Journeys of Empowerment

#58 Living without regret! A deep dive with Christopher O.H. Williams, NACD.DC, a writer of C.O.U.R.A.G.E: 7 Choices for Living a Life Without Regret, thinker and former global corporate leader who has spent much of his life wrestling with one quiet but persistent question:  What does it really take to live without regret? Born in Sierra Leone and educated in the United States, Christopher built a...

#57 Unapologetically becoming self! In this episode, I connected with Rumailah Burden-Tuuk, a woman whose life has been shaped by courage, responsibility and an unwavering commitment to stay true to herself. We met in a crowded room at Microsoft NL and something in her presence stood out immediately. This conversation reveals why :) Rumailah grew up as the daughter of Filipino immigrants, became a...

#56 What if it all works out? In this episode, I connected with Mirjam Heldmann, a trail ultrarunner and deep democracy facilitator whose life bridges intensity, intuition and the steady work of becoming fully herself. Raised in the German Alps and adopted as a baby, Mirjam grew up with loving Buddhist parents and a deep sensitivity she could feel long before she understood.  Running entered her l...

#55: Standing strong in the light! This time I sat down with Susan Vrolijk, whose story carries both the softness of island life and the weight of a childhood marked by silence, survival and a long road toward healing. Born in Curaçao to Aruban parents, Susan grew up between cultures languages and expectations, with a childhood shaped by warmth and family rituals and also by one of the deepest wou...

#54: The art of meaningful connection! My conversation with Belén Hein unfolded as a quiet exploration of identity, movement and the inner compass that guides us through change. Born in Argentina, shaped by Germany and the United States, and now rooted in Utrecht, Belen carries a life marked by transitions. Those shifts taught her to build home from within and to meet the world with openness and c...

#53: Leading with heart in a world built on head! An open conversation with Jamila van de Voort, founder of ChangewithJamila, whose journey moves from early survival into a grounded vision for a more human way of working. After more than a decade in change and transformation roles she saw how strategy fails when people feel unseen. Her own life taught her what fear instability and hypervigilance d...

#52 Returning to the true you! In this episode, I connected with Bea Salomma, whose path moves from corporate leadership into a life shaped by intuition creativity and the courage to rebuild identity from within. Bea began her career in advertising but stepped into an entirely new chapter when a layoff pushed her toward fashion and later toward guiding women to express their true selves through st...

#51: When dedication meets vulnerability! In this episode, I connected with Sabine Bakkum CEO and founder of VitsAll®, whose journey moves between high performance, resilience and a very human search for balance. From growing up in a family of doctors to pursuing elite gymnastics from the age of four to becoming an entrepreneur at twenty three, her path carries both discipline and vulnerability. S...

#51: What if joy was never meant to be postponed? In this episode, I sat down with Lara Ferreira 🍄, founder of Mindful Experiences, a platform that helps individuals and organizations rediscover balance, purpose and joy through mindfulness, embodiment and conscious microdosing.  After more than a decade in global corporate roles across LATAM and Europe, burnout forced Lara to pause and realign he...

#49: Can happiness be rebuilt after everything falls apart? In this episode, I connected with Nuthan Manohar, a happiness researcher, two-time TEDx speaker and founder of Me Met Me and The Happiness Tour. Once a corporate strategist leading global projects across Asia Pacific, Nuthan’s world came undone through depression, anxiety and chronic insomnia. What emerged is a life devoted to helping oth...

#48: What if coming home means returning to where your story began? In this episode, I connected with Hartini Kandari, a Dutch-Indonesian therapist, author and musician whose journey moves between loss and belonging.  Born in Indonesia and adopted to the Netherlands at four months old, she lost her cultural identity overnight only to spend decades finding her way back. Today, as she prepares to re...

#47: What if loving yourself could become an act of service? In this episode, I've had an amazing convo with Samantha V.P. Noten, a Dutch-Surinamese artist whose Ikigai-inspired creations bridge art, self-love and soulful connection.  Her journey has moved through loss, anger and awakening, from corporate life and caretaking roles to a deeper calling as a visual guide who helps others remember the...

#46 Isabel’s journey of becoming: what if leadership begins when women reclaim their own voice and redefine success on their terms? In this episode, I connected with Isabel Fonseca: leadership coach, founder of Nextfem Leaders School, and a someone who has turned loss and transition into a powerful mission of empowerment. Born in Uruguay and with a career that began in finance, Isabel’s journey ha...

#45 Veroniek’s quest for presence: what if real success begins when you stop ticking boxes and start listening within? In this episode, I connected with Veroniek Vermeulen, founder of Silatha, who turned her own search for meaning into a mission to bring more psychological safety into workplaces. Moving from a career in engineering and corporate leadership to meditation retreats and entrepreneursh...

#44 Alexandra’s leap into entrepreneurship: what if trust was the missing bridge between promise and product? In this episode, I connected with Alexandra van Viegen, founder of Onboardly, a company reimagining how SaaS businesses keep momentum after the sale. With a background in mathematics and machine learning and as a mother of three, Alexandra made the leap from corporate stability into the un...

✨Journeys of Empowerment✨ - Episode 43 What if showing up exactly as you are is the most powerful thing you can offer? In this episode, I had the honor of sitting down with Salmaan Sana, facilitator, trainer and infinite student of connection and purpose. His story is a gentle yet profound invitation to shift from performance to presence, from doing to being. In our conversation, we explored the...

#42 Vassia’s work to normalize loneliness: what if loneliness wasn’t a sign that something is wrong, but a signal that something deeper is ready to be seen? In this episode, I connected with Vassia Sarantopoulou, founder of Anti Loneliness, a practice that’s grown from a solo effort to a thriving team of 12 psychologists supporting internationals around the world. Through her own journey as a ther...

#41 Elisa’s Journey to integration: some people walk through fire. Others learn how to turn the ashes into meaning. In this episode which marks the 🥳1 year anniversary🥳 of ✨Journeys of Empowerment✨, I sat down with: Elisa Viaud, organizational psychologist, therapist and someone who knows what it means to carry complexity and create from it. From growing up as a cultural outlier to navigating...

✨Journeys of Empowerment✨ - Episode 40 Simone’s rebellious rise in tech: some careers follow a roadmap. Others are built by those who dare to redraw the map entirely. In this episode, I had the chance to speak with Simone Mink, Product Operations Lead at Mendix and a self-described “rebel with a cause” Her path from leisure management to tech leadership is anything but linear and that’s exactly...

✨Journeys of Empowerment✨ - Episode 39 Angligène’s path to inner freedom & self-leadership What if the truest version of leadership doesn’t come with a title but with the courage to be fully yourself? I had the pleasure of speaking with Angligène Servania-Woods, founder of The Bridge and co-founder of The Lead In. Her journey of resilience, empowerment and transformation is a true testament to d...

✨Journeys of Empowerment✨ - Episode 38 From pulpit to platform, Daan’s call to speak..again.. What if the story you’ve been living quietly is the one that could set others free? I had a fascinating conversation with my friend Daan Schmidt, founder of StoryBrand Nederland and Buzzlytics. His journey from pastor to purpose-driven entrepreneur shows how transformation doesn’t erase your past...it g...

✨Journeys of Empowerment✨ - Episode 37 Behind the Mask, Marie’s movement to humanise the workplace.. What if taking off your mask at work was the most radical leadership act of all? I had the pleasure of speaking with Marie Chaproniere, founder of the Behind The Mask Community, an invaluable movement reimagining what it means to be authentic in professional spaces. Her path shows how personal ad...

✨Journeys of Empowerment✨ - Episode 36 From conflict to code, Khaled’s mission to rebuild through tech.. What if your refugee story became the blueprint for empowering an entire generation? An open conversation with someone I deeply admire: Khaled Shaaban, Syrian refugee, social entrepreneur and founder of Subul Impact Outsourcing. His journey of resilience, empowerment and transformation is a t...

✨Journeys of Empowerment✨ - Episode 35 Lighting the Way, Kimberly’s Path from Grief to Growth What if the most painful loss of your life became the spark that illuminated your purpose? Feeling privileged to have had a deep dive with Kimberly Fuqua, Microsoft's EMEA Director CX, transformation lead, DEI advocate and founder of Luminous Leaders. Her journey of resilience, empowerment and transform...

✨Journeys of Empowerment✨ - Episode 34 Leading with kindness: Neil’s mission to humanize work and life What if the most disruptive leadership tool of the future… is kindness? I had the pleasure speaking with Neil Schambra Stevens, founder of Mercury Jam Coaching and former CMO for brands like Vans and Polaroid. His journey of resilience, empowerment and transformation is a true testament to defy...