What personal habit or behavior helped you accelerate your personal growth?
Adopting a 'growth mindset' sounds fancy and fun, but it is very uncomfortable. It requires a great deal of self-reflection, the ability to admit where you have gone wrong and to find new ways to become the best leader you can be. Getting into the habit of these behaviors sucks at first, but it pays off every time.
What do you do to maintain balance in your life?
Life is short and we only get one shot at it. Building a business is certainly more than a job, but it is not the only thing that counts in this experience. My main goal when it comes to balance is to never get so caught up in the hustle and bustle that I start to crave time away from it all. Balance is restored as long as I enjoy the work I'm doing.
What’s an important belief that informs the way you build and run your business?
There is a common belief that when you are hired you are supposed to adapt to the culture of the company. I don't believe that to be true. I think a corporate culture should be built around individual skills, personalities and preferences (e.g. preferred ways of communicating, working environment, etc.) to allow for maximum authenticity in the workplace. Everyone should feel that they are able to become the best version of themselves in this environment. This will lead to psychological safety and trust, and is therefore the basis for a high performing organisation.
What motivated you to become an entrepreneur?
I never really wanted to be an entrepreneur. But after working in management consultancy for a few years, it dawned on me that if we were going to fix our economy, we needed to step up and do it ourselves, rather than complain from the sidelines. I want a profitable business that gives people meaningful work without destroying the planet — how hard can that be?
What's a perspective that we should pay more attention to in the workplace?
The two most important factors that need to be developed in any team or organisation are psychological safety and trust. Psychological safety focuses on the actions we are willing to take, whereas trust focuses on the actions others will take. Without them there will be no empowerment, e2e ownership and successful collaboration, and thus no risk taking, innovation, fast/agile processes and high performance execution.
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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.