Fabian Pfortmüller on Learning Hospitality From His Parents

In Chapter 1 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "What Childhood Experiences Have Been Most Fundamental in Shaping Who You Are Today?" Pfortmüller shares how watching his parents treat their houseguests with hospitality and kindness has been a huge influence on how he treats other people, including Holstee customers and his own dinner party guests. Fabian Pfortmüller is co-founder of Holstee, a socially conscious online marketplace, and Sandbox Network, a global community for young entrepreneurial people. Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University.

Fabian Pfortmüller on the Restorative Value of a Long Vacation

In Chapter 2 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "How Are Your Personal Experiences Shaping Your Professional Aspirations?" Pfortmüller shares how taking a sabbatical or extended vacation for two months gave him the necessary rest to come back to the Holstee office fresh, reinvigorated and ready to make a change. He notes the company policy of taking off as much time from work as necessary to happy and to perform at the highest levels. Fabian Pfortmüller is co-founder of Holstee, a socially conscious online marketplace, and Sandbox Network, a global community for young entrepreneurial people. Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University.

Fabian Pfortmüller on Why to Take a Slow Approach to Travel

In Chapter 3 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "What Have You Found Most Rewarding About Traveling to New Places?" Pfortmüller notes how his travel philosophy has shifted from "visit as many sites as possible" to a more "slow travel" approach to staying in a foreign place and appreciating his daily surroundings. He compares traveling to India in his early twenties with a recent trip to Iran and how appreciating the little things can be so rewarding. Fabian Pfortmüller is co-founder of Holstee, a socially conscious online marketplace, and Sandbox Network, a global community for young entrepreneurial people. Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University.

Fabian Pfortmüller on Cultivating Middle Eastern Culture Passions

In Chapter 4 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "How Are You Cultivating Your Passion for Middle Eastern Language and Culture?" After graduating with a college degree in Middle Eastern studies, Pfortmüller travels to Iran to hone his Arabic and Farsi language skills while learning about the culture. While in New York, he channels his passion for Middle Eastern culture into food adventures sampling Egyptian, Lebanese, and Syrian and the conversations they start. Fabian Pfortmüller is co-founder of Holstee, a socially conscious online marketplace, and Sandbox Network, a global community for young entrepreneurial people. Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University.

Fabian Pfortmüller on Rethinking Career Ambition As You Grow Older

In Chapter 5 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "How Are Your Aspirations Changing As Your Experience Grows?" Pfortmüller finds life in his 30s teaches him life is more a marathon than a sprint. As a self-described ambitious person, he finds ambition can be dangerous if you do not maintain some work-life balance. He creates more with doing less and, surrounded by ambitious peers, finds what is right for others is not always right for him. Rethinking career ambition helps Pfortmüller better balance professional and personal goals, including family and relationships. Fabian Pfortmüller is co-founder of Holstee, a socially conscious online marketplace, and Sandbox Network, a global community for young entrepreneurial people. Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University.

Fabian Pfortmüller on Managing Millennial Employee Expectations

In Chapter 6 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "How Are You Learning to Better Cultivate and Develop Millennial-Generation Talent?" As a millennial managing millennials, Pfortmüller learns ways to understand his employee feelings via feedback loops. This helps him stay connected to his team, maintain a balance of job independence and structure, and better manage millennial employee expectations and set clear job goals. Fabian Pfortmüller is co-founder of Holstee, a socially conscious online marketplace, and Sandbox Network, a global community for young entrepreneurial people. Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University.

Fabian Pfortmüller on Advice for Hiring and Motivating Millennials

In Chapter 7 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "What Do You Believe Are the Keys to Understanding and Engaging the Millennial Generation?" As a millennial, Pfortmüller finds company culture and values fundamental to attracting and retaining millennial talent. A mission of social impact matters. Additionally a job structure that details specific, accountable goals with an open plan to get there works well. Fabian Pfortmüller is co-founder of Holstee, a socially conscious online marketplace, and Sandbox Network, a global community for young entrepreneurial people. Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University.

Fabian Pfortmüller on Validating Your Company Mission and Values

In Chapter 8 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "What Experiences in the Past Year Have Most Influenced the Direction of Your Company?" Pfortmüller shares how validation moments have helped him and his co-founders find clarity and confidence in their mission and purpose. At Holstee, outside feedback on "mindful living" shapes company direction while at Sandbox Network insight on trust and family values validate the cultural development occurring as the organization grows. Fabian Pfortmüller is co-founder of Holstee, a socially conscious online marketplace, and Sandbox Network, a global community for young entrepreneurial people. Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University.

Fabian Pfortmüller on Why to Move Your Business to New York City

In Chapter 9 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "What Made You Decide to Relocate Sandbox From Switzerland to New York?" Starting a business, Sandbox Network, in Zurich, Switzerland, Fabian and his co-founding team move the business HQ to New York City to embrace the fast-paced culture, global transportation hub, talent availability, and potential business partners sharing mission and values. Fabian Pfortmüller is co-founder of Holstee, a socially conscious online marketplace, and Sandbox Network, a global community for young entrepreneurial people. Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University.

Fabian Pfortmüller on Solving Problems to Build Global Brands

In Chapter 10 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "What Problems Are You Trying to Solve Right Now to Grow Your Business?" In leadership roles at two companies, Sandbox Network and Holstee, Pfortmüller finds each has separate growth issues. At Sandbox Network, he finds creating a consistent community and user experience a challenge. At Holstee, it is more about applying a known mindful living brand and connecting that into a growing product offering, including a shareable art card series. Fabian Pfortmüller is co-founder of Holstee, a socially conscious online marketplace, and Sandbox Network, a global community for young entrepreneurial people. Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University.

Fabian Pfortmüller on Empowering Employees Working at Holstee

In Chapter 11 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "How Are You Learning to Better Manage and Motivate Teams?" Pfortmüller gets better feedback on his management skills by asking staff directly for feedback on what they expect from him. By understanding employee expectations, he learns to let go more and hand off responsibilities, stress less, and give employees more ownership of their work. Fabian Pfortmüller is co-founder of Holstee, a socially conscious online marketplace, and Sandbox Network, a global community for young entrepreneurial people. Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University.

Fabian Pfortmüller on Why to Take Employees on a Destination Retreat

In Chapter 12 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "Why Did You Plan a Month-Long Employee Retreat and What did the Experience Teach You?" Taking Holstee employees on a month-long destination retreat in Oaxaca, Mexico teaches Pfortmüller the value of getting out of the office and coming together as a team to bond as a family. This family culture element allows teambuilding to develop naturally through the shared experiences of going somewhere new and experiencing it together as a team. Fabian Pfortmüller is co-founder of Holstee, a socially conscious online marketplace, and Sandbox Network, a global community for young entrepreneurial people. Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University.

Fabian Pfortmüller on Using Rituals to Strengthen Company Culture

In Chapter 13 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "What Steps Are You Taking to Maintain a Strong Company Culture in a Growing Business?" Pfortmüller shares how culture has become a top priority as Holstee has hired more employees. By using rituals, from weekly lunches to birthday days off to shoes off comfort rooms to a new office expressly designed for culture, Pfortmüller and his Holstee team look for small ways to make employee workdays better. He adds how this prioritization of company culture has translated into more focused hiring practices around cultural fit. Fabian Pfortmüller is co-founder of Holstee, a socially conscious online marketplace, and Sandbox Network, a global community for young entrepreneurial people. Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University.

Fabian Pfortmüller on What It Means to Be a Social Entrepreneur

In Chapter 14 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "How Do You Define Social Entrepreneurship?" Pfortmüller sees a social entrepreneur as one who builds an organization that tries to optimize positive impact by using the traditional means a business structure provides. He shares how his own work at Holstee relates to this definition and the balance he tries to find between making financial ends meet and creating that impact in progressively more measurable ways. Fabian Pfortmüller is co-founder of Holstee, a socially conscious online marketplace, and Sandbox Network, a global community for young entrepreneurial people. Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University.

Fabian Pfortmüller on Honing a Socially Conscious Business Model

In Chapter 15 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "What Are the Challenges of Making a Socially Conscious Business Sustainable?" Pfortmüller notes the tradeoff of making a product that sells versus a sustainable product that sells. He notes short term sacrifices that occur given higher prices for sustainable products, but how this gradually erodes as community trust is built with customers as the product stories are shared and embraced. Fabian Pfortmüller is co-founder of Holstee, a socially conscious online marketplace, and Sandbox Network, a global community for young entrepreneurial people. Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University.

Fabian Pfortmüller on Helping Your Community Achieve Dream Goals

In Chapter 16 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "What Programs Are You Creating as a Business to Give Back to the Community?" Pfortmüller shares how he and his Holstee team are creating programs to give back to the community they serve and support community members on their journey to achieve life goals. After testing a revenue sharing model with Kiva, where Holstee donated 10% of all revenue to micro-loans, Holstee evolved its internal community programs and created a Holstee Fellowship and an online story sharing site, My Life, to support its membership. Fabian Pfortmüller is co-founder of Holstee, a socially conscious online marketplace, and Sandbox Network, a global community for young entrepreneurial people. Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University.

Fabian Pfortmüller on Building Emotional Customer Relationships

In Chapter 17 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "How Have You Learned to Build Stronger Emotional Connections With Your Customers?" Building an e-commerce company, Pfortmüller and his Holstee team connect with potential customers early to understand how they learned about the company and its products. They design a user interaction experience to engage potential visitors through the sales funnel to improve how they can connect the right product to the right customer at the right time. This approach highlights how the Holstee business sees itself less as a product vendor and more of a mindful living lifestyle branded community. Fabian Pfortmüller is co-founder of Holstee, a socially conscious online marketplace, and Sandbox Network, a global community for young entrepreneurial people. Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University.

Fabian Pfortmüller on Making a Plan to Manage Company Growth

In Chapter 18 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "What Procedures and Processes are You Putting in Place to Manage Company Growth?" At Holstee, Pfortmüller and his leadership team adopt a transparent management style of sharing P&L information with the employee team. Additionally, Holstee holds monthly meetings to engage employees in quarterly strategy planning for the upcoming quarter. Structure is also found in a more rigorous budgeting process that helps the company understand its successes and shortcomings. Fabian Pfortmüller is co-founder of Holstee, a socially conscious online marketplace, and Sandbox Network, a global community for young entrepreneurial people. Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University.