Meet the entrepreneur – Simon Bacher, Ling

Welcome to our series, 'Meet the entrepreneur', where we sit down with founders, CEOs and the like and get to know the person behind the business.

This week’s business owner is the CEO and Co-Founder of Ling, Simon Bacher.

Q: Can you tell us a bit about the business?

Simon: Ling is a popular language app designed to help users master new languages. With a dedicated team, the app has had over 5 million downloads and exceeded $2 million in revenue last year.

Q: What is your Monday morning routine to get you in the mood for a successful week?

Simon: My week starts off in the pool where I do laps. I try to do this three times a week as it's meditative for me and gives me the agility I need for the week ahead.

Q: What helps you wind down at the end of the day?

Simon: My wife and daughters really help me to remember to unwind, otherwise I don't think I'd stop working. We'll play on the Switch, cook together, or play board games.

Q: What do you do to stay ProActive (please excuse the pun) when times are hard as a business owner?

Simon: I go out and network with people. When you're in a rut, the best way to get out of it is to talk about it with others and often end up with solutions and new business relationships.

Q: What are your biggest challenges as a business owner and how have you overcome them?

Simon: For many, it can be motivation. Surround yourself with a support team and network. Make sure to remain social and keep time for yourself where you do something that has nothing at all to do with work. Founding a company takes dedication and work, but you'll need balance to maintain motivation.

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