An entrepreneur’s journey plays a vital role in the growth of his profession. The roads they choose to take and the decisions they make ultimately leave them with the end result which may or may not be favorable. However, the odds can’t always be accurately predicted beforehand and more often than not a leap of faith leads you to the right destination. Thomas Despin states that he was never afraid of making mistakes, if anything, he thinks every time he was wrong it was an arrowhead pointing him in the right direction.
The journey began in 1991 when Thomas Despin was born in France. He has taken multiple routes to end up where he is now, 28 years later. He started out as an 18 year old psychology student in France. He was determined to explore other options because he felt like psychology wasn’t his forte. He worked on developing a copywriting freelance business. This business led him to earn more than his professor did that year, and this boosted his confidence. He finished his exams and volunteered to help his fellow students. While still in France, he established an event organizing company along with his partner. He learnt everything required to become good at his job. He taught himself ways to negotiate better, market his company better and deal with clients. The company gained instant popularity and led them to organize as many as 4 events per week. For three years, it provided him a large sum of profits on his investments.
About three years later Thomas Despin initiated his first international journey towards entrepreneurship. He wanted to learn and share experiences of CEOs from all around the globe. He cycled for 14 months through 20 different countries and a total distance of 12,000km. He met with 100 different entrepreneurs. He even flew from Budapest to Miami after which he believed his journey was complete. When he was 25 years old, he developed his next big hit. He commenced a drop shipping business that sold sportswear from China, to France. This company landed him a 6-figure business in just 11 months of its commencement. He earned a total of $750,000. However, he felt little determination to continue this venture and hence, he decided to create a motivational clothing brand for entrepreneurs around the world. This company sold over a hundred t-shirts, and though is no longer online, it still serves privately to a community of entrepreneurs at the Hustlers Villa.
Next, the Hustlers Villa is what led him to Indonesia. He created a small space in Ubud, Bali for entrepreneurs to feel more comfortable while working. This space provides comfort to entrepreneurs, most of whom are working online. It serves their needs, and inevitably allows them to perform better. After connecting with the government and locals in Indonesia, he decided to contribute further to its community. He decided to expand his business in Indonesia further by the beginning of his project ‘Reconnect’. Reconnect is an eco-resort located in Buka Buka Island, in the Central Province of Sulawesi, Indonesia. The Island was uninhabited previously and this made him start from scratch. He has developed this 2km wide island into a beautiful eco-friendly resort with equal help from locals and investors.
Lastly, Thomas Despin pledges to work on this project for the next 5 years, at least. This project is different from the others in that it has positively affected the lives of many Indonesians residing in the remote areas of the Togean Islands, and will lead to a positive impact on the environment. It will drive investors to explore the tropical side of Indonesia, and consequently lead to economic betterment for the country.
