JOEP ROVERS
Choose Health every day.
Joep Rovers (33) is an entrepreneur, lifestyle expert, and writer. Joep is an example of how personal experiences and perseverance can lead to success. For years he suffered from eczema, which they called "chronic." Until he radically changed his lifestyle and got rid of it. Since then, he has been on a mission: to help people towards optimal health. His journey led from improving his own health to founding Elvou, a brand that promotes transparency and effectiveness in the health industry. By changing his own life, Joep now helps others do the same. His story revolves around the importance of self-confidence, health, and making your own choices.
From School to Entrepreneurship
Joep Rovers grew up in a pleasant environment with a strong bond with his family. While his sisters followed the traditional school path, Joep decided to go his own way. School was not always his priority; for instance, he regularly smoked weed with friends, which meant it took him nine years to complete his pre-university education. After high school, Joep went to hotel school, a choice stemming from his love for the hospitality industry and working with people. He had always wanted to become an entrepreneur and take control of his own life. After his student life, Joep moved to Amsterdam, where everything is incredibly expensive – so he went to work at Heineken. He soon discovered that the corporate culture offered too few opportunities for advancement and was too process-oriented. That didn't suit him, and he decided to go against the grain and find his way forward.
Work Athlete: Making Health Livable
During that period, Joep started the company Werkatleet together with his childhood friend Jeroen. Jeroen had pointed out to Joep that he wasn't eating healthily and wasn't getting enough exercise, and that it was therefore not surprising that he didn't feel fit. They realized that many people around them weren't taking good care of themselves either: poor nutrition, little exercise, and an unhealthy lifestyle. With Werkatleet, they wanted to help people by making health fun and accessible, with a focus on sports in the workplace. The idea arose to motivate and inspire larger groups, especially those who do not exercise.
The Transition to Elvou
Over time, Joep and Jeroen decided to focus entirely on health and sharing knowledge. His own experience with eczema and the struggle between alternative and conventional health systems spurred him to establish his own line of supplements. “I knew better than anyone what it felt like to scratch myself raw at night because of eczema,” says Joep. He decided to read books that changed his mindset and helped advance his entrepreneurial journey. He also called experienced entrepreneurs to learn from their knowledge, which gave him valuable insights to further develop his company. Joep and Jeroen invested all their savings in the enterprise, and it proved to be a great success. With a fast-growing team, he works on his mission, which is not just about selling products but primarily about sharing knowledge and helping others towards a healthier life.
The System and Sustainable Change
Joep strongly believes in the importance of systems and rhythms. "Everything you do affects how you feel and behave," he explains. He discovered that creating healthy habits is based on a systematic approach to your life, such as good nutrition, sleep, and exercise. His experience with eczema and health taught him that it is important to understand how your body works and how small, daily habits make a difference in the long run. The body is a system that responds to what you do, so Joep applies this principle in both his personal life and his work. This systematic thinking helps people make healthier choices and stick with them.
Off the beaten path
Jeroen is a huge source of inspiration for Joep. Jeroen's older sister has both intellectual and physical disabilities, but Jeroen found a creative way to actively involve her in sports she initially had no interest in. By combining the game of tic-tac-toe with weights at the gym, he managed to motivate her without her realizing she was exercising. Joep finds this thinking outside the box inspiring.
The Power of Sport
Joep strongly believes in the power of sport for both physical and mental resilience. He has learned to find a balance between action and rest. It is important for him to train regularly, but also that it is okay to take a break occasionally and not train for a few days. As a boy, sport was Joep's way of processing his emotions. When he wasn't feeling well, he would grab his football and just go play. Sport became his way of regaining balance and improving his mood.
Mindset and Acceptance
“It’s okay to have a shitty day every now and then,” he says. It’s about accepting your emotions and dealing with them, for example by writing or making small changes. His philosophy is simple: start with small, daily changes that you can stick with, such as getting daylight in the morning or taking a short walk.
Music as Inspiration
Joep draws inspiration from music. He plays the piano himself and enjoys listening to Tupac. Tupac's lyrics from the song Changes: "Let's change where we eat, let's change where we live, let's change how we treat each other" remind him that change starts with oneself and that we have the power to improve our situation.
Let Go of What Someone Else Thinks About It
Een belangrijke tip van Joep voor anderen is om los te laten wat anderen van je denken. 'Laat los wat een ander ervan vindt!' is een overtuiging die bijdraagt aan een gezonder leven. Het helpt je om eigen keuzes te maken in zowel je professionele als persoonlijke leven en je niet te laten beïnvloeden door de meningen van anderen.
