“You can’t build a business on expertise and passion alone”

About Flourish

• Founded in 2022
• Helps organisations and managers tackle the issue of ‘how to motivate my team’
• Uses the scientifically substantiated self-determination theory (SDT)
• Team of 7 freelancers
• Average income of 180,000 euros (now a little less than in previous years due to internal transformation, Ed.) 

Why did you choose theChallenge Bootcamp?

“As a research expert at Securex, I had been conducting in-depth research into motivation for years. The results were astounding. If people enjoy doing their job, they’re prepared to work for up to four years longer, take fewer sick days, commit to the company more, and so on. I found the figures so remarkable that I wanted to tackle the issue independently. I took the plunge in 2022. That was a serious risk, because I founded Flourish right in the middle of the pandemic. Ironically, that gave a boost. Difficult times are precisely when many companies realise how important it is to focus on motivation. Flourish... flourished. But after three years, I hit a wall. Where could I find the right trainers? How could I train them? How could I pass on my knowledge? My accountant was asking me questions I didn’t know how to answer. I enjoyed my work and brought in a good income, but it was all a bit chaotic.”

What are the main insights you gained from the training programme?

“I still remember the first day well. It was about the financial aspect of a business, and I thought: what am I doing here? I’m not interested in this, I just want to do what I love. But slowly, I began to realise that expertise alone isn’t enough to make a success of your business. What you offer may be compelling, but there are other aspects to running a company too, such as finance and marketing. I saw those things as a necessary evil for a long time, something I’d rather not spend time on. The Challenge Bootcamp took those taboos away. Pricing, profit and income are not marginal issues or things to be ashamed of: they’re actually at the heart of entrepreneurship.

I started to see marketing in a new light as well. Until then, I’d found sales and marketing pretty off-putting. I was a scientist who knew what I was doing, so why would I have to sell myself? As I saw it, the need for marketing was tantamount to failure. But the opposite is true. Marketing can be truthful, actually allowing you to help more people. If I feel doubts about that bubbling up inside, I repeat to myself: Coca-Cola and De Tijd advertise too.

Vlerick also offered me some solid theoretical models that were a good fit for me and my company. They range from leadership (I’m an entrepreneur through and through, not a manager) to a business model for Flourish (high quality, focus on tailored services). That information has helped to crystalise my identity as an entrepreneur and Flourish’s identity as a business. It enables me to make strategic decisions more easily.”

How did you go about implementing these insights?

“Our team has expanded a lot. We’ve grown from a relatively unstructured partnership of two or three freelancers into a team of eight people. My partner is also considering joining the company. He’ll take on the role of product and people manager, so that I can focus even more on my role as motivation expert and entrepreneur.
Next year, we want to invest heavily in marketing. Not crude advertising, but a targeted commercial strategy so that more people and organisations can get to know Flourish. For example, I’m starting a podcast, and I’ve invested in a paying slot at a keynote event. And although parents are not my main target group, I’d like to reach out to more people who can introduce Flourish to their organisation (Hermina recently published her second book on motivation, “Opvoeden zonder controleren”, or “Parenting Without Controlling”, Ed.)

Last but not least, the company is now more structured. Whereas things used to happen at random, we now have clear processes for every aspect of what we do: working with freelancers, product development, sales, pricing, etc. That has made Flourish scalable.”

What impact have these steps had on your business?

“Financially, I expect our income to increase fivefold over the next two years. At the same time, I feel calmer. Because everything has been set down in processes, it all runs more smoothly. But the biggest win of the course is the way it empowers you as an entrepreneur. For instance, there was a time when I was wondering whether I needed to set up a separate company focused on parents. No one gave me any direct advice on that, which annoyed me. Now I realise that Vlerick doesn’t tell you what to do. Instead, the course offers you insight into the possibilities. Which is much better! Now I know why I took that risk three years ago. I used to dread the annual conversation with my accountant, but these days I look forward to it. Thinking about structures and processes used to bore me to death, but now I see the value of doing so. I have so many more ideas, and I can’t wait to get started. The Challenge Bootcamp has awakened the entrepreneur in me, and I love it.”