Lifestyle

A Look Back at the Accomplishments of Thomas Despin

Published

6 years ago

April 12, 2020

‘Each and every accomplishment starts with a decision to try’ is a famous saying that emphasizes the importance of trying hard. Once you have established your purpose, it is important to analyze all business ideas with practicality and feasibility. Some of the most significant achievements have been made solely because someone didn’t stop trying to accomplish their purpose. Thomas Despin, the CEO of reconnect, has left a trail of accomplishments on his way to success. His accomplishments are a result of his perseverance, hard work and an understanding that making mistakes is essential to grow.

Thomas Despin is a french entrepreneur, born in 1991. He started his journey when he was just 18 years old. Whilst studying psychology he began ‘Redact-Or’, a copywriting freelance business that focused primarily on SEO optimized content. He managed to earn a huge profitable amount regardless of still being enrolled in university and volunteering simultaneously. Collectively he gained experience, a profit on his investments and passed all his university exams. The next step was the establishment of an event organizing company called ‘IdProd’. This company ran successfully for 3 years. It operated mainly in Bordeaux, France. The company targeted student associations and the nightlife. Their demand grew remarkably to 4 events a week. He learnt the skills of negation, marketing and bartending. This company proved to be really profitable in terms of both money and his reputation.

When Thomas Dispen was 23 years old, he embarked on his next adventure. He started cycling from France and travelled through 20 countries and covered an approximate of 12,000km. This journey helped him encounter over a 100 entrepreneurs. He learnt from their experiences and shared them with the world. He cycled for 14 months and completed his project. He made the journey feasible by spending only 7 euros a day and sleeping in his tent. After he accomplished his cycling goals, he was determined to begin his next chapter. He started ‘Big Deal Empire’ which was a drop shipping business that sold sportswear from China to France. This was so successful that just in a matter of 11 months, he earned $750,000. This helped him generate 25% profit and hence, at 25 he had established a 6-figure business. When he no longer felt the drive to go further with this project, he decided to create ‘Do You’ which was basically a motivational clothing brand that specifically targeted entrepreneurs. He created these t-shirts with what he believed was his inspiration back then, being “Do You”, “Hustle”, “Do More”, “1% Better” and “Dream Big”. These shirts are still available privately and most of their customers still maintain their loyalty.

Passion is an important ingredient to success, when Thomas Dispen discovered his passion rested elsewhere he decided to close the drop shopping business. This led to the establishment of Hustlers Villa. The Hustlers Villa is located in Ubud, Bali. This space is a dedication to entrepreneurs that work online and it helps provide a comfortable space that encourages them to work better. They have hosted 250 entrepreneurs so far and hosted 60 events. The Hustlers Villa continues to be in operation.

Thomas Despin’s latest venture is Reconnect, an eco-friendly sustainable resort located at Buka Buka Island, in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. This island has already set a firm foot in the tourism industry and has benefited the local communities with the vast employment opportunities. Investment in remote areas of Indonesia is a tedious process, but he strived to work with the government and the locals to gain their trust resulting in mutual benefit. The island aspires to conserve nature’s resources and has opened the gates for meaningful investment opportunities to multiple remote areas in Indonesia. He plans to continue working on developing eco-resorts and promoting impactful investments for the next 5 years.

Lifestyle

The Message Women Need Today: Cathi Carrier’s Mission to Bring Back Self-Worth

Published

2 days ago

March 27, 2026

Michelle Langton

Many women spend years quietly stepping out of the frame, avoiding cameras, hiding behind filters, or brushing off compliments because they no longer recognize the person staring back at them. It is not vanity that drives those moments; it’s a deeper feeling of slipping away from yourself. That emotional weight is something Cathi Carrier has witnessed for more than three decades, and it’s what shaped the mission behind Purely Bella.

Cathi didn’t build her career in a boardroom. She built it in a treatment room, one client at a time, listening to stories that rarely make it into conversations about skincare. Women would sit down and immediately apologize for their appearance, convinced they were “too late” to take care of themselves. What she saw instead were women who had given so much to others that they had forgotten how to give to themselves.

Her understanding didn’t come from textbooks. It began when she was a teenager struggling with acne that felt bigger than a skin issue; it affected her confidence, her social life, and even the way she carried herself. That experience gave her empathy long before she had professional expertise. She knew what it meant to feel uncomfortable in your own skin, and she never forgot it.

In her treatment room, skincare became something deeper than cleansing and moisturizers. It became a place where women were welcomed without judgment, where they could talk openly, exhale, and feel seen. Over the years, she learned that skin reflects far more than age or stress. It reflects how much space a woman has allowed herself to take up in her own life.

Stories like Sara’s stayed with her. Sara, a retired schoolteacher, walked in with her shoulders rounded and her spirit dulled. She apologized repeatedly for her skin, barely making eye contact. Carrier designed a simple treatment plan, but the real change came from the conversations, the consistency, and the small moments where Sara started to reconnect with herself. Months later, Sara hugged her and said she finally felt like herself again. That transformation, skin healing paired with emotional renewal, is what convinced Carrier that skincare can be a form of healing when done with intention.

Still, she reached a limit. Her treatment room could only help one woman at a time. The desire to create a greater impact pushed her to start Purely Bella, a brand built to carry her philosophy beyond the walls of her spa. The transition wasn’t glamorous. She had to learn manufacturing, sourcing, regulations, and everything in between. But she stayed focused on real women and real results, clean formulations that worked, without the fear-based marketing the industry often leans on.

Purely Bella’s mission is rooted in a simple promise: you don’t need to turn back time to feel beautiful. You need to move forward with confidence and grace, knowing your best self is not behind you. Cathi believes this deeply. She speaks often about how a morning skincare routine is not just about products, it’s a daily choice to care for yourself, a reminder that you matter.

Her mission is also a response to the pressures women absorb from the world around them. Society is quick to tell women their value fades with every birthday. Cathi rejects that entirely. She wants daughters to grow up watching their mothers feel proud in photos, not hide from them. She wants women to recognize that aging is not the enemy; the real enemy is the culture that tells them to shrink as they grow older.

In a crowded beauty landscape, Cathi Carrier is not asking women to chase perfection. She is inviting them to remember who they are, and to step back into the frame with confidence.