Why We Created A Concept Of RENAISSANCE For VOKA

Recently we received a briefing from VOKA West-Vlaanderen to organise a garden party for 700 entrepreneurs.

 

In this blogpost I would love to explain why we have created a concept of Renaissance.

According to me, we are (anno 2019) in a period of clear upward economy. The 2008/9 crisis is far behind us and today, if your business is not doing well, I think you need to reconsider the core of your business. 

The upward economy comes with a disruptive change in a lot of fields : digital media, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, Uber, AirBNB, new food diets, alternative medication and many more, like climate change.

That means that we are clearly in a changing world. Which makes me think about that time just after the Middle Ages : The Renaissance. In that time, new thinkers, new believers came up with totally disruptive concepts for art, health care, politics and economics. Leanoardo da Vinci, Thomas More, Erasmus and many others changed the world with their beliefs.

I see so many similarities in today's time in history. It is obvious that "the world is changing", but I feel that the big structures are not changing. 

Economics : we all love liberalism and the good parts of capitalism. But let's face it, we all feel that there is something wrong with pure profit entrepreneurship. A lot of smaller companies come up with sustainable, human approaches to do business. According to me, it is time for a new wave of entrepreneurship, taking into account new ways of being profitable, new ways of hiring and firing people, coping with burn outs, new work schedules, workplaces, targets,... Maybe even the paycheck should be reconsidered.

Politics : I have a feeling the whole world is tired of grandpa's politics that we still see today. Politicians, and the daily political cinema we see on the news make people feel like they do not really care about the people and the world. The solitary newbies who come into politics "to change it", come back in a full depression, because you simply can not change the system from within. That system of protectionism and personal profit is being exposed to the world thanks to digital media. That is why so many people vote for a revolution : Brexit, Trump, Vlaams Belang, Front National,... It is not racism, it is being sick and tired of ancient politics that have no added value for the planet and the people. So, according to me, we need new thinkers, new da Vinci's to think about new ways of leading people into wealth, health and happiness. For the individual and the common interest. Because that is what politics is about.

Health : it is time to be honest with ourselves. If food created by humans, if it is not created by nature : do not eat it. Pizza's, fries, cookies, candy, pasta, alcohol, cigarettes... we made it, it's tasty, but it does not help your body. The human being has chosen the planet Earth to live on, because of a great reason : all we need is available on this planet. Some meat, some fish, fruits, seeds, vegetables and herbs. The same for the health care industry : I really hope the first question doctors will ask you will be "what do you eat". 

I believe that the technology is getting ready to change the world profoundly. But now, humans should rethink the whole ecosystem of countries, nationalities, economics, entrepreneurship, politics, etc. 

That is why I presented the theme of Renaissance to the entrepreneurs of VOKA. And they loved it! I really hope this is a first step into "new thinking" and that step by step we will wake up in a more correct world.

 

Written by Laurent Lootens - Lapin Quotidien, owner and Founder of Lapin Quotidien and So-Phi.