Keep hustling in 2020: Spaces members share their best career advice

With the beginning of the new year, the holidays are over, the decorations have come down and new year’s resolutions are slowly getting forgotten. January’s grey and dark skies are upon us and we could probably all use some creative sparks to keep us going through these long nights.

Therefore, we’ve selected the best career advice from our very own Spaces members to keep you on your toes and kick off fresh the new year – make it your best one yet. And as Spaces is a worldwide breeding ground for inspiring entrepreneurs and creative innovators, we’re in the perfect place to gather some of inspirational snacks to keep you hustling throughout the beginning of the new year. Bon appétit.

GOT THAT SUNSHINE IN YOUR POCKET

…and that good soul in your feet? Good. Because having – and keeping – a positive mindset is key. We know that this can be somewhat of a challenge sometimes – especially during stressful times like the end of the year. But just like our Spaces member Mitchell Smit, Project Delivery Manager of AI platform 09 Sollutions, believes: it’s all about that optimistic mindset. ‘One of my favourite quotes is: “Whether you think you can, or you can’t – you’re always right.’ This quote by Henry Ford actually emphasizes the concept of self-fulfilling prophecy: when you truly predict or expect something, chances are ­the resulting behaviours align with your beliefs. This saying points out how important attitude is in this matter. It can determine your failures or successes. ‘This has a lot to do with carrying a positive mindset. If you truly believe you can achieve something, you will succeed. With that positivity, life and work are more fun and it’s possible to make the magic happen’, Smit says.

‘They’ll cheer for you that much harder when you get back up’

I’M A SURVIVOR, I’M GONNA MAKE IT

In March this year we had the honour of interviewing Emilie Cushman, the talented 28-year-old founder and CEO of Kira Talent, who was recently named Forbes Top 30 Under 30 for 2019. She believes you shouldn’t get stuck on your failures: ‘When you’re starting a company, there are so many downs, as opposed to ups. The ups are great, but they’re few and far between, compared to the hard work and everything that goes into it. Sometimes you feel like you’re failing over and over, and some people will relish in that. But as much as people around you like to see you fall, they’ll cheer for you that much harder when you get back up’, she says. ‘So, don’t get stuck on the fact that you failed; if you can come back that much stronger, they’ll be your biggest fans. Everybody loves a comeback.’

IT’S YOUR LIFE, IT’S NOW OR NEVER

‘Your work forms a significant part of your identity and it determines who you are and how others perceive you.’ Rutger Koopmans tells us during our interview. He quit his job as a banker and now inspires people to take back the reins as a professional business coach and author of the book ‘Your Life, Your Rules: Taking back control.’ Koopmans strongly encourages you to strive to connect with other people on a non-transactional basis: ‘You should cut yourself loose from the “what’s-in-it-for-me” mindset. We were once taught to apply this mindset to everything, but it has proven to be very suboptimal in the business environment’ he says.

‘Lose the ‘what’s-in-it-for-me’ mindset’

I WANT IT THAT WAY

‘We spend about a third of our lives at work. Because of this, the fine line between our work and personal life is fading. Even more so in the start-up community, where we are required to fully immerse ourselves in the atmosphere,’ Hunab Moreno says, the country manager at Mobike Spain and member at Spaces. And he’s right. It’s important to know who you are, what you want and know your vision towards work. ‘Knowing what we want to do, what we want to achieve with our lives, and having a vision to work towards are essential to avoid becoming carried away to an uncertain future with a lot of working hours,’ Moreno tells us in our chat. His best career advice for you? ‘Find a job at a company that aligns with your vision, so that you can truly transform your days and make it work.’

‘Having a vision to work towards is essential to avoid being carried away to an uncertain future’

HEY NOW, YOU’RE AN ALL-STAR

Get your game on, go play! No, but seriously: sometimes you have to remind yourself that it’s ‘just’ a job and you should never stop having fun at it. The moment you do, you have to ask yourself if you’re still in the right job. Luckily, there’s always this amazing community that’ll be there for you to cheer you up. Hence the best advice our very own Community manager in Dusseldorf, Sonya Ben Ammar, gives you: ‘Connect with the community, talk to them, show an interest in what they do, visit events and the most important thing: enjoy every minute of this exciting journey.’