Name: Nicolas Schweitzer
Job title: Co-founder and CEO
Company: La Vie
What was your first job? I worked as a waiter in my school cafeteria. Free food was probably the main perk.
What’s been your worst job interview? I arrived on time but sweaty because the Metro was down and I’d had to run. The interviewer told me it was unacceptable and asked me to leave. I think I dodged a bullet.
What was the first music single you bought? Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit. Still a solid investment.
How do you describe your job to your friends? I sell plant-based lardons and have a lot of fun doing it.
“Percentage margins reward selling more expensive products rather than better products and ultimately hurts quality”
What is the most rewarding part of your job? All the messages we get from customers saying we’re helping them reduce their meat consumption without feeling like they’re sacrificing anything.
What is the least rewarding part? Honestly, we’re having a blast. Ask me again after the next retailer negotiation.
What is your motto in life? The only people who never make mistakes are the ones who never do anything.
If you were allowed one dream perk, what would it be? I’ve already had a one-to-one dinner with Natalie Portman. I’m not sure any perk is beating that.
Do you have any phobias? Nope. Although running out of cash comes pretty close when you’re a startup CEO.
If you could change one thing in grocery, what would it be? The obsession with percentage margins. It rewards selling more expensive products rather than better products and ultimately hurts quality.
What luxury would you have on a desert island? A fully staffed five-star hotel. I’m not very good at the whole desert island concept.
What animal most reflects your personality? A pig. Intelligent, social, food-obsessed and massively underestimated.
What’s your favourite film and why? How to Train Your Dragon. It’s technically a kids’ film but it has everything: adventure, humour, friendship and challenging what everyone else assumes to be true.
What has been the most embarrassing moment in your life? Doing an interview on national TV while completely hungover. I was so embarrassed afterwards that I did the only sensible thing: wrote a LinkedIn post about it.
Which celebrity would you most like to work with and why? Joaquin Phoenix. He’s brilliant, uncompromising and one of the few huge celebrities who has consistently put animal rights at the centre of what he does.
What would your death row meal be? A ridiculously good bowl of pasta with truffles, an obscene amount of olive oil and a very good bottle of red wine. If it’s my last meal, nutrition is no longer a KPI.
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