DIAMOND ATELIER X PAGNOL
As our first Pagnol "Entrepreneur rider" but in this case also a creative, we are extremely honored to feature one of the young masters at Diamond Atelier custom motorcycles in Germany, Tom Konecny with his M2 jacket.
We've been fans of their work for a while and really relate to their minimal, clean aesthetics, right geometry and overall vibe, but as if just featuring him wasn't enough, we have him here with their latest amazing build, the BMW DA#6. Check out his gallery here by Lukas Magerl, DA website and stay tuned for his partner's feature, Pablo Steigleder.
Now for this entrepreneur riders campaign, we have added an interview, going deeper behind the scenes and "minds" of these riders to learn more about their story and inspire people to go for their passions. Enjoy!
What did you do before becoming a full time motorcycles custom builder-designer?
I worked at one of the world's largest and most prestigious law firms. It actually was a really cool job: I met many immensely interesting and powerful people of whom some were making an hourly wage close to my monthly income. It was a crazy world and I'm happy I had the opportunity to have a glimpse at it. And of course the paychecks weren't too bad either.
I am glad you said this! We are not here to put anybody down that does not do what we do and how we do it, if somebody LOVES law, then good for them! as long as they ride! ha ha
What made you do the jump to have your own business?
The realization that money and fancy suits isn't all there is in life. At least not for me. I went to business school and saw my fellow classmates always looking for internships and trying to climb up the career ladder as fast as they could, but without actually enjoying their jobs. In college you are always taught how to lead people, how to realize strategies, how to implement change, etc... But the truth is that for the first couple of years you don't do any of that. You are just one tiny piece in a big system that is expected to do as it is told. Unless you start your own business and do things your way.
What relationship do you see in being a Moto rider and business owner?
I guess one of the big similarities is thinking ahead. When riding a bike in heavy traffic you must always think for everyone else on the road near you to avoid an accident. Most crashes are not the motorcycle rider's fault, but it's still us who get injured the most. Therefore you need to think a few seconds or a few hundred meters ahead of you and foresee what will happen. It's the same with a creative business, especially with custom bikes. Our business strategy is not set up like a traditional automotive company. We work with very short-timed trends in accordance to an extremely fast changing environment...like for example in the fashion industry. So to stay ahead of the game, we have to take a good guess to foresee in which direction the industry will move so we will be right there when it happens.
For track riding is the same but in a different way. MotoGP Pramac team manager Francesco Guidotti gave a great tip, you have to "plan in your head" what you are going to do before you start riding, because once you are on the track, is too late! Things happen so fast.
But do you also think true Moto riders might have a fearless personality for doing their own biz?
I don't believe it is about fear. More about the right self-assessment and how to use it to function as a business owner. There is too many people out there who find out about a niche, a new product or just any kind of good temporary business investment and then try to exploit it to the maximum, rather than building a sustainable source to hold up their company through all times. By objectively evaluating your own personality and skills, you can shape yourself to becoming a better business man and eventually to leading a more competitive company. This is not exclusive to motorcycle riders, but it's definitely on the plus side to be good in handling risk.