Post by Dominik Ruderer

Dear LinkedIn Community, I’m out. This is my very last LinkedIn post. After spending half of my life in retail, I’ve realised something important: I stayed far longer than my heart ever wanted me to. Yes — I was good at what I did. Yes — I built teams, opened stores, pushed results, and made things happen. But it was never my true passion. Not 100%. And life is too short to ignore that quiet voice inside you telling you to finally choose yourself. My journey started at SPORT GREIL E.K. , went through sneaker hustle at SNIPES , then to Swatch — “the watch house,” as a young brave boy loved to call it. Puma shaped me. The start-up „chaos“ at nkm Naturkosmetik München GmbH pushed me. Every step meant something. Every step taught me something. Even the tough ones. And because retail is — and has always been — about people rather than brands, here are a few humans who stayed with me, in the best way possible. People I learned from, laughed with, and sometimes held on to when things got rough: Marta Słowińska Simone Hoyer Karthik Balagopalan Karl-Heinz Greil Stefan Sommer Krisztian Szondi Johnatan L. Nicole Voss Mareike Hefele Kirsten Vedder Patzki If you’re one of them: thank you. Truly. 🥇🥇🥇 As I move into a new chapter, I’m closing a door I should have probably closed years ago. A chapter that made me who I am — but no longer who I want to be. The next part of my journey won’t need Teams, Outlook, or LinkedIn (thank God). So if you want to stay connected, follow me on Instagram: @d.rudererer And to anyone out there struggling with where they stand right now: Take a deep breath. Then ask yourself the real questions — the scary ones. Who am I? Where am I? And am I really in the right place? If the answer hurts, listen to it. Change is uncomfortable, but staying stuck is worse. A special thank you to Torben Rohr and the whole Westwing crew — this summer of store openings was an unexpected, beautiful final highlight. A perfect ending. See you on dancefloors all over the world. 🪩🔊🎛️ Where life finally feels light, free, and real. LET’S GO — NON STOP Ps. Is this a classic LinkedIn Post? I don’t know - and fully honest speaking i don’t care! With love , Dominik Ruderer