From Google Barcelona to His Own Agency: The Simon Ramboer Story

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Listen to this article~3 min

From managing Coca-Cola's media budget to launching a creative agency, Simon Ramboer shares the highs and lows of entrepreneurship—burnout, bold moves, and building a team.

Simon Ramboer seemed to have it all. He was managing massive media budgets for clients like Coca-Cola and BMW, and then landed a dream job at Google in Barcelona. But something was missing. Deep down, he realized his true passion wasn't in boardrooms or ad campaigns—it was behind the camera. ### The Leap from Corporate to Creative During the pandemic, Simon decided to merge his marketing expertise with his love for photography. That's how District 360 was born—a photo and video agency that now boasts a team and clients like Amazon, Lego, and Gondola. But behind those impressive names lies the gritty reality of entrepreneurship. "I thought I had it all figured out," Simon admits. "But building something from scratch is a whole different ballgame." ### The Other Side of Entrepreneurship We dive into the tough stuff: 14-hour workdays, the brink of burnout, leaving everything behind for Barcelona, returning for love, hiring staff, making hefty investments, and the chaos that ensues when a key team member is suddenly out for months. - **Long hours**: Simon often worked 70-hour weeks, sacrificing sleep and personal time. - **Burnout**: He hit a wall, both mentally and physically, before realizing he needed to change. - **Big risks**: Moving to Barcelona meant leaving his comfort zone and starting over. - **Team dynamics**: When a crucial employee fell ill, Simon had to scramble to keep things afloat. ### The Counterintuitive Growth Strategy Simon made a bold choice: he deliberately avoided rapid growth. Instead of scaling as fast as possible, he focused on sustainable, manageable expansion. He prefers hiring full-time employees over freelancers, even though it's more expensive. Why? Because he believes in building a loyal, committed team that shares his vision. > "I'd rather have a small, dedicated team than a revolving door of freelancers," Simon says. "It's about quality, not quantity." He also emphasizes the importance of underpromising and overdelivering. "Entrepreneurs often get caught up in hype," he explains. "But it's better to set realistic expectations and then exceed them." ### Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs Simon's story isn't just about success—it's about resilience. He's faced setbacks, made mistakes, and learned to run his business on his own terms. For anyone dreaming of starting their own venture, his advice is simple: stay true to yourself. "Don't chase someone else's definition of success," he says. "Define what success means to you, and build your business around that." Whether you're just starting out or scaling up, Simon's journey reminds us that entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint. And sometimes, the biggest risks lead to the most rewarding outcomes.