You don´t realize what you have until it´s gone

Who inspired me...

As you can image the worst thing that can happen to you is to lose your job and everything you ever worked for. Jolanta Hardej and her husband, who imigrated from Poland and worked their entire life in an architect´s office faced that problem. After they she lost her job  she had to figure out  how to make her living in order to be able save the life that they used to live. Jolanta began to remember her childhood, when she grew up in Poland in an agricultural environment, where she was surrounded by animals, fresh fruits and vegetables. While thinking about her past she noticed that she had no chance to get such fresh fruit and vegetables in the city of Chicago and that’s the point where her idea of a startup business began to develop. 

In 2010 Jolanta and her husband built the first certified indoor vertical aquaponic organic farm in the Chicago area. Aquaponic growing saves up to 97% of water and allows to produce organic food three-times faster than other methods. Moreover  these food producs are not subject to long-distance transportation. Farmedhere grows basil, argula, mint and other micro greens, which they sell to organic grocery stores in Chicago. Besides the freshness of the food, urban farming has more benefits for example reducing transportation costs and support of the local economy while employing local workers. Furthermore, Farmedhere has become a part of a social project. It offers people, who are hard to integrate into the society, a job and gives them the chance to start a new life just as well as Jolanta started a new life with their new business.

I would call Jolanta a charismatic leader with a great ability to communicate and she leads her employees in an emotional, inspired and motivating way. She treats her employees well but also in an authoritarian way. But summarized I would describe her leadership style as democratic, because she allows her employees to participate. In that way she let her employees feel valued and respected, which fosters motivation. Jolanta is for me an example of a good leader. She combines knowledge in her field with high communication skill as well as the passion and determination to achieve her goals even if she lost everything. Moreover she is down to earth and I liked to listen her  story.

I have a high degree respect for her because she had a vision and focused on the big picture and in the end she reached her goal. Furthermore, she is a self-confident woman in a male-dominated business:she  demonstrates her self-confidence without becoming arrogant or submissive. She is an  role model for every women, who wants to become successful in a men-dominated industry. 

Even if you lose your job there is always a way to start a new life, a new business and to make childhood dreams come true but you need to have a vision, passion and the will  to work hard.

The fact that she leads the company together with her husband shows that there is a way to keep business and family life in balance. As far as I am concerned, I think that it is sometimes very hard to work together with your partner. There is the risk  of bringing relationship problems into the business.

I am extremely grateful that I have had the chance to meet her and I hope I will become a woman, a wife and entrepreneur like her: in summary a woman that knows her way.