Interview with Jens Jung, CEO of John Baker. Written by Melanie Gath.
What kind of father are you? Are there things you would like to do differently? What do you want to give your children for their journey? What significance does nature have for your family? These are just some of the questions that Franz Bittmann asks in his interview format. He meets with fathers and seeks an honest exchange. He gives family fathers a voice, and in the "from father to father" conversation, they discuss the challenges that being an entrepreneur and the desire to be a good father bring with them.
Franz Bittmann invented the owl – inspired by his three children. Three adventurous children. He is the Founder and Co-CEO of namuk. From a young age, his children were outdoors, as often and for as long as they were allowed. But only as long as their clothing could withstand their wild ideas. With his years of experience in the textile industry, Franz soon made it his mission to produce his own outdoor clothing for children that would last longer and truly enable little adventurers to stay in nature for as long as they want, as long as there is something new to discover and try out. With namuk, he launched his passion project in 2016.
"My guilty conscience..."
His conviction: Nature is the home of us all, and it is our duty to protect it. Nature is our most important school. In nature, we can simply be. Among trees, in meadows, by the water, on mountains, surrounded by animals, we experience differently, we feel differently, and we grow differently. Children feel a different kind of freedom outdoors, use the creativity in their minds, and grow up to be courageous explorers.
"I am the father of three wonderful children, and let me preface this by saying: I take my guilty conscience and a dissatisfaction with my 'performance' as a dad and husband to work with me every day," Franz wrote in a personal letter in 2023, in which he addressed fathers. You can read his lines here.
With this, he wanted to initiate a discourse and let fathers have their say. And this very motivation is behind this new format that he has now launched.
"Of course, I try to convey values that are as cool as possible."
In the first conversation, he met with Jens Jung. He is the Founder and CEO of John Baker. You can watch the entire interview here:
