WeWorkOut: Mark, Events Entrepreneur

WeWork and Urban Sports Club have teamed up to create the WeWorkOut series. Once a month we catch up with an entrepreneur, business owner or freelancer to learn more about their business, their story and how sports helps them succeed…  

Hi Mark! What’s your story?

I’m from London, arrived in Chemnitz, Germany at the end of the ‘90s and moved to Berlin in 2001.

I live near Kurfürstendamm in West Berlin with my gorgeous wife and daughter. I’ve had a varied career path and have mostly been self-employed within the events industry for the last 15 years.

I love dancing (disco) and I’m always the first one on the dance floor and the last one to leave!  

What do you do?

I’m the founder of events consultancy MCF Consulting. Here I represent a portfolio of companies in the events industry. I manage event locations, destinations, event technology and publications as well as organising events. My clients are mainly from the UK, Finland, Munich, Constance and Frankfurt.  

What’s your sport of choice?

Cycling followed by running and swimming… yes, you guessed it – triathlon!  

When and how did you discover the sport?

Back in London in the ’80s I used to commute to work by bike and my competitive instincts got the better of me when other cyclists overtook. So I bought a racing bike and started to train,  then joined a club and started to race properly. And I got into triathlon from there.

How does triathlon help you succeed as an entrepreneur?

Sport saved my life. I had some medical issues six years ago and the doctors told me point blank if had not kept myself so fit, they would not be talking to me today.

Secondly sport has kept me young and in shape. My lovely wife says she would never have looked at me if I had a beer belly.

Lastly it truly helps me relax and many of my best ideas come when I’m training. It gives me energy and keeps me from falling ill (apart from the obligatory cycling accidents every now and again!)

Triathlon also helps me network and I’ve worked on several projects recently that only came to me through my passion for cycling.  

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Love: Every day you spend unhappy with someone you don’t love is a day wasted with someone you really love.
Business: A ‘no’ is as good as a ‘yes’ as it allows you to move on.
Life: ‘I can resist everything but temptation’ – Oscar Wilde  

What’s your vision for the future of your company?

I’d like to channel my work towards my passions which are sport, movement, nutrition and health. I’m lucky enough to be involved in a couple of projects at an early stage that might take me there yet…

I lead a charmed life in every aspect and I’m very grateful for this. And WeWork has already contributed positively to my work/life balance.  

Urban Sports Club has many running, cycling and swimming venues across Germany and in France – take a look at our website to see what’s on in your area.

Are you a WeWorker and want to be part of the WeWorkOut series? Send an email including your name, WeWork location and a little bit about yourself to [email protected].

And if you’re a member of WeWork make sure you take advantage of your Urban Sports Club x WeWork tariff.