We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cindy Allis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Cindy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you ever had an amazing boss? What did you learn from them? Maybe you can share a story that illustrates the kind of boss they were or maybe you can share your thoughts on what you think made them an awesome person to work for?

Before starting my business I had the privilege of working at Adyen, a Dutch tech company that left a lasting impact on me. Adyen’s leadership and company culture served as an inspiration for how I envision leading and building my own business. When I joined Adyen as a part-time student, the CEO, Pieter van der Does, surprised me by personally introducing himself during my first week. It was remarkable to see his genuine interest in each and every new employee, regardless of their position within the company. This emphasized the inclusive and welcoming environment at Adyen. Quickly I realized that Adyen was a special place: every person and opinion mattered, no matter whose it was, and if you have a good idea and speak up you will likely be encouraged to go do it.
During my Adyen career I progressed from customer support to the development team, and along the way I’ve had multiple crazy ideas on how we should improve a certain process or build a tool that would help our team. The freedom I received to implement these ideas was empowering. The sense of having my voice heard and respected made me love working at Adyen.
Adyen’s leadership and inclusive culture instilled in me a strong belief in the power of valuing every individual’s input. It is an experience that continues to guide my vision for creating an amazing company culture in my own endeavors.

Cindy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I grew up in The Netherlands where I started sailing at a young age. I always loved being on the water and later while I was in university, I spent my summers and vacations as a professional skipper in the mediterranean. During my time as a skipper, I realized there are lots of challenges charter companies are dealing with in their daily work, that could be solved if only the right tools would exist.

The more I worked as a skipper, experiencing the chaotic check-in days first hand, the more I thought; “there must be a way to make this a better”. This realization paved the way for the birth of Floatist, and now we are assisting charter companies and enhancing their operations with our solution, particularly during the demanding peak periods.

Type of product we provide / problem we solve
Believe it or not, but 95% of the charter companies I talk to are still keeping track of check-in/out procedures and yacht maintenance tasks on pen and paper. This is just one example of how far the yachting industry is running behind other industries in terms of digitization, but in general the industry has experienced slow adaptation of new trends like using apps and digital tools. This is partially because the product is fairly complicated, but also because the generation that started, and is still running a large amount of the fleets, is resistant to change their ways.

Using our product, charter companies bring all of their moving parts together in one platform, as it allows their different teams to work together from one single source of truth, while at the same time also providing their charter guests a better experience by supporting them with their own app. On top of that we help them plan and manage their maintenance projects both during busy season as well as in winter maintenance season.

What I think sets us apart from others /proud of / what do I want
We are the only solution on the market that is providing a product as advanced and tailored towards bareboat charter operators, and I think that our secret is a combination of things: first of all, with our personal experience as skippers we have truly experienced the challenges that charter operators face on a day to day basis, so we know exactly what they need. Second, since our launch with our first customers we have been building and prioritizing new features completely based on our customers’ feedback. By doing this we make sure that we build what customers actually need, not just what we think they need, and thus we have created a product that brings immense value to their business.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

When I first started my business, I was like a 24/7 hotline for my team, always ready to answer their every question. I thought being constantly available would create a supportive and collaborative vibe. But as the team started growing, I soon realized that my “always on” availability was more of a hindrance than a benefit.

Our team would frequently seek my input on various topics, which not only consumed a significant amount of my time but also prevented me from focusing on crucial tasks and strategic decision-making. Recognizing this, I understood the need to shift my approach and transition from being the immediate problem solver to a coach and mentor.

I implemented some coaching and development strategies, challenging my team to level up their problem-solving skills, share knowledge, and take ownership of their expertise. I also established clear channels for communication, such as regular team meetings, where we tackled questions on a regular basis instead of ad hoc.

Over time, this shift in approach is allowing team members to grow and become more independent in their decision-making. By unlearning the need to be constantly available and adopting a coaching mindset, I not only freed up valuable time to focus on strategic tasks but also encourage a more self-sufficient and proactive team.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

In a small niche industry like the yachting industry, establishing a solid reputation is an important factor in your success. Especially with a new product like ours, it’s the personal touch that truly counts. This meant that when we first entered the market we had to build up our network, relationships and earn our credibility.

So during the initial boat show season following our product launching, our primary objective was networking. We attended all the prominent events, seizing every opportunity to showcase our offerings. Simultaneously, we sought out early adopters willing to put our product to the test during its early stages. Collaborating closely with these pioneers allowed us to demonstrate the added value of our product, establishing our first loyal customer base.

Now, almost a year later, people in the industry know us and we are getting a lot of requests through customer referrals. As the upcoming boat show season approaches, we are no longer the newcomers on the scene. Our reputation has been built gradually, thanks to a year-long commitment to fostering relationships. While there is still much ground to cover, attending those in-person events was crucial an in establishing our good reputation.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://floatist.com/
• Facebook: https://www.youtube.com/@floatist48
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/floatist

Image Credits
Nathalie Krug