1851

Amy Mokris, Founder and CEO of <a href="http://lecoeurwatches.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=young-entrepreneurs-amy-mokris-of-le-coeur-8671" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Le Coeur watches</a>, can look back at the past five years and point out exactly when the path to her present was established.

&ldquo;I moved to Paris on whim,&rdquo; says Mokris. &ldquo;I had the intention to stay there for three months, but I lived there for a year. A lot of the best experiences I&rsquo;ve had in life were because I was naive enough to believe they&rsquo;d work. And then they did.&rdquo;

After college, she landed jobs in Paris and in Chicago focused on branding and product development. &ldquo;That was kind of the pivot point for me because it got me thinking about the brand approach,&rdquo; says Mokris. &ldquo;I was working with clients based on their specific marketing and branding needs and I really loved that directed approach.&rdquo;

In Chicago, Mokris found herself on a marketing team with serial entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis, who became her mentor. His influence continued to get Mokris&rsquo; wheels turning about becoming an entrepreneur herself. But then she had to decide what that would look like.

In 2015, Mokris launched Le Coeur, a watch company striving to make beautiful, quality and minimalist timepieces. To raise money, she created a Kickstarter campaign in April 2015, which raised over $10K in just two days. The consistent marketing and social media plan Mokris and her team had worked on throughout 2014 created a buzz and insistency around her watches. Then, seemingly overnight, her hard work had paid off and she had a product people wanted.

As is the case for most entrepreneurs, Mokris&rsquo; business idea was born out of an unmet need. She couldn&rsquo;t find watches she liked, so she decided to take matters into her own hands.

&ldquo;Le Coeur was really just a side project for me,&rdquo; says Mokris. &ldquo;I started doing watch development and design because I couldn&rsquo;t find any with clean and minimalist designs. As I began building the brand, I wanted to incorporate things I felt the industry was missing.&rdquo;

Mokris sites having mentors as one of the most important things you can leverage as an entrepreneur. Now that Le Coeur is her full-time gig, she&rsquo;s made it a point to remain close with Lemonis and the entire marketing team they worked with.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s incredibly important to have a trusted network you can turn to,&rdquo; says Mokris. &ldquo;Even with launching Le Coeur, every single project I think won&rsquo;t have any flaws always has something unexpected happen that I learn from. I always view things that go wrong as learning experiences. And knowing that I have the support of my mentors makes all the difference.&rdquo;

Others&rsquo; willingness to help anyway that they can&mdash;to have all hands on deck when you&rsquo;re trying to&nbsp;grow something you love&mdash;has been incredibly inspiring to Mokris as she gets her business off that ground.

&ldquo;People are so willing to help you achieve your dreams,&rdquo; she says.

For other entrepreneurs, especially newer ones, Mokris&rsquo; biggest piece of advice is this: &ldquo;Let the love drive you, and not the money. The money will always come. Working on Le Coeur never feels like work for me. It&rsquo;s a part of me that I want to be doing at all times. Money is just kind of a pleasant side effect.&rdquo;

People don&rsquo;t work 60 to 80 hours a week just to make money, Mokris points out. Something else must drive you.&nbsp;

Photo courtesy&nbsp;Natalie Probst.

Young Entrepreneurs: Amy Mokris of Le Coeur 

1851 Franchise

Le Coeur Founder and CEO Amy Mokris explains why she lets passion drive her business. 


young-entrepreneurs-amy-mokris-of-le-coeur

Senior Care Authority

How This Senior Care Authority Franchisee Turned Love for His Grandparents Into a Lifelong Calling

how-this-senior-care-authority-franchisee-turned-love-for-his-grandparents-into-a-lifelong-calling

HomeTeam Inspection Service

Hometown News: Like Father, Like Son — Family-Run Inspection Business Blends Generations of Expertise and a Keen Eye for Detail

father-son-home-inspection-franchise-florida

KLA Schools

KLA Schools of Beachwalk Hosts Admissions Kick-Off Celebration

kla-schools-of-beachwalk-hosts-admissions-kick-off-celebration

Good Day Columbus: Home Insurance Expert Reveals Why Central Ohio Premiums Are Rising and How to Combat Costs

rising-home-insurance-costs-ohio

CapitalSpring

Primetime Fitness Expands Crunch Portfolio With CapitalSpring’s Backing

primetime-fitness-expands-crunch-portfolio-with-capitalsprings-backing

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Potbelly to be Acquired by RaceTrac in $566 Million Deal 

racetrac-acquires-potbelly-in-566-million-deal

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities - 1851 Franchise Agg

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities 

health-care-hiring-slowdown-in-home-care-franchise-opportunities

Caribou Coffee Names Scott Kennedy CEO, Eyes Continued Growth

caribou-coffee-names-scott-kennedy-ceo-eyes-continued-growth

McDonald’s Launches New Extra Value Meals as Consumer Demand for Value Continues to Climb

mcdonalds-launches-extra-value-meals

Power Eats: Smoothie King Rolls Out Food Nationwide To Fuel Franchise Growth

smoothie-king-food-menu-power-eats

DevHub - Meet the Supplier - 1851 Franchise

DevHub: Scalable Digital Marketing for Franchises and Multi-Location Brands

devhub-meet-the-supplier

Mike Revak - Chief Business Officer - Sky Zone - Franchise Marketing Leaders - 1851 Franchise

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Mike Revak — President and Chief Business Officer, Sky Zone

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-mike-revak-chief-business-officer-sky-zone

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Cathy Chavenet — Chief Marketing Officer, Paris Baguette

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-cathy-chavenet-chief-marketing-officer-paris-baguette

What It Really Feels Like To Franchise Your Business

what-it-really-feels-like-to-franchise-your-business

1851 Keyword - The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

part-time-franchises-picking-the-right-model

Hely and Hiral Patel Bring Their Longtime Dream to Life With The Brass Tap

brass-tap-franchise-pasadena-maryland-hely-hiral-patel

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Ricki Oberoi and Layne's Chicken Fingers logo

Multi-Unit Wendy’s Operator Signs 12-Unit Deal With Layne’s Chicken Fingers

ricki-oberoi-laynes-chicken-fingers-growth

1851 Franchise Deep Dive graphic with Sparkle Squad logo

Sparkle Squad Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

franchise-deep-dive-sparkle-squad-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Design with school-aged child standing on pencil with text "Education Franchises" and "<$500K"

Top Education Franchises Under $500K To Explore in 2025

top-education-franchises-under-500k

Young Entrepreneurs: Amy Mokris of Le Coeur

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS