🦥 #3 Swinging Success: On and Off the Course

Hey Antwerpreneurs! 🦥 

Once a month, we bring you inspiring stories of entrepreneurs and business owners in Antwerp.

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Read time: 4 minutes

Swinging Into Today:

• 🦥 Scoop of the Month: Paris 2024 Olympics

• ✋ Antwerpreneur: Meet Alexandra D'Archambeau, Golf Influencer, Politician & Cybersecurity Expert

• 💎 Quiz Question: Test Your Golf Knowledge

• 🌴 Words of Wisdom: A Quote from Tiger Woods

🦥 Scoop of the Month  

The 2024 Paris Olympics kick off today! Get ready for 19 days of competition, culminating on August 11th.

Tonight’s opening ceremony breaks tradition. Normally, it’s held in a stadium, but this year it’s happening in the center of Paris, along the Seine River. The ceremony starts at 7:30pm CET.

Over 10,000 athletes from 200 countries are participating in the games. Belgium is sending a large team of 166 athletes, while Costa Rica will have 6 athletes competing. (Yes, I know..)

To see the full competition schedule, visit the official website: https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/schedule/24-july

✋ Antwerpreneur: Meet Alexandra D’Archambeau

This month, we meet Alexandra, who challenges stereotypes and defies expectations. She's a golf influencer inspiring women, a politician passionate about her community, and a full-time cybersecurity expert!

Passion Ignited by Family Legacy

Introduced to golf at the age of six by her family of golfers, Alexandra’s passion for the game took a four-year break during her teenage years, as hanging out with friends took over. However, her return to golf was inevitable.

Her favorite golfer?

Bryson DeChambeau for the way he's changed the game by focusing on strength and power. "He changed the game by making golf a more athletic sport," she says. (Though half-jokingly she admits it's partly because their last names sound alike!)

Dream Tournament: It's All About the Fun

Every golfer has a dream tournament, and Alexandra picks the Ryder Cup, a team competition known for its energy and passionate crowds. "It's less strict than the other tournaments, people are happy and drinking while in the other ones, you need to be quiet and not much drinking involved. It's the perfect competition to introduce to everyone!"

Pre-game competition

Alexandra's pre-competition morning routine is spontaneous, unlike many athletes with lucky socks or pre-game rituals. Sometimes skipping practice altogether if she feels confident, she trusts her instincts to guide her through competition days.

Strategy for Success

When faced with challenging shots, Alexandra relies on visualization. Seeing the trajectory and anticipating the bounce helps her adapt her game.

Building a Digital Community

Alexandra’s journey into social media began unexpectedly in Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she met a pro golfer who introduced her to the idea of filming her game. "Well, if I'm already playing, I might as well just film it," she thought. Little did she know, this simple decision would create a thriving online presence.

Alexandra embarked on a year of daily content creation. Her dedication paid off! Within just 3 months, she gained a loyal following of 3,000 golf enthusiasts on Instagram. The secret to her success? Consistency.

From Follower Growth to Brand Deals

As Alexandra's audience grew, so did her influence. Landing her first major sponsorship deal with Garmin Belgium and Luxembourg was a game-changer. Not only did it provide her with the equipment to improve her game, but it also opened doors to new opportunities with other brands and golf resorts.

Political Beginnings

Politics wasn't always on Alexandra's radar. It all started more than 10 years ago, just one month before the elections, she received an unexpected call to action. Her experience with the youth scouts and involvement in policies to integrate playgrounds in towns might have prepared her for this moment. The victory was unexpected! "Everyone thought I would fail," she recalls, "even myself!" This experience taught her a valuable lesson about self-belief, a theme that would continue throughout her journey.

The Thrill of Achievement: Fueling the Fire

She thrives on accomplishment. Whether it's landing a new client for her full-time cybersecurity job, seeing a golf video go viral, or witnessing a successful project come to life, seeing her efforts succeed is her ultimate motivator. "Damn girl, you're good!" she says to herself, a powerful reminder of her capabilities.

Overcoming Challenges: Thick Skin and Supportive Circles

Constantly needing to prove herself in male-dominated fields like golf, cybersecurity, and politics brings its own sets of challenges. These experiences, combined with her past encounters with bullying during her school years, helped her to develop a thick skin.

Surrounding herself with supportive people and learning to ignore negativity, especially when comments are taken out of context, is often the best strategy, and has been crucial in her journey.

Looking Ahead

Alexandra’s focus at the moment is to continue her community-focused work and secure re-election as Party Leader for Open Vld in Wilrijk, later this year in October.

Alexandra’s Message

Her advice emphasizes the importance of surrounding yourself with people who support you and believe in you, and picking your boss carefully.

Alexandra’s energy and dedication to golf, politics, and cybersecurity prove that with hard work and self-belief, you can achieve anything you want. We can't wait to see what she accomplishes next!

Guest Question for Alexandra: Are you excited about a project you have for this summer?

She looks forward to officiating her sister’s wedding ceremony this summer and engaging with candidates passionate about her political party. A potential cybersecurity deal adds another layer of excitement.

Alexandra’s Recommendations

• People: Haley Bookholdt

• Podcast: Call Her Daddy

• Favorite Spots in Antwerp: Cantine, Tamo, Cordobar, and Café Baron.

Connect with Alexandra

Check out her personal and golf-focused Instagram, or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Alexandra’s Question for Our Next Guest:

What’s your proudest achievement in your career so far?

💎 Quiz Question

Bryson DeChambeau, who Alexandra admires for his approach to the game, is known for his focus on power and distance. Which of the following clubs in golf is typically used for the longest distances?

• A. Putter

• B. Wedge

• C. Driver

• D. Iron

_{You can find the answer at the end!}

🌴 Words of Wisdom

Next month, we'll have another fascinating interview. Stay tuned for our next feature!

Pura Vida! 🦥 

Jose

P.S. Do you have an Antwerpreneur you'd like to see featured in a future issue? Reply to this email and let us know!

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