Over the years, I’ve learned that growth doesn’t always look the way people expect it to. Sometimes, the moments that shape a company the most are the ones you never planned for.
Recently, International Business Times published a feature on ICON Amsterdam that looks back at a difficult chapter for the brand in 2022 - a period where the company was forced to confront hard truths and make decisive changes.
I wanted to share a bit of context behind that story, and what rebuilding ICON from the inside out actually taught me as a founder.
When Momentum Turns Into Noise
By 2022, ICON Amsterdam had grown quickly. From the outside, things looked strong. Internally, however, growth had introduced complexity faster than we were prepared for.
Rising costs, hiring mistakes, and fragmented communication slowly pulled us away from what originally made the brand work - clarity, consistency, and discipline. The business didn’t lose its ambition - it lost its rhythm.
That moment forced me to step back in and ask a simple question - What actually works here, and what doesn’t?
Rebuilding ICON From the Inside Out
The reset didn’t start with marketing or messaging. It started with people, systems, and accountability.
Together with my brother Ruben Onuha, we went back to fundamentals. We reassessed how decisions were made, how teams were structured, and how responsibility was shared across the company.
We simplified processes, rebuilt internal frameworks, and made transparency non-negotiable. Every department, project, and KPI became visible. Not to create pressure, but to create trust.
Once trust was restored internally, execution followed naturally.
Culture Is an Operating System
One of the biggest lessons from that period is that culture isn’t a slogan - it’s an operating system.
At ICON, we doubled down on structure. Weekly kick-offs, daily stand-ups, and clear ownership replaced scattered communication. We centralized operations in Amsterdam and treated the office as the heartbeat of the company, not an afterthought.
That physical presence matters. It creates alignment, accountability, and speed - especially in moments where clarity is more valuable than consensus.
Leadership, Transparency, and Creative Direction
Crises expose leadership gaps quickly. They also sharpen decision-making.
I’ve always believed in collaboration, but I don’t compromise on creative direction. Creative vision is the soul of any brand. The rebuild reinforced the importance of balancing openness with decisiveness - listening widely, then acting clearly.
Transparency alone isn’t enough. It has to be paired with leadership that’s willing to make final calls and stand by them.
Where ICON Amsterdam Stands Today
Two years later, ICON Amsterdam is a very different company.
The majority of the brand now operates self-sufficiently. Teams are empowered to make decisions without constant approvals. Systems are stronger. Product quality is sharper. Execution is faster and more intentional.
Most importantly, the culture is aligned again.
ICON isn’t louder than it was before - it’s calmer, clearer, and more precise. That maturity is what allowed the brand to move forward with confidence.
Why I’m Sharing This Now
The International Business Times article captures the external view of that journey well. This post is my way of adding the internal perspective - the parts that don’t always fit into a feature, but matter just as much.
If there’s one takeaway I’d pass on to other founders, it’s this - chaos will show up at some point. What defines you is whether you use it to strip things back, rebuild properly, and move forward with intention.
You can read the full International Business Times feature here:
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/chaos-culture-how-icon-amsterdam-built-resilient-team-after-near-bankruptcy-1771502
Sometimes the strongest version of a company is the one that’s been forced to rebuild itself honestly.
