Johan Mostert is the owner of Mostert & van de Weg, a trading and transportation company in the agricultural sector. Johan took over the family business, based in Nijkerkerveen, from his father in 2010. Today, he is also a co-owner of three other companies focused on food storage and processing, machinery sales, and contract work for the livestock industry. “When I took over Mostert & van de Weg, I wanted to broaden our scope,” Johan explains. “My goal was to spread risks while offering my customers a comprehensive package. That’s why I looked to diversify within the agricultural sector.”
Johan built a solid organization with a diversified business portfolio, but that didn’t make his challenges any easier. “We have to deal with strict regulations in the fertilizer sector,” says Johan. “And those regulations change frequently, making it harder to sell our products. The expected decline in the fertilizer market also makes it challenging to retain and expand our customer base.”
A Man of Action
Even at a young age, Johan was a go-getter, a man of action. At sixteen, he left school to work in his father’s business. When he was eighteen, he took over a local wood fiber business, which he sold a few years later. Then he returned to the family business. “In the beginning, I was driving the truck,” Johan says. “I loved that work, and I still do, actually. When I later took over the business, I thought to myself: wow, there’s so much to it. I hadn’t realized beforehand that the agricultural sector could be so unpredictable. I’d never gone to school for it; I just jumped right in. That’s how I tackled everything.”
Johan learned mainly by doing, but in 2022 he realized he wanted to get more out of himself. That’s when Johan joined Straight-Line Leadership, which turned out to be a perfect fit for his practical, no-nonsense entrepreneurial style. “It’s not some vague, abstract nonsense,” says Johan. “They have both feet firmly on the ground, and it’s not just about theory. The most important thing is putting that knowledge into practice.”
"The stories in my head had taken over."
Responding with calm and focus
Since then, Johan has noticed that he has more energy and handles stressful situations more effectively. Although his days are no less busy, he does experience greater mental calm. “Everything just becomes easier, which leaves me with more energy and allows me to get more done,” he explains. “I work out four times a week, even when I have busy weeks. Before, I didn’t have the energy to get off the couch after work. And if something comes up with my business, I can respond to it with calm and focus.”
A recent example was in late 2023, when he built a warehouse with space for 6,000 pallets. Johan’s plan was not only to rent out the space but to offer a comprehensive package, including logistics and handling. Six months later, the warehouse was completed and the new employees were ready to go. The only problem: demand had vanished. Instead of a shortage of storage space, there was a surplus. Johan approached several companies, but without success.
No sleepless nights
In the past, he probably would have backed out of the deal. “The stories in my head would have taken over,” says Johan. “I would have lost sleep over it and might even have changed my mind in the end. After all, I was getting offers every week to rent out the entire building, so without that total package. When I suddenly had no customers, it became very tempting to say yes to that.”
The entrepreneur didn’t let his emotions get the better of him; he simply looked at the facts. Johan: “I asked myself: what was really going on here? I had no customers. Okay, would my business go under if this continued for six months? No. So I stayed calm and took the steps necessary to achieve my goal. Eventually, through a local real estate agency, I did come into contact with a suitable client, with whom I closed a deal for the next five years. And I didn’t lose a single night’s sleep over it.”
"I've learned to set my emotions aside and focus on the facts."
Get to the heart of the matter faster
Johan interacts with people more mindfully, both with his business partners and his employees. “I used to operate mostly on autopilot,” he explains. “I’ve always been good to my people, but I’ve grown into someone who truly listens and is more patient when something comes up. For example, if an employee makes a mistake, I don’t immediately jump in with all sorts of judgments, but I listen first. What’s going on, why did it happen, and what’s behind it? That works much more effectively.”
The entrepreneur has noticed that he now solves problems more quickly. This is because he gets to the heart of the matter, but also because he no longer puts things off. Johan: “I used to put off difficult issues. In my head, I’d build a whole story around them and dread them like a mountain. I’ve learned not to let my emotions get in the way and to look at the facts. What’s the situation? What do I need to do to solve this? And now I tackle it right away.”
This development has had a positive impact not only on his mental well-being but also on his financial results: “My profits increased by 45 percent over the course of two years, in an industry that’s certainly not the easiest. It’s all thanks to the mental peace and clarity I’ve found.”
