Frédéric Pelhate
Founder, Listen Tō The Universe
…and a construction
of our own history.
My name is Frédéric Pelhate. As I approach my 50s, I look back on the road travelled: meaningful encounters, challenges that shaped my resilience, and choices that taught me to listen to what truly matters. Because it is often through hardship that we discover ourselves and find the drive to act for a world more aligned with our convictions.
As Jiddu Krishnamurti once said: "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." This quote captures my commitment: to embody change rather than merely endure it. That conviction is what gave birth to Listen Tō The Universe.
01
An entrepreneurial journey spanning B2B and B2C in mobile telecoms
Over fifteen years in the mobile telecoms industry, within an independent network of 25 Club Bouygues Telecom stores, I gradually took on responsibilities across sales, marketing and purchasing. Specialising in selling telecom solutions to businesses (auditing, consulting, deployment), I also supported in-store teams at the intersection of B2B strategy and B2C customer experience. This path taught me the demands of negotiation, operational rigour, and a lasting conviction: lasting performance is built first and foremost on the quality of human relationships.
02
A turning point, a collective adventure
A serious health issue reshuffled the deck. I chose to turn it into a strength, leaning on demanding values and on key people — partners, team members, resellers. Patiently, we transformed MyPhoneStore from a €300 stock in my back kitchen into the French market leader for the Australian brand Quad Lock, with 500 specialist resellers and €6 million in revenue. That adventure taught me that lasting performance is born from trust and shared purpose.
03
The test of values
After eleven years at the helm of MyPhoneStore, I faced a fundamental dilemma: continue a partnership that had become incompatible with my principles, or turn the page and stay true to my convictions. I chose the latter. The negotiations that followed — long and demanding — confirmed one thing: integrity is non-negotiable. That ordeal, though difficult, was a liberation. It taught me never to compromise on ethics again, and to commit only to partners who share a human and responsible vision of business. A decision that opened the door to a new chapter, finally aligned with who I am.