How did you get into the industry?
Hendrik Hamel: At first I did a classic apprenticeship as a bank clerk, but quickly realized that it wasn’t the right fit. That’s why, after my training, I decided to study economics in Giessen. I came across a structured sales department through a career day at university and started working there straight after I graduated. I was there for about two and a half years and in the fall of 2019 I became self-employed as an insurance and financial broker specializing in trainees and teachers.
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What are you particularly grateful for?
Hamel: I am grateful for my surroundings. In my private life, these are primarily my wife, my family and my best friends. Spending time with these people feels incredibly good. And even if I’m dissatisfied, I can rely on the people and recharge my batteries.
Professionally, I am especially grateful for my colleague Alexander, but also for conversations with great colleagues like Marcus Renziehausen, Benedikt Deutsch, Benjamin Friedrich, Felix Kugelmann and many others who are hopefully not upset that I didn’t mention them here. In these discussions I have already received many useful tips in my young career and have been able to avoid one or two mistakes.
I quickly realized that being an employee wasn’t a good fit for me
Why did you become an entrepreneur?
Hamel: I grew up on a farm. I’ve always found it exciting that my parents have a lot of freedom. Of course, on a farm everything is a little different than in the financial services industry. But what impressed me was seeing that my father can make decisions independently – whether about investments, his daily routine or when and for how long he goes on vacation. When I was employed during my training, I quickly realized that this type of work didn’t suit me and that I lacked freedom. And so the idea of becoming an entrepreneur gradually matured during my studies.
What qualities do you think are important to be a successful entrepreneur?
Hamel: Firstly, courage. In order to be successful as an entrepreneur, you have to have the courage to swim against the tide and take new paths. Closely related to this is the second quality: perseverance. It usually takes longer than you think for something to work the way you imagine. It’s easy to be tempted to choose the easier route and give up. But even if everything doesn’t work the first or second time, you should keep at it and try again. At some point success will come.
What was your biggest mistake last year?
Hamel: I put too much time and energy into the past. As a result, I lost a bit of my focus on the here and now and also on the future.
If I never take risks, I can’t move forward
How do you deal with the risks and uncertainties that come with entrepreneurship?
Hamel: For me, this is an inevitable part of being an entrepreneur. If I never take risks, I can’t move forward. In the worst case scenario, you make a wrong decision and can learn from it. In the best case, risks lead to the greatest successes, which you can be most happy about in retrospect.
What do you value most about entrepreneurship?
Hamel: Above all, freedom. I can decide for myself how much I work, when I work, how I work and where I work. This in turn means that I can spend my free time in a completely different way than is possible in an employed position.
What profit or turnover per hour should an agent have?
Hamel: Everyone should define that for themselves. For one person, 50 euros an hour is enough and for another, 600 euros is not enough. Everyone should think about why they are doing this and decide for themselves what they would like to have.
