tackle with you tonight is lighter than
robotic Syria
it’s actually about you I want us to go
through the different steps I think
people have to go through when they
consider a change I will relate change
to a very strong concept the comfort
zone
what is the comfort zone well there are
a lot of definition of comfort zone one
maybe would be that a comfort zone is of
we’re working while you don’t have a lot
to do to gain small results and weak
satisfaction I can promise you now I’m
far away from my comfort zone right now
it’s quite new for me
but is it fun it is am i winning
something tomorrow on LinkedIn I’ll add
I’m a conference I’m winning right now
something ok what I want to do is really
go through different steps of change and
try to illustrate that with what I’ve
done in my short career but quite varied
career it’s who I moved from consultancy
to investment bank – no – entrepreneur
of ownership at the liberal which are
according to me the 3 steps is one you
need to think when do I have to change
secondly how do I have to change and the
last point is we jump there to change so
as I said the comfort zone is the zone
you are in when you’re comfortable as
it’s indicating the name your work gives
you small satisfaction and at a certain
point you need to realize something you
need to be able to ask yourself a couple
of questions do I still learn and I’m
not speaking to early young people that
have an early career young career
am I still learning how steep is my
learning curve when I joined the company
I’m not working for am I still working
towards the goals I have you never you
don’t only have you to change your
career too
from conversion you can also enlarge it
take other responsibilities and I think
people are not often do not often have
the time do not often take the time to
question themselves am I still really in
a position where I can grow and I think
that really that something’s very
important I used to work at Deloitte I
worked there for three years the last
six months I was working at the European
Commission well middle of the financial
crisis so there was awesome on almost
nothing as a development possible I was
I lost the will to go the extra mile I
could really realize was something wrong
and I started questioning myself and my
actually still learning something when a
question too often actually became no I
considered change what I did is actually
I decided to change completely to go to
finance to go to Investment Banking to
go to London and make our finance we to
change lifestyle to work very hard to
become a specialist to go to see people
it allowed me to work with the brightest
people but was the good choice I’ll tell
you later but at least I thought of it
the second part is about I’ve now I’m
now confident I need to change now how
am I going to change the person on that
picture is Kenny Bailey a Belgian
athlete Red Bull athlete six times trial
biking world champion that I had the
opportunity to meet at the livery
because we did a little marketing stunt
with him and he did a movie about
balance and he says in the movie in
order to achieve new things before
succeeding you need to find the perfect
balance and I think that in your
reflection of how what do I want to
change you need to keep that balance
side in your head on different aspects
balance the pros and cons of changing am
I going to change also for something
really better or am I just just
balancing all the options I have several
options in front of me which one am I
going to choose
even balancing your own ecosystem and
that’s a mistake I maybe I’ve maybe done
with investment banking I was so
thrilled to change to succeed to change
I had so much energy that actually I
forgot that besides work there was some
other stuff I lost sight of my friends I
could barely see my son to become wife
because I was working 20 hours a day and
that’s something I lost and at a certain
price point luckily thanks to them I
could realize that I was missing
something and I started to consider my
options how do I did I do that Network
you need to use your network question
people talk to people and thanks to that
I realize that private equity was
actually a very nice option finance
management really steep learning curve
but fantastic and I did the move last
step that you have to consider is the
jump you know decided I’m going to
change you decided what you are going to
do you talk to people everybody agrees
with you it’s a great idea but then you
have to do it and now you’re alone like
Felix there on its little space shuttle
you have to jump the other okay do I do
it or don’t I do it it’s a very very
strong feeling of doing that I think
that people that already designed know
what I’m talking about it’s a mixed
feeling you’re happy very happy but
you’re afraid you feel light I’m going
to change what am I going to disappoint
my formal team it’s very very difficult
to be able to know advance is the
goodness you know people will do mistake
you’ll do mistake I did mistakes as long
as we learned from it it’s not a mistake
anyway there you are there and you need
to jump the biggest job I had to do
myself was deliver as I told you I was
having a very nice card in private
equity working decent hours I love the
topic love the subject finance very
action-oriented very nice and on Tuesday
evening I go on Facebook and as your
friend posting on Facebook hey I’m
looking for some a to become Jay
of a very nice stuff that we are
financing he was working at Index
Ventures is somebody interested from my
network I’m looking consultancy I
investment banking type of profile I
reached out to him I say ok I have this
friend would just fit stopped his
startup he’s looking for job so consider
him he might be a good fit he has the
experience of a startup wants to work in
Belgium might be a good fit but just of
curiosity
send me the jobs back I love to read job
specs it’s always interesting and I read
that the moment I read it I knew
something was happening promise then
you’re like ok but I love my job
it seems interesting let’s go for it I
sending a CV is never a mistake and it’s
never too much of a commitment send my
CV what happens is they reach out to me
and I have a couple of interviews with
them with delivery two weeks later I
meet the CEO will I go to learn I meet
him bright guy super guy love his vision
love the comes I love everything from
the company would be a fantastic
opportunity for me or the learning curve
through the roof imagine a dream and
they make an offer
damn it now I have to choose am I going
to change okay I have stability
I still have potential I have a lot of
good thing I have distant awesome to
change something completely new startup
so by definition something that is a bit
Wibbly I will have to create my team ok
completely new for me I’m not going to
do that so I listen will I’m really hung
out by the offer let me take a week to
think I says that’s the issue we have a
bit on a tight schedule I need an answer
by Wednesday we were Monday I called my
wife that I think you need to book your
Tuesday night because we might have to
choose to make you choose together what
will be my biggest decision yet on a
professional basis in one night now
afterwards
honestly it’s something I’m using now in
my team because
convinced that in two nights you take
the same decision as he has in 15 days
the only thing he goes faster so and we
sat together and we took the decision
and as everybody does when you have to
do a take a big decision you always
start with the negative point why
shouldn’t I do it love the industry I’m
a foodie I think people can say that
love the guys love the team then it’s
okay long working hours after Investment
Banking so I know how to manage that
okay let’s do it and I decided to launch
the river in Brussels do I regret what I
the choice I did never deliver in
Belgium is now two cities a great team
of 21 people apart this year in the
rooms which makes it easy for me to give
them some compliments we have 400 bikers
in Belgium 400 250 restaurant that are
working with us a growth that is also
going through the roof it’s a fantastic
experience really so I was lucky to be
at the exact time on a Tuesday evening
on Facebook to see that I took the jump
and for the moment I don’t regret it so
just to summarize what I said and I hope
that’s the key message I want to pass
especially to the young people do ask
you some questions yourself be
self-critical every now and then every
six month be able to ask yourself am I
still moving forward am i still moving
the right direction and once the answer
will be now please consider balance the
options and lastly do take the jump
because I’m convinced that here in the
room so at least for so many at least it
might be the time the time to change
pilgrimage [Applause]