What was a pivotal moment where your business made a big leap forward?
When the Kirby team turned into shareholders in our new company. The feeling of owning the company together as a team had a big, positive impact on me.
What do you wish you had known 10 years ago?
Small, consistent steps get you a lot further and are more sustainable than exhausting jumps. It sounds like such an obvious learning, but to choose exciting jumps over boring small steps keeps being way too tempting.
What shift in perspective / mindset has allowed you to see things differently?
I was a solo freelancer for too long and that blocked me from being a good team player. To truly see myself as part of a team and not just as an individual within a team was a very important shift in mindset.
What's a skill that we should pay more attention to in the workplace?
As design students, we had to learn to be very critical with our work and throw it in the bin without regrets. It's a skill that still helps me a lot, although I'm far from perfect at it. It's more like constantly training a muscle. Keeping your ego in check and learning how to be good at receiving, but also giving constructive critique is often seen as a given, but in reality it comes with hard challenges for everyone.
What do you do to maintain balance in your life?
Turning away from the screen whenever possible. No matter if it's time with the family, sport, building physical objects or playing guitar – I can really feel how my brain and my heart need more screen antidotes the longer I work in the digital realm.
What’s an important guiding principle that informs the way you build and run your business?
Trust. I trust us as a team and each one individually, that we make the right choices together, that we are honest with each other and that we make mistakes but also manage to learn from them together.
We’re building the largest library of insights and wisdom by and for founders and entrepreneurs.
Once a month we'll send you the latest interviews straight to your inbox. No fluff, just value. For free.
Here’s More, From Other Founders Around the World
When times are tough, who or what is an anchor for you?
My co-founders are my anchor in work-related topics. Having an environment where failure is welcomed with a helping hand and where weakness is valued as openness, once you are down those people will drag you up.
What's a mistake that you're happy you've made?
When I was 16 (way before the internet) I founded a travel-partner agency to connect people from different backgrounds seeking travel companions. After a year, I had to close the agency due to a lack of customers and the confusion some callers had regarding the nature of the “service.” Despite this setback, I gained invaluable insights into sales, communication and people’s needs, solidifying my desire to run a business that helps people.
What motivated you to become an entrepreneur?
After graduating, I worked for an extremely well-paying automotive company. But I always had the feeling that there was more out there. So I quit and went into research with the aim of becoming a founder.
What should leaders understand about their own role and responsibility?
There are no overnight miracles, it's very hard work: both physically and emotionally. Requires resilience, grit, strategic approach and grind.