Weis (40) uit Washington D.C. (United States) zegde zijn goedbetaalde baan bij een groot Amerikaans bedrijf op en vloog naar Amsterdam om deze zomer bij De ijsfiets te kunnen werken. Voor ons is hij een held; hét voorbeeld van ‘do what you love’. We vroegen hem om zijn stoere en opmerkelijke verhaal te delen.
Weis: “Two months ago, my cousin Achmed (founder of De ijsfiets) came to visit me in Washington D.C. It was the first time in our lives we ever met, but we got into this interesting conversation about life, work and happiness. I was in a time of my life where I was looking for clarity, both in my personal life and in my work. My father had just died and at the time, I was working as technology consultant at a big firm. A high paying, stable job, but not a happy job. It didn’t fulfil me at all. Together with the loss of my father, I felt I was ready for a new experience. Achmed shared pictures of De ijsfiets with me and told me all about it. I thought it was an amazing concept, nothing I’d ever heard of before. I joked that maybe I could come to Amsterdam and join De ijsfiets for the summer. He said: ‘Maybe you should!’.”
Weis: “After our meeting, the idea stuck with me and I began to take it seriously. I thought it would be a great way to get some clarity on what to do in life, away from the routine of everyday life. When you change your circumstances, you create space, and in that space you find clarity.”
Weis: “It spoke to me that it is a physical job; I’ve been sitting behind a computer for so long, that it’s nice to sweat for my money for a change! But also to be in contact with people. And Ice cream makes people smile. When you ride through Amsterdam on De ijsfiets, people stare at you and give you a smile. And in such a wonderful city! I could really see myself doing that for two months.”
Weis: “The moment I took the decision to quit my job as a consultant and head to Amsterdam to sell ice-cream, it felt really liberating. The hardest part is that you got to have the courage to think creatively. But I was so tired of the work that I was doing, that when I left it, I felt relieved, happy. I saw new possibilities on the horizon. You also got to have the courage to accept that things are going to be okay. That the experience will enrich and fulfil you.”
Weis: “What I’m hoping to gain from this experience, is to talk to people, hear their stories and share mine. I also see a great opportunity to work on my persuasion skills, my salesmanship. To discover Amsterdam and its streets. To meet interesting people. Those are things I’m really looking forward to…”
Inmiddels zit Weis’ grote ijsfiets-avontuur erop. Benieuwd hoe hij terugblikt op een zomer lang ijsjes verkopen in Amsterdam? Lees het op zijn Facebook-pagina.
Ben jij gek op ijs en denk je dat jij de leukste ijscoman/-vrouw ever kunt zijn? Solliciteer hieronder
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