A Star Is Born

Jakob is never around—he is in a constant rush, forever traveling through lands of massage device components, trade fairs, factories, showrooms, R&D departments... We waited ages for his answers. We chased him with emails and phone calls all over the world. And today, quite unexpectedly, an email from him winked at us.

Jakob Radtke. Founder of the Casada Health & Beauty brand, CEO at Casada International GmbH. A visionary. He acts first, then considers the risks. New ideas are constantly being born in his mind. Casada is always evolving...

Casada Poland: The key and most important question we want to ask you is obvious. Why Casada? Why this product, this industry?

Jakob Radtke: Good question. At the beginning, there was... a massage chair. Or rather, a piano. At that time, I was selling musical instruments, when one day at a trade fair, I saw a massage chair. I always acted quickly, taking action instead of weighing all the "pros" and "cons." It was in such circumstances that a massage chair landed right next to my piano, and after a while, "it sold itself." That was the start of my great adventure with Casada. It was born in the year 2000. In the meantime, I pursued various business ideas of my own, not only in the Beauty & Spa sector. Among other things, I became interested in electric bicycles... But I feel most at home with massage devices. That is my passion and, at the same time, the most important branch of our business. We are truly great at this. My goal is to create the best devices in the world that will significantly improve the quality and comfort of our lives, both physically and mentally.

C.P: Casada is present in almost all European countries, in Asia, North America... How does Poland compare to the rest of the world?

J.R.: It’s a crazy country! (laughs). Our Polish partners have always been very professional and generated high turnover. This market has always had potential, which is why we established our company—Casada Polska Sp. z o.o. It is a unique market in many respects. However, in Poland, we must carefully monitor the activities of unfair competition—we are fighting, among other things, against the emerging copies of our products.

C.P.: That is true—several items in Casada's offer have their "doubles." However, we have a great many products... Do you remember which one was the first?

J.R.: Of course! It was a simple but functional massage chair. I did my market research by exhibiting at consumer fairs. I didn't have any brand or marketing support back then. It was just me, my vision, and a practical massage chair. The second product was the Vibromed massager—it sold in the thousands every month.

C.P.: From the very beginning of the company, you have been involved in the development and creation of new products. Are you still personally involved in such activities?

J.R.: Always! From morning to night, I think about new possibilities, new products, markets we need to break into, new paths we should follow, and new solutions that will secure the needs of society. I can't stop it. Creating is my goal, my mission, the meaning of my life. I breathe it.

C.P.: Hm. How do you manage to combine this with managing the company?

J.R.: I try to pass my ideas on to my assistants without losing the thread... My arguments must be felt by the entire company. I also focus on brand development—we want it to be recognized and perceived worldwide as a reliable and stable brand. We have achieved a great deal, we really have done a great job, but there is still a lot to be done.

C.P.: And how was Braintronics created?

J.R.: Hmmm... It’s hard to answer that question in one sentence... Casada has always focused on creating solutions in response to physical ailments. However, modern research clearly shows that more and more people suffer from mental problems—stress and burnout syndrome are just two examples. Braintronics is a solution for the body and spirit: Body&Mind SyncSystem. It is a wonderful, technically advanced project, but I am aware that we will have to constantly develop and improve it.

C.P.: Is this the new direction that Casada will follow?

J.R.: I think Casada's further development is not tied to a single product or goal. It is an action on a global scale. The world is racing ahead, everything is constantly changing. Casada will try to run at the forefront of this race, as always. We will be faster, better, and increasingly well-known.

C.P.: Finally, tell us, what is your favorite device from the Casada offer?

J.R.: Of course, Braintronics! This technology is amazing!