It stays in the family: Youngstarts podcast presents two new follow-up stories

Joint project Gründergeist #Youngstarts Münsterland interviews future successor Philipp Kleine-Ruse (Gronau) and entrepreneur Deike van't Westeinde (Emsdetten)

While Philipp Kleine-Ruse is still in the starting blocks, Deike van't Westeinde took over her company several years ago. But both have one thing in common: they have decided on a succession in their family's business. In episodes eight and nine of the podcast "How was it with you...? Company Succession in Münsterland" they talk about their personal path to the top of their own family business in conversation with participants of the joint project Gründergeist #Youngstarts Münsterland.

26-year-old Philipp Kleine-Ruse is currently still in the middle of the takeover process. Kleine-Ruse GmbH stands for professional bathroom design and everything to do with heating and sanitation. Kleine-Ruse's parents still run the company, but that is soon to change. Their son wants to continue the family tradition. "This has always been my childhood dream," the 26-year-old tells Frank Sibbing (Project Manager Gründergeist #Youngstarts Münsterland) and Nikolai Brinkmöller (opwoco Media). In episode eight of the podcast, he reports on why he nevertheless worked for another company for around four years, why the takeover did not happen "overnight" and how he deals with doubters.

In another episode, the project team is guests of Deike van't Westeinde in Emsdetten, who took over Conny's Sportshop from her mother seven years ago. In an interview with Lea Wilkens (TAFH Münster) and Andrea Severiens (WFG Borken), she tells us why she decided to take over, how entrepreneurship and motherhood go together for her and how she deals with setbacks, such as the Corona pandemic. "I haven't regretted the step one day," van't Westeinde emphasises - even though the first years as an entrepreneur were very hard.

You can listen to this and all other podcast episodes on youngstarts-muensterland.com as well as on various well-known audio platforms such as Spotify, Deezer, Soundcloud, Apple Podcast and Google Podcast. Even more episodes are already being planned.

Behind the production of the podcast is the joint project Gründergeist #Youngstarts Münsterland. "We are always surprised at how many different paths there are with regard to business succession," emphasises Frank Sibbing, head of the Gründergeist #Youngstarts Münsterland project at Münsterland e.V. "Some decide consciously and prepare for it for years, for others this option opens up more by chance." This is clear from the podcast episodes that have appeared so far.

The project Gründergeist #Youngstarts Münsterland strengthens the start-up intensity in the Münsterland and opens up new start-up potential and target groups with its offers. More information is available at youngstarts-muensterland.com.

It is funded by the European Union and the NRW Ministry of Economics as part of the ERDF call "Regio.NRW". Münsterland e.V. is implementing it as lead partner together with the following partners: Wirtschaftsförderung Kreis Coesfeld GmbH (wfc), Wirtschaftsförderung im Kreis Warendorf (gfw), Technologieförderung Münster GmbH, TAFH Münster GmbH, Wirtschaftsförderungs- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft Steinfurt mbH (WESt) and Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft für den Kreis Borken mbH (WFG).