Marc-Antoine Hager — Dragon #05

Can French people be polarizing? For sure — but not Marc-Antoine. He’s got a warm and relatable personality that makes him an incredible professional.

Have you ever had a meeting with salespeople who won’t stop talking about their company? Have you ever been out with friends who won’t talk about anything but themselves? It’s the same thing: off-putting. But if you’re ever on a call with Marc-Antoine and he’s trying to sell you something, it’ll feel like you’re talking to an old pal — and that’s a lethal quality.

What’s an unusual fact or story about yourself that not a lot of people know?

My first name is Marc-Antoine and it’s actually a mistake. I was supposed to be called Marc (first name), Antoine (second name) and the birth registration lady wrote Marc-Antoine (as a first name). That’s the reason why I tend to correct people who call me just ‘Marc’: Antoine is part of my name; cutting it short is forgetting a piece of me :)

Is there one thing about your morning routine that you can’t live without?

I actually don’t have a morning routine. On the contrary, I have a night routine. I tend to visualise and prepare the first few moments of the morning. For instance, if I want to go for a morning run, I’ll make sure the sports gear is available at hand and that nothing will steer me away from what I want to achieve. It will be the same for anything I plan for the day. Make sure it’s prepared in advance… (maybe it’s because I tend to be sleepy and scatterbrain!)

What books have influenced your professional life the most and why?

Latitude Zero by Mike Horn. In this biographical adventure book, Mike Horn, a modern explorer, tells about his trip around the globe, following the equator. He sails, walks, climbs, bikes following the 0-degree latitude. It’s not a business-oriented book but it’s been one of the most impactful books I’ve read, telling how much you can achieve when you have the right attitude and motivation.

What quality do you look for when hiring someone for your team?

I look for resilience and a habit of performance. Someone who doesn’t take ‘No’ for an answer and will try and understand why people do what they do. It might lead to a few heated conversations with the team, but I believe it’s a great issue to have.

What’s the worst advice someone’s ever given you?

“Don’t cry.” Despite this common advice, I believe expressing opinions and emotions in any way is probably the best thing to do at any moment, in most situations.

Is there anything that has improved your life since the very first lockdown? It could be an investment of money or time, or a new habit, a gadget.

Family time. Obviously, lockdown (and COVID) has kept at home much more than usual. The flip side is that I have been spending much more time with my wife and kids and I love it. Having the ability to put my kids to bed almost every night can look like a burden to a lot of people. It’s a blessing and I embrace it every day.

What do you do when you feel stressed and overwhelmed at work?

I exercise and practice sports. Any sports: football, rugby, boxing, running… effort helps me clear my mind and I usually have a better opinion about a situation after some time.

If you were a marketing tagline, what would it be and why?

Learning keeps you young. I think it’s a tagline by Ford (if I remember my History & Geography classes right). I’ve been learning a lot of new hobbies (golf, backgammon, wakeboard/foil, rugby, boxing, diving, kitesurf, sailing, etc.). After a while, I discovered I simply loved the process of learning. It’s a very satisfying thing to start from scratch and get better at doing things. I also see it as a philosophical and physics way to test the word (test the resistance of the air when sailing, test the Archimedes’ principle when diving, etc.)

Where can people find you?

On a sports pitch. I miss team sports, especially football and rugby a lot. Can’t wait for those to be allowed again.