Meet Audrey Joris!

Co-founder AFC Collection, an interior design business

"I studied economics at KU Leuven and began my entrepreneurial journey during my studies with the clothing brand ALICIAAUDREY Collection. At the same time, I also started AFC Collection. By the end of my studies, I decided to fully focus on AFC Collection. Although I enjoyed fashion, my passion wasn't fully there," Audrey explains.

"My mission is to make a real difference during my lifetime by adding value for many people, especially my customers. This extends beyond just delivering products or services; it involves creating jobs and developing new and unique ideas. I aim for value and impact that is tangible for my team and for everyone involved in my enterprise," Audrey says.

Let yourself be uplifted

"What truly inspires me are the success stories of others. That brings me immense happiness. My greatest inspiration comes from being surrounded by fellow entrepreneurs, people I look up to. I enjoy conversations with them because they help propel me forward. Podcasts and books are also a source of inspiration for me," Audrey explains. "Recently, I joined an investment club where fellow entrepreneurs and I collectively invest in startups. Listening to all these stories, staying updated on developments, and investing together are incredibly inspiring to me."

"One of my strengths is surrounding myself with talented individuals—people who excel and are stronger than me in various areas. I learn a lot from them, and this helps me grow. I believe everyone has unique talents. I strive to truly understand what others excel in, to motivate and encourage them to fully utilize their abilities and push their boundaries. This pursuit of growth and development is invaluable to me," Audrey explains.

"My motto? Don't be afraid to fail. I now realise that making mistakes is not a big deal at all. As a novice entrepreneur, I sometimes held myself back out of fear of failure. Now I understand that when we had fewer responsibilities, that was actually the perfect time to take risks and try new things. You learn by experimenting and trying. Making mistakes is part of the process and helps us grow," says Audrey.

The most beautiful and challenging aspects of entrepreneurship

"The most beautiful part of entrepreneurship is seeing the results. My best memories are the openings of our two showrooms. At those moments, we truly felt: 'We did this!'. We can be really proud of ourselves here," Audrey shares.

"The most challenging aspect of entrepreneurship is that it becomes increasingly complex as the company grows. The decisions we make have greater impact, especially because each choice can affect the lives of our employees. This requires a constant balance between rational thinking and intuition. It's about finding a balance between the head and the gut feeling," she says.

Better Together

"I'm very enthusiastic about the Generation WOW community. The entrepreneurial stories of others energize me greatly. Role models are crucial for women who want to venture into entrepreneurship, but they can be challenging to find. Generation WOW creates a community of role models for women, and I find that fantastic," says Audrey enthusiastically.