#46: Anouck Gotlib, Cofounder and CEO of Belgian Boys — Building a company when you’re a creative, dealing with your cofounder when he’s also your spouse, and the power of a walk out song
Anouck Gotlib, Cofounder and CEO of Belgian Boys, transitioned from fashion to running a sweet snack company in Brooklyn with her husband. She shares her inspiring journey of overcoming imposter syndrome and creating a joyful company culture. Anouck highlights the power of storytelling in branding and the importance of communication while working with a spouse. She also discusses the balancing act of self-care and mindfulness in the face of burnout, all while encouraging moments of happiness through her unique approach to business.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Founding Story of Belgian Boys
Belgian Boys was founded from Greg's desire to bring Belgian treats to the US after friends loved them.
Anouck met Greg on a plane and combined her fashion creativity with his entrepreneurial drive to start the business.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Career Shift to CEO
Anouck left her toxic fashion job to join Belgian Boys full-time after getting engaged.
She transitioned from design to CEO by focusing on culture, trust, and operational strength.
insights INSIGHT
Complementary Founder Roles Emerge
Anouck and Greg reverse roles: Greg now drives creativity while Anouck manages business and execution.
Trusting each other's intentions allowed them to avoid micromanagement and scale efficiently.
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In this book, James P. Carse distinguishes between finite and infinite games. Finite games are instrumental activities with clear rules, boundaries, and winners, such as sports, politics, and wars. Infinite games, on the other hand, are authentic interactions that aim to continue the play, changing rules and boundaries as needed. Carse explores how these concepts apply to various aspects of life, including culture, religion, sexuality, and self-discovery. He argues that finite games offer wealth, status, and power, while infinite games provide something more subtle and grander, such as true freedom and endless possibility. The book offers insights into how approaching life as either a finite or infinite game affects one's choices, satisfaction, and success[2][4][5].
From Start-Up to Grown-up
Alisa Cohn
Radical Candor
Be a Kick-ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity
Kim Scott
Radical Candor by Kim Scott offers a practical approach to management by emphasizing the importance of caring personally and challenging directly. The book argues that effective managers must find a balance between being empathetic and providing clear, honest feedback. Scott draws from her experiences at Google and Apple to provide actionable lessons on building strong relationships, giving feedback, and creating a collaborative work environment. The book introduces the concept of 'radical candor' as the sweet spot between obnoxious aggression and ruinous empathy, and provides tools and strategies for managers to implement this approach in their daily work[1][2][5].
Anouck Gotlib, the Cofounder and CEO of Belgian Boys - a sweet snack company out of Brooklyn, NY, - started her career in fashion. With no business background, she ended up cofounding Belgian Boys with her husband and did a whole bunch of learning by doing.
In this episode of From Start-up to Grown-up, hear about her fascinating journey, her very fresh approach on mundane things like the company handbook, and how her mission to spark moments of happiness gets brought to life. Anouck also talks about how her work with her coach has helped her, and why she has a walk on song.
From Start-Up to Grown-Up 
