We introduce you to Monique Blokzyl who will be offering two sessions at the ebbf international event in Barcelona, aimed at potential and existing entrepreneurs who want to either start the enterprise they always wanted to create or feel their enterprise is stuck and needs a new impetus to drive forward their prosperity-creating objectives.
Find out more about Monique in this other longer ebbf interview “Monique Blokzyl born behind the wall in Eastern Germany, discovering and helping others create a new kind of entrepreneurship”
Monique why do you do what you do?
“I joined ebbf around five years ago, where I found a place where people were asking the same question I was asking myself: why do we do what we do? In my corporate job I felt like being the right fish in the wrong pond and I decided to setup my own business, thinking I I’d be successful thanks to my business experience and the global network of employed people I was surrounded by. So I started, and struggled, and failed. And then I found a mentor that connected me to successful entrepreneurs all over the globe, learning from and working with them helped my business to finally take off. That is when I realized just how many startup entrepreneurs fail just because they have not come across that individual or that group of peers who can give them some of those key ideas, advice and support to turn their idea into a successful enterprise.
Too often young entrepreneurs don’t know how to progress. They don’t feel they are supported. They are not sure of their next steps, or their motivation is not strong enough to keep them going. We have our drive inside of us, we want to contribute. We feel we have something we can bring out there that other people and our society could benefit from. So much talent and motivation and ideas go wasted as it does not translate into a prosperous enterprise.
It has become my mission, one I really enjoy, to shorten the path from churning of initial ideas into creating revenue-earning businesses, making it an experience less bumpy than the one that I experienced myself.
And I keep doing it because I want to give back, as I was greatly assisted by some wonderful mentors and now I feel I should do the same for others who are struggling as I was.”
What motivates you, what do you enjoy?
“There are so many great small moments. Especially when I allow people to dream of their ideal enterprise, speaking face to face and asking them what they do, getting a normal answer, and then asking them what they would really like to do, and they answer something completely different, suddenly their eyes start to shine, their facial expressions come to life.
this drives me – people daring to do greater things like starting their dream enterprise
A business like Shenannz of ebbf members Anila and Shenila ( who will also be presenting at #ebbf25 ) is a great example of that: Anila did not even dream she had the talent and ability to start. And now she, and her sister Shenila, have turned Shenannz into a real business. Today, they are making a difference for women and they are creating a new awareness in the population of Pakistan. They are now presenting their business at many events. And in the process Anila found her own voice, she is stepping up on stage as a speaker, and they will now present Shenannz at this upcoming ebbf event.
I love it when people start to earn good money doing what they love doing most. I tremendously enjoy when they say “I never thought I’d actually be able to sell something and make money living my dream, and having a positive impact on society”. I also support them raise money for their venture by helping them convince people to invest.
I see people not only building their businesses but most importantly growing as human beings tremendously