Entrepreneurship: The Courage to Act and Build

Dr. Niklas Richter · 2026-02-10

Ever feel like you're waiting for the perfect moment to start your business? Let me tell you about Christa Jouck. Her story isn't about grand plans or chasing unicorn status. It's about seeing an opportunity and having the guts to act on it. She dropped out of school at 14 to work, only to return to studying a year later—and she never really stopped learning. That curiosity became her secret weapon. Christa built multiple successful companies without ever making "getting big" the main goal. She started with a hostess agency and grew it. Then came Infraligne, which expanded to 30 locations. And Officenter, now a network of 15 business centers. Her growth wasn't forced. It was a natural response to what the market needed. She listened, and then she built. ### The Mindset That Built Businesses Christa's philosophy is refreshingly direct. No excuses. No endless second-guessing. The customer always comes first. Her motto, "Can't be done, doesn't exist," runs through everything she does. It's not about blind optimism. It's about a relentless focus on finding solutions. For 36 years, that's how she's operated. It's a mindset that turns obstacles into stepping stones. Think about that for a second. How often do we talk ourselves out of an idea before we even try? Christa's approach flips that script. She asks, "What does the customer need?" and then figures out how to deliver it. The rest follows. ### Practical Insights from 36 Years So, what can we learn from someone who's been in the trenches for over three decades? Her insights are worth their weight in gold because they're born from real experience, not theory. - **Action Over Perfection:** Don't wait for a flawless plan. Start, learn, and adapt. The market will tell you what works. - **Customer-Centricity is Everything:** Every decision should pass the customer test. Are you making their life easier or better? - **Growth is an Outcome, Not a Goal:** Build a great service that fills a need. Sustainable growth comes from there, not from a spreadsheet target. It sounds simple, right? But in practice, it requires discipline. It means saying no to distractions and yes to the hard work of serving your clients well. ### Why This Story Resonates Now In a world obsessed with scaling fast and chasing venture capital, Christa's path is a powerful reminder. Success doesn't have to look a certain way. It can be built patiently, by solving real problems for real people. Her journey from a hostess agency to leading business centers shows the power of diversification and adaptability. She didn't set out to build an empire. She set out to build something useful. And in doing so, she created lasting value and multiple thriving enterprises. That's a lesson for any of us feeling the pressure to have it all figured out from day one. You don't. You just need to start, listen, and keep moving forward. Her story proves that entrepreneurship is less about a brilliant idea in a vacuum and more about the courage to execute. To show up, solve the problem in front of you, and then do it again tomorrow. That's the real work. And it's work that builds something truly meaningful.