Being in the C suite is a high-pressure job with long hours, wide responsibilities and intensive examination. But what is it to be a top manager when you are out of the clock?
Fortune’s The series, the good life, shows how emerging managers spend their time and money outside of work.
Today we meet the co -founder and CEO of FaircadoEvolena de Wilde.
The Berlin from Berlin from Berlin started in the energetic startup world and worked at Burgeoning Tech Companies for five years before starting her own company. It has professional stays at the airline for passenger compensation companies Airhelpand community-centered skin care brand Hellobody.
In 2022 she started with her friend Ali Nezamolmalki, Faircado, with AI remark from AI. The Advanced Tech scans product images to combine users with the best shopping options from second-hand and aggregate information from various online marketplaces. It was Turned the Product of the day on Black Friday in 2023 and the company in 2024 closed a 3 million € Financing round led by World Fund, Europe’s leading climate VC.
Since then, Faircado has been one of the largest shopping tools in Europe in its partnerships eBayPresent Vestiaire CollectivePresent SellpyPresent Back marketand more. The AI function now aggregates more than 100 million offers for electronics, books, fashion and more. In Faircado, too, the value of Deil’s sustainability has been said that users have saved millions of dollars and tons of CO2 through the purchase of used goods via the digital add-on. Most recently, Faircado expanded with the start of the browser plug-in in Great Britain.
De Wilde was able to combine her passion for sustainability with her professional background in Berlin’s startup scene. And she practices what she preaches in her own life – from where she buys her coffee and inner decor, to her career “victories”.
“I always tried to deliver wherever I lived sustainably,” she says Assets. “In fact, it is the heart of why I founded Faircado.”
Finance
Assets: What was the best investment you have ever bought?
An apartment in Brussels where I come from. I bought it 2 years ago and it has been a profitable investment since the first day because the rent covers more than my mortgage. I have carried out some renovation work to make it more energy -efficient so that the value has already increased, and it will probably continue to rise if it is well located. It was a lot of work, but I really like building things that are done to hold.
And the worst?
Nothing yet. I was lucky.
What are your life agreements: Mondale apartment in the city or in the suburb?
I live in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin. It is considered a quiet, unusual, family-friendly neighborhood with many small cafes and yoga studios. My apartment is full of art and Scandinavian vintage furniture. I always tried to deliver wherever I lived sustainably. In fact, it is the heart of why I started Faircado.
When I moved to this unmbled apartment during the pandemic in 2021, I couldn’t just go to a shop and buy used furniture. So I started making it online and realizing how chunky and time -consuming experience was. The same applies to clothing, books and electronics.
How do you commute to work?
From bike! I drive at least an hour a day. It keeps me fit and refreshes my mind. I don’t have a car (and hope that I never need it).
Do you wear a wallet?
I rarely have money. My favorite bank is tomorrow, a sustainable bank that invests my money in social and ecological projects. Your cards are also really beautiful.
Are you investing in shares?
I played around a bit with the trade republic. For example, I have invested renewable energies in companies that are doing very well at the moment. Also, eBayBecause I really believe that second-hand is the future and SpotifyBecause it is one of these products that just makes life nicer.
I will not give any advice on this topic, but I would say it is a good instrument to promote companies that understand them and believe that they belong to the future of our economy.
Which personal financial council would you give your 20-year-old yourself?
- Save 20% to 50% of your salary. Move it directly to a savings account on the day you are paid. Make sure that your expenses do not increase with the same price as with your income.
- Buy less, but better and second-hand. Focus on high quality things that you will bring really long -lasting joy and usefulness.
- Never save experience and knowledge. The things they grow are always a good investment (including therapy and excursions in the mountains).
- Be generous with the people and associations that you love.
- Buy a house or apartment as soon as you can. You can then either live in it (and invest your rent in something that will be you in 20 years) or rent it and have the mortgage paid for yourself. It is a great investment (unless you are really unhappy or live in an unstable country), and when SH-T hits your fan, you always have a place to live.
Where does your wristwatch come from?
I still wear the one I bought 15 years ago with the salary of my first student job. I heard that it didn’t fit my year Chanel Necklace, but I don’t care.
The necessities
How do you get your daily coffee fix?
No capsules. I boycott nespresso full and Starbucks. But I’m a fan of all ethical coffee starks. Those who actually pay the farmers behind the coffee beans. I get mine from the coffee group in Berlin. I have a very simple Bialetti mocha machine at home, and we have a proper Delonghi Dedica Arte espresso machine in the office (of course from second-hand) with a milk foam for our daily doses of oats cappuccinos. Very berlin startup atmosphere.
“Never save experience and findings. The things that make you grow are always a good investment.”
What about eating?
I go out every day, usually with some team members or investors. Berlin offers fantastic lunch options for 5 to 12 euros, and since I hate cooking, I see no reason not to eat away. I usually choose a salad, falafel, Italian pizza or sushi. I don’t need chic expensive food, only high -quality ingredients and good vegetarian options to be happy.
Where do you buy food?
In the local market for organic farmers on Saturday morning.
How often do you dine against cooking at home in a week?
It used to be dinner for 4-5 days, but now we have Höllefresh This delivers great healthy recipes at home. So we cook more.
Where do you buy for your work wardrobe?
I buy most of my wardrobe second-hand and only from things I need, so I buy on resale platforms (mainly Faircado) and find unique pieces in this way. I wear second-hand Celine, Maje, Comme des Garçons, Chloé, Sézane, Samsøe Samsøe, Acne Studios etc. The fabric is the most important thing: I almost only wear wool and cotton.
If I buy new things (it is rare), it would be to support small designer labels from Fairer fashion that are ideally produced in Europe.
What would be a typical workoutfit for you?
Navy Blue T-Shirt, Width Jeans, Chloé boots/Birkenstock Boston.
Are you the proud owner of futuristic devices?
I find most of the devices useless. The only futuristic thing I bought is my Cube Nuroad gravel bike in Smokylilac’n’Black. But I would say it is more of a work of art. A very nice and useful work of art.
The treats
How do you relax from the top job?
My weekly therapy, journaling, a good run, a yoga class, a drawing class, a dinner with my partner and/or with friends.
“I find most of the devices useless.”
How do you treat yourself when you receive promotion?
I try not to buy things for you. When I have something to celebrate, I do things that I enjoy: I go dancing with my friends, go in a nice restaurant, go to a concert or a festival.
How many days on annual vacation do you take a year?
I don’t know. I am never fully equipped and travel a lot to work, so it is difficult to say.
I spent a month in Rwanda (traveled to the national parks and worked from the amazing Norrsken House of Kigali) to escape the grayness of Berlin this winter. What impressed me was that people here seem much happier than at home. A great memory of what we actually need: water, something eating, a roof, strong communities, a lot of dancing, singing and laughing and a beautifully preserved surroundings. That seems to be the best recipe for happiness.
Here at The Good Life you no longer have to imagine what life at the top looks like: Let yourself be inspired how the most successful life live.
Fortune wants to hear from managing directors what their “good life” looks like. Get in touch: emma.burleigh@fortune.com
This story was originally on Fortune.com