Twelve years ago Erika Tuypens founded the service voucher company Dome Assistance. The East Flemish entrepreneur believes in the strength of the individual and loves music, dance and visual arts. (Kurt De Cat)
“I make mistakes every day”
Erika Tuypens
What was your greatest adventure?
“I started my own business when I was 42. Today, 200 people already work in the company. Entrepreneurship is about daring to let go of the things you know, about starting up something where there are many unknowns. That is about the call within yourself to do something that is socially relevant. ”
Your best move?
“Motherhood, I have three children. They challenge me every day, each in their own way. Conversely, I also try to challenge them. We try to deal with each other in a very communicative and balanced way. And hold up a mirror to each other. Children force you to question yourself. ”
What is the best book you read?
“A book I come back to very regularly is Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. A very valuable book because it is so universal and taken from life. ”
What is underestimated?
“The power of the individual. You do the most daring things when you are in a situation in which the certainties are partly lost. Sometimes you crash. But I still have the impression that most people at that moment draw strength from themselves to do something creative. ”
What do you do in your spare time?
“I love art in all its forms. That could be music, I recently saw the monumental opera Satyagraha by the composer Philip Glass, inspired by the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. Very immersive. What is always on my agenda is the Venice Biennale. ”
What is the mistake from which you learned the most?
“Making mistakes is part of life. I make mistakes every day and that’s not so bad in itself. I do try to deal with it consciously. By learning from it, I also try to do something constructive with it every day. ”
What do you dream of?
“From a world in which we have learned to look for the common denominator when interacting with each other. And do not fixate on what separates us. ”