Dirk De Pauw: “Entrepreneurship is the greatest profession in the world, as long as it’s not too easy.”
Dirk De Pauw, a member of a true entrepreneurial family and co-owner and chairman of the board of Montea, walked with Jo De Wolf—whom he brought in as Montea’s CEO 11 years ago—for the podcast series “Voorbij de vergadertafel” at the cemetery of Merchtem. At first glance, it may seem like a surprising location, but Dirk has his reasons for the choice. “I come here regularly because it is a place that obviously deals with the transience of life but also teaches us a lot about life.”
A Good Life Is Making as Few People as Possible Unhappy
Dirk De Pauw says he visits the cemetery regularly, sometimes with his children. “Reflecting by the graves of the deceased teaches you a lot. For example, it reminds you that it’s not important to be the richest person in the cemetery, but rather to live a good life. I think it’s essential to remember where you come from. I often pause at the graves of my great-grandfather and grandfather, whom I never knew, but from whom I’ve found family photos that show they lived good lives. What do I mean by ‘a good life’? On one hand, it’s about ensuring you make as few people as possible unhappy. On the other, it’s about working hard to leave something for the next generation, as my ancestors did, and also enjoying life. After all, when you think about it, we’re just a drop on a leaf.”
An Entrepreneurial Family
Dirk De Pauw takes pride in the fact that in his family, every generation has built on what the previous one achieved while also creating something new. “My grandfather owned a vinegar brewery and a barrel factory. Later, my father began buying old buildings from bankruptcies, gradually transitioning to the real estate sector. Montea’s portfolio still includes buildings on land my father purchased. So, in a way, we’re always building for the future. A typical trait of our family is that we never talk about ‘the third generation’ but always about ‘the next generation.’ In true entrepreneurial families, every generation writes a new chapter in the book of entrepreneurship. Because entrepreneurship is the greatest profession there is—as long as it’s not too easy. The best part of entrepreneurship is encountering unexpected obstacles along the way. Finding solutions to those challenges always gives you a thrill. Success and failure are inherently linked to entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs who claim they’ve never faced adversity are simply lying. Entrepreneurship essentially boils down to the five D’s: dreaming, thinking, daring, doing, and, most importantly, persevering.”
The Importance of the Right People
According to Dirk De Pauw, it’s the combination of these five D’s that makes entrepreneurs successful. “But persevering and overcoming challenges also means surrounding yourself with one or more mentors—people you can turn to for advice. If you approach them with a plan to tackle a problem and leave with a completely different solution you believe in, you’ve surrounded yourself well. I’ve learned a lot from the book It’s Not the How or the What but the Who: Succeed by Surrounding Yourself with the Best by Claudio Fernández-Aráoz. Entrepreneurs and business leaders who think they know everything or feel their status obliges them to know it all are making a big mistake. The first question you should always ask when problems arise is: who can solve this for me? Is that shirking responsibility? I don’t think so. You’re sharing your problem with someone you believe is the right person to solve it, and by sharing it, it’s already half-solved.”
Money Disappears Quickly
Visiting the Merchtem cemetery inevitably brings back memories of Dirk De Pauw’s youth. “For chores around the house, like mowing the lawn, we didn’t get pocket money. But if I worked in the family-owned factory at the time, I was paid for it. That money was a big motivator because I needed it to have fun at the Merchtem fair. But I quickly realized how fast money disappears. It’s a lesson I’ve never forgotten: money evaporates quickly. That’s why it’s crucial to invest wisely so it doesn’t disappear. And investing wisely means, of course, investing sensibly. I only invest if I’m confident it won’t lower my quality of life. If there’s a risk that it might, I won’t make the investment. But I keep looking for opportunities, and even as I get older, I continue to be an entrepreneur. If you stop pedaling while cycling, you fall. Similarly, if you stop pursuing entrepreneurship, you also fall. The advantage of getting older is that you have more control over your schedule. I’m not afraid of death. Of course, I think about it more and more, especially here at the cemetery. I also reflect on the beautiful farewell I had with my parents because they lived their lives in a fulfilling way. And I hope the entrepreneurial story of our family will continue after my death, just as it has so far.”
