How 34 Year Old Philippe Vasilescu Built a Name For Himself

At just 34 years old, Philippe Vasilescu already has more than 10 years of entrepreneurial experience. Born in France to a native-French mother and a Romanian immigrant father, Philippe decided early in his life to push himself beyond his comfort zone and pursue the life he truly wanted. This journey has already led him to seven countries where he has used his renowned wine and spirits, public relations, and event management expertise to amass millions in net sales.

Building a Name

Before the millions in sales or serving as an ambassador for prestigious brands like LOUIS XIII, Philippe had garnered the education and built the relationships necessary for success. He obtained his associates degree from Berlin SEL and followed that up with his masters from French management school ESSCA. But even with his degrees, he had to learn how to connect with people and companies, sometimes without ever interacting. During most of the business opportunities I had, I was not able to meet the main decision maker,” Philippe explains. “Therefore I had to find my own strategy to succeed to be in front.” 

Finding Success

Those strategies proved successful. Soon, Philippe was actually meeting those in charge, forging relationships with the influential people at the heart of various companies. I have met a lot of very influential people that I convinced to do business with me,” he begins.  “It took me time to create relationships with them, but as soon as the trust was established, they opened their own network which helped me to generate more and more business.” Philippe now finds himself purveying elite brands and hosting luxury events in which he is often the person at the top, handling things himself to ensure they are done correctly. 

Overcoming Obstacles

This climb to the top of the world of luxury experiences was not an easy one, however. As with any young entrepreneur, Philippe had to overcome obstacles, solve problems, recover from failures, and persist in his own self-belief to get to where he is. “Everything takes time. If you are in a rush, you will never be able to build something solid. In the same way, business and personal relationships take time to construct, so you have to be extremely patient and face a lot of push back,” he explains. “It takes not only patience, but countless business hours and sleepless nights to find solutions to obstacles. When a situation is not moving, something is probably wrong and you always need to see where something blocks in order for you to eliminate it and pursue your goal.”

Separation From the Crowd

In crowded industries like fine dining, wine and spirits sales, and event management, aspiring entrepreneurs have to find ways to differentiate themselves from their competitors. While some of the aspects of success, such as intricate knowledge of the industry, may be unique, many of the elements that allowed Philippe to find success are applicable in any area: “I am passionate,” he begins. “ I love what I do and I am legitimate in my business. I never tried to rush to build business and personal relationships. I also offer a true personalized service and constantly offer the finest expertise available whatever the status of my client is.”