FRANÇOIS VERHOEVEN, OWNER IBIZA ESTATES

François Verhoeven is the founder and owner of Ibiza Estates. Together with his team, he helps customers find their dream home in the luxury segment on the island. Verhoeven is not familiar with the phenomenon of 'working for a boss' and is moving steadily through this corona year, partly due to his commercial spirit. But who helped him get his dream job? Who was his wheelbarrow?Text: Mical Joseph
Image: John van Helvert

What was your very first job?

“I have never worked 'for a boss' and have always done business myself. From the age of fifteen I had a successful business selling clothing from the Diesel brand. This was with a friend. He bought the sample collection and then we sold it to peers and their parents in Waalre and Eindhoven. During my Small Business studies in Haarlem, I took a bigger approach: I bought Ralph Lauren clothing and had the collections sold by boys in the five largest student cities.

In my final year of study, something disastrous happened that changed my life in one fell swoop. My father drove into a ravine in southern Germany and broke every bone in his body. He barely survived and had to recuperate for two years. As a result, I had to take over the business at the age of 21: the events agency HV Productions, now Pink Orange, in Eindhoven. This car accident gave me an accelerated course in adulting.”

How did you end up in your current job?

“In 2000, my father slowly returned to the business. A year later, in 2001, the tragedy happened at Dance Valley. During the last hours of the festival in Spaarnwoude, a huge storm occurred with heavy rainfall, making it difficult for the 90.000 visitors to escape and causing people to suffer from hypothermia. After this incident I had an idea that ultimately turned out to be a gap in the market: the Lockerbox. The Dance Valley fiasco was mainly caused by storm and rain. This caused people to suffer from hypothermia, because visitors did not bring coats due to the absence of a wardrobe and lockers. This got me thinking and I came up with - the first in the world - the transportable wardrobe lockers at festivals. In 2010 I sold the shares.

I then founded a design studio with Serge de Warrimont in 2006: Big Bang International. The studio designed well-known sports gadgets such as the Nuon Nederlamp, Heineken Trumpet, the Jupiler Alphorn, Coca Cola Botlehorn and the Vuvuzela. We sold 2010 million vuvuzelas during the 7,5 World Cup.

Together with my partner I saw another opportunity: real estate in Ibiza. This idea arose from my own personal experience, after I moved into our first holiday home with my partner. We encountered so much misery, the purchasing process was difficult and matters were not properly arranged. I then thought: how nice would it be if you were guided reliably and decently while searching and finding a house or holiday accommodation in Ibiza? With the sales branch of Ibiza Estates we have a unique formula with regard to exclusive guidance of customers and a streamlined purchasing process.”

Who was your wheelbarrow in that?

“I didn't have a wheelbarrow, but I did have a mentor, this was my father. He coached me until he had the accident, after which I had to figure everything out myself. My father taught me that I should always keep going and never give up. Positivity was also an important goal.

In addition to my father, René de Bruin, the former CEO of Björn Borg, has also been an important mentor. I have done all Björn Borg events for about seventeen years and he has really become my second father.” 

What is your greatest passion in your profession?

“My greatest passion is making people happy: both privately and professionally. It makes me so happy and I love seeing when people shine when they enter their villa in Ibiza or when a grand event is successful with flying colours. For example, we introduced the NO-SHOW BOX concept a few weeks ago, allowing consumers to order an online dinner show, including Jeroen van der Boom and Martien Meiland, with a dinner box. The box contains delicious ingredients for your own three-course home dinner from two-star chef Dick Middelweerd. I am so proud of the team for how they tackle everything with both hands and pack those thousands of boxes.”

What has been the biggest learning moment in your career?

“That partnership is sometimes more intense than a love relationship. You naturally share so much with a partner and during my career I have had a number of times when I was not on the same level with that person. In bad weather you only really get to know each other well and if you can keep an overview together and navigate through the storm in question, you can speak of perfect partnership. Due to certain circumstances I have learned how I no longer want it. It is very important to me to think solution-oriented and creatively.”

For me, entrepreneurship means seeing opportunities, tackling them and developing them. Keeping agreements, not giving up and remaining honest is also very important. If you continuously keep these conditions of paramount importance, you can do business successfully.”

What advice would you give to your 18 year old self?

“Identify as early as possible where your weaknesses lie and work on them. Entrepreneurship is always about growing and developing yourself. Focus is also important: don't lose sight of this.”

Have you been a wheelbarrow for someone?

“I don't have one specific example, but I regularly hear that through my energy and drive I may motivate and enthuse people to take a certain idea to a higher level.”