We were lucky to catch up with Anouck Gotlib recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Anouck with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
As a third generation to holocaust survivor, my grandparents and their story were a huge part of my growing up. Their strength inspired us to venture into entrepreneurial life.
When World War 2 was over, my grandfather opened a garment business. My dad followed him into that industry and between the two of them, I had no shortage of examples of hard work. I saw my father make so many sacrifices for his business but also very creatively include our whole family.
When he had to work evenings and weekends, we all went with him. I remember roller skating around the office or getting to work the cash register at an early age. It could have felt like a chore, but my dad made us feel important and included.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Anouck Gotlib, CEO of Belgian Boys, is on a mission to create whole ingredient foods with a European twist so families can prep less, smile more, and indulge better. Belgian Boys is in the business of fun, offering their delicious products in 8400 stores and online. She leads a passionate team dedicated to growing more than just a revenue-driven business, creating joy for customers and spreading sweetness in people’s lives.
Anouck and her husband Greg founded Belgian Boys in 2015 and she spent the first few years of company history applying her background in fashion design to the Belgian Boys brand aesthetic and packaging. In 2019 she became the company’s CEO.
Anouck was named an EY Winning Woman in 2021, to the Enreprenista 100 in 2023, and has been featured in has been featured in Forbes, Nasdaq, Business Insider, and more. Anouck and Greg live in Brooklyn, NY with their two sons who start each day with Belgian Boys mini pancakes.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Grit is one of my qualities I lean on most as a CEO. I know it’s a cliche, but when things get hard I often think back to the idea that what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger. It helps me look at every challenge as an opportunity to learn and grow.
I also think an inherent entrepreneurial quality has been so valuable on my journey. I don’t mean you have to be a serial entrepreneur or someone who grew up running a lemonade business…. I mean someone who practices entrepreneurial thinking. Someone willing to take a chance, disrupt the status quo, or innovate where others might just go with the flow.
In 2020, my brother tricked me into a mindfullness session and though at the time I thought it was a huge waste of time, I have become a believer. MIndfullness is by far one of the areas of knowledge that has helped me along my journey. Taking a focused block of time to sit down and focus my energy on this practice once a week has been a game changer.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
Ever since I read about the idea of the infinite mindset in Simon Sinek’s “Infinite Game.” I think a lot about how there isn’t end point where you win a career like you might win a tennis match. It is through daily practice, growth, and evolution day to day that you are successful, feel purposeful and fulfilled. I used to view success as a finish line. Now I see it as the satisfaction of fitting together complex pieces of a puzzle… I may be excited for a few minutes when we have a small hit of accomplishment, but am more grateful and learning from the journey we are on. Being an entrepreneur, I am forced to deal with new challenges and setbacks daily; turning them into opportunities is where I see the light. Problem solving and turning the worst situation into a winning moment is what drives us at Belgian Boys and makes me feel successful.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.belgianboys.com
- Instagram: @belgianboys
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anouck-gotlib
