Laid-Off Couple Builds Shoe Company with 600 Employees

Marina and Ricardo Larroudé faced every family's nightmare in 2020 when they both lost their jobs at the same time. Living paycheck to paycheck in New York with two kids, they suddenly had no financial security and few prospects for new work.

Instead of panicking, they made a bold choice. They decided to start their own shoe company from their living room, naming it Larroudé after their family.

For the first two years, their home office doubled as the company headquarters. The kids watched every step, celebrating each order that triggered a cheerful "cha-ching" notification sound. Some days brought only five orders, but each one felt like a victory.

Marina handled creative direction while Ricardo took on the CEO role. They joke that he's the boss at work and she's the boss at home, but both agree having one clear leader helps the business thrive.

The growth came faster than they expected. Today, Larroudé employs about 600 people, mostly in Brazil, and generates millions in revenue annually. That notification sound they celebrated early on would now play nonstop if they kept it active.

The Ripple Effect

For Marina, who collected unemployment in those early days, creating jobs for hundreds of families stands as her proudest achievement. Each of those 600 employees represents a family with their own financial security, a ripple spreading far beyond one couple's determination.

The couple admits they talk about business constantly, even on date nights. Their kids have to ask them to stop discussing work, which they honor. It's not just their livelihood but their passion, driving them to work around the clock.

Despite building the company together as a family, Marina and Ricardo don't want their children running it someday. When their daughter jokes about working at Larroudé if she can't find another job, they tell her no. They won't just hand her a position because of her last name.

Instead, they're teaching their kids something more valuable: resilience. The children watched their parents transform a devastating setback into something amazing, learning that difficult moments offer choices in how to respond.

Looking back, Marina admits they might not have started if they knew all the challenges ahead, but their lack of experience turned into an advantage. Sometimes not knowing what's impossible helps you achieve it anyway.