Keisuke Honda, 33, member of Brazilian soccer club Botafogo and business owner, is fulfilling his duties as company president via teleworking.
Now Do Inc., for which Honda serves as president, began in April offering NowVoice, a voice service for smartphones that enables the top athletes of various sports to express their thoughts and recent happenings.
"We want to make our product distinct from existing services and provide high-quality learning opportunities for users. I'd like people to listen to it when they're on the move or working," Honda enthusiastically expressed his thoughts on the NowVoice service in an online interview held the morning of April 30 Japan time, which was late at night in his location of Brazil.
In 2017, Honda founded Now Do with hopes of changing the world through business while using his advantage of his being an athlete. His company runs roughly 80 soccer schools in Japan and abroad. In 2018, he established a fund with American movie star Will Smith.
Honda, who has played in professional soccer teams in Europe, Australia and Mexico, has been using various communication tools for business.
NowVoice features voices from top athletes, including tennis player Kei Nishikori and golfer Ryo Ishikawa. More than half of them have been invited to participate directly by Honda via video chat.
He contacts his staff and other people in Japan via methods including a free video chat app every day. "It is very difficult because there is a 12 hour time difference," he said.
With the spread of the new coronavirus, many people will continue to telework. Wearing two hats as both business owner and soccer player, the work style of "President Honda," who works across the ocean and overcomes time differences, is certainly encouraging.
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