Our Pioneer in Austin, Texas, USA: Jordi Romkema

Jordi Romkema, our final Pioneer of 2020, relocated to Austin, Texas just over a year ago and is now the Managing Director North America of code d’azur, where he’s helping to set up the branch and grow the new office. We get back in touch with Jordi, one of our former ADCN Jury Members, and find out more about his life in the US.

Through our Pioneers series, in collaboration with Nils Adriaans, we catch up with members of the Dutch Creative Community living abroad. Let’s hear what it is about Austin that has captivated Jordi.

How did you end up where you are now? What drove you?

I’m in Austin, Texas, with my wife, our son, and our daughter. I always wanted to start a new business in another country and I found the US to be fascinating. The sheer size of the country comes with a lot of challenges and opportunities. So my wife and I took a leap of faith and we both looked at different cities but ultimately decided to move to Austin because we both loved it so much. While I was setting up the company and working on our visas, I started talking with code d’azur, and it turned out they had the same ambition, so instead of starting from scratch, we partnered up. Despite this being a shitty year, our Austin office has seen some remarkable growth. We are still in the thrilling startup phase, but it’s twice the size as we imagined it would be. Plus, we are in the process of building a new office building. Lots of great things are ahead of us and we are still super excited to be here!

What makes you feel at home?

Before COVID, I travelled a lot for work, and while it was great to be able to go and explore other large cities in the US quickly, it always felt so good to come back home. Austin is a large city but not massive. There are distinct neighbourhoods to explore and it’s pretty easy to navigate. The whole town seems to be on a mission to do things differently, keep things weird, and that results in many unique places, restaurants, bars that make Austin the heart of Texas.

Now that we all work from home, I have found a new appreciation for nature. There are a lot of incredible national and state parks to explore in and outside the city. We live in the hills, and love driving around and exploring different neighbourhoods, supporting many local restaurants by getting a lot of take-out. Austin has more than 300 sunny days a year, so we are outside a lot more than we used to be in The Netherlands. Winter feels like summer, and summer feels like hell, but there are many ways to cool off.

Short distance to nature, vibrant local culture, super friendly people, and the mild climate is a winning combination for us which is why this place feels like home.

What stands out the most there (professionally)?

I appreciate the attention to a good work-life balance. The city doesn’t feel rushed. It’s pretty common to see people in business attire change into a swimsuit for a short kayak trip on Lady Bird Lake. Although now, with work from home, it’s probably changing sweatpants into swimming pants.

What inspires you as a professional?

Good music is my fuel. Without music, it doesn’t feel like I’m working. When I was young I always listened to the radio, but I think the last 15 years I stopped doing that because every time it felt like I just heard the same hits or a playlist on repeat. About ten years ago, I got a Spotify membership and never went back to CDs and mp3s. Interestingly, I found myself listening to the radio a lot more over here. There’s one station in particular that I enjoy listening to, KUTX 98.9. Their music is so varied and devoid of typical radio bullshit. It’s spot on because sometimes I get in my car, and music starts playing, and I don’t even realise I’m listening to the radio instead of my own personal playlist.

What’s the most radical piece of work over there?

There is not a particular single artist or single work that I would like to highlight. It’s more of a cultural phenomenon or movement. When the pandemic started, many bars were boarded up. Artists quickly came in to make them look better by creating art pieces with supportive messages. When George Floyd was killed, you saw a similar pattern where extraordinary art pieces and murals popped up quickly everywhere in the city in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. I’m very impressed with how artists so promptly responded to significant events, making the city feel alive.

On another note, there’s one home here in Austin and ever since the pandemic started they planted little flags for each COVID related death. It started small, but now it’s a massive sea of little white and red flags. It really hits home when you see it.

What ‘souvenir’ would you bring home?

Tacos, for sure. Maybe this is an early sign that I’m becoming a full-time Texan, but I have switched my love of bread over to tacos. Of course, that was born out of necessity since it’s just as challenging to find good bread over here as it is to find good tacos in The Netherlands. But more importantly, our daughter was born here, so that will always be our number one souvenir from Texas.