Amsterdam Founders Club

How to Build a Business You Never Want to Escape From | Esther Jacobs | Amsterdam Founders Club

Esther Jacobs, known as the No Excuses Lady, writing 30 books, speaking in 70 countries, raising €16 million for charity and building a globally recognized personal brand, celebrated her 55th birthday with a one-off theater show in Amsterdam. The occasion? Her retirement.    But as Marcel quickly finds out in this conversation, "retirement" for Esther means something most founders have never considered: stop doing what drains you, keep doing what you love, and trust the money follows.   Esther didn't burn out and quit. She made a deliberate decision to flip the ratio, from a life of doing with islands of being, to a life of being with the occasional bit of doing. The theater show was her way of drawing a line in the sand and making it public, so she'd have to follow through.   In this episode, Marcel sits down with Esther to explore what retirement actually means for a founder, and whether most of us are building toward a finish line that doesn't have to be that far away. What you'll learn:   - What the theater show was really about and why going public made her more money - Why "retirement" for a founder doesn't mean stopping, it means redesigning - How to build a business around what you love and quietly cut the rest - Why growth for its own sake is a trap, and what to optimize for instead - How Esther raised €16 million for charity with zero experience in the sector - Why your personal brand and your network are retirement assets and how to build them - The doing vs. being shift: how two car accidents and what changed everything     Timestamps 00:00 One tip for founders who want to retire on their own terms 00:33 Introducing Esther Jacobs, the No Excuses Lady 01:19 How Esther approaches business: start small, test fast, roll with it 02:01 Organizing a cruise from Spain to Brazil from a Facebook ad 03:01 Skip the business plan why she tests before planning 04:13 The theater show: how she sold tickets before the venue was booked 05:33 Growing up between scarcity and abundance 06:52 Her family background: a grocery store and two very different mindsets 08:34 After her BBA: why she didn't follow the traditional path 09:51 Becoming extremely good at a few things and what that costs you 11:12 Learning vulnerability after years of high performance 12:09 The second car accident: a whiplash that changed everything 13:54 Reclaiming her time, and a major mindset shift 15:49 What retirement actually means for a founder 16:40 Why she stopped chasing growth and started designing her life 17:49 How she decided what to stop doing and what to keep 18:54 Did she have a financial goal before retiring? (The answer is no) 19:30 Why announcing it publicly made her more money, not less 20:30 What founders can learn from her decision 21:10 Don't make growth your main goal unless it truly energizes you 22:23 The world changes, retire while you can still enjoy it 23:13 How she invested for retirement: real estate and personal brand 25:18 35 years of visibility as a retirement asset 26:15 Your personal brand as goodwill  how it pays you back over time 27:25 High-ticket work she actually loves: VIP days 28:35 How to build a personal brand that attracts the right people 29:23 Ikigai: the intersection of love, need, and willingness to pay 29:52 How she uses AI without losing her authentic voice 30:31 How Esther raised €16 million for charity with zero experience 31:46 The insight that unlocked it: give people something to give away 33:02 What charities got wrong and what Esther figured out 34:49 Media, Survivor, and why everything you put out lives forever 36:29 Reality TV: what they don't tell you about casting and editing 38:08 Can everyone become a better person? 38:40 Connection is what it's really all about 40:00 How to practically retire as a founder on your own terms 40:47 Create space serendipity needs room to work 41:23 Bundle your work, protect your energy 41:53 On money: why she doesn't track income or spending 43:13 Final message: imagine your own funeral   Connect with Esther Jacobs: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/estherjacobs/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/estherjacobsnl/   Website: https://estherjacobs.info Connect with Marcel Wijermars: Superconnectedfounder.com Amsterdamfoundersclub.com https://linktr.ee/marcelwijermars Apply to join Amsterdam Founders Club: https://amsterdamfoundersclub.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amsterdamfoundersclub/   The podcast is produced by 301 Studios and Marcus Engel: https://www.instagram.com/themarcusengel/ - studiobooking@weare301.com

The Strategy Behind $20M Exit and the Buy-and-Build Playbook No One Talks About

The Strategy Behind $20M Exit and the Buy-and-Build Playbook No One Talks AboutPeter Michels scaled his accounting and tax advisory firm from 0 to €20 million in yearly revenue. Through organic growth, a buy-and-build strategy, and multiple acquisitions, before successfully exiting the business. In this new episode of the Amsterdam Founders Club podcast, Marcel sits down with Peter to unpack the full journey. From washing cars door-to-door at age 11 to building a multi-million euro firm. Including what it really takes to find and acquire the right businesses.   What you'll learn: - How to build a business from 0 to €20M using a buy-and-build approach - Why Peter registered his company the same day his daughter was born - The acquisitions playbook - Why he never sells and what he does instead - How to recognize when you're stuck and what to do about it - The difference between goals and habits   Timestamps: 00:00 What you'll learn today 00:25 Welcome to Amsterdam Founders Club 01:02 Was Peter always an entrepreneur? 01:31 First business at age 11: car washing door-to-door 01:53 Second business: stringing tennis rackets 04:30 Starting the accounting firm 05:33 His wife pushed him to go for it 06:07 He registered the business the same day his daughter was born 06:44 On financial risk and the entrepreneur identity 07:43 First acquisition: €30K in clients, quadrupled within a year 08:33 How he found deals through his network 08:53 "I'm never selling, I'm always telling my story" 10:01 Hustling for clients: Chamber of Commerce lists and cold letters 11:12 On being good at sales without it feeling like sales 12:44 The SIMPLE framework 13:46 Focus on income first, everything else comes after 14:28 From solo to first team member 16:01 The fear of hiring and why you have to push through it 16:41 What Peter kept focusing on as the company grew 17:33 Culture change as you scale and what to do about it 18:56 Why first hires matter and how to get them right 19:29 Hire for what you're bad at, not a version of yourself 20:16 When to bring in your first manager 21:21 The four keys to growing a business: passion, plan, mindset, fun 23:19 How to write a job offer that actually attracts the right people 25:00 Sell the story to potential employees, not just the job 26:15 When it's not a fit: having the hard conversation early 28:56 The Formula of Happiness and letting people go with respect 30:21 The journey to private equity: feeling stuck pre-COVID 31:07 The moment he decided to sell 34:13 The Sunday that changed everything 35:18 Meeting the PE partners who shared his vision 36:31 How the deal was structured: cash, shares, and staying involved 37:26 Why he said no to the first buyer 38:41 Shared vision over price: what made this deal work 39:51 Advice on equity vs. cash deals for founders 41:13 How to value your business 43:07 Life inside the buy-and-build: scaling toward €50-70M 44:41 What they learned from acquiring businesses that were too small 47:16 How to choose the right businesses to acquire 48:22 Why people resist change after acquisitions -- and how to handle it 49:46 Should you be transparent with the team during acquisitions? 52:04 Preparing your business to sell makes it better to run anyway 52:50 Key lessons from 15+ acquisitions 55:15 Why Peter didn't want to be CEO  58:06 "Don't become the manager" 58:48 What Peter is working on now: growth coaching for founders 61:21 What "stuck" actually looks like for an entrepreneur 63:24 Zoom out to see what you're missing 64:09 Peter's 5-year vision: speaking at Ahoy 65:23 His upcoming book: working title revealed 65:39 One message to every founder in the world   Connect with Peter Michels:  Instagram :  https://www.instagram.com/petermichels010/ [https://www.instagram.com/petermichels010/]   Connect with Marcel Wijermars: Superconnectedfounder.com Amsterdamfoundersclub.com https://linktr.ee/marcelwijermars   Apply to join Amsterdam Founders Club: https://amsterdamfoundersclub.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amsterdamfoundersclub/   The podcast is produced by 301 Studios and Marcus Engel: https://www.instagram.com/themarcusengel/ - studiobooking@weare301.com

How Powerful Networks Are Really Built (Most Founders Do This Wrong) - Michelle Maree

In this episode of the Amsterdam Founders Club Podcast, we sit down with Michelle Maree, founder of The Nomad Escape, Entrepreneur Network, The Inner Circle, and the visionary behind Nomad Island Fest in Madeira. From building global communities to attracting world class entrepreneurs, Michelle shares how powerful networks are built through trust, value, and long term thinking.   Michelle breaks down how she went from being homeless to building a global business ecosystem by mastering relationships, intentional networking, and mindset. We dive deep into how founders can build influence without chasing clout, how meaningful introductions create million dollar opportunities, and why real success comes from giving before asking.   If you’re a founder, entrepreneur, digital nomad, or creator looking to grow your business through authentic connections, this podcast is packed with real stories, practical networking frameworks, and mindset shifts that can change how you approach business forever.   Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction: Building a Global Network 02:08 – The Ken Honda Story & Leading With Authenticity 09:13 – The Power of Community Builders 14:46 – From Homeless to Home Free & The Triple Growth Formula 16:47 – Vision Clarity: You Can’t Scale What You Can’t See 20:50 – Global Tax Strategy & Location-Independent Business 24:05 – How to Build Strategic Relationships the Right Way 30:10 – Give First: The Foundation of High-Level Networking 42:39 – The Practical Networking Event Playbook 49:59 – The Strategic Network Tracking System 55:44 – Why Micro Events Are So Powerful 01:02:03 – Designing Interactive, High-Impact Events 01:13:42 – Energy, Attraction & Showing Up With Confidence 01:29:07 – How to Organize Your First Event (Even If You’re Not an Expert) 01:39:58 – 10-Year Vision, Impact & Legacy   Connect with Michelle Maree :    Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/michelle.maree.official   Website : https://thenomadescape.com/     Connect with Marcel Wijermars:   LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcelwijermars   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcelwijermars   Apply to join Amsterdam Founders Club: https://amsterdamfoundersclub.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amsterdamfoundersclub/   The podcast is produced by 301 Studios and Marcus Engel: https://www.instagram.com/themarcusengel/ - studiobooking@weare301.com

His Marketing Funnel Took Mindvalley from $25M to $75M ARR - Alessio Peroni

In this deep dive episode of the Amsterdam Founders Club Podcast, former Mindvalley CMO Alessio Peroni reveals how he helped Mindvalley scale from $25 million to $75 million in annual revenue through smart marketing decisions, funnel optimization, and audience first growth strategies. This podcast breaks down the real systems behind one of the most successful online education companies in the world and what actually drove Mindvalley’s explosive growth. Alessio Peroni shares behind the scenes insights into Mindvalley’s marketing strategy, including the shift from evergreen courses to cohort based programs, the rise of community driven learning, and how improving course completion rates directly impacted revenue. The discussion covers YouTube advertising, paid traffic, funnel design, membership models, scarcity, and why most online courses fail to scale while Mindvalley succeeded. This episode is essential viewing for entrepreneurs, marketers, founders, and course creators who want to understand how to grow an online education business sustainably. If you’re interested in digital marketing, funnels, subscriptions, brand trust, and scaling to seven or eight figures, Alessio Peroni’s real world experience at Mindvalley offers practical lessons you can apply immediately to your own business. Episode Timestamps (00:00) – Intro: Scaling Mindvalley from $25M to $75M ARR (05:00) – Alessio’s journey: from small-town Italy to global brands (12:00) – Joining Mindvalley & learning marketing at scale (18:00) – The key growth levers behind Mindvalley’s 3× revenue (25:00) – From evergreen courses to cohort-based programs (33:00) – Why completion rates matter more than content volume (40:00) – Scaling paid ads & why YouTube became a breakout channel (48:00) – Moving to a membership model (and the risks involved) (56:00) – Community, retention & why most subscriptions fail (1:05:00) – How to reach your first $1M in online education (1:15:00) – Pricing, funnels & low-ticket vs high-ticket offers (1:23:00) – Final advice for founders & course creators   Connect with Alessio Peroni :  Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/alessio_pieroni Website : https://withalessio.com/   Connect with Marcel Wijermars: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcelwijermars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcelwijermars [https://www.instagram.com/marcelwijermars]   Apply to join Amsterdam Founders Club: https://amsterdamfoundersclub.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amsterdamfoundersclub/

The Origin of Amsterdam Founders Club | The Founder’s Journey of Marcel Wijermars

Welcome to the first episode of Amsterdam Founders Club. I am Marcel , Your Host for the Amsterdam Founders Club  podcast , but on this pilot episode, Marcus Engel hosts the Episode and I will tell  the origin story of how dinners in Bali grew into Growth Nights, organizing events for more than 2,000 founders, and our new mastermind program. If you’re building a startup, scaling revenue, or planning founder led events this episode is for you.   We dig into founder community building, event curation, selling out events, avoiding pitch heavy networking, and the exact criteria I look for in my mastermind.  Expect practical insights on organizing founder events, personal brand for founders, strategic partnerships, and scaling to €1M.   Want in? Apply for the mastermind: https://amsterdamfoundersclub.com/mastermind/, [https://amsterdamfoundersclub.com/mastermind/]or learn how to run your own founder events at https://amsterdamfoundersclub.com/ [https://amsterdamfoundersclub.com/].    Subscribe for founder stories, Growth Night recaps, and playbooks to scale your business.      Connect with Marcus Engel : LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-engel-301studios Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/themarcusengel   Connect with me : LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcelwijermars Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/marcelwijermars