They say that sometimes it just doesn't click with people who are too much like you. In my case: who love to travel, are entrepreneurs at heart, love to see the sunshine, love good food and write creatively. I said "sometimes," because with Astrid that's not the case. She is a good friend, travel enthusiast, co-copywriter and mega inspiring entrepreneur. I would like to take you on a journey into Astrid's world. We will do it chronologically, with some spontaneous stops in between. Prepare for a heavy (= inspiring) ride.
How Astrid set up three companies
So, who is Astrid Veld and why is she an inspiring entrepreneur for me? I met her in the Media Entrepreneurship specialization, where the four of us set up a company. We created "Students Around The World," a website for students who want to go abroad for their internship or minor. But that was only Astrid's first business. "My second business is my blog, 'Life Is Better Abroad.' Here I wrote about my experiences abroad to inspire and motivate others. I went abroad a lot during my studies, namely to Malta, Curacao - where I started my blog - and Mallorca." So a girl with a passion for travel, love it! But even when Astrid is not abroad, her mind is on it. "Upon graduation, I chose the entrepreneurship direction. Here I founded my third company 'Island Experiences,' where I broker internships and jobs in certain countries. I do this from my own knowledge, network and experience."
So now we were in the same specialization, which focused on entrepreneurship. I personally find that I really learned most of it anyway by doing, not by studying. What does Astrid think about that? "So I chose entrepreneurship twice during my studies, but I agree that you only learn it in practice. Still, I did learn a lot from it. Now I know what the basics of entrepreneurship are."
"A true entrepreneur sees opportunities where others do not."
How she now lives & improves her dream life
Past, check. Time for the present. Spoiler: you are going to be very jealous. Astrid is really one of those types who does what she says and goes for what she wants. She really wanted to live in Curaçao for a long time because she fell in love with the island. And guess what she is doing now? "In May I moved to Curaçao with my boyfriend. He works in a bar, which is good for his network and work experience. I work part-time freelance for Scoopy. Meanwhile, I am working hard on my fourth and fifth companies: AV Media and a new blog. At AV Media, I plan to offer services such as copywriting, content creation and social media. The new blog is about living and working abroad." Very cool, but that last one, is that realistic? As a friend with four blogs of your own: a new blog, how are you going to make money with that? "About the revenue model I am still in doubt. Shall I link a webshop to it? Use influencer marketing? All kinds of things are going through my head. Working on it gives me a lot of energy and I keep getting more and more new ideas."
What actually happened to the other three companies? "'Students Around The World' we discontinued due to lack of time. At one point we were all living on a different continent, then maintaining is not doable. I still write regularly for 'Life Is Better Abroad,' but eventually I will merge that blog with my new blog. And "Island Experiences? Writing the plan is one thing, executing it is another. Right now it is not my priority. I went abroad to enjoy and work on myself as an entrepreneur. Now I finally have the time to put all my ideas and creativity on paper and make it work. That feels wonderful."
So you see: it's not always about the outcome. Astrid tells me she has not regretted for a second all the time, money and effort she has put into it. "Right now, I see the businesses I've started in the past as nice little practice projects." Copy that.
Her passion for entrepreneurship
Before we talk about the future, I want to zoom in on Astrid as an entrepreneur. I feel like we could spend another paragraph on that. After all, I think she is a real entrepreneur, but she herself is modest. "I find it hard to say about myself that I am a real entrepreneur. What does strike me: I always present myself very differently from other employees. I am much more concerned with the overall picture. And with my creative mindset, I see ideas everywhere. I think that's close to entrepreneurship: seeing opportunities where others don't."
Why the passion for international entrepreneurship? "I like to find myself in new environments. So I deliberately chose internships abroad during my bachelor's. And my minor was Spanish Language & Culture. My knob has been on international for as long as I can remember." Couldn't agree more.
"No desire to work, I don't know that term."
No small talk: women entrepreneurs & motivation
Okay, one more chapter before we start talking about Astrid's future. I want to discuss some tough issues. Things I run into as an entrepreneur. Namely: being an entrepreneur as a woman and not feeling like working.
Entrepreneurship as a woman: does Astrid feel pressure as a female entrepreneur? "No, I don't need to feel pressure. As a woman, I recognize that I have just as much quality as a man. It's not about gender, it's about what you dare and can do. I can just as easily see a female entrepreneur as a male entrepreneur as an inspiration. Someone who goes completely for themselves, full of passion and ambition ... whether it's a man or a woman, that's a sign of guts and it inspires me."
Digital nomads probably know this problem: no desire to work. I mean, I love my business, but when the whole house goes surfing and I have to work out minutes ... meh. But Astrid thinks differently, and she's been a digital nomad even longer than I have. "No desire to work, I don't know that concept. I always strive for certain goals, which usually require a lot of money. That's why I'm a real workaholic. The more hours I put in, the closer I am to my goals." But how? My lifestyle is not too cheap either, but I really do sometimes slam my laptop shut by four o'clock with a full Wunderlist. "Do what you're good at; focus only on your good points. In the end, that makes everyone happy. Just make sure you don't ramble on," says Astrid, as a smile appears on her face. "I'm never satisfied with my qualities. I want to get better and better. Perfectionism should not become a weakness, so also make sure you know your weaknesses and can turn them into something positive."
So is salaried employment Astrid's future after all?
We discussed Astrid's past, looked at what she is doing today, why she is so passionate about entrepreneurship and discussed two issues with her. Now it's time for ... the future! "The next six months I've already kind of mapped out. My boyfriend and I will stay in Curaçao until December. After that we are going to Miami to do the European Bartender School. We have been dreaming of this for so long! In January we will come back to the Netherlands for a while, but shortly after that we will leave again. Bali or something, you were so enthusiastic about that. In any case, I want to have enough time to work out my ideas and have room to seize opportunities." Go to Bali, please, do it.
"Wage employment seems fine to me, until the grind hits."
Would Astrid also want to return to salaried employment? She hesitates. "It's a safe haven for me, because you're under someone else's wings. But it also has another side: you may not get enough satisfaction out of it. So salaried work seems fine to me, until the rut sets in. Then I want to have the space to make my own choices." A combo then? "I've only just graduated. So a salaried job seems like the perfect opportunity to 'cheat' a bit. 50/50 seems like a fine ratio at first. From there, I want to gradually phase it out."
One last thing: what drives her? "I want to be able to see a lot of foreign countries, but also continue to learn. That takes time and money; time also costs money. But that does motivate me to work hard and do what makes me happy. Because how nice is it when doing what makes me happy actually gives me the opportunity to do what makes me even happier?" Just shed a tear at these beautiful words, it's okay.
