This story is part of our 1,000+ Stories campaign. What’s your story?
Name: Kieran Canisius
Business: Zocket
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Industry: Professional Services
Reason for starting? This is my third business venture, and I have grown to love the rollercoaster that is entrepreneurship! The other two companies are 4 years old, and my business partner (and best friend) and I have been talking about the Zocket idea for at least that long. Early last year, we decided that we needed to take the risk, invest the time and money to try out our vision. We now are just launching the platform and speaking to the first clients to get them on board. Really scary times, really exciting times… the euphoria and terror go hand in hand.
But I fully, 100 percent and completely believe that this is the future of career development, where technology and knowledge fully support each individual’s choice in when and where to next develop their career.
Related: Career and Astrological Consulting
How do you define success? For me, when I feel successful, it is the sense that I am flying without wings. I feel light, in control and positively powerful. In general, I think successful is being happy and satisfied with what you have achieved when you put in effort to get there. Those who are successful are inspirational to me, and that has absolutely nothing to do with their bank account or the number of followers they have on social media. It is those that set a goal that they want to achieve, regardless of how many others told them it was unachievable.
Biggest success: On a personal level, it’s keeping in balance two healthy and happy children, a smiling husband and being super fulfilled with what I do. On the work level, my biggest success has been to be able to support the growth and mortgages of multiple recruiters and consultants and, in the meantime, to give candidates in the pharmaceutical industry new jobs!
One big success in particular, was actually a recruitment job that I did. I introduced a French life sciences corporate recruiter to a company, and they hit it off. Later she wrote to me saying that, because of me, she and her daughter were able to move to a new apartment and therefore go to a better school, and she felt that I changed the course of both their lives. It still tears me up just thinking about it.
Related: The Independent Life – Nance L. Schick
What is your top challenge and how you have addressed it? This most recent new company is in a new industry: the tech industry. At times I feel like a fish out of water. I love learning (thank God), and I am recognizing that I have a fairly clear vision, without any thoughts about what it will take to get there. Now I need to get investors, and that is a new challenge for me. I’m excited to bite off this next adventure!
Who is your most important role model? This was a challenging question, as I realized I either have 100 role models or I have none. What I mean by that is that I am blessed to have had so many strong-minded, independent and daring people in my life, yet I do not aspire to be any one of them.
I grew up in a world where women were told we “could be anything,” yet for unclear reasons (some of our own making) we were not all are treated equally and opportunities were not so clearly presented. Just like the rest of the world, I have my own suitcase of emotional baggage that I drag around and either have closed with a large chain, or open at times to reminisce. Many have paved the path before me, both women and men, of all nationalities, and I am thankful to them all. I hope that at the end of my life, I find that I was my own role model. Not perfect, but someone I was proud to be and thankful to have lived that life.
[box_light]Website www.zocket.me
Twitter @ZocketMe
Facebook www.facebook.com/ZocketMe[/box_light]
Tell us your story!
Read about another entrepreneur here.
Edited by The Story Exchange