Mo Hamzian - Reinventing Workspaces

Authentic Leadership for Everyday People is the podcast where we investigate the connection between effective leadership and authenticity. If you are looking for inspiration and tips on how to become a better leader by being your true self, you are in the right place. Today's guest is Mo Hamzian , founder of Vel, a start-up that is building premium work cafes, designed specifically for people who want to go and do their work there. Mo shares his experiences as an investor and entrepreneur in different ventures, and how his approach to leadership has evolved throughout the years. And as we discussed what led him to the idea of a premium work café, we had a great discussion on how remote work, the possibilities it opens, and some of the key factors companies should consider in this evolving environment.KEY TAKEAWAYS[02:15] - Mo, welcome to the podcast. I am very excited to have you here. Why don't we start with you introducing yourself to our listeners.[02:47] - Tell me more about your life, what was your journey, how did you grow up, and what led you here?[04:23] - you have started several ventures before this one, your career has been mostly entrepreneurial, right?[05:10] - Which was the first company you started?[07:04] - How do you crystallize your leadership style  to become the type of leader you want to be?[10:00] - How do you define good people, when you are looking for them? What qualities are you looking for in them?[11:37] - How is the exposure to so many different cultures, inform the way you work with people?[13:50] - How do you think about success right now, talking about your personal success, and how has that definition changed since you started out?[15:48] - Valued measures include more than dollars or pounds.[16:50] - What advice do you have for people who are working in environments where they have to deal with very different types of employees and stakeholders?[19:37] - What does it mean to build the utopian work cafe that we deserve?[21:50] - We were talking about the mission of Vel and I would love for you to elaborate  a little on that and share with our listeners what you were telling me earlier.[23:39] - What are some of the elements that make this extreme version of the coffee shop and make up the experience?[25:33] - Is your initial target customer the individual freelancer or the big economy worker? Or is it more about a combination of that and then creating a space or companies that may need overflow or additional space beyond the traditional office?[27:16] - What is your personal view? What are some of the conversations you are having with investors, advisors, to how work is evolving and what we can expect to see over the next 3-5 years?[31:10] - So Vel is a fully remote company right now, you don’t have any office space?[31:53] - What are the two or three most important things that people need to think about as they adapt to a permanent hybrid or remote system? To maintain the culture, to ensure productivity, to ensure engagement?[32:42] - Where would you recommend people invest, if they are investing in their employees for the remote?[33:32] - I am wondering if there was a mistake you made when setting the company remote and then you had to correct it, that you would be willing to share?[35:27] - Is Vels product just a physical cafe or do you have a technology suite on top of it, that then can enable people to stay connected & extend the virtual cafe?[36:42] - Sometimes you find yourself facing a decision which may be good in the short term but in the long term runs the risk of undermining the culture of the company.[38:38] - Were you ever in a situation where you actually decided to walk away from money?[39:22] - What is an interest that you have outside of work or passion and how has that influenced the way that you work?[40:41] - Every era has business cliches, expressions, or pieces of jargon that after a while lose their meaning. Is there an expression or  business cliche that drives you crazy and what is it?[42:19] - Final question, food for the body or food for the soul?[43:55] - Thank you and closing remarks.Contact Dino at: [email protected]:myvel.comal4ep.comAdditional Guest Links:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mohamzian/ Facebook: facebook.com/workatvelInstagram: @workatvalTwitter: @workatvelAuthentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino CattaneoDino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneoPodcast Instagram – @al4edp Podcast Twitter – @al4edp Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edpMusicSusan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com