Alumni

How can taking your time when choosing a career lead to success?

An interview with the owner of NOTK and the best sommelier in the Netherlands - By Julia Kobiolka

For this week's blog, we would like to introduce you to Lukas Wiegman. After completing his bachelor's at Hotelschool The Hague, it took him a while to realise what he really wanted to do until his passion for wine had taken him all around the world. He is now the proud owner of NOTK, a place where they combine a wine restaurant, wine education, and consultancy/investment. Additionally, they run an online company that sells imported wines. He was recently awarded the title of best sommelier in the Netherlands.

What did you do after graduating?   

After graduating, I was so focused on what my peers were doing; they all wanted to pursue a master's degree, higher management, going corporate. I really looked up to these people, and I was very driven to also go down that path. I have a really big interest in training and development. Therefore, I did my final internship focused on H.R. at a company in Amsterdam, which was a hospitality consultancy firm. We created a lot of masterclasses on training the trainers and trying to instil hospitality behaviours into managers, as well as first-line employees. During the time I was there, they shifted towards e-learning as well because it was massive back then. It was very interesting. Later, I did some interviews with big hotel chains like Hilton and went into a management program that really focused on H.R. I don't really know what happened, but I ended up quitting and taking a sabbatical. I kind of had some very deep thoughts about myself and some good conversations with friends and family, and I did some soul-searching. I decided that I already had a really keen interest in wine and food for quite some time. I drove my car to France to do a harvest at a domain at a winery, which was kind of set up by my old boss.

When did you discover your passion for wine?

I did a minor in wine, and we had a wine class. I remember that wasn't a time that I was very interested in wine. I just thought, you know, drinking wine at 9:00 in the morning after a night out in the bar was perfect. I also put no effort into trying to study for the exam. During my time at the Hotelschool, I worked at a restaurant, at multiple restaurants, and at one restaurant that was leaning more towards fine dining. They used to do 3 or 4 courses with a wine pairing, and there was a very enthusiastic restaurant manager who also did the wines. I really looked up to this guy, and he was very passionate about wine, food, hospitality, taking care of your guests. I think that was the start. Then, when I was working in Amsterdam, I started buying more wine. I used to go to all these wine shops and visit all these tastings and really become super geeky about wine. I started buying books and studying wine, and I was very fascinated by it.

How did you decide to start your own restaurant?

I was always very driven and also very focused on studying now; I didn't want to say I passed with flying colours, but it came fairly easy because I was very driven and I always wanted to get the max out of everything that I used to do or still doing today. When I was working in Amsterdam, that was very conflicting for me because at the time I was really thinking about what I want to do in my life. You know, what brings me pleasure? What do I want to contribute to the world? A lot of what I did did not give me satisfaction or made me happy. Then I started thinking, what does? It was a hard process, and it was hard to go back into the hospitality world because then I had to work late nights, work weekends, and start from the bottom. At the same time, I thought I was so interested in wine. When I was working at that wine winery during the harvest, I saw the philosophy about how to treat nature and how to make something so enjoyable, and I saw the process behind it. I was like, I'm sold. I want to do something with this.

What are the biggest obstacles you have encountered so far during your career?

I think there are many practical obstacles, such as money, investment, and operational issues. But I think what it boils down to is just your own mindset. Your own mind can be your biggest obstacle. I think one thing that I've learned is that life is one big struggle, and you need to accept that and stay resilient and as optimistic as you can be. If you're positive, you work hard, are always trying to find solutions and are very goal-oriented, you can do anything you set your mind to. Reflecting on past times, I think the biggest obstacle I had was a lot of self-doubt. At some stages, I was very negative about certain things, and I was spiraling into this negative, pessimistic attitude with a lot of self-loathing.

Also, the willingness to learn from experience is extremely important. For example, At first we wanted to start this idyllic wine focused restaurant, but we couldn't find any investors as it was Covid and everyone was like: “you're crazy!". I'm very thankful and grateful that we started creating a business case that not only revolved around a physical restaurant. We started an import company and a wine service company. We made our business case very strong because we're not only dependent on what happens between these four walls of the restaurant. If the restaurant goes down or some crisis happens, we can still generate revenue. I think those kinds of setbacks, if you tackle them the correct way, can be a very good source of your success.

What was your biggest learning experience from starting your own business?

I think the most important thing is that you should just believe in yourself. I think I can give you many examples of things that went wrong and that we've overcome. However I think everything that you do in your life, if you believe in yourself and are optimistic you can do it. I was very insecure when I graduated because I was so busy with ‘success’. I wasn't focused on the idea of having a very high position or earning a lot of money. Of course, the status and having a lot of money seems to be very nice, but I've always felt a bit different. It's crazy that I sit here in my own restaurant now talking about where I am. It's kind of bizarre how everything turned out. I would never have thought to be opening my own restaurant, and an importing company, while becoming the best sommelier in the Netherlands simultaneously. In the beginning, I felt absolutely lost with a bachelor's degree and really felt very pressured into making a decision based on a very biased and flawed outlook of life.

Where do you see NOTK going in the future?

We've grown very fast. We kind of set up three companies simultaneously. Do we have a clear view overview of where we want to be in the future? I think we do have. We did make a two-year plan, but we haven't really looked into the future. What I would really like to see is that NOTK becomes a very successful restaurant because we can create a lot of happy guests and good financial returns. Also, a very nice place to work for our employees, an inspiring place to work. I want to earn a bit more money than I'm doing now but I think they will come after we've paid off all of our debts. I see ourselves opening up maybe another restaurant. I think imports have a huge potential for growth because it’s scalable and not confined to a physical place. We can import as many wines and we can sell as many wines as we want. I want to focus on the online aspect of selling wines through a webshop, but also connect with the fine dining industry and provide them with unique wines. But all these steps need focus and a strong strategy. It takes good timing and a lot of resources to make that all happen in the upcoming years.

What achievements are you most proud of?

I think one of the things I'm most proud of is the way the last two years have unfolded. When I started this company, I actually started three companies and simultaneously trained for sommeliers competitions. We tripled revenue, and we tripled the size of the team. We have so many happy customers and guests. Additionally, I've become the number one Sommelier in the Netherlands. All this just happened in three years. After I came back from Australia, I was absolutely crushed. I was working for one of the best restaurants in the world that offered me a sponsorship, setting me up for a good life in Melbourne. COVID came, and they pulled my contract. I had to go back home. Picking myself up from the gutter and coming back from all that is an achievement I'm very proud of. Again, that comes back to believing in yourself and trying to see things positively and optimistically.

What is your biggest mistake, and what did you learn from that?

The biggest mistake I made was to think that you need a lot of money or a lot of resources to start a business. Now I believe that you need to know how to either produce value or add value in order to succeed. All the resources you need will come if you have that value proposition clear and know how to sell it. Also, I really feel like once you start something and you have a really big goal, you start to see mountains, and you can feel overwhelmed easily. Try and break it down and make a detailed plan of action. Working day in day out on the plan will give you the edge. Although we are a small organisation we have a lot of meetings and we try to make the operation as clear and efficient as possible. If I see what we’ve achieved in two years I would never have believed it two years ago. But the work we’ve put in daily with the focus and clear strategy makes every goal achievable.

What was the most useful lesson/ thing you learnt at HTH?

I think that the biggest thing I've learned from Hotelschool is that your network is your biggest asset. Suppose you know how to deal with people who are not like you who come from different cultures. If you know how to work and get stuff done with people who have a different view on life than you do, that's very valuable. I think I've become such a social, very understanding and socially smart guy with a very strong network and a very strong emphasis on creating lasting relationships. That gives me a lot of purpose. So far, I've encountered a lot of different people in my career, some with very different personalities; however, Hotelschool has taught me how to adapt to this. You have to have a clear understanding and really learn how to work and communicate with people who are very different from you. I am very appreciative of my time at Hotelschool and working with people from different cultures has been hugely inspirational and helpful.

What would be your advice for students graduating in 2024?

I would say be bold and brave about your ideas, but also be very humble about the stuff that you need to do to acquire those things. Your work ethic should be your trade. Be humbled by all that have come before you and try to learn from everyone and all experiences. Do not focus on that big paycheck or that managerial title. That’s all ego.

Focus on adding value instead and become an expert in your field. Don’t get me wrong; there’s very few people that I have a clear idea on what they want to do, when they come out of school. So also take the time and have the courage to experiment on what you want to do in your life. The money and status will come eventually. You need to work for a really long time in your life, despite what most of us want to believe, so why not figure out something that will give you the most pleasure and enjoyment, with a healthy dose of struggles.

What is your favourite book?

Harry Potter

What was the last movie that you saw?

Annie

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

After becoming an entrepreneur, I would say both

What is your biggest dream in a few words?

To live a full life

Name one thing on your bucket list.

I want to make my own wine

Name one thing that you like to do in your free time.

To drink wine with friends, socialise