Do you know when you are successful?

After 10 years work with Tings it’s time for reflection

In 2009 we left Copenhagen after more than 20 years in the European business world working with the best projects and products for the best companies in the most attractive industries in the world. And with pretty good results on our CV.

The prospect of continuing our professional careers another 20 years or more in jobs that could never be more than ‘second best’ was not particularly interesting.

Instead we decided to realize a project we had been working on since we returned to Copenhagen in 2001 after a year around the world with our backpacks.

The project was Tings: A universe consisting of Hotels, Art Consultancy, Quality Lifestyle Products, Restaurant and services within our experience, expertise and interests.

But what only a few people know, is that Tings also works as a platform from where we want to inspire, motivate and support young talent to realize their potential and dreams. Not to change the world – only to change the life for those who pass through our life, those who understand what we offer them and have the drive, attitude, energy and initiative to take the ball and run with it.

After almost 10 years its time to evaluate our achievements.

With Tings Lisbon up and running, Tings Kathmandu still topping the list of  places to stay, and Tings Tea Lounge still surprising travelers with its very good Non Nepalese kitchen, the core elements in our business concept has proved it’s eligible. Add to this our succesful pashminas, accessories, soaps etc in our lifestyle concept Tings Ting and more that 50 art and culture projects all over the world through Tings Art.

Tings may be a small brand in terms of business. But the way it crosses borders, traditions, cultures, industries and minds has proved that our main focuses works – that it’s possible to start-up business in different countries and hand it over to others without loosing our values.

Tings Kathmandu will never be the same if you leave a lot of our friends – and especially the Kathmandu expat crowd – said, when we left to start-up our second Tings.

They were right. It’s a lot more!

When we’re not in Kathmandu it’s Dorje’s Tings. She runs then place using all our ‘management’ tools from our business past and with the same focus on respect, tolerance, caring and business focus as we do. But in her own interpretation!!!

Today Dorje is not only our boss. She is our partner!

Being a young successfull Tibetan woman in a patriarchal Hindu culture where the medieval caste system in many ways still rules is an achievement that is impossible to understand for people living in the western world.

Which brings us to the consideration part of our Tings Project

Yesterday Dorje took the girls out for a picnics.

When we saw photos on Facebook of her and her powerful staff, we knew that we have achieved something. We won’t change the world – but at least we have changed the life for a few talented young boys and girls.

The power Dorje’s photos represent is our proof.

Add to this Sudip and the other boys looking after Tings while the girls have fun – not to mention Jit, Mithun, Aman, Sagar , BiJay and Baal who continue their careers across the world… 🙂 .Not to mention the artists we have supported and helped who are blooming in various parts of the world, the business projects we have helped come to life, the small factories we work with… then we know, that we’re on the right track

In the many years we have lived in Nepal we have seen countless NGO and Government projects being started up, only to close down again once the funding is finished.

Tings is not only running on its 8th year without funding at all. Tings generates enough resources to continue our involvement in local talent – not by us. By us and Dorje together 🙂

Now we know that Tings is a self-sustainable business we dreamed of creating more than 10 years ago. case – or as we call it: business with consideration

So yes – we know that we are successful… at least a little bit 🙂