Ep. 118 - Starting A Business At 18

A restaurant at 18 sounds bold. Living through the part where the market changes, the street empties out, the lease stays locked in, and you’re still responsible for your team is the part most people leave out. We sit down with Jade to talk about what it’s like to build a hospitality business from scratch, chase growth, and then face the moment where effort alone can’t save the model.

Jade shares the unglamorous realities of entrepreneurship: fixed costs, risk-heavy events, debt pressure, and the emotional hit of being treated like you did something wrong even when you’re fighting to handle everything with integrity. We also dig into identity and leadership, how a founder’s business becomes a “signature,” why advice like “just market it differently” can miss the point, and what it takes to look in the mirror and decide to stop.

From there, the story turns to reinvention. Jade moves into event work, launches Eve Events, and learns what separates a nice production from a meaningful experience. We talk corporate events, leadership programs, award shows, and why “hybrid” didn’t replace being in the room. Her strongest takeaway is simple and hard to execute: design for connection, then add the details that make people feel part of something bigger.

If you care about entrepreneurship, small business resilience, hospitality leadership, and event planning that actually works, listen now, then subscribe, share, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What helps you create real connection when people come together?

to connect with Jade and her amazing work: https://www.eve-events.nl/

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:19

Welcome, welcome to the podcast The Coaches Nector. And today is a little bit of a special thing because we know each other. Yeah. But sometimes we don't know each other. It's like some parts we know, some parts we don't know. Our kids are the same school, so we know each other for some years. But um was

Meet Jade And Her Many Worlds

SPEAKER_01 0:39

one time that we were, I think it was a brand party. Yeah, a school. It's almost a year ago that we uh did that. And uh we were talking, and you told me something I like, oh I want to know more about this. You told me that you started being an entrepreneur at the age of 80. Yeah. Right next. Okay, I want to know all about that. So that's what this conversation is going to start with, but probably I'm going to get two other places. But first of all, and because people like there they don't know you, tell me a little bit about you. Like whatever you want to share at this moment, about your name, okay, and then what are you doing, whatever you prefer to Jade. I'm Jade, and uh yeah, I have a son, yeah, two sons, one uh small one, not small, yeah, normally small again, bigger, right? And and the big one 70, yeah, and uh uh very sweet husband, already 20 years, yeah. So uh yeah, and uh I did lots of different things, yeah, um in my life, so you cannot yeah, mainly working for myself, yeah. So uh yeah, I really like to discover things and sometimes also fall and set up again, fall again. Um so yeah, I think and and in my uh free time, uh I love to I'm a beekeeper, so I love to be busy with the pleasure of tasting it already. Honey, I can say it's okay, it's more than okay, yeah, yeah. So that's cool, and uh yeah, also a little bit uh uh burned tomatoes, etc. I'm often big because yeah, and uh yeah, that's that's my uh yeah, my free zone, my my yeah, my relaxing, yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's also different um because at this stage I'm organizing events, and uh the funny thing is with events you're like totally structured, organized, uh and when I'm beekeeping, yeah, I'm busy for two hours,

Beekeeping As A Leadership Metaphor

SPEAKER_01 3:04

yeah, but I never uh know where it's going. So I can read thousands books, yeah, but it's going organic, yeah, and it's not like structured, and yeah, I really love it. I think it's also like motorcycling, yeah. You have to focus, yeah, you cannot leave the bees, uh it's interesting that you are saying that because one of the things that I'm always repeating, repeating, repeating, and I sometimes even do it with my what when I'm with leaders is this idea that when you are a leader, you are a kind of a gardener. Yeah, I will say you are because you know as plants or animals, human beings are not all the same. As as a garden knows, he's going to put each plant in a determined place or give it more water or less water. Um, and with people is the same. So it's funny that you are saying that. And one of the things that I sometimes do when I'm working with uh people individually is saying I offer them a plant. Yeah, and I say you need to take care of this plant, and that is where you know that you probably have already the skills to become a leader, yeah, because a plant doesn't ask for help. No, right? A plant doesn't say, Oh, I'm feeling dismotivated, you know, she just shows you that, yeah, right. And I think uh I I'm pretty sure that for instance uh when you go to an event, uh details are different for me, for you. Yeah you see maybe more than uh yeah the relevant people, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And that's all that's also uh I love that. Yeah, but if I walk in every room, yeah, I'm like uh directly you could look like okay, how many seats are here? And it's it's it's so yeah, but that's that's observation, right? Yeah, yeah, the capacity of seeing and like okay, then you probably do you know, sometimes this people see this movies with the you know with the computers and the robots, and some brains are like that. Yeah, some people are like that, they go like you know, like I I can imagine that you do that, yeah, and also um yeah, and it's really nice sometimes. Uh for example, I work uh with Tom already for yeah, uh he was an intern in my restaurant at that time, so uh we work now, I think already maybe 20 years together, and then from restaurant to events, etc. And yeah, we have to only look at each other, and yeah, and you know what and he has the same structure like coming in and feeding, and sometimes also saying, Oh Jade, now not now. Okay, so tell me a little bit more what so you started at 18. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Tell me all about that. Yeah, I was um I was studying in Amsterdam, error management, uh like like uh economics and rights, okay.

Starting A Restaurant At 18

SPEAKER_01 6:29

And at that stage I really loved that, but we had to uh create our own business plan. Oh, okay. And uh yeah, after doing that, I was so energized, and my teacher was like, Oh, holy moly, what is happening when you you really love it, and um and then um uh I was once buying chocolate in a small factory in Lisa, uh huh. And uh I bought this box and this will lady, and I had a presentation during the day, uh huh. So I looked a little bit older than our time, okay. So and uh so she says, Yeah, and I said uh as I as I'm energetic, like oh nice, nice place. Uh how does it work? Uh and then she, oh yeah, yeah, it's for uh you can sell it, you uh or I sell it to you. Are you interested? Are you interested? And I was like, Oh, I'm uh I I I think I was 17 during this yeah, but uh she's she planned that season, yeah, yeah, and I was like, Oh, okay, so uh a friend of my parents uh was an entrepreneur, yeah. So he uh looked with me through all yeah, what it would be, uh kind of small business plan, and then we came to the conclusion this is not the right time, not the right place. Uh but yeah, the the the seat was and and I think half a year later uh I talked with people in the village, and uh and then half a year later uh I heard that uh a store was going away. Yeah, and I think it was two yeah, 160 square meters, and it was really big and it was 18. I I all planned it out. I was like, Wow, this is this is it. So um uh then I uh I and I let yeah searched things up and and uh created a small business plan and then I will I thought it was uh 10 pages or something, and I went to the uh rent lord and uh yeah why not? Why not? And I was there and they were like, Oh wow, okay, yeah, yeah, we we want to talk with you again. The ideas are are there, but uh create a business plan, and then three weeks later we sit with each other, and uh yeah, we would later I sign the contract. Oh wow, so uh but uh to I had people who believed in me, like family that wanted to invest. Yes, I said, yeah, of course with 18 and we don't have a bigger big company. So yeah, but most of the times you don't have that. Yeah, so uh I started and uh one of the first Saturdays, I think it was like uh I thought we worked with the three or four of us and uh it was 160 square meters, I think, uh for any table. So uh yeah, it was way too much in the end. We worked with eight or ten people uh each other. Wow, and uh yeah, so so then it it's yeah, you grow in it, yes, and uh and why why why stopped? Yeah, in uh um I think yeah, let's say seven years after after yeah after uh doing it already seven years. Uh I got the the um uh invitation to switch uh yeah or location location to the other side

When Growth Turns Into Strain

SPEAKER_01 10:30

of the street, and we had a big terrace, yeah, but it was always like there was a uh street, so you had to go you know streets and and it was not totally not uh yeah, was not was not functional. No, and uh and also it was like a lung uh building, so uh you had light only on at the front, yeah. Um, and then I could have like all glass, uh we can have seats around it, yeah. So uh then I thought okay, let's see what we can do there, and we created a new business plan. Uh and after seven years, uh we grow into the the the other location, yeah. Uh and I invested lots of money. Yeah, uh but I think for the first year was really good, and then the second year uh lots of uh people who stopped in the village. So so the the also the context of the village went a little bit. Yeah, so uh I think building uh next next to me, yeah, in front of me that were gone. Uh so it became isolated, yeah, and and not so attractive, yeah, yeah. And uh so that was a point, and the other hand, there were uh uh, for example, Hofdorp, New Fennep got bigger, yeah. Uh so there were uh lots of things, uh more things to do around, yeah, and and it went a little bit yeah difficult, like like uh and then we find our way through, we uh try to organize events, yeah. Love for events, yeah. Um, and we try to to uh put more time in that part because if you have normally hundred people on the street and you have now ten on the street, yeah, then uh yeah, you can you can recall them and push them in, but there's still not enough. And I had a contract for still, I think, five years ago. So uh yeah, I needed yeah, if you have the locations fixed, yeah, you cannot do anything. So we try to do with the events more and more, yeah, but the risks were also more and more because we, for example, glam sprays for 750 people. Yeah, uh, but yeah, then if it rains, then you have a huge problem. Yeah, yeah. So uh we tried that, but in the end, yeah, on one stage I think it's too to bring for the audio. Yeah, but to be honest, I think at one stage, I think he said to me like, can you look in the mirror still because it's it's um I had to work almost seven days a week and I had already uh the almost one. Yeah, and I thought no, this is not uh yeah what I signed up for. Yeah, exactly. Because sometimes it's that, right? Sometimes we we start something and it goes okay, but gets to a point that is like, is this really worth it? Yeah, yeah. Um we can think sometimes about we put more effort, we put uh you know, we do different things, but at the end it's like, is this worth it? Yeah, because if I'm only putting effort, effort, effort, and what comes, okay, yeah, for the bills, um, but also doesn't feel you know, you don't get excited. No, um, it's like why to continue, right? Yeah, and also like you're in this is in this fast-moving train and you're only focusing on okay, I have to make it, I have to make it. Yeah, then at one stage, uh yeah, it was not enough anymore, and I had to really face myself and say, uh, yeah, I have to stop here. And then a period, I think for a couple of months was really difficult because I on one hand I tried to say to myself, like, I want to handle everything on a good way, yeah. And I discussed this with the landlord as well. Uh but I had already

Closing The Business And Rebuilding Self

SPEAKER_01 14:53

death with him as well. So we really discussed how how can we do this in a good way. So uh yeah, I uh asked help for help, like uh it was not a feismant, I don't know. Is it advisor? It's uh financial advisor technically. No, no, the um uh the help when you uh cannot afford things anymore. I don't know in in I I know that is a word, but I don't don't know exactly yeah, but but you have to uh so it's almost like bankruptcy, yeah, yeah. It's almost like but then you are net still in in front of that, yeah. And you uh you tell this organization like okay, I mean I'm in trouble, yeah. And and this is the situation, and I don't think I can come out of this situation wrong. So yeah, uh, and uh you're not directly uh it's you have to fit in or yeah, yeah, fit in the house, yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh and in the end, I fit it in because I yeah, I did everything right in the right way. Yeah, uh so they helped me and and we tried to together uh yeah do it in a in a well way, yeah. But to be honest, uh for example, uh with the blossom knees, I had uh that's so yeah in the end. One one time I think that was one of the hardest times, I think, because I had 10 people working for me, yeah, uh maybe 15 in the end, and um and I always worked so hard to to to continue, and then at one stage the uh blasting means didn't contact like between two people, yeah, and they placed like uh uh oh a notice, a notice in the in the like uh this is this you cannot go on, this is directly an order. Oh wow, and so I directly called and in the end uh they took it off, they took it off, but the feeling that you're like feeling like a criminal, yeah, exactly, exactly, and and working yourself to to get things done in a proper and well and good way. Because that's that's that's the thing, and and I'm I'm I'm also sometimes I think about that. It's like you are an entrepreneur, you are providing jobs, you are, you know, and things can go wrong, yeah, and sometimes it's not because someone is getting richer from the side, like this idea that yeah, oh, maybe you know the the owner stayed with the money, like no, sometimes it's nothing like that, but we don't have a lot of protection. No, that's true, right? We don't have a lot, like we are treated as okay, if you are doing well, great. Yeah, yeah, you pay your taxes, yeah, yeah, yeah. But if things are not going well, then it's like, oh, you are an incompetent person. Yeah, yeah. So you don't deserve, you know, even if we get sick, like we don't have you know the same rights that a normal person has if he's working for your organization. Yeah, and that sometimes is like, wait, who is putting the maximum effort here? Yeah, yeah, right? Yeah, and I I can I can feel you when you say that. Yeah, like so I'm uh I can imagine that you are the one working more hours, yeah. Because the employees you cannot no because the light doesn't allow it even then it's yeah, they don't want to sometimes as well. So, but at the end, yeah, and the funny thing is if you have it uh you're talking about the end, yeah. Uh I think I closed in December more or the less. Yeah, and uh we had uh they they uh the the the company that helped me yeah had like um uh dark uncle, yeah. But um uh they uh come and they get all your stuff and sell it, but then you get a very low price. Yeah, so I told the company like please let me sell my stuff in a shop, yeah, uh myself, and and uh then have people in the village will buy uh all and and I get a good price. Yeah, so please let me do that, then then we have the the more and uh they let me, but uh this day uh some of my the people who worked for me were there for a second, but also yeah, we had the feeling like the soul like like sucked out of the the building. It was so strange because people were coming in and were buying things like like like uh greedy or yeah, I would say that yeah, they wanted to take advantage the big the maximum like uh some people were like uh can it not be lower priced? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And and that felt so yeah uh horrible and and I think is is that dismissing dismissing of the work, dismissing what that represents, yeah, yeah, even sometimes dismissing the idea that if you pay the this price, this is going directly for you just to pay all the employees that are still waiting. Yeah, and I think that's what people don't realize, and is this taking advantage? Yeah, and it was also what it was, but there were people who I uh really know for me. That were in the good times, they were like yeah, oh, this is really cool, etc. Yeah, and then and and then it was totally different. So that was you you had this because it's also something that happens, right? In the entrepreneurship world, it's like if you are on top, you are relevant, yeah. Everyone wants to be a friend, everyone wants to know you, everyone, right? Yeah, and then when you are not there, whoops, yeah, everyone disappears, right? Or then you have your friends, yeah, yes, yeah, yeah, yeah, and your good friends probably, yeah, yeah, for sure. They will be there all the way, right? Yeah, yeah, and and it's also funny because if you're like when you're so young to start with, and you have like 10 years of uh entrepreneurship, yeah. Um when you then stop, people were always on parties, were asking, like, oh how are you in your business? Yeah, so you have always something to talk about, and then these two years after it or something like that, it was like a little bit difficult because my identity was also the company. Yeah, exactly. No, but but I think I think is is not is is is the that's one of the things is that um I think when you are an entrepreneur, whatever business you have is yours, is your identity there, yeah, is your way of thinking. Is your way of doing things? For instance, I even had a discussion like two days ago with a friend of mine. He also has like several restaurants. And he was looking for to do a kind of a flyer. Okay. And he asked my opinion. And I said, hey, the flyer is not for you. Yeah. Right? But that's so difficult. Yeah. Yeah, that is. That's so difficult. Because even that small thing, like marketing and things like that, it's not the same that you are doing that for a big company that has, you know, a manager decided. No, it's not the same. And I think sometimes people don't understand this.

SPEAKER_00 23:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:03

I don't know if it's a signature. Exactly, right? And some things you we will not I will never do. And I'm pretty sure that you also get maybe a lot of advices about marketing and what you should be doing. Like, I know that, but I will never do that. You know? And and I think sometimes people don't get this. Yeah. That is is is it's close. Yeah, it's asking. And I can imagine that when you you don't have that anymore, uh, it's like, who am I now? Yeah. What do I say? Yeah, right. Yeah. But it helped me for for me, but I don't know for other people it will maybe totally not help, but for me, it helped to directly dive in new things. So I try to uh I did volunteer work for a young girl. Oh I just say it like a the mentor or something, yeah, yeah, for uh and uh course for a week or something like that, and then you can be a buddy for uh for one and a half years for her, and the food situation and certain points. Oh yeah. So um and and uh I started writing book. Uh I did not even I didn't finish, so maybe I wrote some days, but but about about the experience, yeah, and and uh I wanted to share what it does to you, and and also uh that I didn't lose anything. I I did lose, of course, there were difficult moments, but of course uh you learn and and um yeah, I think if I look back, all the people where I worked with that that that was my family. And I think I don't think I um I don't know if you have this sensation. I think when you start so young, I think you also sometimes people say, Oh, um, you have work experience, okay. But I think when we start young and people start young, it's not the same. The the level of experience is not the same when you start, for instance, uh I don't know, 30 or 40. Yeah, right? Yeah because the intensity tends to be a little bigger, yeah, bigger, yeah, right, because you don't know anything, yeah, right? So you are literally learning for yourself, yeah. Like you didn't work in a corporate before, and then you went to your own business, right? Yeah, you started there, yeah. So I can imagine that also, for instance, leading people, and uh how was that like being so young and for instance having people working for you? Yeah, that's very funny. I had always uh like uh and I think I still have that like the natural kind of yeah leadership, and uh yeah, I think like for example, Tom uh is the example that I uh yeah that keep the relationships, yeah. And and for example, uh my sister we work together again on some projects, uh and she always says, like, yeah, you're the best uh so it's like for that's that's the thing is is that if I know you, so I know I know what you say, but that's it's very relational, it is very related, so you relate a lot of people, yeah, yeah. And I I I think that's why you think so. Yeah, I think it's feeling natural, and uh and I if I look back, maybe I had done some things better or other or in a different way, or uh, if you have this this uh uh Me Too, uh uh I was like when I was so young, I was hugging yeah, it's it's sometimes so you know, but but I think I think that's the thing is that um I think it's a big difference uh when you do it from a certain place, yeah, yeah, that's true, right? So um uh for you, I remember when I started working, um I was also not so young as you but young still, and I remember that uh um people always say, Oh, you know, you need to be, you know, you need to pretend that you are, yeah, yeah. Or like that. How do I do that? You look at me like my my my old uh um my mother's aunt, yeah. Uh old aunt, yeah, yeah. Uh she was always she was working as a director at a bank, the ABN Bank. Yeah, and uh she always said to me, because I lent a little bit of money for her as well, yeah, super grateful. Uh, but she always said to me, Yeah, yeah, let them talk to you and and and call them Mrs. Crowl. Yeah, exactly. And I was like, Mrs. Crowl? Yeah, that's not that's not who I am, yeah. But that's that's what people that's what we hear, right? Yeah, that to become you know a leader or professional or you need to you know show yourself a little bit more that you are, yeah, that you're as a person, and uh and I go like I don't know if I don't know to do that. Yeah, like and I think you are a little bit the same. Yeah, so let's say that you created more than a team, you created a kind of a community there because you were also in that village, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I still sometimes I still have the feeling like we have to organize an event again with all these people because I why not? Yeah, I I yeah, if I look back and I think if I will ask them, they will say yes and come, yeah. I will be yeah, you know, you know that um I list yeah exactly because you know it's funny because sometimes people ask me what is my biggest uh achievement as a leader, and I say that. I say I'm still friends, yeah, we are still friends, yeah, yeah, and that for me is shows everything, yeah, right? Shows that uh we respect each other, yeah, and I think that's that's the thing. So it's not anymore about uh let's say leading in the terms of boss or manager or whatever, but it's like people, yeah, right? Yeah, and and after that, so I heard I understood that you were two years doing other things, yeah, yeah. I was uh because if you're in a financial situation as well, uh normally it's like uh because I was like uh in front

From Venue Work To Eve Events

SPEAKER_01 30:12

of uh bankruptcy. Yeah, yeah, I was in front, so I could manage to then you have like a three or four years of baby, yeah, yeah, everything back uh and then you have the system in the Netherlands that uh I think in five years you cannot do yeah, yeah, I can imagine uh so uh I worked then uh at an event uh location of leaders, yeah. So really nice. So I learned there a lot because I never went to school for events or something like that, but uh rode draad uh in in my life, um yeah, is is is like hospitality. Yeah, exactly. So uh I learned a lot there and I did that for three years uh and then yeah, after these three years I've seen everything and and uh but it was very funny because one of the guys who worked for me, it was his mother's location, and he said to his mother, like you have to uh yeah, so I had already a contract before I stopped. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So it was very funny, but also really well to uh or or good to to see uh if you uh talk about leadership, uh sometimes I saw things uh that she was doing like we're pitching some something where she already fought over three months, yeah, and then she pitched it, and we have to like it has to sync with yeah, yeah, yeah. We had to absorb it, and and it was so funny because sometimes I had the the same, uh, and then we were not that enthusiastic, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because uh we were like, uh yeah, what do you mean then? And we had to land, yeah. And uh the funny thing that I had the same when leading my own team, I thought of sometimes we were so excited, and and then the reaction of the the the team was not that enthusiastic, and and I saw all these things that I did as well with her sometimes, and yeah, it also helped me uh uh yeah to be the other side and saying, oh yeah, this is what is happening. Yeah, and and is it good, is this good, or yeah, yeah, do I have to change it? Yeah I really like that. One of the things that um with ideas, I think one of the things that sometimes happens is that for the person that has the idea, you already are seeing it. You have already the the lights and the you are already there, and then you try to explain this to people, yeah, and they're like, Yeah, I'm not there, yeah. Sorry, I just see what I'm seeing, and it was like it's like, oh my god, you know, I had this uh because in the in the company that I'll I worked as an HR, I was responsible for the events and things like that. And sometimes I had this idea, and it was like, wow, wow, wow, wing, and then like no, not that, but like, oh my god. So it's like how what can I do? What can I do? So sometimes, but it also shows that the brain of people working differently, yeah. It's not sometimes I see also people saying, Oh, but this person doesn't want to participate. No, maybe they didn't understand, maybe they didn't see it, maybe because our brains are different, right? And your brain has a lot of ideas, yeah. So yeah, what was the idea next? What did you do next? What happened? Uh then I uh worked uh at Cookie and Go for five years, and next to that I started to build on Eve events. Uh that's what you have right now. Yeah, yeah, sorry, yeah, yeah. This is my uh event company, and uh so I I uh what I learned at uh the venue where I worked for yeah, it I really like this high-end uh clients, like also leaders, etc., because uh they are used to everything, yeah. Uh but you have to yeah, you have to still surprise them and also with small details and gestures, and yeah. So I really like that. So I wanted to focus on that, so I tried to to grow and grow in that uh part. Um and I did, but uh certain way we had COVID. Yeah, so they're building up again. What are the events? What are the events? Well yeah, that's what happened the same, right? Yeah, um, like from one day to another was yeah, zero. Yeah, yeah, because then all we have to summons for us was the online, but took a little bit, yeah, because people are like yeah, uh, but yeah, events were zero, yeah, yeah, and uh yeah, after that it was like a really uh yeah uh difficult period. Uh so uh my husband uh had cooking a boat, like I just told you, and uh yeah, we had to really uh yeah, but also uh he had uh a big place in the hout havens, uh and we had to save ourselves, and and every week there was an update, and it was then close, then open, then close, then open. That was dramatic. So uh for for some people it was a really good uh period. So I'm happy that it also was a good period. Yeah, we always say I don't know how you say it here, but for in Portugal, we always say uh uh the sim at at the entrance of the cemetery, some will someone will make money. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's true, it's true. Like flower, you know. So it's like yeah, yeah, it's true. Some people will make money, yeah. Yeah, and sometimes you hear from people that it's it's it went very well, yeah. Uh uh, but but yeah, yeah, for us it was so it was really uh difficult, and uh uh also uh yeah, we we didn't had uh income, so yeah, yeah, it was time of of how to to uh also uh yeah survive. So for the kids as well, it was a really difficult period because uh let's say I had the feeling that it was difficult for them, and if they went back, yeah, they had a really nice time, but like ah wow, yeah, we had lots of moments with friends, etc. And meanwhile, we were struggling, so we had like the feeling that it was uh difficult, yeah. And so we uh I think in the end uh we did a yeah really good job uh growing out of that, yeah. Uh and then easily yeah, we we climbed up again, coming yeah, coming back out of the of the together, and I think if I look back, we did a really great job. And yeah, if you're 20 years together and we can survive all these things, I don't have to marry. It's okay, it's okay like this. Because that's that's the thing, is that um I think when when um let's say I I I normally say this is like if you have someone that is by your side, yeah, don't let that person go. No, if he's your husband, right? Or your partner, probably okay, yeah, but but uh uh not sometimes it's not necessary that person, but if you have that person, yeah, it's by your side and you are like you know, yeah, leading uh in each other, and like yeah, yeah, don't let that person go. Because I think sometimes people don't understand. I I know that also sometimes people never have that, and I I feel very much uh compassion for those people, but for the ones that had it, yeah, and for some reason don't, like me, for instance, yeah, um, I go like I can guarantee that you have gold. Yeah, right. I can I can tell you that nothing will be compared without. Yeah, and and I think it's it's it's like that with but I know how difficult it can be, right? But at the same time, it's like okay, that's gold. Yeah, yeah, that's true in in times uh yeah, in in every time again you you reinvent yourself and and growing together and and still don't lose yourself, yeah. Exactly. Because that's that's because because okay, people don't know, and I don't know if you are okay and say this, but you are different, you are two different people, yeah, yeah, sure, right? So it and it's it's very incredible to see that you are different, you grow together, yeah, but you don't let's say become the other or no, it's like we are very different people, and that's okay, yeah. But the basics, I think the basics, yeah, of course. I can imagine that it comes by yeah, of course, of course. Yeah, but uh from the outside, yeah. I can imagine, yeah. You you you are uh you you behave, let's say, different, yeah, right? But that's not a problem at all, so most part of the time. No, okay, and now so you have this Eve, yeah, Eve events, Eva or Eva. Eve events, yeah, events, yeah. Because I don't know the other day I was saying like what this name comes from, but like and you prep you so for me to understand, you build uh active events for companies or groups or companies, so uh different

Why Great Events Create Connection

SPEAKER_01 40:36

kinds of companies. So, for example, uh Josh are a travel company, they had lost year hundred uh uh agents of the agents in your whole world, yeah. They got a meeting, yeah, yeah. We also open space, yeah. Yeah, yeah, so you also travel, yeah, yeah. So uh yeah, award show, tech award shows I work with Cognizals last year with uh Google Cloud, yeah, Informatica, but also small companies. So I really like this this difference, yeah, because it also requires different type of yeah, yeah, thinking, yeah, I imagine. Yeah, and and uh yeah, and I I think it's really nice to have uh we have like a couple of concepts, we created concepts, so uh for example leadership programs, but also the the uh award show, but yeah, office to venue, we can create uh from an office, oh cool, a venue. So that's also things that we do. So we do different uh different kinds of things, and I really love it. I'm so happy every day, yeah. Because it's also different every day, right? And what what is for you is when you have all this experience, what do you think then really changed when we are talking about people coming together? And what what are things that you think? Oh, this is different now, because we talk a lot about in in age, like like I how I broke. No, like if you now you prepare an event now, yeah, yeah, and you prepare an event uh all these years, yeah. Because people talk a lot about this. Oh, now people don't connect, oh now people don't like this, or now people don't like that. Do you really see such a difference? Uh no, no, I think it's it's really important that uh we always uh tune into to the connection, yeah. Yeah, that one the client ones, yeah. But the connection in between people, so we for example so you really force that, yeah, yeah. Or you make sure that people yeah, I think that's that's one of, for example, uh really big event that we did. Um in the end of the event, uh we were with a group of uh, I think uh like next to Tom and me from Eve Events. Yeah, we had also from the uh the organization like six people organizing it, so we we did it together because it was a big event and we did need like the the internal input input. Uh but in the end of the event after two days, uh the guests came to hug us and they went and someone were like yeah, but that also says something, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. But but for instance, I'm asking this because I honestly my my experience is that I don't see a difference. No, I don't see a difference between how people connect, uh connected, imagine six years ago or seven before COVID, for instance. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And now what I see, what I see is that a lot of times people are expecting that is different. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But at the end, I personally don't feel that different feeling either. So no let's say that um all this idea that oh people don't want to connect, or people. I think events will never go away because and and that's why uh like like this hybrid events didn't work. Exactly. They don't work when it was so easy, and uh I think it's it's people exactly right, it's all about people because because I think uh was a moment also for us as trading and things like that, that people saying, Oh, now it's only online, right? No, no, no, you the amount of uh companies that I said no, and we won't have anything online, no, because people yeah, they don't because the the the the the possibility of meeting someone what I think is that sometimes um people want to meet people that are you know interesting and relevant, yeah, yeah. Um but they still like to connect, right? Yeah, yeah, and I think the the moments are maybe a little bit less that they catch the moment, yeah, but they do not need to catch the moment, otherwise it's I uh I think that I will say even that for just for companies, sometimes what I see is that oh we are going to do uh outside uh thing, right? Like, okay, what are you going to do? And they're like, oh, I'm gonna do this, this, this, this, this, this. Let people breathe. Yeah, right. Sometimes just a simple thing like with some music, with some dreams, and yeah, is enough, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. This this uh what we always also with these leadership events, we try to do some uh moments, some create some magical moments, but we have this this this part where they have to internally uh discuss everything and and uh have their things on the table. But uh, for example, lately we had uh created uh an event where people were going through their uh OTSN, their career plans. Uh and they wanted it to land more in the organization, and and it was hard because yeah, people uh yeah, we we build it, but the managers build it, yeah, exactly. And then they saw it. Yeah, and now what we did is we created uh puzzles, oh yeah, so wooden puzzles, yeah, and it was uh like for uh a company uh for Partout. Yes, uh make sense with wooden, yeah, with colorworks, etc. And we had the uh the like the the uh the goal or the doctor or yeah, we had uh on the um on the puzzles uh pieces, and we uh asked them to discuss which uh puzzle piece can already be in the puzzle. Oh and it was phenomenal, yeah. That's that's a very you know creative way of presenting something that sometimes is highly monotonous. Yeah, but it it then brings more critical, and the year is a game, is a play, is a and the goal of having this puzzle all together at the end of the year, yeah, exactly. And it's going to be there, yeah, it's still going to happen, but in a way that people also can enjoy, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, that's that's also important to bring moments together and to connect and not hear the year plans, but create them together. It has to feel that you're they're okay, yeah. And uh um what if you could give one advice to if someone is thinking, if someone in the is thinking, oh, I want to do an event and I want to do something spectacular, one thing for them to pay attention to, one detail, what what what will that be?

Jade’s One Detail For Magic

SPEAKER_01 48:11

Yeah, for for me it's only about connection. Yeah, I think uh create a moment where you really connect instead of the this connection part is is that's where, for example, we had a Christmas event lately, uh, and there uh we had a band, and the whole audience had to uh join the band to join the band. And everybody was so happy because they were part of a bigger thing, yeah, and together. That was so I think that's the important thing to do to create this magic and this connection. Thank you so much for coming to us, and I think we could be uh talking uh forever, yeah. Um but uh but we cannot. Um so thank you so much, and um, I I I wish I I know we all I already told that maybe we need to think about organizing

Final Thoughts And Goodbye

SPEAKER_01 49:12

something together, so maybe we can do that. Um, because I think you have something that is what matters, that is the looking to people as people and connecting for me is one of my personal values. So yeah, um, any other thing is just theater performance, yeah. Um but if there are no connection, then it's nothing, yeah. Exactly. You don't feel you go like okay, it's nice, yeah. You know, and something says it's nice, like that means that something is not okay. So thank you so much, and uh, I wish you you know a lot of events, and I'm pretty sure you can offer a lot of different ideas. So I think you will not repeat an idea after. So I wish uh that you receive a lot of invitations and uh you grow that business because I think it's very important. Thank you so much.