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About me...

When looking at what life has brought me in 59 years, I feel extremely grateful and blessed. First of all, because I am the mother of two beautiful grown children. And secondly because I have a profession that reminds me every day of the lessons that life taught me and what a privilege it is to be able to live and grow in freedom and in love. Thanks to this wonderful profession, I have met people from across the globe: each with their unique stories. I am grateful for the vulnerability, courage and confidence with which they shared those stories. Without that I could not, and cannot, do my job.

 

When I'm not working, I love to have good conversations with family and close friends. Preferably over a rich, healthy, extensive meal. I also very much enjoy looking after the countless plants in and around my house, working out in the gym, reading books in the sun, visiting museums, concerts, theatre or dance performances, playing board games with my kids or traveling to sunny places, far away from where most tourists go.

My own quest...

In order to be able to work with people on the deeper levels of consciousness, I first had to start this search within myself. This introspection wasn’t merely a result of my own curiosity but mainly because life forced me to. My 2004 divorce, a burnout, the deterioration and death of both my parents and other forms of loss left me with a pain that fed the urge to better understand myself. I started to unpack my personality, my deeper motivations, my past. That helped, and still helps, me to see and understand the origins of my own familiar dynamics and patterns. I will continue doing this because one is never ‘done’ developing. As far as I am concerned, self-leadership is a lifelong quest, not with the intention to become a "good" person, but a "whole" person instead. Strong and vulnerable at the same time.

 

I often use my own quest in training and coaching conversations. Not because I now know exactly how it works or how it should be done. Rather because it is nice to be guided by someone who knows about the themes that you come up with as a participant or coachee. Without focussing on me too much, I use my own stories to invite you to reflect upon yourself.

When you work with me, you can be sure that I have asked myself every question that I ask you.

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What drives me?

Since 1992 I am an enabler of the growth of confidence, strength and peace in the lives of others. I do that as a trainer and a coach. I love working with smart, eager leaders and professionals who want to (further) develop their self leadership. It is my mission to contribute to a better world through enabling self leadership in order for my clients to realise their dreams. That’s why I named my bureau ‘Dreams in Business’.

What characterises me?

My strength is that I can easily create safety and depth by connecting with people, with the heart and without judgment. My participants and coachees also appreciate the clarity, focus and tranquillity that I offer. By my "paying" customers I am described as reliable, attentive and professional.

What am I good at?

I have specialised in working on the deeper levels of consciousness of my participants and coachees; the layers of values, beliefs, identity and mission. In addition, I consider myself an enabler carrying a toolkit with techniques, theories, exercises, models and assignments that I can use in any given situation without needing to prepare. You could say that over the years I have become the tool myself. This frees me to work in the moment with what is there in front of me.

  • I practise what I preach

  • I begin with the end in mind

  •  I do not think in terms of right or wrong

  • I use knowledge as a tool, not a goal

  • I go as far as possible, yet not further then needed

  • I put your needs (not mine) first

  • I will not unpack the things I cannot put back together myself

  • I can lead a horse to water, but I cannot (and will not) make it drink

  • I do not waste time trying to instil something in your mind; we work with what is already there. 

  • I invest four per cent of my yearly turnover on my personal and professional development.

The way I work

For whom do/did I work?

Companies I train(ed) and/or coach(ed) for: ABN-AMRO Bank, AHOLD, APG, a.s.r., BNG-Bank, BDO, Booking.com, Careyn, Court of Amsterdam, Deloitte, Deltares, The Dutch Central Bank, Dutch Foreign Ministry, Dutch National General Practitioners Society, Dutch National Police, Dutch Organisation for Scientific Research, Dutch Tax Authorities, Financial Markets Authority, ICA Young Professionals, ICS, Immigration and Naturalisation Service, ING, KLM, Maxeda, Mazars, Menzis, Merem, Nationale Nederlanden, New Venture, OLX, ProRail, PwC, THNK the School of Creative Leadership, TNO, Triam Float, Vinu, Vodaphone-Ziggo, Zilveren Kruis-Achmea. 

Working in English

I am regularly asked for English-language assignments with foreign participants or coachees. For example, I have worked with people from Albania, Argentina, Belgium, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Dubai, Germany, Egypt, France, Ghana, Great Britain, Greece, Haiti, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Malawi, Morocco, Mexico, Nigeria, Palestinian Territories, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United States of America, Venezuela, Vietnam.

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