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Act for Impact: A Lookback at EO Unlimited Barcelona 2023

20 December, 2023

EO Europe’s 2023 regional event, EO Unlimited Barcelona, from 18-20 October, attracted more than 180 members from 46 countries to hear 14 speakers and make countless impactful connections. The event featured dramatic social venues, from casual hangouts to black-tie gala dinners to beachside bashes. EO members from 42 chapters brought their high-energy brand of curiosity, open-minded enthusiasm, and thirst for learning to help make the event a huge success.

Under the theme “Act for Impact,” EO members explored a multitude of ways to follow Mahatma Gandhi’s sage advice: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

As always, EO members gained energy and built momentum from engaging together. In addition, the inspiring speakers provided vital takeaways for members, including that making a positive impact can be the main focus of your business.

Engaging speakers

Dandapani, an entrepreneur, author and Hindu priest, delivered a message that made a significant impact on EO members. In his speaker session, he addressed the value of learning unwavering focus, knowing your life’s purpose, and building a 50-year legacy.

“Dandapani’s learning segment impacted me significantly. The mixture of wisdom and practical tools was magical; a structured process in spirituality. At first, I was a bit skeptical, but I found his message and the radical choices he has made very inspiring. He shared that “Life is not short, but it is finite,” which I found very inspiring because it prioritizes everything. I am reading his book now, and I am not disappointed!” — Emmy van Rooyen, EO Netherlands, founder, AFTER’SCOOL

Other notable speakers included Verne Harnish, EO founder, who shared his experience on scaling organizations; Jeff Hoffman, chair of Global Entrepreneurship Network, who spoke about building and leaving a lasting legacy and discovering ways to redefine growth through purpose for positive impact; and Florencia Andrés, an award-winning international speaker, bestselling author, and mindset coach for high performers.

“The speakers were very impressive, inspiring, and sparked many thoughts.” — Sebastian Baerhold, EO Munich, founder, IDnow

“I learned a lot from Florencia Andrés, who shared how to use effective communication and recognition to drive team morale and performance. In her words, good vibes make a team unstoppable.” — Emmy van Rooyen, EO Netherlands

Inspiring change

We asked EO Unlimited Barcelona attendees how the event changed them both personally and professionally:

“I’m in a phase of change. EO Unlimited Barcelona helped me to recharge, see possibilities, and get into action mode.” — Ernest van der Meijde, EO Barcelona, founder, Wibaut and 1828

“Since the event, I now enjoy a morning routine for a dialogue with myself. I write, read and stare out my window, just for a moment! I am still getting used to it, but I am very happy with it.” — Emmy van Rooyen, EO Netherlands

“I came to Barcelona very low in energy, unsure if I would survive a week of meetings, conversations and speakers. And then, the EO magic happened: Wonderful people, inspiring conversations and meaningful connections. And my energy is back!” — Heiko Trautwein, EO Zurich, founder, Cakefriends

What would you share with EOers about EO Unlimited?

“What a kick-off for my EO international journey! A great thank you to the organizing team that put all this energy and effort into providing such a unique experience — so many things to take in and digest. Such a great community of people where shared values create a magical, homey feeling! I’m looking forward to what is yet to come.” — Maria Droumpani, EO Greece, founder, Gruppo MD Lifestyle

“The international EO events really make a big difference for me. It’s incredible how just going to one event can offer so many new ideas, friends, and a boost of energy. I can’t wait to go to more EO events around the world.” — Ernest van der Meijde, EO Barcelona

Insightful takeaways

Here’s a sample of the powerful takeaways from EO Unlimited Barcelona:

Florencia Andres tells us to repeat: “I believe in me” or “I believe in you.”
Verne Harnish reminded us not to use a shield that gets damaged when it takes hits, but instead to design an antifragile shield that gets stronger each time it gets hit.
Dandapani provided a straightforward yet powerful way to figure out life’s priorities: Life is not short, but it is finite. When you think you’ll live forever, your priorities are loose and disorganized. But if you knew you had only days or weeks of life left, what would you prioritize? If you shrink your time, your ability to focus increases exponentially. When you’re confronted with a challenge in prioritization, simply shrink the time left, and the choice will become apparent. It’s a tool we can all use to get back on track.

Thanks to the efforts of member leaders and EO staff, the event came together like a dream and ended with high-fives all around.

Intrigued by this recap? Save the date for EO Unlimited 2024, which will be hosted by EO Suisse Romande in Geneva, Switzerland, from 25-27 September 2024.

We look forward to seeing you next year for another memorable EO Unlimited event.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.

Categories: Entrepreneurial Journey EO News Impact Inspirational LEADERSHIP members

Tags: Dandapani entrepreneurs' organization EO Barcelona EO Europe EO Greece EO Munich eo netherlands EO Zurich Florencia Andres verne harnish

Four steps on the road to essentialism

16 April, 2021

Do you own your things, or do they own you?

Contributed by Cédric Waldburger, an Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) member based in Zurich, Switzerland, and the founder and CEO of Tomahawk VC, which provides the resources and tools early-stage entrepreneurs need to shape the future of FinTech and DeFi. He lived without a home with just 64 things in his backpack for over three years. We asked Cédric how he went about minimizing his possessions to free his focus on his passions. Here’s what he shared:

Essentialism—an offshoot of minimalism–is the focus on quality over quantity. It’s the art and practice of deliberately saying no to distractions and minimizing possessions so that you can focus on what truly matters to you. For entrepreneurs and business leaders, it’s about eliminating distractions so you can focus on what is essential for you to achieve your goals and pursue your passion.

I embraced essentialism several years ago so that I could better focus on my entrepreneurial career. The freedom I gained from living with so few possessions helped me prioritize my focus, increase decision-making capacity and enhance entrepreneurial agility to fully concentrate on the early-stage ventures I was guiding in different countries.

People often tell me they could never live with so few things, but essentialism isn’t about counting the number of items you have—it’s about what you gain in resources, time, energy and focus.

4 Steps to minimizing your possessions

Are you ready to try it? Much like knowing your passion is the first step to understanding what distracts you from it, when it comes to minimizing your possessions, it starts with increasing your awareness and challenging your actual needs against the things you believe satisfy them. The end result is having things that you know you’ll make use of and will therefore be serving you rather than vice versa.

Lay it all out

As the saying goes, awareness of a problem is the first step in solving it. That’s why, like any good engineer, I started by listing everything I owned into a spreadsheet. Laying it out on your bed works fine, too, but you run the risk of everything ending up on the floor after you procrastinate and suddenly realize it’s midnight. Becoming conscious of just how much you own is a humbling and important first exercise. In my case, the list wasn’t something I could just put together overnight because I had belongings that were unaccounted for–an extra pair of jeans at my parents’ home “ just in case” and a random pair of dress shoes my friend borrowed. Being patient with myself in creating the list was the best way I could increase my consciousness and therefore ensure that this would be a successful minimizing with no sock left uncounted.

90-90 Test

Next, for every single one of the items on your list (or on your bed), ask yourself, “Have I used this in the last 90 days, and will I need it in the next 90?” I apply this 90-90 principle because, together, it adds up to half a year. Chances are that such a time frame is long enough to be involved in formal events, colder and warmer weather, and give you a good idea of what you’ll need on a daily basis. If you don’t need it for 180 days, maybe you don’t need it at all, or if you need it only once, perhaps it’s something you could rent or borrow.

Corner it

A lot of things hold sentimental value, and it can be challenging to get rid of them. That’s why after items failed the 90-90 mental test and I realized they were not essential, I collected everything in a bag and put it somewhere out of sight and out of mind. Since I was living without a home, I left my bag at a friend’s house, but an attic or corner will work fine, too. Putting things aside creates a mental comfort bridge for getting rid of them permanently because you have the option to go back and grab something should you realize you miss it or need it. Personally, I never found the urge to go back.

Gift it

Ripping the Band-Aid off and finally giving your things away is certainly made easier when you recognize the potential value your dust collector has for someone else. Ask yourself, “Does someone need this more than I do?” and embrace the good feeling of gifting! For especially hard-to-get-rid-of items, visualizing someone else being excited to use it and getting a lot of miles from that item helped me over the tipping point. Alternatively, selling some of your possessions could open up possibilities for investments that would be more meaningful to you and your purpose.

Ah, freedom

Minimizing and the challenge of doing so made me realize how much the phrase “What if…?” surrounded the hesitation to let go. We interpret our belongings as a security blanket when in reality, it’s a trap and our possessions take over our own interests. So I urge you to ask yourself, “Do you own your things, or do they own you?”

Categories: Best Practices Inspirational WORK-LIFE INTEGRATION

Tags: agility Cedric Waldburger entrepreneurs' organization (EO) EO Zurich Essentialism focus startup

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