Toine Rodenburg is an international investor and entrepreneur who was born in the Netherlands, worked and studied across Europe, and currently manages his global operations from his home in Portugal.
He is perhaps best known as the founder of MyMalls, a unique fashion and e-commerce delivery service that has captured significant market share in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Toine Rodenburg studied at the Moller Institute in Tilburg, the Katholieke Universiteit in Tilburg, the Universiteit van Amsterdam and the Institut Catholique de Paris. His academic interests were eclectic, ranging from courses in French and History to Theology and Philosophy.
While studying in Paris, he worked as a logistics and marketing manager at France Media International (TV Productions Distribution). After graduation he founded a television production company called Amsterdam Features International BV. Although the company was not a financial success, he learned valuable lessons that would contribute to his future business and investment achievements.
At the dawn of the Internet, Toine Rodenburg was among the first young entrepreneurs who understood the potential for this exciting new technology, and he began to focus his attention on e-commerce. MyMalls is one such business. The worldwide delivery service operates online, and features a wide assortment of lifestyle products, in addition to reliable international shipping.
MyMalls retails over a thousand fashion brands. Web stores and boutiques that sell through MyMalls include Mango, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, DKNY, Miss Selfridge, Forever 21, Stylebop, Steve Madden, Sears, Forzieri, Macy’s, and many others.
When not working, Toine Rodenburg travels the world, often in the family caravan, a converted German fire truck. He also trains in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and enjoys antique boats, sailing, swimming, hiking, and dogs. He is a skilled manual artisan with a passion for leatherworking, woodworking, and tinkering with his 1976 Harley Davidson Electra Glide.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
I’m not sure that I have a typical day, to be quite honest. I will say that no matter where I find myself, there are some similarities in how I make my day productive. I respond to any messages I’ve received, whether it be via text or email, and I usually examine some reports and read the news. I have drastically reduced my business trips in the past decade and feel very comfortable having most meetings online. I like to get my daily physical exercise done in the morning as well as some work tasks. Afternoon is mostly reserved for meeting up with friends, relaxing and chores around the house: there is always something broken that needs fixing or a new project to be started. In the late afternoon I try to follow up with emails and other work-related items, and the evening is preferably for the family and hobbies.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Each idea is different, and therefore my approach to enacting each idea is different. What works to make one a reality may not work with the next. My philosophy surrounding business ventures is based in flexibility and adapting to changing circumstances. Situations evolve, and the way I address them evolves alongside. I believe this mindset has done me and my businesses a great deal of good over the years.
What’s one trend that excites you?
Since the development of e-commerce, it has progressed in such a way that it has overtaken in-person shopping in many quarters, especially with the younger demographics. While the model is not yet perfect, it does offer some considerable advantages over traditional shopping. For example, product selection. It used to be that consumers could only choose between whatever products a given store chose to stock, but now, simply by logging online, people have access to virtually any product being manufactured for public consumption in the world! It’s a remarkable development for personal choice, and a trend that I think is very beneficial.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
I try my best not to multitask and instead address only one job at a time before moving on to the next one. I find it helps me to think much clearer and accomplish things much quicker, which really helps my overall productivity. That being said, this is 2024, and sometimes multitasking is unavoidable. Still, I try to refrain from it whenever I can.
What advice would you give your younger self?
If I could give some advice to the younger version of me, I would say, “Don’t be preoccupied with tomorrow as that day will come by itself, enjoy the moments today and don’t forget to always smile and be friendly to others.”
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
I firmly believe that the world will be a better place tomorrow than it was yesterday as we keep learning and evolving. Study the big lines of history rather than the daily news dots!
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Travel. It has brought immense joy to my life, and it has opened my mind to possibilities that never would’ve occurred to me otherwise. I encourage everyone to travel as much as they can. It is one of the most enriching experiences that life has to offer.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I am pretty good at just sitting in a chair and do nothing: just have a coffee and watch the clouds go by. I find that doing so always calms me down and clears my mind.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
If I had to pick one, it would be open-mindedness. I believe that staying receptive to new ideas no matter their origin makes me a better businessman. Off the top of my head, I can think of one or two business ideas I’ve embraced that, at face value, sound sort of silly, but I gave them a shot anyhow and they ended up making a profit. So, in a very real way, open-mindedness has increased my material wealth.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
Shortly after finishing my education, I launched a television production business that didn’t end up working out. It was called Amsterdam Features International BV, but I don’t consider it a failure. I learned quite a lot from running that company, even though it folded. The lessons that experience provided me with were invaluable, and they still guide me in my career to this day.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Without recommending a specific idea, I will say that the time seems right to enter the green energy sector, right now. It looks very much like there will be a massive global demand for renewable energy both in the near future, and over the long-term.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
I use video teleconferencing software a fair amount in the course of keeping my business affairs in order. When I must have a meeting and I can’t be there in person, it can be quite useful.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
I recently bought a book about the history of Portugal: “História da naçâo Portuguesa”. It is written by the French historian Yves Léonard, but I am reading the Portuguese translation. This serves my two purposes of better understanding the Portuguese past and present, and I improve on my Portuguese language skills.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
I’ll watch any well-done travelog or travel documentary series. My favorite of all time was Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdain, but I’ve also enjoyed many others. As to why I enjoy the genre, I suppose, as a fairly well-traveled person myself, I identify with the need to seek out new places and absorb cultures that are unknown to me. Also, by watching these types of shows, sometimes I get ideas about possible destinations for me to check out next.
Key learnings
-When embarking on a business venture, adaptability is key.
-Travel broadens the mind and enriches the soul.
-Being open-minded is a savvy business strategy.
-Don’t worry, be happy (yes, like the song;-)