Invincibelle Profile
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• The Beginnings
Did you grow up in an entrepreneurial environment?
I’ll share a story of entrepreneurial spirit within my family. My mother and father escaped communist Czechoslovakia when I was 2 and my sister was 1 year old with no money and only speaking their native language. Their vision was to raise their children in a far away free country. Australia inherited us and soon after the strategy was set – to rent a room in a share house, learn English and perform any odd jobs which would provide shelter, food and savings to buy land. For 16 years we were witness to all the ups and downs, sacrifices, celebrations any startup business would experience. Bonded by our family values and a clear plan, my parents became financially independent and gave their children the strength, belief and courage to do anything our hearts dreamed.
What problems did you face in school or university?
“The stronger the wind the stronger the tree”. I’ve learned to use every adversity – big or small – to establish a very solid base for my being and any venture I become involved in. Growing up in an immigrant family meant we were a little different to the other children – which sometimes created curiosity or fear. My parents worked around the clock and we became independent at a very early age. The time we spent together was quality time. Decision making became easy and when I turned 15 I came to realize I would not have the grades to go to university if I remained for my final two years at my current high school. So I grabbed the yellow pages, scanned possible schools and approached my parents with a plan which would take me to university. Not long after, I was accepted into a private school and 2 years later achieved a high tertiary entrance rank to study. Unfortunately, before my university began my boyfriend had a major accident and paralyzed his right arm tearing all the nerves connected to his arm out of his spinal chord. My focus shifted to supporting him as well as trying to squeeze studies into a curriculum I wasn’t excited about nor talented. “every adversity leads with it a greater seed of benefit”. Over the next 2 years I learned more from my boyfriend who started to read 100’s of books on business, personal development and other interesting topics as he laid in bed recovering.
What were some of the things you learnt on the way?
From my family I learned the importance of values and aligning them to those who were on the same path. There were sacrifices to make to save money. Eating healthy, delicious meals at home rather than take-away food taught me how to cook and take care of my health. My mother and father gave me the choice at the age of 18 to take the $10,000 they had set aside for me to either pay for my wedding one day or invest the money. That day I took the money and bought my first property. Life is about choices and knowing sometimes you will make the wrong choice. “It’s not what happens but what you do about it”. At the same time as I made my first investment I enrolled into a series of personal development courses which had me walking across hot coals becoming a strong metaphor for future crossroads and I learned all about goal setting, affirmations and positive thinking. From these days on, my smile and general attitude became an invaluable asset in meeting new people and retaining relationships. People like to be around people that bring happiness, positive outlook and empathy into their lives.
• The Transition
What challenges did you face in the transition to get to where you are today?
Realising how much you don’t know and the burning desire to know more hurts. I wasn’t an avid read so my ability to digest information was at a snails pace. Fortunately most of my time was spent hands on within my first business – a marketing/ communication company I launched whilst I was at university. Secondly, I sought out the smartest people I could find and spent time just hanging out with them. My dream at the age of 18 was to become financially independent by the age of 30 – being able to do what I wanted, when I wanted and with whomever I wanted. At the age of 28 it hit me like a tonne of bricks. Whilst I did become financially independent I realized life was not just about making money. It was a combination of building a business closely aligned with the natural gifts you were born with and delivering value not only to you, your family and your friends but also making a difference to other people in the world. So I left my 12 year relationship which I cherished, gave away my possessions and traveled around the world for 2 years in search of my purpose.
If given an opportunity, what would you have done differently?
Join a peer to peer support group much earlier. 10 years after I started my business I joined the Entrepreneur Organization (www.eonetwork.org). This community changed my life in every respect. Surrounding yourself with like minded people who share from their experience is extremely uplifting.
What kept you inspired to do better?
I realized very young, life goes by at lightening speed. As a family, we traveled the world extensively and being exposed to how people live opened my eyes and planted the seeds of many dreams to come. I wanted to spend time with my children when they came into this world and I realized having money gives far more options. Every time I met an extraordinary person my dreams would grow and the possibilities would unfold. And then when I went in search of my purpose and found it, everyday is an inspiration.
• The Present
What are your current personal & professional pursuits?
When I realized life wasn’t just about making money I learned many new things. I was fortunate to experience life in a technology startup www.xing.com which became one of Europe’s most exciting social networks. Understanding technology, social networking and user generated content set the stage for my next company. I also became passionate about entrepreneurs in developing countries through ‘The Hunger Project’ www.thp.org . For 2 years I shifted my knowledge in customer acquisition and retention strategies to member acquisition and retention discovering the groups within larger communities such as XING was were the real value existed. The problem in this world until now was that people could not search or find these communities and groups. And what surprised me the most was to learn there are over 40 million communities and groups living on the internet. I partnered with a talented entrepreneur from Germany living in Spain and we launched www.linqia.com which also has a very special social vision.
What are your hobbies? How do you relax? Are you able to manage work life balance?
Absolutely! Firstly, a minimum of 8 hours sleep a day and drinking at least 2 litres of water is a non-negotiable. A very happy relationship with somebody who has an incredible amount of love to share makes a big difference. I love to do so many things – cook, travel, wonder around Barcelona, food lovers Thursday with friends, laugh, read, listen to music and be the recipient to 100’s of poems from my husband. Even though we are in a fast growth, start-up business finding 1 day to just be in important. And lastly, finding opportunities to share and give time and knowledge to those who cross my path has proven to come back 100 fold – not that I’m counting. Learning to give is one of the most beautiful ways to experience life.
• The Future
What is next in your life?
My personal dream with Linqia is to connect the developing world to the developed world through online communities and groups. The sheer volume of knowledge, information and connections existing within millions of communities and groups on the internet holds a real key to prosperity for many people.
When Linqia does well, I would like to spend a big % of my time in funding social technology entrepreneurs and finding ways to fulfill on our social vision.
My husband and I have a dream to establish ‘love houses’ around the world where people who cross our paths come together to experience magic, bliss and happiness whilst discussing how we can gather together to make a difference in the world.
• Guidance
From your vast experience, what is your message for women who wish to start their own companies?
Discover your passion, what gifts you possess and formulate your dream. Find people and companies to gain the necessary experience to not make the mistakes others have made. Read many books, attend events, meet people, talk, share your dream and become as healthy, happy and balanced as you can be. And if you’re in a relationship – make sure it’s full of love, support and stability. Join www.globalbusinesswomen.com and receive a Positive Monday Booster which I send out every week.
What should a woman do to grow as a leader?
Know who you are. Learn what makes you strong and what makes you weak. Build on your strengths. Operate from the highest level of integrity, honesty and authenticity. Find yourself at least one mentor you can observe and learn from. Take on some leadership roles if you lack experience – perhaps within your local community or a non-profit organization where you learn key skills such as communication, conflict management, public speaking and co-ordination.
Every woman has to keep up with one or more roles – a mother, a wife, a professional. What advice you have for women who need to keep a healthy balance between these roles?
It would be impossible for me to launch Linqia if I were to have children now. It simply wouldn’t be fare to the well being of my children, my husband and my health. If possible, plan to have children and visualize what this life looks like and what needs to happen for you to achieve this.
If you are fortunate to have children in your life gain clarity of what is expected from you in every area of responsibility. Depending on the amount of time and resources you have become very diligent about how you spend this. If you are in a business or looking to start one, you soon realize business becomes the number 1 priority. Having a business partner or hiring very good staff can relieve much of this pressure.
