The man in the black hoody is busy dictating emails into his smartphone. The video trailer for his new book has yet to be finished. Finally he’s ready. Jochen Schweizer lounges in the leather armchair and explains why he wrote a novel as an entrepreneur. Is that the new trend now? Drugstore king Dirk Rossmann has already written the second thriller. At some point Schweizer takes off the dark hood and is deeply immersed in his novel. “The encounter. A story about the path to a self-determined life ”is the name of it and has been published by Droemer Knaur-Verlag.
He contains 120 theses, something like the sum of his experiences, which he now wants to pass on. Schweizer says he was an adventurer who had the idea of selling people experiences. In his Jochen-Schweizer-Arena near Munich, which is also where his workspace is, it works very directly: surfing, flying on a cushion of air, virtual reality. Schweizer sold its adventure vacation division to the TV group Pro-Sieben-Sat1 in 2017. Since then he has been what is called a “made man”. What’s next?
Mr Schweizer, why did you write a novel as an entrepreneur?
Jochen Schweizer: Certainly not because of the fee. Money makes you unhappy and I’m unhappy enough as it is.
So why?
I am 65 years old. If all goes well, I might have 30 years to go. It’s a long time to learn something new, but also to pass on knowledge. As an entrepreneur, you have to do something. And I’ve been thinking about what to say to those who follow. I am at the beginning of my third phase of life. The first third was a wild adventure, in the second I achieved everything economically. Now I want to give something back.
“Then I wrote down 120 theses that are important to me”
That sounds like advice for the good entrepreneur, but you’ve written an adventure novel set in harsh Norway.
I have a hut myself, which I often retire to. Quite secluded. The car is parked a good distance away. On an infernal storm night in November, when rain and salt water were lashed against the walls of my hut, I wondered what I would have to say to myself if I could meet my youthful self at the age of 15. Then I wrote down 120 theses that are important to me and that I want to pass on. They are all in the novel. I then called my publisher, who had already asked for a new book several times, and said: “I have an idea.”
What kind of theses?
For example, that we humans are nothing other than the sum of our experiences and experiences.
Which is why Jochen sells Swiss experiences.
Yes, people who experience something are more fully present in their own life. There’s no point in piling up objects. Most of the things we strive for lose their appeal when we have them. But experiences are immortal and the memory of good experiences can even grow stronger over the years. I am easy to inspire and also like to inspire other people. I used to be an experience producer when I was still thinking in analogue. I was able to reach 50,000 people a year with my offers. Then the digital age began around 2002, and Facebook was founded in 2004. And in 2004 I went online with my own website, through which I not only convey my own adventure facilities, but also very good experiences from other experience providers. With this idea I reached and still reach millions of people.
Do you think you changed the world with your idea of conveying experiences?
No, I don’t think so. But I’ve made the world a little more colorful for many people and created a completely new product group with the experience gift. In truth, every gift is also one for the one who gives it away, because whoever gives away beautiful experiences, will remain in the recipient’s memory forever.
Also a lesson from the book?
If you will.
“I want to be able to surf the green, unbroken wave”
Hakon, the main character in her novel, is a 95-year-old man, an adventurer, a kayaker – just like you. Have you created a role model for your readers?
I am not suitable as a role model because I am too imperfect for that. I’m not at all a fan of having role models, because you shouldn’t strive to be like someone else, but instead to find yourself. But again and again I discover exemplary characteristics in people I meet, which I try to make my own, even if this person is otherwise perhaps highly imperfect. But if someone tells you what your way should be, then this is not your way. You develop your own path with every step you take independently. All people are born as originals, unfortunately many die as copies.
Another tenet.
But that’s true, isn’t it? Did you read that part of my book about the whalers?
No.
Hakon tries to end the whaling by buying their ships from the whalers. But that can’t work because you can’t turn a whaler into a farmer. Hakon realizes that he can only change something with people and not against people. That is why he finances the conversion of the hunting ships into whale watching ships by making the whalers understand that this is the only way for their sons to feed their families with these ships. These are thoughts that are important to me, that I want to pass on.
Do you actually regret something?
No, repentance is like an attack on yourself.
What are you going to do?
I am currently training surfing. This is my new passion. I want to be able to surf the green, unbroken wave.
Is that it?
No, I will tell you a dream. In Norway my hut is on a bare rock. I hauled earth up there for 40 years. Whenever I climb up, I have earth with me. About 20 bags of 25 kilograms each year. Trees are now growing up there because there is enough earth. My next big project is going to be about trees. I don’t want to say more about that yet.