A small step towards space
After joining our organisation to finance his training as an airline pilot, this unstoppable entrepreneur was one of the entrepreneurs who helped launch our organisation in France and Belgium, becoming manager of two franchises based in Liège and Marseille.
After training for two years as a fighter pilot in the army, Arnaud decided to leave the ranks, because the hierarchy was too much for him. At the age of 22, he left France for Bristol, where he enrolled in an airline pilot school. This training was very expensive, so he joined our organisation to finance it.
Recruited personally by his best friend, he joined a network in Bristol and immediately saw it as a way of developing his commercial skills and learning how to sell himself.
He quickly made a place for himself in the network, and enjoyed the early morning atmosphere of the coworking hub, where he was coached daily. He attends all the meetings.
I was rubbish at sales, and I didn't have anyone to coach, so I became the atmosphere manager.
Arnaud uses his good humour and energy to improve his results, and starts to build a small network. Seduced by the opportunity offered to him, he forgot all about his pilot training. He now has a new objective: to extend his network to French-speaking countries, and especially to France.
Despite his motivation, his sponsor didn't think he was ready, until he proved himself and was sent as a pioneer to Liège, to open the first coworking hub in Belgium. At the time, he was just a coach, and from one day to the next had to learn how to manage a network.
It was a real challenge. I had to put everything in place, and adapt our entire organisational system to French.
In 2011, Arnaud became manager and developed his network in Belgium, with a view to extending it to France. A few years later, he was selected to take part in field tests for France. Motivated as never before, he made the first sales for each campaign. The test was a success, and Arnaud opened France's first coworking hub in Lille with Stephen Shortt.
My coach always told me: 'The business is going to expand in France. If you don't do it, someone else will.
In October 2016, Arnaud chose to develop the north-south axis of France, by opening a new coworking hub in Marseille. A year later, this hub has almost 70 Brand Ambassadors and is one of the most dynamic in our franchise network.
My childhood friends haven't moved on since secondary school. They've taken the easy way out but they're stuck in their routines. I'm moving forward. I'm building something.
Today, Arnaud wants to continue the expansion of geninc in France, and then in other countries, such as Morocco. He also wants to develop ongoing training within the franchise network, and obtain government recognition for this training.
I see geninc as a new school for entrepreneurship and business. A free MBA in continuing education, with real hands-on experience.
In addition to geninc, Arnaud has for several years been developing a project for a stratospheric airline that would revolutionise the transport industry, making it possible to fly from Paris to Tokyo in an hour. Arnaud, who always wanted to be a pilot and astronaut, may soon be reaching for the stars at the head of a new company.
Most people just worry about tomorrow and pray that their future will be better. I try to be optimistic in the short term, and rational in the long term.
His advice to a future franchisee:
Take it one step at a time, and set yourself goals every day.
Put pressure on yourself for the future
Train yourself. It takes 10,000 hours to become an expert.