awakening of my senses. Like a predator on the lookout for its prey, I wandered the streets of Paris, nose on alert, sniffing out bargains, keen eye, spotting phone numbers to contact, finger on the trigger of my phone, ready to draw.
I was telling you about it, my first visits were really unsuccessful to the point that I wondered if I would manage to find a place according to my criteria: not too big, with a bright office space, not too much work and ideally, no leasehold rights (yes, it's a particularity of commercial premises rentals - you buy the right to operate the premises from the previous trader), a rent within my budget. And well located. Even if I knew that given my budget, I wouldn't be able to claim a prime location.
Once the project was underway in my head, I wanted to move quickly. However, I decided to go with the flow. Far from frantically scouring all the listing sites, I let the listings come to me, the real estate agents suggest new places. No pressure. And this strategy ended up paying off...
The Beauty of Chance Encounters
If you follow me on my personal Instagram, you probably noticed. After avoiding gyms during my first years of entrepreneurship (everything came after ŌKAN), I got back into sports after my burnout in June 2023 (to the point of running my first marathon last year!).
As luck would have it, I entrusted some jewelry to a coach to give her strength during a speaking engagement at a Marie Claire festival. Given our busy schedules, it was agreed that she would leave the jewelry at the reception desk of the Riise Charlot club, not far from the studio. It was as I left the club that I caught my breath.
There, in the doorway of the ornate wooden door of the mansion, a shop loomed, displaying a huge "for rent" sign. Intrigued, I pressed my face against the window to take in the interior. What immediately caught my eye was the small spiral staircase that indicated the presence of a first floor lined with windows... Location, size, office upstairs with windows, etc. Mechanically, I checked the boxes one by one in my head. This place was exactly what I wanted.
A shiver of excitement and panic ran down my spine. I had to visit the place as soon as possible and find out more about the rental conditions... Answering machine. Oh well, I left a message, let the weekend pass, feverishly awaiting a call at the beginning of the week...
A sign will be enough
On Monday, unable to wait any longer, I called at 10 sharp. Five minutes later, a viewing was scheduled for the next day. Once I stepped through the door, there was no more doubt. Unlike other viewings, where I weighed the pros and cons, unable to make a decision, everything was stirring within me.
Everything was aligned. The price, the leasehold rights (nonexistent), the dimensions, the location... I was ON FIRE. (Aside, if I wanted to see an additional sign, the store is at number 8, a shape that is reminiscent of the Double KIRA ring ).
The second obstacle to overcome was getting my application accepted by the owners. After reviewing the BP and cash flow plan with Philippe (my partner), I clicked "send" with flushed cheeks and a heavy heart. A few days later, I saw the real estate agent's name appear on my phone. I picked up the phone, and a huge smile spread across my face. Our application had been accepted!
What followed was a bit of an obstacle course to obtain funding... See you next week for the rest!
