Ep 9: How To Build An Empire - The Delicate Balance Of Trust, Hard Work, Commitment And Luck

We finally have a full episode guest! Welcome Henrik Axelsen, Viktor Axelsen's manager and father. He's here to discuss and break down the processes they have gone through to build the empire they have today. TRUST was a key word in this episode of the podcast, as was understanding the need to outsource and have experts around you, in addition to the hard work, commitment, and luck that go into it. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. 00:00 – Highlights 00:50 – Intro 01:40 – Who is Henrik Axelsen? 04:40 – Viktor, how was your childhood? 06:40 – Coping with Viktor's temper on court during his youth 08:40 – The pressure parents put on young athletes today 10:20 – Early signs of Viktor's talent and growth 12:50 – How things worked for the Axelsen family 14:40 – Viktor's first contracts, and the transition to Yonex 17:30 – Vega Time 17:55 – Signing with HEAD: an inspirational story 19:05 – Why badminton should be more business-driven 22:00 – Winning the World Junior Championships opened doors 23:40 – Henrik's experience as Viktor's manager 26:00 – Knowing your value as a brand vs. personal identity 28:00 – Breaking standards: believing in badminton’s business potential 30:40 – Balancing focus between sport and business 33:00 – Finding the right experts: don’t be afraid to ask for help 38:00 – It costs money to make money! 40:30 – Dealing with wrong decisions and their consequences 43:50 – Open to connecting with other athlete businesses 48:30 – Federations must be more open-minded about athletes’ futures 51:30 – The Danish Federation as a role model 55:30 – A look into Henrik's daily routine 01:00:30 – Constantly optimising as athletes and brands 01:03:00 – A message to the BWF: Join us on the podcast 01:05:30 – End of Podcast Follow in on the conversation and follow on social media for more content. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0BwlJdl... Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Instagram:   / theaveragenotaverage   YouTube:    / @theaveragenotaveragepodcast   CK's YouTube Channel:    / @ckyew   Viktor's YouTube Channel:    / @viktoraxelsen7830   CK's Instagram:   / ckyew_official   Viktor's Instagram:   / viktoraxelsen