MECHELEN: Babette Gommeren (31) has been named Mechelen’s most outstanding entrepreneur for the year. After an intense voting round with a total of 40,000 votes cast, the CEO of BUFFL emerged as the winner.
The victory came as a pleasant surprise for Babette. “I’m very grateful to everyone who voted,” she said. However, she believes there may be an explanation for the support she received. Women in leadership positions are still rare in her industry. “I think voters might have found that unique combination interesting.” Babette herself often wished for a role model. “It would sometimes help to see how someone else approaches certain challenges.”
One of those challenges is balancing entrepreneurship with pregnancy. Babette is expecting her first child. “2025 will be a remarkable year in many ways.” However, as a newly appointed CEO, balancing work and a baby will also be a challenge. Still, Babette is optimistic. “I have an incredible management team I can rely on. In the end, it all comes down to how well you’re supported—both at work and in your personal life—and I’m in a great position.”
She’s even looking forward to seeing how her team performs in her absence. “People often say: ‘As a CEO, you’re only truly successful if your company runs smoothly even when you’re not there.’ I’ll be extremely proud if I return after three months and see that everything is going well and everyone is happy.”
“I’m often asked whether I think my approach as an entrepreneur will change once I become a mother. It’s hard to say for sure, but I suspect I’ll be better at putting things into perspective,” Babette says. She’s also frequently questioned about how household responsibilities will be divided. “These are questions that male entrepreneurs rarely get. It’s just another thing women have to navigate.”
“I have a top management team I can rely on.” - Babette Gommeren, CEO BUFFL
Babette also notes that female entrepreneurs always face a double standard. “On one hand, you’re encouraged to be ambitious, but on the other hand, you’re constantly asked about children and how you plan to balance everything. Men don’t have to think about this as much.”
The BUFFL team is young. About half of the employees have been there since the company was founded. “What’s great is that the employees are growing along with the company. We were all very young when we started, and over the years, we’ve grown a lot as individuals.” They’re in such similar life phases that three team members, including Babette, are expecting babies at the same time. “That will certainly be a challenge, but also a lot of fun. And by 2025, it will already feel more natural.”
Babette mainly sees advantages in being a young entrepreneur. “It’s increasingly seen as an asset. You have lots of energy and enthusiasm. I also still have a bit of that youthful naivety: ‘I’ve never done this before, so it’ll probably be fine.’” She points out that insecurities are often more of an internal struggle. “You sometimes wonder: ‘Do people take me seriously?’ But in reality, I think these identity-related concerns matter less than we assume.”
With Babette’s pregnancy, BUFFL is undergoing significant changes. “In a start-up, you have to adapt quickly and make fast decisions.” That remains a challenge. “I try to talk more about evolution rather than change, because change often has a negative connotation. Of course, change is good for a company, but it can sometimes feel exhausting for employees. I want to be more mindful of that, because you have to bring everyone along.”
Babette strongly recommends that young entrepreneurs seek external coaching. “I’ve taken many training courses and had a coach I checked in with every six weeks. There are so many great platforms and training programs available,” she notes. Having an external perspective that offers her a different way of looking at things has been incredibly helpful. “Make time for that, because ultimately, it gives you energy. It would also be great to see more women involved in these initiatives, as they are often dominated by men.”
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