Spending a day with Melanie Schichan from Vyld

November 25, 2024

Vyld has been operating at a Unicorn Workspace since January 2023.

A message from Melanie:

We develop and produce radically sustainable, ocean friendly and healthy, absorbent products made from seaweed. Our alternative to conventional products, which usually end up as waste in the ocean, are completely biodegradable and ecologically sound. Besides being manufactured resource efficiently, they also actively contribute to stabilizing marine environments.

Check out the launch of our first product, the Kelpon, in our online shop: https://www.vyldness.com

It’s 8 a.m. Are you already wide awake, or still in a deep sleep?

At 8 a.m. I’ve been up for a while and ideally I’ll already have had my first coffee (which is unfortunately not as good as Unicorn’s). My morning routine is primarily about waking up my daughter and getting her to believe that rolling out of bed is a great idea.

It’s 10 a.m., time for a team meeting. There’s a lot that has to be discussed. You’re making a lot of progress, even if everyone is not always in agreement. What makes a good team?

Radical honesty, as well as allowing for gut feelings #intuition. And when there’s not a clearly discernible ‘yes’, then rather a ’no’.

It’s 11 a.m. You have a meeting with a client. How do you plan on making a good impression?

Getting to know one another personally is really valuable. So right from the beginning, we’ll invite our partners to come to the Vyld office or we’ll go visit them.

It’s 1 p.m., time for a lunch break. Do you have a quick bite to eat and get back to work or take a more lengthy break?

At Vyld, we prepare our own lunches a lot and take turns cooking in teams. #vegan

It’s 3 p.m. You’re having quite a day! Your meeting with the investors was a total success, but right before the next meeting your computer conks out. What will you do?

If the computer’s not working, then I’ll probably have some time off.

It’s 4 p.m. and you have a meeting with the press. It gets a bit personal as they ask, “Have you been particularly influenced by someone?” and “What are you especially proud of?”.

Our core expertise as founders is that we are true all-rounders with involvement in various areas: film production, organizational development, unconditional basic income and now a green tech company, too.

It’s 6 p.m. You’ve finished work for the day. You see a huge billboard in front of the train station with the heading “NEW WORK”. What’s the first thing that comes to your mind?

It can also be more than a buzzword.

It’s 10 p.m. Time for your last thoughts before going to bed. What do you wish you had known 10 years ago that would be helpful for you today?

Once you turn 30, monk’s pepper!