Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal and business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Rupert Seewald, Co-Founder of Hansen Beck and Owner of Rupert Seewald GmbH, located in Vienna, Austria.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Over the last couple of years, my profession has been given many names: people who do what I do, call themselves change agents, coaches, enablers, facilitators, or business trainers, just to name a few. At Hansen Beck, we added yet another name to the list: we call ourselves “ice-pilots.” We deliver behavioral-based change and business transformation programs to local and global clients of all sizes (from 1 to over 80.000 employees).
Tell us about yourself
When I took part in management training myself more than a decade ago, I realized how much it changed me and how much more I could achieve with much less effort. That gave me the inspiration to become a trainer myself. What motivates me most is to support and see people succeed.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
It’s all about the little things that make a great impact. I love to witness how participants enjoy their jobs (they sometimes even say lives 😉) more just because of taking part in one of our programs or being inspired by something as little as a post or a podcast.
Of course, I’m proud of big deals and numbers and speaking in front of big audiences, but the biggest accomplishment for me is hearing from former participants that the change we could induce was sustainable. I know I did something right when someone recommends me, for that matter, or when I get something like a personal note from a coachee who states that our encounter was their turning point.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
I guess the hardest thing is balance - almost in every respect. By this, I don’t only mean work/life balance (a term I personally dislike, as it implies that you don’t live when you work – something utterly incomprehensible for a real entrepreneur if you ask me 😉). It’s really more a matter of when to do what and to what extent: balancing growth vs. quality, time vs. perfection, speed vs. steadiness, flexibility vs. stability, and so on and so on.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Enjoy what you do. If you think about starting a business only because it’s a good opportunity to make money or as a means to get away from a job you don’t like, think again! You don’t have to love everything about what you do, and maybe you even shouldn’t, but you’re going to devote a lot of time and energy to starting your business, so it’s paramount you truly enjoy what you do.
- Have alternatives. An alternative shouldn’t necessarily be a “Plan B” because if you start a business, you should be all fired up about making “Plan A” work – if you’re serious, there’s no real room for “Plan B.” However, if you have a fallback option and know what to do to make ends meet in case “Plan A” really fails, you’ll be much more relaxed on rainy days. (By the way, also be prepared for them to come – the pandemic has shown it doesn’t necessarily always have to be your own fault)
- Stay curious, and the future is yours. It’s a great thing when routine kicks in after a couple of years or even earlier if you’re lucky, but the quality of what you do is greatly impacted by your attitude. The need of your business can change over time. Also, in a constantly evolving environment, business owners who commit to learning new skills will be better able to adapt to change and keep their business going in challenging conditions.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.rupertseewald.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rupertseewald/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rupert-seewald/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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