MaL!sh Interview

A change is always a chance

We have been proud to have Lilli and Maike from MaL!sh contribute to the magazine for the past couple of years and are thrilled to feature them in an interview for this issue of Business Fit.

Who are you?

Maike: I remember growing up, I always asked “why”, said “but” if I had an opinion and wanted to travel the world on my own. That curiosity has taken me to Australia, Canada, Brazil, Ireland and Egypt where I lived at different stages of my life. Back in Germany, I started my corporate career as a pricing manager which was a great job, but I felt that I wanted to dig deeper and do something more meaningful for me and my surroundings.

I love entrepreneurship because I can combine it with my passions for travelling the world, being creative (painting, taking pictures, video editing), public speaking, teaching and leading an active and ever-changing lifestyle. At home in Frankfurt, I like to bike, swim and practice yoga and fitness classes.

Education is a big driver for my business activities. Four business degrees from three different countries, continuous learning and the entrepreneurial journey allow me to share my experience and knowledge and give back. I am a university lecturer, mentor, coach and consultant.

Lilli: My name is Lilli Rohde, I grew up in a little village, not even mentioned on the map, in the middle of nowhere, in Siberia, Russia. My parents migrated to Germany when I was seven years old. I grew up with two cultures and languages and was independent from an early age. I have always been very career-driven and started to work at 16 - climbing the corporate ladder in Customer Service and Sales with global responsibilities. I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Marketing & Sales part-time.

I love travelling (have been to almost everywhere except Asia), acting and dancing (which I currently do in a Russian theatre group here in Frankfurt).

My professional driver has always been around supporting businesses and individuals to reach their (business) goals. Developing strategies together and seeing them being implemented, is a total boost for me.

What is the single best piece of business advice which helped shape who you are now and why?

Maike: “No white space on the calendar”. This advice refers to proper planning and execution and assumes that with a full calendar you have purpose and drive, you know where you are going, and you will not bore-out (the contrary of burn-out). For me it has always felt most rewarding and fulfilling if I had things to do – not just in business. I remember well a six-week backpacking trip through Brazil where every day was planned out to the last detail.

Lilli: “Your network is your net worth” this is a piece of business advice I heard the first time when we started as entrepreneurs. For me it was a game changer. In the past, I always thought: “if you want something from me, you have to approach me.” I now realise how much potential I have missed out on. With the deep understanding of this advice, I now have a powerful network (online and offline) and I know how to nurture it.

Balance is the magical state everyone wants to achieve

Does “Balance” in life exist for you? If so, how do you achieve it?

Lilli: Balance is the magical state everyone wants to achieve. From my point of view, it is important to do what makes you happy. And this changes from time to time. There are periods where you work 24/7 because it gives you satisfaction and a push. Then there are periods where you want to spend more time with your family, friends and hobbies. So, listen to your body and mind because they know what a healthy balance is.

Maike: Absolutely true. For us as entrepreneurs, balance is not a state like ‘going on vacation x times a year’ but being creative and spontaneous about work and leisure. What do I mean by this? We always allow for leisure time while on business or are on the lookout for business even on vacation. It often happens that after a great meeting or a successful negotiation, Lilli and I decide to take the rest of the day off and do something fun or rewarding. The other way around works similarly. Once we were on a North America vacation trip but paused for an interview at a Canadian TV station to talk about our business.

If you were in the jungle, what kind of animal would you be?

Lilli: That question reminds me of the “Jungle Book” and my favourite animal was Bagheera the black panther.

Maike: I have been to the Amazon twice and am still amazed about the diversity and different “skill sets” of animals and plants. I was very fascinated by the electric eel that uses electric shocks to hunt prey, to navigate or in self-defence. The voltage is so high that the eel can even send electricity into a tree on the shoreline, so it will drop its delicious fruits into the water.

You are the founders of MaL!sh, how did the company start?

Maike: The foundation is our friendship, a positive attitude to life and a drive to change your situation if you don’t like where you are or where you are headed. That does not only apply to individuals, but also to companies.

We had been best friends for some time when in early 2018 we realised that we had to change professions to be true to ourselves. Working for the same employer in the Food & Beverage industry, we saw so much unused potential in the areas of Customer Service on the one hand and People and Management development on the other hand and we realised this is a field where we wanted to become active and help other companies. Thus, the idea of founding our own company was born. The name was the easiest decision. I had worked in Cairo, Egypt during my study time and the saying “Malish” had left such a profound impact on me, that I have used it ever since in situations where I cannot change the past and better focus on the future.

Lilli: Yes, and since this Arabic concept was exactly what we had brainstormed for our business values, it was clear that we would be called Malish. The attentive reader might have already combined that it has also Maike and Lilli inside. Utilising this, we write it with a capital L. We changed the i for a ! to make a statement, which has become our logo.

From this initial idea it took some time – actually much longer than anticipated - to structure the company, re-focus, communicate clearly, get known and make money. This journey with many ups and downs is also one of the biggest teachings which we now use to help our customers to fast track their success.

What is a Compagneur?

Maike: We are proud to say that we invented this word. It is a mix of the terms company and entrepreneur.

Lilli: Yes, and in a nutshell it’s a positive statement to all walks of life. It unites the best of both worlds - the corporate and entrepreneurial. It encourages learning from one another and to profit from both. It is a non-judgmental word acknowledging that firstly there is no right or wrong approach to (business) life and secondly there is always

an option to change your position if you are not satisfied. We live by and believe in this concept and take our strength out of this mindset.

Maike: And secondly it is our Coaching programme for employees, start-ups, sidepreneurs and entrepreneurs with exactly the before-mentioned motive.

Our Compagneur coaching helps our clients to develop their career plan or work on their business idea, re-engineer their business, bring it to the next level, market and sell online or go international.

If you like to read more about it, please refer to our four Business Fit articles from May to November 2020.

Customer Service serves customers not the company

What do you find is the area your clients tend to neglect in business?

Maike: Getting known and being present when your prospect finally makes the buying decision. In order to achieve both things, companies need to be known, trusted and have a proven track record. All that can only be achieved with Marketing & Branding. I would wish for our coaching clients to focus less on certificates, finished homepages and do more to get their name, brand and products out there. I am not saying this to neglect the first half, but I’d like to encourage our entrepreneurs, solo-preneurs and sidepreneurs to invest more resources and early on into “how to get known and how to get customers”.

Lilli, what would you say for our consulting clients from the small and medium sized companies?

Lilli: From our experience, many companies do not have a proper Follow-Up System in place and do not see the full power of a Customer Service department. For example, 65% of all companies don’t nurture leads - even if they paid to get the data. If you then consider that the most money is made in the follow up and with repeat sales then it becomes clear: no follow up costs money.

Looking into Customer Service, 85% of customers are dissatisfied with the Customer Service experience. Companies have to understand that the customer is getting in touch with Customer Service to save time and to resolve problems. Customer Service serves customers not the company. If these mindsets and systems are established, it becomes a real game changer for the whole organisation and business.

What impact has the pandemic had on you and how have you coped?

Maike: Being a fairly young company has been both an advantage and a disadvantage.

To our advantage was the fact that when we founded MaL!sh, we implemented digital structures from the start and learned how to build an online business, leverage all digital means like sales funnels and LinkedIn: This we implemented in our portfolio, especially in our business pillar of Compagneur coaching and LinkedIn Business Development courses.

On the downside: we weren’t an established company when Covid hit and had no stable customer base, which put us in a high-pressure situation in March 2020 as we could not open our rolodex and ask our power base for business.

Lilli: And without a stable customer base, we of course had some financial struggles. Having a joint business as best friends is amazing, but you have to earn double. Sometimes you also have to make new decisions to bring your business to the next level.

That is why - in line with the Compagneur spirit of combining both “worlds”, I have decided to go back to the corporate world. It happened that I have an amazing opportunity to support a company to develop a Customer Service department from scratch. Customer Service was and is my passion and to have the opportunity to create and leave an impact in this area is pretty exciting.

That is certainly big news, Lilli. You returning to the corporate world.

What does this mean for both MaL!sh and your new employer? How do you feel?

Lilli: I know it sounds like a big step and everyone may ask “will that be the end of MaLish”. But we can assure you that this is the step for further growth and expansion for MaL!sh and I hope this inspires more people to be brave and “wander” between the two “worlds” as a Compagneur.

Maike will take over main responsibilities as CEO of MaL!sh, but I will always be part of MaLish, working strategically and more in the background. Being back in the corporate world gives us a chance to increase our network to decision makers. Also, my employer knows about MaLish and my activities and I think it is correct to say that this was a major factor in hiring me. Companies nowadays are desperate for people like me who have built up their own company,

know how to run a business, handle challenges and manage time in the most efficient way. That’s what some companies call intrapreneurship! So you could call me an intrapreneur by day and a sidepreneur by night. Of course, there will be challenges for all sides, that is why open and transparent communication is key. Maike and I recently laid out a Code of Conduct; it holds our values, mission, vision, commitment to MaL!sh and our friendship and it will guide us through the coming months and years.

Lilli, you make it sound very positive… but Maike how do you feel about it, and does it reflect your company values?

Maike: Lilli returning to the corporate world was not the initial plan. But whoever has followed us for the past three years on LinkedIn, our YouTube show, on Instagram or read our 15 Business Fit Article has always heard us say that we believe in our Compagneur spirit of entrepreneurs and companies networking, exchanging and doing business together. Now we can finally walk the talk and prove that it is not just lip service but our core company value.

Lilli will live the Compagneur spirit and prove that a successful side business is possible and I will keep my promise of the MaL!sh mantra “learn from the past, live now, form the future” and transform our company into a bright future.

You are regular contributors to our magazine, and we are looking forward to your next article in the November issue.

Lilli: Thank you, Claire, for this interview and we are looking forward to publishing our 16th business article with you. Who knows, I might already share some insights from my Compagneur Sidepreneur journey, too.

You can find Lilli, Maike and MaL!sh here: www.malish.global www.linkedin.com/company/malish www.linkedin.com/in/maike-benner-malish www.linkedin.com/in/lilli-rohde-malish