bloom: Inge De Swaene
Inge De Swaene has been working in service-related tech jobs since 2005. She got into it by accident, she says, but when you read her story, the words "talent" and "well-deserved" come to mind. Meanwhile, in addition to being a proud mother of three sons, she is also founding partner of Bulls-i. Like her family, Inge runs her business with an enormous drive and a high dose of empathy. 🎯
False start?
Inge was first pregnant at 19. "I quit school then and worked in my parents' bakery for a while, but I always wanted to get my degree. I succeeded, in evening classes, even though it was not obvious, because in the meantime I had a second child and the father and I broke up shortly after. At that time, the feeling prevailed that my life had taken a false start. I was only 22, unemployed, and with the little financial resources I had, I was taking care of two very young children almost full-time. It's putting it mildly, but I really wasn't in my right mind at the time."
How did you come out on top?
"Rebuilding everything from scratch was difficult, but I had to. Looking for work, I ended up at an IT help desk through a temp agency. It turned out to be the ideal job for me. Being self-employed, I understood the importance of customer friendliness and service. Fairly quickly, my employer gave me more responsibilities. I grew to Incident Manager in a short time and with that my self-confidence gradually returned."
"As a daughter of self-employed people, I understood the importance of customer friendliness and service."
What drove you during that period?
"My children have always been my biggest motivator. It's for them that I've kept going. I never want to go back to those bad years."
From school leaver to managing partner
Just because Inge found a good job doesn't mean she was resigned to it. "After a few years, I bumped into the limits of the unwieldy, corporate structure in which I was working. I wanted to develop myself more broadly and then started working as a consultant. My first assignment was at ING, as Service Level Manager, surrounded by all experienced 40-somethings. I learned an awful lot from them, both in terms of content and on a human level. The trust I received from some of my colleagues took me to the next level."
Have you continued to work as a consultant for a long time?
"The second job I took on was again in the banking sector, but due to the crisis in 2009, that company suddenly went bankrupt. Fortunately, in the meantime I had a savings, a nice husband and a more stable life. I spent a few months thinking about what I really wanted and then started applying for jobs away from consulting. I had worked very hard for years and had lived mainly for the children. Gradually the realization dawned on me that perhaps I should think a little more about myself. Earning money is important, I had literally experienced that, but feeling good in a work environment, with the right atmosphere and the necessary challenges, that is worth even more to me. It's more satisfying."
"Making money is important, but feeling good in a work environment is worth even more to me."
"I found a job as Service Manager in a relatively small company, where commitment and good results were rewarded with career opportunities. After a fat year, I was promoted to Manager Service and Support and spent half-time at headquarters in the Netherlands. As a result, I missed a lot of time with my children and that started to gnaw at me. I love to work, but my sons are even more important. Finding the right balance in that remains my biggest challenge to this day."
We are now many years down the road. What has happened in the meantime?
"A lot," laughs Inge. "Eight years ago I became self-employed. It had been a long time coming. Deciding for myself, being in control, that's what I always wanted. The possible risks did not frighten me, I had been well advised. As long as my private assets and therefore my children remained protected, I was not worried. As a freelance Service Manager, I ended up at the federal government agency BOSA, where my duties included managing a supplier from the Cronos group. Those people convinced me that Cronos would be a good environment for me. The fact that I could become managing partner of my own little company triggered me and eventually made me make the switch."
"The fact that I could become managing partner of my own little company is what finally made me make the switch."
A shot in the arm
Did you have a business plan ready at that time?
"I knew I wanted to do something with managed services. I was eager to develop my ideas in this area and I also wanted to be part of a team again and work together towards a common goal. That was something I had missed in previous years as a freelancer. I truly believe that managed services, if done right, can lead to a win-win situation. Through Katrien Van Den Driessche of Slingshot , I came into contact with the right people. Katrien is a particularly good talent spotter. She has a fine nose for entrepreneurial spirit and knows perfectly how to bring together people with similar ideas. This is how Bulls-i was born."
Bulls-i was born! Can you explain what exactly you do?
"Briefly? We do CloudOps. Technology and processes coming together in a managed service. With Bulls-i, we aim for a generic, reusable offering. The underlying processes are important, but they should be invisible and should not slow things down. We also prefer to start from what is already there, instead of starting from scratch every time and trying to manage everything ourselves. For example, if there is a good SaaS product available that covers the needs, we go for it. SaaS before PaaS before IaaS, we call it. Place that visually in three concentric circles, and you can immediately see where the name Bulls-i comes from."
More than ...
Bulls-i only officially launched in January of this year. On the website, the words "More than" stand out. The company clearly wants to do things differently and better.
"It would be nice if one day we could be proportionately reflective of today's society."
How big is your team by now?
"Today we are fifteen employees. I only half realize how fast it all goes. If it were up to me, it could easily be more and go even faster! But the danger of getting burned out is real. From experience, I am quite alert to that. I recognize the risks and know where the pitfalls are. That's why I take a completely different approach with our team. Everything revolves around them as human beings, each with their own talents. We attach great importance to personal development and a proper work-life balance. What do they want, how do they see that balance? We put a lot of effort into that. A lot can be done from home and there is also a lot of flexibility in terms of working hours. Not everyone is a morning person, and some work better at night. What matters is that the work gets done and that our clients receive optimal service. In every job interview, the first thing we look for is the "cultural fit. Does this person fit into the team? Does that person complement the group organically? So far, the mix is ideal and you can feel that in everything here. The vibe is good."
Do you still have certain goals in mind?
"I feel like I've finally landed. I would mainly like to keep what I have built up, but I definitely want to grow with Bulls-i. Approach more customers on the private market, expand geographically by also looking for customers outside Flanders, see what we can possibly do with nearshoring and so on. Apart from that, I would like Bulls-i to represent the entire society. That our company is a place where everyone is welcome and can be themselves, regardless of mother tongue, skin color, religion or other preferences. Diversity is so enriching! We can all learn from it. It would be nice if one day we could proportionately reflect today's society."
We believe in that too! ;) Where does this value come from for you?
"We don't have to look very far for that, I think. I have worked very hard in my life, more than many others, I dare say. Out of that hard work sometimes came opportunities that I recognized and seized in time, but I didn't get anything as a gift. It is cruel when things happen for which you are not responsible, but for which you bear the consequences. Having experienced that myself, I truly believe that everyone deserves a second or even a third chance. Often there is more in a person than what they show at first glance."
