Matthijs Welle

We will grow our business by over 70% this year and hire close to 500 new employees. That level of ambition could push anyone over their limit.

I personally have a preference for 3-4 month work sprints combined by extreme holidaying to recover in between. We encourage everyone at Mews to figure out what they need to be able to do their best work. We give complete freedom in taking holidays and setting working hours. We have also embraced being remote-first and allow team members to adopt where they work from (within legal limits). As long as results are strong, I don’t need to know the details.

When I personally go on holiday, I start preparing the team for my 2-week absence. I explain to everyone that I trust they will make the necessary decisions in my absence without my input. I always enjoy coming back and seeing what crisis’ were handled and what successes we booked.

I am glad to report on this holiday I have only been called once, which I call a success!

Excited to open that mailbox tomorrow 😂

PS: it is entirely possible that I never saw any fish on my “snorkel expedition” 🐠 🤿

Last week I found myself back in the closet, a place I return to once in a while when I seek some level of safety.

As I was taking an Uber, the driver's casual inquiry about my marital status hung in the air. In that fraction of a moment, I was faced with the complex calculus that many LGBTQ+ individuals know all too well – gauging whether honesty could compromise my safety. Reflecting on the earlier conversation we had, I chose caution, keeping the truth of my same-sex marriage to myself.

This may seem like a small moment, but every time it happens, it is a reminder that we still live in a world where legal equality doesn't always equate to lived equality.

I am more than ever motivated to make Mews a culture, where every person can unapologetically be themselves. It is one thing to write a user manual that promotes inclusivity, it is another to make that come to life for every individual.

Mews should be a place where no one ever had to hide in their closet.