From study to startup: Charlotte’s journey as a young entrepreneur

  • Graduate stories
charlotte-becker.png
  • Language and Communication

Charlotte and her mother launched a lighting company after Charlotte finished studying International Communication in 2024. With her entrepreneurial mindset, she takes care of the marketing and public relations sides of the business.

Her daily tasks? Managing the social media accounts, updating the website, writing newsletters and blogs, and, nevertheless, designing promotional content.

‘Our company was founded out of our passion for interior design. We export five European brands of lighting and candles to the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Our main clients are physical stores or online platforms. Even though we are international, we decided to settle our company in our city, Groningen. The International Communication programme taught me a lot of skills that I still use in my current role. For example, when negotiating with a Belgian customer, I apply my intercultural competencies. Or, when dealing with our Lithuanian provider, I refer to Hofstede's models to adjust my communication and my sensitivity towards their culture.’

Learning by doing…

‘Every year, we participate in international fairs. It’s a good opportunity to meet new businesses and maintain visibility with our current clients. We showcase our new collections and receive orders. This takes a lot of preparation, time, and energy, but I love what I do, and I’m not scared to take risks or challenge myself. During my years at Hanze, and thanks to the internship I did at a marketing company, I discovered that the project side, applying theory to real cases, inspired me and prepared me for my current role. I truly believe that learning from a book is not as effective as working with clients and dealing with intercultural teams. That may bring new obstacles, but I’m surrounded by a good team, and my mother, with all her experience, has taught me a lot. Just like at Hanze, when I was preparing for exams, I participated in a study group, and everything went smoothly. With those lessons in mind, I’m ready to grow the company and take it even further!’

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