bloom: Ann Simons
Ann Simons is the entrepreneur behind the Wingmen group at Cronos. She has been an Olympic medallist in judo since 2000 but is also a coach, author and catalyst for young entrepreneurs. In this interview, this strong lady told us why she took this path, how she integrates her passions into her daily life and where her ambitions for the future lie. 👇
From world-class sport to entrepreneurship at Cronos
You have walked a very unique path from judo, to politics, to business. How did that happen?
"In 2006, I stopped doing top-level sport because of a serious injury that prevented me from stepping. Of course, I knew that top-class sport could only last for a short period of my life. With luck, you can sport at a high level for 10 years and then you take a heavy mortgage on your future. After that I worked in a cabinet in politics for 7 years. I then joined the Cronos Group in 2013 very simply; we had lost the elections and I needed a job. I lived in Kontich and had gone to speak to Jef de Wit (co-founder of Cronos nvdr.).
Technology was not quite my thing, but people were. Offering opportunities and helping young entrepreneurs with big dreams was what I was all about. If you look at Simon Sinek's 'Why-How-What', technology is the 'what' and growing and giving people opportunities is the 'how' at Cronos. Making people believe in themselves, that is where my strength lies. I have always had mentors during my sports career. Thanks to their trust I was able to grow. That was the link where Jef and I found each other. He gave me the idea to use my experience as a top athlete to inspire young entrepreneurs in coaching sessions and workshops. This eventually led me to set up a young entrepreneur programme. Some of those entrepreneurs started their businesses under my wings, which then became Wingmen."
Moving from world-class sport to business seems no easy change. What are the biggest differences? Do you miss the sports world?
"It is indeed not easy. You often hear 'business is a top-class sport'. I do not agree with that. Top-class sport is working hard for a short period of your life, but also being pampered. Mentors and coaches make your schedule and study what you have to do. The top athlete only has to worry about performing; training, resting, eating. You don't have to think about vision or strategy. In fact, if you think too much, you lose your focus. In contrast, an entrepreneur must be able to handle a lot at once. You have to determine your vision, mission and strategy yourself. Nobody tells you what to do or where to be. Nothing is handed out on a plateau.
I thought that after my sports career, I should do something else. I wanted to make a second career in technology and excel in it. Find a new dream after my first one and make it happen. But in the end, I was very unhappy for a very long time by stepping away from my passion. For me, that is and alway will be sports. My talents lie in being a good listener, giving structured feedback and thus helping people take the next step. This translates into entrepreneurship and coaching, but my passion is sport. I have fought against that for a long time.
I sometimes see it as the price of gold. If you have played at the very highest level and you stop, then you fall from the Champions League back to the kindergarten, whether it is in sport, politics or business. You had fame and recognition, and you link that to your identity and behaviour. Now I have stopped fighting that. I am a judoka, and the outside world refers to me as the 'ex-judoka' and not as an 'entrepreneur', and I can be proud of that. Even Heidi Raekels, for example, who has become a top entrepreneur, is still referred to in the news as 'ex-judoka brings in millions for her company'.
The two-sided part about this story is that if I could go back in time, I would not have done top-level sport. During my student years, I chose to study economics because it was practical and logistically compatible with top-class sport. But I actually wanted to become a doctor or psychologist. If I could go back I would have chosen that. As a top athlete, I was not supposed to help people, but to be helped. That was an inner struggle against my nature. As a doctor, I could have done that, and I could still do my sport, even if it was not at world level. I would have preferred that and then I wouldn't have had to pay that mortgage now physically and mentally, that 'price for gold'."
An authority on life after top-class sport
We see that you are very active and motivated; there seems to be a lot of ambition in you. Don't you have a second dream now?
"I do, but it links back to my passion. I want to be known on the topic of building a life after a top-class sports career. It is a problem I have experienced myself and now want to help others. My dream is to increase people's well-being, without them having to give up their ambitions. It can be done without, or at least with less pain. You don't have to bear the physical and mental consequences of top-class sport for the rest of your life. That is why I founded Path to Purpose, in which we guide top athletes during and after their careers in order to safeguard their well-being.
Within that theme, I also work with the BEL7 girls rugby team. With this team, I dream of being at the Olympics. I want to prove that it is possible to coach young athletes to achieve an Olympic performance without having to pay the mortgage on their future. For this you need financial resources and the right guidance, of course. I want to prove both nationally and internationally that it can be done differently. They are still very young, within seven years they will be at their top. I am ready to guide these girls and fulfil that dream. It took a long time because I was struggling with this topic myself, but now I'm ready."
Victories and challenges
You have achieved a lot in your life, but what do you see as your greatest successes?
"I'm strict with myself so it's hard to see anything really as a success. Something I am still proud of is overcoming my anorexia. I had anorexia for 8 years. I overcame that on 17 November 2018. That is a moment I will never forget. I looked myself in the eye then and said, 'You've controlled my life enough, now I'm just going to eat!' That was truly one of my greatest victories.
A second success is overcoming my knee injury that made me quit judo. Together with doctor Bellemans, we managed to go from a situation where I could hardly walk anymore to running a marathon. I got so much satisfaction from that achievement. Doctors had told me I would never be able to run again. I climbed out of those depths and transcended myself to come out on top."
We expected you to say something about your sports career, Olympic medal or writing your book 'De Zachte Weg’! Why are overcoming anorexia and your knee injury more important to you?
"To the outside world the Olympics obviously seem like a big win. It was, no doubt. But I mainly get satisfaction from growing and learning. Taking a new step every time and building something up is what makes me especially proud. It is fantastic to be able to overcome something thanks to perseverance. I have also learned to respect myself in this; the week after that marathon I did not run another one.
My book feels similar. It has certainly been a success for me. I wanted to have a book written before turning 40, and I did! But that's where I stumble over a challenge; I sometimes change my goals when I'm nearly there. When my book was almost finished, suddenly it no longer had to be 'a book for my 40th', it also had to sell a lot, get good reviews, possibly go international, ... This of course made those goals unattainable and I couldn't really enjoy my book launch."
This may bring us to our next question; what are your biggest challenges?
"It is very tiring that it's never good enough. That is really my challenge. Not only for myself, but also in my expectations of others. For some people, 'good' is just enough. I then have the tendency to think 'but you can do much more!' I have to accept that I will probably never play at world level again. I want to be able to keep building things up without saying that it is not enough.
For example, last weekend my son had a party at a friend's house and a cup match at the same time so he had to choose. He asked me what I would do, to which I replied, 'That's obvious, you don't even have to think about it!'. I assumed that he would go for the cup, of course. He then replied: 'OK, I'll go to the party then!' and I had to bite my tongue. I then just took him to the party, though!"
"The second challenge may sound strange, but that is endurance and failure. I have kept up with judo and I have kept up with my studies. But now my challenge is to go back into the learning zone. Dare to fail again. Although I know that I have to if I want to learn or build up something new, I often don't have the courage. What happens then is that I give up just before I can fail, so that I don't have to adapt the idea I had created in my head to reality. “
Network
Is there anyone you would like to meet?
I think of Oprah Winfrey. She is truly the epitome of someone who has had many setbacks and has really lifted herself out of a pit. She has never stopped chasing her dreams and evolving. She never lost her faith and trust in herself and I look up to her for that.
Of course, I also want to meet more people who are involved in top-class sports coaching and who are building a second career after top-class sports. I spontaneously think of that English footballer, Marcus Rashford, who missed his penalty kick during the European Championships and was hit by a wave of racism and criticism. If you know that he comes from a very challenging environment: father murdered, mother with financial difficulties, ... I want to be able to tell him that he must continue to believe in himself. That he keeps growing and doesn't lose himself. What he has already achieved so far is hugely inspiring."
Ann Simons, a powerful entrepreneur with enormous perseverance, makes us think about how passion is the base of accomplished ambitions and dreams. Above all, we remember that overcoming your own difficulties can be more satisfying than standing at the top of the world. Would you like to know more about Ann? Order her book 'De Zachte Weg' here or follow her on Linkedin.
