Many people Have compared their first day at LIFT99 to their first day of school - they walk in, they don’t really know what they’ve gotten themselves into and there are so many names to remember. You’re even asked to wear slippers and you have your own spot to sit at.
At LIFT99, just like school, there’s also that one person who is very hard to miss, because they have an amazing air of approachability to them. This person tends to be an integral member of the community, greeting you first thing in the morning and waving goodbye when you’re stepping out of the door. It is remarkable how these people manage to find something in common with anyone and everyone, but somehow they do just that. For LIFT99, that person is Adrien, a Frenchman, who’s managed to see the world for all the wonders it has to offer and now calls Estonia his home.
Why is he wearing Airpods? Well, he is always wearing them and constantly on a call, so if you catch Adrien in his natural habitat, he will most likely be wearing those while loudly speaking in French.
So Adrien, where are you from and what do you do now, work wise?
Having done all the marketing and behind-the-curtains work for different companies, I saw an opportunity to use that knowledge and start training people myself. One would say that my niche in this field is my ability to build a strong community among the people who follow my courses.
For my job now, I sell English lessons to French speaking people online. My company ISpeakSpokeSpoken was founded back in 2016. I still remember how it all started on a warm July in my kitchen in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Today, the company has grown to be the biggest English learning community on the French-speaking market. This is my first company and an unexpected success with and amazing community.
About my childhood - I grew up in France, in a very remote village in the countryside. My family had a farm with goats, hundreds of chickens, many cats and dogs.
This was an interesting time, but not the life I wanted to live.
I have done many different things, from being a sales person in the luxury boutiques of the French Riviera to online marketing. This is also what made me learn Russian for example.
Young Adrien in the French countryside.
How did life lead you to Estonia and LIFT99?
I found LIFT99 in a pretty boring way - just a good ol’ Google search. I decided to come for a visit, Kristiina gave me a tour and I decided to stay for a day pass.
After an hour I went for the full membership. The diversity of the people here and the relaxed, chill atmosphere just blew me off my feet. It gives me a chance to meet with people who have different skill sets and... well, can’t forget the 24/7 access, for night-time ping pong tournaments.
I don't know a better way to describe Estonia other than “a country that matches my personality”. If I had the whole wide world to choose a country to live in, it would still be Estonia, as it is a young, vibrant country with a good vibe.
I visited Estonia three whole times before deciding to stay for good, and yes - I will be staying. Estonia seemed like the best environment to keep growing my online business while offering good quality of life.
And how has the LIFT99 experience treated you so far?
Being part of LIFT99 has been a very educational ride for me. I have had the opportunity to learn from very different, brilliant people. It keeps me socially active and motivated. All of this is very important to me, since working in an online business might otherwise put you in the dead cycle of working alone in front of your computer and becoming antisocial, here at LIFT99 I couldn’t even get the smallest chance to be antisocial.
The people around me inspire me the most.
You are a busy man, but how do you like to spend your time off?
Adrien’s colour is most definitely yellow, matching the vibrance and warmth.
There is no point in asking how I spend my time off (joke here), because all of this English is not going to teach itself. However, the moments of having time off I like to spend reading. A book recommendation from me would be “The Intelligent Investor” by Benjamin Graham.
I also love to travel, I have not been able to keep count of all the countries I have visited, there's probably around 30 of them. My top-of-the-list country for travelling would have to be Russia again and Ukraine, where I haven’t been yet.
What about your future plans?
Estonia is my number one country, and I see, as well as plan myself having a future here. For the reasons mentioned above, I would like to grow my company here even more. Currently most of my future plans are mostly connected to my business as I plan to expand it, maybe even add another language for lessons. The specifics, such as which language are not 100% clear yet, so this will be a surprise for me as well.
I definitely plan to travel even more, see some countries I have not been to before to gather new experiences and find more interesting people and connections. The rest is up for the future to decide.
Big merci to Adrien, as well as the many other Frenchmen, who have brought a lovable piece of the French language and culture to our Tallinn Hub, it has been (and will continue to be) such a joy for us.