Systems, Not Startups: How Real Business Owners Win Long Term

In this conversation, I sat down with Laureline Larcher, a French-Spanish entrepreneur and business coach whose ventures reflect a refreshing philosophy: grounded, intentional, and pragmatic. 

Laureline’s journey began with a lingerie brand built from scratch, crafted around lightweight shipping and made-to-order design to avoid upfront costs. Then came her real estate venture in Valencia, where she turned overlooked, oversized flats into high-demand co-living spaces for job-seekers. 

Finally, her coaching practice evolved naturally as other entrepreneurs kept asking how she pulled it all off.

Despite the vertigo, a physical condition that limits travel, Laureline connects with clients around the world, running her businesses from France and Spain with a lean, strategic model. From shipping lace in envelopes to designing shared housing with individual fridges and extra bathrooms, she proves that business isn’t about glamour but about getting the basics right. 

Her story offers a thoughtful and inspiring blueprint for entrepreneurs who care more about lasting impact than hype.

It starts with exploration, not hype

Laureline didn’t plan on becoming a coach. It began organically, people were simply curious. After seeing her navigate the complex terrain of building multiple businesses, they wanted to know how she did it. Her entrepreneurial journey didn’t begin in a classroom but in the trenches.

“I didn’t do business school or was not in a bubble of entrepreneurship… on paper, I was not supposed to be an entrepreneur.”

Rather than hand out formulas, she gravitated toward a model where others could uncover their own insights. Coaching gave her a way to do that. It gave her a space to challenge, explore, and guide, not dictate. It also allowed her to immerse herself in different industries and business models, without having to start yet another company.

She chose coaching deliberately, appreciating its contrast with consulting. While consulting focuses on delivering answers, coaching invites better questions. Much like Laureline’s approach, research shows fundamental differences between coaching and consulting. While “coaching requires developing the client’s abilities to solve a problem themselves,” consulting focuses on “helping the client solve their problems” directly. As Indeed’s career experts note, “Coaching is often the preferred tool when a client needs support with behavioural changes,” whereas “consultancy typically does not focus on behavioural change and instead looks at more industry specific or technical topics.” Laureline’s instinct to question rather than dictate aligns perfectly with what experts identify as effective coaching practice!

This really struck a chord with me.

“I also enjoy systems, understanding how things work, seeing connections between things that transform”

To Laureline and to me,business is a form of structured play. It’s not about flashy shortcuts. It’s about diving in, tinkering, connecting dots, and letting the structure evolve through thoughtful iteration.

Simplicity is the new sophistication

Laureline believes in sticking with what works. No frills. No distractions. No constant reinvention just for the sake of movement. Instead, her approach champions repetition, refinement, and long-term consistency.

“90% of the time it’s doing the basics right.” 

Whether she’s coaching founders, managing properties, or designing product strategies, Laureline focuses on systems that work and repeating them until they reach mastery. Her framework resists the glorified hustle mindset that celebrates busywork and burning out.

“There’s this narrative that business is about thinking harder each time… but actually it’s about doing the basics again and again.”

She doesn’t see business as a game of constant ideation. Instead, she sees it as upholding alignment through clarity: being the protector of the mission, of standards, and of how things are done. This philosophy extends into her leadership style, where consistency in communication, systems, and execution becomes the actual growth lever, not novelty.

It’s about continuous, multifaceted improvement, not just slowing down.

Laureline’s belief that “90% of the time it’s doing the basics right” is not merely personal philosophy, but rather substantiated by extensive business research. A compelling example from Forbes describes how a Procter & Gamble sales leader transformed business results by simplifying a complex strategic plan down to one repeatable mantra: “As Brand X goes, so goes the business.” 

The simpler approach made execution “foolproof” and “returned the sector to growth.” It’s exactly the kind of no-frills clarity that Laureline champions in her own ventures!

Systems thinking beats scattered attention

Laureline juggles several businesses, but not recklessly. Each one is designed with purpose and a clear understanding of its role in her life and financial ecosystem. She doesn’t aim to scale them all to the moon, she aims to keep them healthy, functional, and engaging.

“If you have different businesses, you’re going to be scattered… so I know they’re not going to grow the same way. And I’m honest with that.”

This self-awareness drives how she builds her teams and structures her time. Her lingerie brand runs smoothly with two trusted seamstresses. Her real estate venture relies on a small, reliable property management crew and outsourced maintenance. Her coaching practice remains lean, supported by systems that let her focus on deep, strategic work with clients.

“I need that diversity to keep me engaged… if I have only one business, I’m gonna mess it up.”

This isn’t chaos. It’s intentional design, each business feeds her curiosity in a different way, and together, they form a portfolio of purpose, resilience, and sustainability. It’s a living example of what happens when you build with both ambition and balance in mind.

Real estate done right: Valencia’s quiet opportunity

One of Laureline’s most interesting plays is her real estate model in Valencia. After the 2008 crisis, the market was depressed, but the city’s potential was clear.

“Valencia is the third city in Spain… but it had never been a job place… I was like, it doesn’t make sense that it wouldn’t get more development.”

She saw opportunity where others didn’t. Instead of luxury or speculative properties, she built frictionless co-living spaces for job-seekers.

“All the flats are huge, really old school… we just tried to remove all the friction of classic shared flats without adding overhead.”

She added simple but meaningful features: individual fridges, more bathrooms, and cleaning services. No fluff. Just real solutions to real problems.

“It’s the baseline of the needs that are not going to change in the next 15 years but done intentionally, right?”

The result? A business that builds long-term equity and provides meaningful housing options, without betting on market hype.

Selling before scaling: the lingerie playbook

Laureline’s first business was a niche lingerie brand. She chose it strategically: it was light (cheap to ship), custom-made (no inventory), and sold online.

“I had no money, no connection, no knowledge… everything was made to order, made to measure… I didn’t have to get upfront costs on inventory.”

Her audience? Not trend-followers, but collectors. Enthusiasts. People who love the object for its craftsmanship.

“They really love the object for the object… as long as you keep a consistent line of brand identity, you’re good.”

It worked because she sold first, and then built the business around real, earned revenue.

“So it became a business because it was selling, not reverse.”

That kind of constraint-driven creativity is rare and powerful.

Coaching as the cherry on top

Coaching wasn’t a fallback. It was a natural evolution of Laureline’s business philosophy, a bridge between her love for systems and her desire to stay intellectually engaged across industries without having to create new ventures every few years.

“It’s an amazing way to stop building a new business every four years… I can play in other industries… without me building new businesses each time.”

Her decision to pursue coaching over consulting was also strategic. Consulting, she felt, too often involves prescribing solutions based on the consultant’s worldview. Laureline didn’t want that. She wanted to empower others to discover their own paths, to help entrepreneurs think deeper, not faster.

Coaching gives her the opportunity to explore emerging markets, ideas, and strategies while guiding others toward clarity. It allows her to witness the uniqueness of each business and still apply her gift for pattern recognition, systems thinking, and business fundamentals.

That’s not just leadership. That’s thoughtful stewardship of both her own talents and her clients’ potential.

Letting go is also a skill

Despite running multiple businesses, Laureline keeps emotional detachment, a discipline that allows her to focus on systems and outcomes rather than ego and recognition. She views her ventures as mechanisms of value, not as personal monuments.

“Once it’s done, it doesn’t belong to you anymore.”

More than just a mindset, it’s a tactic for survival.. By creating a sense of separation between her personal identity and the businesses she builds, Laureline avoids burnout and the paralysis that can come with over-identification. 

It frees her to make better decisions and delegate when needed. It’s also what allows her to maintain multiple ventures without being emotionally consumed by any one of them.

“I always say business owner, not entrepreneur or founder… you’re already starting to detach your identity from the business.”

This shift in language is small but powerful. It emphasizes stewardship over authorship, functionality over fame. And it makes her approach scalable, not just in terms of revenue, but in terms of personal well-being. That mindset is healthier. And maybe even more effective.

Conclusion: Simplicity is strategy

Larcher Laureline isn’t chasing unicorns. She’s crafting systems, solving problems, and building freedom on her own terms. No fundraising drama, no founder ego trips, no pitch decks loaded with promises. Instead, she focuses on building businesses that serve a clear purpose, generate steady value, and allow her to live well.

She represents a counter-narrative: one where success isn’t defined by explosive exits or fleeting virality, but by thoughtful choices, sustainable operations, and deeply personal satisfaction.

“I don’t need the billions, like I’m fine… I really enjoy that stage.”

Her story invites a new kind of ambition, one rooted in mastery, not momentum. Whether you’re building your first venture or rethinking your current one, Laureline’s example reminds us that simplicity isn’t a constraint but a strategy.

If you’re tired of the noise, done with buzzwords, and ready for clarity and calm in your business, let’s talk about how we can help.