Entrepreneurship, love, and parenthood. Three ingredients full of passion and dedication. Mix them together and you have an interesting cocktail for a heartfelt conversation. “Raising a child is harder than running a business. Especially the combination of the two.” Meet Caroline Santermans and David Vanhoegaerden, owner-directors at Job Talent.
For ten years, Caroline Santermans and David Vanhoegaerden have been at the helm of recruitment agency Job Talent together. She is responsible for daily management and the financial figures; he handles the commercial side. A professional tandem in the workplace, and together at the head of a family at home. As partners, how do you try to be as successful as possible on both fronts?
David: “I would choose my wife as a partner a thousand times over someone I don’t know yet. We each own 50% of the shares, which—as far as I’m concerned—is the ideal basis for a partnership. The agreements have always been clear and we have the same goal in mind. We are also on the same wavelength when it comes to crucial strategic decisions.”
Caroline: “We trust each other blindly. Each has their own expertise and we let each other get on with it. The whole COVID-19 situation proved once again how well we work together. When David suddenly found himself without commercial assignments, he saw how hard I had to work to get the whole financial picture in order. He immediately took the initiative to take as much work off my plate as possible.”
“Too much happens in the world to leave everything to chance.”
David: “Caroline and I have been working together since long before our Job Talent adventure. After all these years, a few words are enough for us to understand each other. Especially now, that is proving to be our great strength. It has been a huge ordeal for everyone within the company. For us, it was important to show that we are decisive. Words alone are not enough at a time like that. Our employees needed clarity about their future.”
Caroline: “While we are all busy finding jobs every day, we suddenly found ourselves in a precarious situation too. Those first few days were anxious when there was no news regarding temporary economic unemployment. But David and I jumped into action immediately, along with the whole team. Purely on adrenaline; it felt like I was in survival mode. We filed our balance sheet as early as the end of March, increased our equity, and paid out holiday pay earlier. It had to be immediately clear that we are a 100% healthy company.”
David: “The same applied to our customers and partners. Hard sales had to take a back seat for a while. They needed a sounding board. Someone who listened to how they were doing and how we would tackle the future together. Because make no mistake, it was a hurricane that made landfall at cruising speed. More than ever, we realize that we cannot do without a buffer. 9/11, the banking crisis in 2008, now this virus… Too much happens in the world to just leave everything to chance.”
“Because of COVID, I switched to survival mode.”
And then there is someone waiting for you on the home front.
Caroline: “Our personal little watchdog (laughs). Our daughter makes sure we don’t bring our work to the table. The dinner table is for the three of us. On weekends, we always set it together; that has become our fixed ritual. Especially in recent weeks and months. In the beginning, the crisis often kept us busy in the evenings too, so that sometimes required a lot of patience from her. Personally, I felt very guilty that I had to shut myself off from the world at those moments, but she handled it very well.”
David: “Our daughter knows exactly where she stands with us. It is often said of entrepreneurs that they only have time for their work. But that is something that will never be the case with us. We realize how precious that time together is and make sure we take that time.”
Caroline: “I also just want to help with homework myself, go and watch her dance performances… But being a mom- and dad-entrepreneur requires a lot of organization. In my personal opinion, raising a child is harder than running a business. Especially the combination of the two.”
And what if your daughter ever decides to become an entrepreneur herself?
Caroline: “Then we will be the first to support her fully in that. Even if she doesn’t choose entrepreneurship. As long as she shows passion and perseverance. I would advise her not to start out on her own, though. I have always been glad that I chose to do business as a duo.”
David: “If she uses her talents to create a positive impact on the community, then we can only be happy.”
What is your best tip for starting entrepreneurs?
Caroline and David: Enter into a 50/50 situation together and clearly define everyone’s tasks and responsibilities. If you work with a silent partner, make sure you remain as independent as possible, including financially. And ensure you make long-term agreements from the very beginning.
What do you really enjoy?
Caroline and David: Going to see musicals; that has become our favorite family outing. Frozen and Abba are highly recommended, by the way!
In another life, you might have been…
David: I used to always want to be a top footballer. Unfortunately, my talent remains limited to the absolute minimum… Now I only watch from the stands occasionally.
Caroline: I think it would be amazing to be an organizer of big shows, like Cirque du Soleil. The costumes, the locations… everything that goes into it.