Hercules Trophy Jubilee Edition – June marked a monumental milestone as we celebrated 25 years of camaraderie in Belgium. More than 3,000 players and supporters participated in 450 teams in four days. Over 120 C-level executives participated in the World Championship petanque for CEOs. Learn more about who won and have a look at some of the pictures.
“Hercules Trophy, the coolest inter-company team challenge, is more relevant than ever.”
This edition was extra emotional for me and the core team. The love and support we felt after 25 years of hard work were incredibly humbling and made it all worthwhile.
I recorded a short video on LinkedIn to thank the crew, fans, sponsors, and suppliers. Thank you for your unwavering support through all the highs and lows. You’ve all contributed to spreading the unique Herculean vibe.
Become comfortable with being uncomfortable
Every year, my mum asks me, “Why do you continue this challenging journey when you can return to the corporate game? You take big risks, you work too hard, you take a lot of hits—for what?” My mother is the daughter of two entrepreneurs who decided to become the best teacher I ever had. She usually asks this the morning after weeks of sleep deprivation and intense emotions. My exhausted business partners always counter this sentiment with, “OMG, we did it again! How can we grow next year?”
Ego vs soul
Dear mum, balancing the highs and lows is part of daily entrepreneurial life, and it’s impossible to rationally explain where the passionate fuel keeps coming from. Hercules Trophy is not a job; it’s my life’s work. It’s an “ego vs. soul” conversation (Nathalie Arteel wrote a striking LinkedIn post about it).
It all comes down to how you define “success” in life.
As a founder, you feel the moral duty to be an optimist. You want to have an impact and leave a legacy. You believe in abundance and see the good in every situation. You want to give the best experience ever to your community. You want to listen to all feedback and become a better version of yourself. You seek the freedom to co-create, solve problems, and craft meaningful connections. For you, work and life are one. Ego won’t give you the energy to keep going.
Things no one tells you about growth and success
I resonate with some of Mark Manson’s statements (“The subtle art of not giving a F*ck“):
- The willingness to embarrass yourself is a superpower. Once you’re okay looking like an idiot, you become unstoppable.
- Certainty is the enemy of growth. Don’t wait to feel sure before taking action.
- You make your own luck. You are always choosing.
- Learn about people.
- Practice patience in an impatient world. Success compounds slowly over a long period of time. Wealth, knowledge, self-awareness, emotional maturity—these things are built over decades.
“What pain do you want in your life? What are you willing to struggle for?”
Contrary to most people’s perceptions, the book is not about not caring about things. On the contrary. It’s about what are you giving a f*ck about and why? What do I like about the book? Most self-help theories assume everyone wants the same sort of success. That’s not true.
“The pursuit of positive experience is itself a negative experience. The acceptance of negative experience is itself a positive experience.”
Turning the page after the Hercules Trophy Jubilee
After 8 intense weeks, it’s time to leave my loving parents and some dear friends again. I enjoyed the surreal Belgians and their “pintjes” beer that seemed to fix everything. It’s time to turn the page of this jubilee year and make plans for the next 25 years.
Hercules Trophy is more relevant than ever. Employee engagement is a universal challenge for all companies and generations. The human connections we create during the Hercules Trophy are unbeatable, and it’s heartwarming to see younger generations embracing the experience in perfect harmony with older generations.
Register for the next editions
First things first: if you are a leader who cares about employee engagement and believes that great teams will change the world, now is a good time to register your company teams for the next Hercules Trophy on November 15th in Dubai, or 14, 20 and 21 June 2025 in Belgium.
Are you an event agency or large organisation looking to create a private corporate festival or company olympics? Let me know. We have the platform and know-how to make it happen whenever and wherever you want. In Belgium, we even have a full-blown village infrastructure you can use.
Disclaimer
The Herculean Chronicles are my personal interpretation of 25 years of the Hercules Trophy. I’m writing 12 stories from a place of love and gratefulness, even for the ones who don’t like me. This was chapter 6. Read the previous chapter here. All the names are real, and it’s my way of thanking everyone and bringing the community together around untold stories. It’s also a way to explain the journey to my kids so they won’t make the same mistakes again and remember their roots. As it’s impossible to remember everything, please contact me and send me your stories to enrich the legacy.