Paul Keursten, CEO and Co-founder of Workshop17 is all about vision, innovation and connecting people. And true to his nature, he started a business that reflects everything he believes in. He has this absolute belief that you must live a meaningful Iife that will make an impact on those around you. And he lives up to his own belief.
Paul is one of those rare people who leads by example and only demands from others that which he is prepared to do himself. He encourages you to find what you love and do it with all your heart. Live with authenticity, inspire, motivate and create, and success will find you. When he shared a vision for Workshop17, an office space where the CEO and the guy from the Cape flats can meet and collaborate, it was, it seemed like just another unrealistic idea. But he went ahead and together with Mark Seftel used their money to invest in Workshop17. It was a huge risk that they took, but exactly the kind of thing that Paul would do because true to his nature he believes that you must put your money where your mouth is. That was eight years ago. And the business has grown so much since then.
Many lessons were learnt, many mistakes were made but Paul kept on building that dream of an innovative workspace where you create, innovate and just have fun. He explained that is unthinkable to him to spend hours in traffic, go to a job that you hate, and working in an ugly space that drains you. He believes you deserve more and better because life is too precious to spend even one day being miserable.
His vision was to create beautiful spaces where you will enjoy spending time , where creativity is fostered and people are connecting on a personal level. In short, a space where good things happen, and no two days are the same because each day is filled with unexpected developments that even he could never imagine in his wildest dreams.
Paul and Mark poured their hearts into building a business from scratch, by introducing a totally new concept to South Africa, and it paid off wonderfully. The spaces of Workshop17 reflect the love and dedication of the founders and the energy they bring to every aspect of the business.
Covid-19 has not been kind to them but after the initial setback they re-invented themselve and started re-thinking the business to deliver an even better service to their clients.
Paul thrives in an environment where there are trust and mutual respect and where you feel free to be who you are. In this interview with Paul there was so much wisdom and honesty, and lessons that I personally took to heart.
I hope you enjoy this podcast and find inspiration in the words of Paul Keursten, CEO and CO-founder of Workshop17. ANd hopefully you would want and go experience Workshop17 for yourself.
