Eric Franzen’s commitment to education led him to start his own school. What’s your story? After a career of about 15 years as a building administrator and teacher, my business partner and I built Ideal School. We did not know how innovative it was. I had an inspiring moment that caused us to take the leap to transition from a six-figure stable career to becoming an employer. This inspiration came one year prior to Covid 19. As it turned out, it was perfect timing. After incredible challenges, we have now built an internationally-accredited private school that is innovative and amazing. …

His belief that personal fitness contributes to better business decisions is what motivates Chris Richards. What’s your story? I started my career by building my own personal training business while studying at the University of Edinburgh. I taught myself web design and SEO, ranked number one on Google for Personal Training Edinburgh, built a waiting list and eventually grew a small team before joining Ultimate Performance. More than a decade later, I have helped scale the business across APAC and the Middle East, leading commercial performance, operations and growth across multiple international markets. Alongside my executive role, I now advise …

Adam Houlahan uses the experience he has gained to help others make the most of their LinkedIn profiles. What’s your story? I was drawn into entrepreneurship after seeing many business leaders were missing out on LinkedIn’s power to build real influence. I founded Prominence Global to give busy founders and CEOs simple strategies to stand out and grow globally. Over the years I’ve written four Amazon-bestselling books. The LinkedIn Playbook, Social Media Secret Sauce, Influencer: The 9 Step Guide to Becoming Highly Influential in Any Industry and The Distributed Teams Blueprint which have helped thousands worldwide build influence, land leads, …

Driven by the need to be productive, Mark de Jong creates solutions. What’s your story? I have a background in computer science and business administration. I can go from strategic conceptual ideas to execution while not losing myself in the itty gritty details. I love creating solutions, specifically by means of digital automation. In my career I evolved from being a consultant to managing big projects for customers to building my own SaaS company and running it as the CEO. What excites you most about your industry? It’s the dynamics. IT and professional services are constantly on the move in …

Laurie Silver has many qualifications but the thing she loves doing most, writing, doesn’t require anything more than passion and imagination. What’s your story? My first college degree was in Advertising Design, my second in Landscape Horticulture and my third was a master’s degree is in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Additionally, I have many certifications, including rigorous training to become an Iyengar Yoga Instructor and several qualifications, including Reiki practitioner. However, my gift and my passion is writing – for which I have no piece of paper or proof of skill. I only have personal and professional feedback – which is …