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My husband and I have had our share of challenges, many of which put our business and family’s livelihood on the line. We couldn’t ignore these obstacles if we wanted to survive financially, so we learned the hard way not to be victims of unfair competition. Instead, we had to be strong, stay resilient, and fight for what we believed in—legally and with integrity.
One prime example of overcoming adversity was when my husband and I prevailed against one of the largest privately owned corporations in California. We alleged that they were infringing on our intellectual property rights. We had incorporated Grando, Inc., a fine jewelry manufacturing company, in January 1986. My husband is a third-generation fine jeweler, and my father was in the jewelry industry for 45 years.
Our challenges began when we invented and patented a novel gold chain that became the second-best-selling product on a major television infomercial. Unfortunately, the infomercial purchased the chain from a competitor who falsely claimed rights to our product. This competitor was doing approximately $300 million in annual sales, while we had limited funds. Still, we found an intellectual property attorney willing to take our case on contingency. We ultimately settled the case, and the money we received allowed us to purchase a modest home in Bel-Air, where we lived for 17 years. Our jewelry business flourished and became a multi-million dollar company. We joined a prestigious country club, and our son’s tennis coach was a former Wimbledon competitor. Our son is now a professional tennis coach sponsored by a major brand.
Stefano, my husband, was recognized as one of the Leading Jewelry Designers of the 21st Century by Jeweler’s Quarterly Magazine. He also served as the Past President of the 24 Karat Club of Southern California and was awarded first prize in the World Gold Council’s annual competition for a patented Venetian Lace 18kt gold bracelet he designed and produced.
But our challenges didn’t end there. During the recession, both of our business lines of credit were cut off and turned into loans, despite never missing a payment. Bank fees increased to the point that we were forced to shut down our beautiful downtown factory of 20 years and move operations into our garage in Bel-Air. Our staff went from eight full-time employees to just two. Eventually, we had to sell our home or risk losing it. It was a modest two-bedroom house—on the same street as Elon Musk. We watched our lives take a steep dive backward.
We sold our home for over $1 million. However, due to high living costs in Southern California and excessive bank fees, we couldn’t afford to buy another. A friend offered us a rental home where we’ve now lived for nine years. It’s a four-bedroom house built in the 1950s. At first, I resisted the move; I missed my gourmet kitchen, my husband missed his built-in BBQ and fountains. But now, I thank God every day for this home. We have a roof over our heads and food on our table.
In the first year, we couldn’t consistently pay rent. My husband took on odd jobs—repairing fences, bookcases, anything to get by. Friends checked on us daily. One week, I fed my family only soup. My 6’5″ son was barely sustained, and I lost so much weight from stress I looked anorexic. Eventually, I accepted help from friends and repaid every loan with pride.
How did we do it? Hard work. Grit. The same intensity as a gold-medal athlete. We refused to let challenges crush us. Each one made us stronger, wiser.
Even though we believe the banks acted unethically, we chose to accept the situation and move forward. One banker even told me that jewelers were targeted for their assets. Many in our industry lost their businesses. Ironically, through DNA testing, I discovered a half-brother who turned out to be a top executive at one of the banks we struggled with. When I told him our story, I had no idea of his position.
We could have dwelled on being victims. Instead, we used that energy to build something new. I conceived the idea for a chocolate business—a dream born during adversity. I realized that sometimes, forced change can lead to better things.
One bank tried to make us pay triple what we owed. We refused. The debt was sent to collections, and our attorney settled it for a quarter of the original sum. The lesson: always have contracts reviewed by professionals.
Encouraged by a friend and attorney, we avoided bankruptcy and instead fought to save our business. We hired a lawyer on contingency and settled in a way that allowed us to keep our company.
Today, my husband and I count our blessings. We may not live in Bel-Air anymore, but we’re happier. We have sidewalks now, access to farmers markets, hardware stores, and we’ve learned to find joy in simple things—like thrift shopping instead of Saks. Our true friends stayed with us through it all.
A woman I knew introduced me to Nichiren Buddhism during our darkest times. Her support and the practice of chanting helped me shift from focusing on problems to solutions. That’s when I conceived of turning chocolates into diamonds—combining health, beauty, and resilience. I developed a line of organic Italian chocolates influenced by cardiologists and GI specialists who emphasized the health benefits of high-quality, organic cocoa.
After a year of persistence, I partnered with a company in Italy to produce the finest chocolate cabochons. I created GC Chocolate Diamonds—organic chocolates paired with fine jewelry as a gift-with-purchase. Quality has always been my mantra, and I scour the earth for the best ingredients.
One of my proudest moments was creating 400 lifelike chocolate statues of the late Avatar producer Jon Landau and his family. Since then, I’ve made chocolates for Fortune 500 companies, children’s hospitals, and wounded warrior events. My mission is to spread health and happiness through chocolate.
Our lion crest symbolizes courage. Every signature box of Grando Cioccolato comes with a sterling silver lion emblem—a reminder to live with strength.
Of course, the chocolate business hasn’t been challenge-free. When my commercial kitchen shut down during COVID with only four days’ notice, I had to pivot. I spent two years securing a cottage food license and an organic food license. Now I operate within Los Angeles County, with a plan to expand.
Life’s challenges aren’t the end of the world. They’re chapters in your story. Stefano and I rose above legal and financial obstacles. We enforced our patents and redefined success. As Landmark Education teaches: you can watch from the sidelines or live life in the arena.
We choose the arena.
So go after your dreams. Challenges will come—but if you believe in yourself and keep going, you can rise above anything. As my mother said: If you don’t have what you dream of, you have nothing to lose by trying.
Set your sights high. You deserve to live the life of your dreams.
My husband and I have had our share of challenges, many of which put our business and family’s livelihood on the line. We couldn’t ignore these obstacles if we wanted to survive financially, so we learned the hard way not to be victims of unfair competition. Instead, we had to be strong, stay resilient, and fight for what we believed in—legally and with integrity.
One prime example of overcoming adversity was when my husband and I prevailed against one of the largest privately owned corporations in California. We alleged that they were infringing on our intellectual property rights. We had incorporated Grando, Inc., a fine jewelry manufacturing company, in January 1986. My husband is a third-generation fine jeweler, and my father was in the jewelry industry for 45 years.
Our challenges began when we invented and patented a novel gold chain that became the second-best-selling product on a major television infomercial. Unfortunately, the infomercial purchased the chain from a competitor who falsely claimed rights to our product. This competitor was doing approximately $300 million in annual sales, while we had limited funds. Still, we found an intellectual property attorney willing to take our case on contingency. We ultimately settled the case, and the money we received allowed us to purchase a modest home in Bel-Air, where we lived for 17 years. Our jewelry business flourished and became a multi-million dollar company. We joined a prestigious country club, and our son’s tennis coach was a former Wimbledon competitor. Our son is now a professional tennis coach sponsored by a major brand.
Stefano, my husband, was recognized as one of the Leading Jewelry Designers of the 21st Century by Jeweler’s Quarterly Magazine. He also served as the Past President of the 24 Karat Club of Southern California and was awarded first prize in the World Gold Council’s annual competition for a patented Venetian Lace 18kt gold bracelet he designed and produced.
But our challenges didn’t end there. During the recession, both of our business lines of credit were cut off and turned into loans, despite never missing a payment. Bank fees increased to the point that we were forced to shut down our beautiful downtown factory of 20 years and move operations into our garage in Bel-Air. Our staff went from eight full-time employees to just two. Eventually, we had to sell our home or risk losing it. It was a modest two-bedroom house—on the same street as Elon Musk. We watched our lives take a steep dive backward.
We sold our home for over $1 million. However, due to high living costs in Southern California and excessive bank fees, we couldn’t afford to buy another. A friend offered us a rental home where we’ve now lived for nine years. It’s a four-bedroom house built in the 1950s. At first, I resisted the move; I missed my gourmet kitchen, my husband missed his built-in BBQ and fountains. But now, I thank God every day for this home. We have a roof over our heads and food on our table.
In the first year, we couldn’t consistently pay rent. My husband took on odd jobs—repairing fences, bookcases, anything to get by. Friends checked on us daily. One week, I fed my family only soup. My 6’5″ son was barely sustained, and I lost so much weight from stress I looked anorexic. Eventually, I accepted help from friends and repaid every loan with pride.
How did we do it? Hard work. Grit. The same intensity as a gold-medal athlete. We refused to let challenges crush us. Each one made us stronger, wiser.
Even though we believe the banks acted unethically, we chose to accept the situation and move forward. One banker even told me that jewelers were targeted for their assets. Many in our industry lost their businesses. Ironically, through DNA testing, I discovered a half-brother who turned out to be a top executive at one of the banks we struggled with. When I told him our story, I had no idea of his position.
We could have dwelled on being victims. Instead, we used that energy to build something new. I conceived the idea for a chocolate business—a dream born during adversity. I realized that sometimes, forced change can lead to better things.
One bank tried to make us pay triple what we owed. We refused. The debt was sent to collections, and our attorney settled it for a quarter of the original sum. The lesson: always have contracts reviewed by professionals.
Encouraged by a friend and attorney, we avoided bankruptcy and instead fought to save our business. We hired a lawyer on contingency and settled in a way that allowed us to keep our company.
Today, my husband and I count our blessings. We may not live in Bel-Air anymore, but we’re happier. We have sidewalks now, access to farmers markets, hardware stores, and we’ve learned to find joy in simple things—like thrift shopping instead of Saks. Our true friends stayed with us through it all.
A woman I knew introduced me to Nichiren Buddhism during our darkest times. Her support and the practice of chanting helped me shift from focusing on problems to solutions. That’s when I conceived of turning chocolates into diamonds—combining health, beauty, and resilience. I developed a line of organic Italian chocolates influenced by cardiologists and GI specialists who emphasized the health benefits of high-quality, organic cocoa.
After a year of persistence, I partnered with a company in Italy to produce the finest chocolate cabochons. I created GC Chocolate Diamonds—organic chocolates paired with fine jewelry as a gift-with-purchase. Quality has always been my mantra, and I scour the earth for the best ingredients.
One of my proudest moments was creating 400 lifelike chocolate statues of the late Avatar producer Jon Landau and his family. Since then, I’ve made chocolates for Fortune 500 companies, children’s hospitals, and wounded warrior events. My mission is to spread health and happiness through chocolate.
Our lion crest symbolizes courage. Every signature box of Grando Cioccolato comes with a sterling silver lion emblem—a reminder to live with strength.
Of course, the chocolate business hasn’t been challenge-free. When my commercial kitchen shut down during COVID with only four days’ notice, I had to pivot. I spent two years securing a cottage food license and an organic food license. Now I operate within Los Angeles County, with a plan to expand.
Life’s challenges aren’t the end of the world. They’re chapters in your story. Stefano and I rose above legal and financial obstacles. We enforced our patents and redefined success. As Landmark Education teaches: you can watch from the sidelines or live life in the arena.
We choose the arena.
So go after your dreams. Challenges will come—but if you believe in yourself and keep going, you can rise above anything. As my mother said: If you don’t have what you dream of, you have nothing to lose by trying.
Set your sights high. You deserve to live the life of your dreams.
