T-Mobile Business Blog: lessons in family, sport and entrepreneurship

Recently, T-Mobile invited me for an interview on its Business Blog. I really enjoyed talking about my company, family and trail running. Here is the full interview.

Question: You finished UTMB 2018 in ninth place, putting you among the world’s best trail runners. What went through your mind as you crossed the line after just over 23 hours?

Florian Grasel: An enormous weight lifted from my shoulders after those 171 kilometres and 10,000 metres of climbing. The UTMB top ten had always seemed unreachable. Imagine being a sub-three-hour marathon runner and suddenly competing with the world elite who cover it in just over two hours. At my three previous UTMBs, I stood with 5,000 other people below the podium thinking that the top-ten athletes on stage were in another league. Ninth this year was a huge leap forward.

Question: There have been very few races you did not finish. But honestly, did you think about quitting at UTMB 2018?

Florian Grasel: I had not set a target or worked out a race strategy. My wife and I had twins in November 2017, so running had taken a back seat. With less time available, though, my training became more specific and followed a precise plan.

At first, I felt really good. You run through the night without knowing your position. The aid station at kilometre 80 was suspiciously quiet. When a camera crew interviewed me there, I realised I was near the front. From then on, I ran under pressure because a top-ten finish seemed within reach.

Shortly after the aid station at kilometre 120, I paid for it with an enormous crash. I thought: “That’s it. If I sit down now, I will not get up again.” I video-called my wife, told her not to worry and said I would drop out. I still remember the image on my phone: my wife with both children crawling over her. She said things were not exactly easy at home either and that I should keep running. I was stunned; I had not expected that. Somehow I fought through. I still do not quite know how.

Question: How do you recover from such a mammoth run?

Florian Grasel: This year, there was not much time. Andreas Pfandlbauer, who also ran UTMB 2018, and I left Bad Erlach on Wednesday and drove through the night to Chamonix, over 1,000 kilometres away. The start was Friday and I finished at 6 pm on Saturday. We had planned to head home soon afterwards. But because I finished ninth, I had to — or rather, got to — wait for Sunday’s afternoon ceremony. On Monday morning, I already had business appointments back in Bad Erlach.

Question: You do not do this for money. Your prize for a top-ten UTMB finish was only €500. What motivates you?

Florian Grasel: I have always enjoyed sport and attended a sports-focused secondary school. I really started running in 2010 when I realised I was physically exhausted. Just two months after completing my IT degree in Wiener Neustadt, I had founded my company and was working 18–20 hours a day. I was close to burnout and knew something had to change.

One short run showed me how unfit I had become. That triggered my ambition: when I start something, I do it properly. But a sub-three-hour road marathon felt more stressful than enjoyable. I wanted to know how far my feet could carry me. That led me to ultramarathons.

Question: You have a family and a company with seven employees. How do you combine three such time-consuming parts of life?

Florian Grasel: Under the motto “My work is where I am”, I once ran from Vienna to a conference in Copenhagen and worked along the way. It showed me that I could combine my passions.

Why should I work when my head is not in it? I go running and work later. My employees have that freedom too. T-Mobile’s flexibility appeals to me because I live that way in both sport and business. Family, work and sport enrich one another; they are not three entirely separate pillars.

Question: What do you mean by that?

Florian Grasel: I love all three. Passion drives me. Before running, I had completely lost myself in work. Family and sport show me what really matters. They let me step back and ask whether my work is heading in the right direction. If you lose sight of why you are doing something, of your vision and goal, nobody benefits.

Question: What do you need to work?

Florian Grasel: A smartphone and a good connection. That was one reason I switched to T-Mobile. Before, I often had no reception in the mountains or remote areas. It works much better now. Flexibility was another reason: our team has nearly doubled from four to seven in the last two years.

We work extensively in the cloud, and my phone gives me access to data wherever I am. Work is also a passion. I take client calls during training and races too. I have very good, friendly relationships with them.

Question: What device or service would help you work even better on the move?

Florian Grasel: My current phone can basically do everything I need. I dictate thoughts while running so I do not lose them, and all my other information is immediately available. But I am interested in foldable phones: a larger screen would make many tasks easier on the move. I am also looking forward to 5G and better connections.

Question: Do you think about family while running, business with your family and sport at work? Or do you try to focus on each separately?

Florian Grasel: Thinking mainly about running while working, or the reverse, would be counterproductive. You cannot enjoy or focus on either. That constant mental switching was increasingly stressful for me too. I have been taking a mindfulness course to bring myself back to the present.

Running has taught me to focus on what I am doing right now. When exploring your limits, listening to body and mind is essential. I spend hours in high alpine terrain above 2,500 metres, where a moment of inattention could have serious consequences.

Question: What are your greatest achievements?

Florian Grasel: The birth of our twins, and having enough control over my time through self-employment to watch them grow and be there for them. That is certainly my greatest achievement. In sport, ninth at UTMB 2018 is my biggest highlight so far.

Question: And your defeats?

Florian Grasel: I cannot really call sporting setbacks defeats, because I learn so much when things do not go as planned. Those experiences have helped me at work too.

My biggest defeat was probably being unable to leave a Vienna car park after a meeting because I had no money for the ticket. All my cards had reached their overdraft limits. My wife had to travel from Wiener Neustadt to bring me eight euros. I questioned why I was doing all this as an entrepreneur.

I learned to introduce more checks to stop myself reaching that point. Today, I carry much more responsibility for my family and employees. But I have also seen apparent business defeats turn into major successes.

Question: How did that happen?

Florian Grasel: We spent twelve years developing a product for large clients but struggled to position it in the market. We were developers, not marketing experts. We decided to abandon the project.

Just before we did, a German group contacted us to evaluate the solution for 9,000 users. In an internal acceptance test, every user chose our product. We won the contract without price negotiations or personal connections. That felt amazing. Today, many of our large clients use it.

Question: Your life is far from ordinary. When things go wrong, people often offer an unsolicited “I told you so.” How do you handle that criticism?

Florian Grasel: It is strange, because you do not get that in sport. In ultrarunning, people say: “Great that you tried.” Sadly, everyday life is different. If things go well, an envious society accuses you of exploiting employees. If things go badly, everyone claims they knew it would happen.

That is a shame, because small and medium-sized businesses contribute so much, paying taxes and creating jobs. The rise of start-ups and related television shows is beginning to improve that a little.

Question: What are your business goals?

Florian Grasel: We want to position our product better because we believe it offers users real value. Personally, I want to become an excellent entrepreneur. There is still room to improve.

Question: Do you have a role model?

Florian Grasel: Steve Jobs, for his entrepreneurial thinking and vision. The passion with which he put Apple back on course fascinates me. In family life, though, I would like to do better than he did.

Question: What are your next sporting goals?

Florian Grasel: The Hardrock100 in the US in July is my goal for the coming season. I have been trying to get a place for four years. There are only 153, allocated by lottery from over 2,000 applicants. UTMB has a similar ratio, but it also has an elite field. My results would guarantee me a place there.

Thank you for the conversation, and continued success in everything you do!