Journeys of Empowerment

Host of the 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁🎙️, on a mission to 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 in each of us and everyone of us! 

My responsibility: "𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴"!

And through my work with 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀:

Helping people-empowering entrepreneurs to create durable scalable impact!

Focus areas:

• Wellbeing;
• Organizational Behavior;
• Learning and Development; 

• Currently revamping the go-to-market strategy for a People Tech Venture specializing in Organizational Behavior Management. 

• And guiding two People Tech Start-up founding teams to launch success! 🚀

Chief Empowerment Officer [Fractional]

Neotopia

Mentor

OBM Solutions

Trauma Research Foundation

Attending the ✨𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 ✨by the Trauma Research Foundation has equipped me with cutting-edge knowledge and skills to effectively understand and treat trauma. This comprehensive post-graduate program, based on 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗗𝗿. 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗹 𝘃𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗞𝗼𝗹𝗸, immersed me in evidence-based practices and innovative approaches to support individuals in their healing journey. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀, 𝗳𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮-𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁:

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: in-depth exploration of trauma's biological, psychological, and social dimensions;

𝗘𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲-𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀: training in various treatments, including EMDR, neurofeedback, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Attachment, Regulation, and Competency (ARC), and more;

𝗕𝗼𝗱𝘆-𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀: insights into body-centered therapies like yoga, theater, and SMART.

𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆: emerging practices for trauma recovery;

𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀: culturally sensitive approaches, addressing assessment, spirituality, family dynamics, and systemic factors;

𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: monthly sessions with senior faculty and peer support groups for discussion and shared learning.

Upon completion, I received a certificate recognizing advanced expertise in trauma treatment, underscoring my dedication to compassionate, trauma-informed care!

Postgraduate Student

GRRR Creative Digital Agency

GRRR is a Scale-up B Corp certified Creative Digital Agency, for meaningful matters.

Enabled the teams to thrive, driving SMART Operations creating meaningful and profitable Partnerships.

- People, Culture and Care;
- Project Management;
- Wingman MT;
- Facilities;
- Finance;
 
Most proud of:

- Implementation of a well-being strategy, approach, and tools for all;
- Stop-keep-start session with all teams, to create more joy, clarity, unity.

Director of Operations

Bringly

Bringly is a Start-up B2B SaaS sustainable last-mile delivery platform, for urban deliveries.

Advised and inspired Bringly's founding team, to explore multiple ways in an attempt to reach product market-fit.

- Coached the founding team on business model and GTM strategy;
- C-level introductions within A-Brands and Omni-channel Retailers;

Most proud of:

A SMART go-to-market strategy and, C-level introductions within A Brands, Department Store, and Malls.

Strategic Advisor

Oy. Creations is a Boutique creative design studio, for physical Brand and Retail experiences.

Most proud of:

Introduction of new sustainable services (shop in shops), and on-boarding new A-Brands (Wrangler and Bugaboo) accordingly.

Head of Growth a.i.

Sciolab

Sciolab is a Start-up B2B SaaS predictive marketing software solution, for personalized Brand marketing purposes.

Most proud of:

Transformed a stalling market approach, into an easy to understand marketable one on its way to achieve product market-fit.

senz° umbrellas

Senz is a Scale-up Global storm-proof Umbrella company, for the Retail and Promotional market.

Most proud of:

Development and introduction of a Shop in Shop concept for the Department Store the Bijenkorf. To transform the necessary evil of rain wear into a fashion statement. (333% like for like growth first year).

Global Sales Director a.i.

Compare Group

Vergelijk.nl is a Scale-up B2C and B2B comparison site to help consumers comparing and buying in a more informed way. And offering Brands a digital shop in shop presence.

Most proud of: 

Transition from a non organised, re-active into a PRO-active consultative selling Team;

Selling more and higher CPM’s by insourcing the 2nd largest revenue stream: Display Advertising and a seamless implementation of the back end processes and systems accordingly;

Sales Director a.i.

Mentor for People-first entrepreneurs

𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 | Sparking Agency & Scaling Impact 🚀

Hosting the 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁, my mission is clear: spark agency, overcome challenges, and inspire meaningful impact.

Through my work with 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀, I empower Social Impact entrepreneurs to scale their impact and position their businesses as leading ventures in the 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗗𝗘𝗜, 𝗟&𝗗, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝗢𝗕𝗠) domains.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽:

I guide 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 & 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 through a three-step process to scale impact:

1️⃣ Simplify: find the shortest path to value;
2️⃣ Unify: build internal and external cohesion;
3️⃣ Amplify: expand your influence and create recurring, measurable impact;

As a trained 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻, I bring proven SaaS revenue strategies to help ventures align their go-to-market efforts with sustainable growth.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀:

🔹 Mentorship: personal guidance to navigate personal & business development challenges;
🔹 Strategic Partnerships: build meaningful connections and collaborations;
🔹 Personal Development: empowering you to lead with confidence;
🔹 Go-to-Market Strategy: create actionable, high-impact plans;

𝕀’𝕞 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕡 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕡𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕖, 𝕤𝕔𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕚𝕞𝕡𝕒𝕔𝕥 & 𝕤𝕦𝕔𝕔𝕖𝕤𝕤!

Let’s connect and make a difference together. Ready to take the leap? 💡

📩 michiel@homerun.ventures
𝘕𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗔𝗖𝗘'𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘆 𝗕𝗛𝗔𝗚: [Big Humble Audacious Goal]:

"𝗧𝗼 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 +𝟭𝗠𝗶𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟰𝟬 🇮🇳"

Step 1: Establishment of the 𝗦𝘂𝗷𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 | primary scope Good Health & Wellbeing!

💥Culture Code Reflections...💥

Yesterday’s Culture Code of House of Inclusion wasn’t just an event. 

(For me) it was community in motion, the living proof that:

Community = culture × connection in action!

From the opening minutes, Sacha Martina 💁🏽‍♀️ set the tone and owns the stage:)

“Hope is contagious it spreads when people decide the world can be a better place and should be a better place”

She reminded us to drop the corporate masks and meet as humans first.

Kimberly Fuqua took us deeper into intersectionality, not as theory but as lived experience:

“Inclusion starts when people of influence and privilege intentionally open doors of opportunity for others. It’s not magical we have to do it”

Mark Vernooij invited us to slow down and listen (better!!) not to respond but to understand:

“The workplace I want is one where we listen to the emotions and the dreams behind what’s being said”

The panel with Dounia Maakor, my buddy Koen Stam and Lotte D. grounded the day in realism. The conclusion was profound and powerful:

The future of work will belong to those who stay human, curious, humble and connected in the face of constant change!

Barbara Barend reminded us that courage is contagious too:

“Don’t think in groups, think in people”

Daniëlle van Alewijn closed with quiet clarity:

“Culture is the heartbeat of everything. You don’t keep it alive with a single statement, but by showing up for it every week”

Special thx to Charlotte Jiskoot (House of Inclusion) & Kim Iglesias Iguacel (Club ACE) for creating the smashing safe space atmospherics and hospitality to make it memorable XP!

📸 1st pic: couldn’t be more happy to be surrounded by 80% of amazing guests from JoE’s podcast the ultimate proof that community = culture × connection in action. 

Ps Danielle Jiskoot you were missed, but your spirit was there obviously!

✨Michiel Sujeet Reith✨

On a Mission: “To make extreme SELF-CARE without being selfish the NEW NORM!”

My purpose is {y}our wellbeing 💚

The philosophy of a Wellbeing Rainmaker™️ in Business:

Being unstoppable dedicated to empowering teams to prioritize  physical, mental, emotional, social, and financial health. By fostering a culture of wellbeing in the workplace, I create a positive ripple effect that not only benefits teams, individuals, but also customers and society at large. I fundamentally believe that when we feel supported and empowered to prioritize our wellbeing, ➡️we are better equipped to provide exceptional service to our customers and positively impact our society⬅️! Furthermore, when we prioritize our wellbeing, we create a workplace culture that ➡️attracts and retains TOP TALENTS, leading to greater joy, innovation and success for {y}our business⬅️!

The things I 🧡 the most doing:

People development: helping teams and individuals unlock their full potential by challenging and coaching them to focus on team- and self mastery, clear goal-setting and effective execution. Including: hiring, on boarding, training, and rewarding. 

Business development: setting-up and implementing a commercial strategy, lazer focused on creating recurring impact. Including: smart strategic partnerships, key account management, creating and leveraging an eco-system, brand ambassadorship aiming to own an unbeatable competitive advantage! 

My definition of success:

Being able to inspire, learn, grow, love, give and to empower others to thrive and succeed!

✨So how can I help? 😁

Oh and one more personal thing aka ambition: 

Being adopted at 6 months old, my BHAG {Big Humble Audacious Goal} became:

To empower > 1 Mio Indian 🇮🇳 most vulnerable young girls improving their wellbeing before 2040! 


House of Inclusion

Founder House of Inclusion🔥 | Speaker & Moderator | Top Inclusive Leader by MT/Sprout | Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Expert🌈 | Podcast Host & Creator “ Gek op Witte Mannen” & “Het echte Werk”

Director of Customer Experience, Microsoft EMEA | Founder, Luminous Leaders | Keynote Speaker | Boardmember | Executive Coach | Inclusive Leadership Advocate | Certified Diversity Professional (CDP)®

Partner at THNK I Expert at WEF I Published Author

Editor-in-chief KRO-NCRV • Speaker on DEI at Sprekershuys

Leading International @Personio | Building community @Pavilion | Architecting Growth @Winning By Design | Showing revenue teams what’s next @GTM OS

CHRO | Global HR | Business Transformation & Change | Leadership | Coaching | Org Design

Co founder HERA United, female first football club, Helden magazine, Ik ben V

Chief People Officer at Swapfiets

Director of Operations and Clients at House of Inclusion | Yoga therapist

Head of Venue & Events - Club ACE

Club ACE

Founder House of Inclusion | We create future proof workplaces | FD Talent 2025 | Public speaker, moderator and strategist | Inclusive Leaders 2024 MT Sprout

Empowering founders and leaders pursue life with more clarity, direction and alignment!

Isabel Fonseca

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿...!

2 weeks ago at my favourite coffee bar, I was doing what I always do there. Drinking my coffee, letting my mind drift, enjoying the moment.

Until I couldn’t!

Behind me two men were talking. Loud, confident. From the bits I caught they were working for Venture Capital firms. And then the sentences that broke the calm...

"𝘞𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘊𝘌𝘖"
"𝘞𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘸𝘢𝘱 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬"...

I felt something shift in me. Not because I don’t understand business realities, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲. As if they were numbers in a spreadsheet instead of human beings showing up every day trying to make something work.

It took the joy out of my coffee for a moment...

I asked for the bill, walked over to their table, and said one thing before leaving:
Words matter. They show how you see people.

"𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴?"

I didn’t wait for a reply. There was nothing to debate.

Outside it hit me again how thin the line is between leading and using. Between building something and bulldozing through whoever stands in the way. Between talking strategy and forgetting that strategy is carried by people with stories, fears, hopes and responsibilities.

Maybe that is why I care so much about language!
𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲..

It is a mirror and sometimes the reflection we give off says more than we want to admit.

𝗦𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲..!

What makes someone the right co-founder for Alexandra van Viegen?

𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝘼𝙡𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙖 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙮, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙚𝙜𝙤. She builds from clarity, warmth and genuine connection, and she does her best work with people who show up the same way.

This is an early stage journey, so you need to 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙩. Alexandra learns by doing. She values someone who can build, iterate and decide without waiting for perfect conditions.

You’re a strong fit if you bring 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙨. She cares about trust, behaviour and the emotional side of onboarding. She needs someone who can translate that into systems and architecture without losing the human element.

𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙧, so you must value trust as a business asset, not something soft on the side. And you should be someone who 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙡𝙮 and doesn’t need to be the loudest voice.

Alexandra will go far with someone who is 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 and who is comfortable with serendipity, timing and stepping into the unknown!

𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙨𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥, you’ll meet her exactly where she builds from.

📸SaaS Summit Benelux'25 you can probably tell we guard her with 💜

Ps you sure have a competitive advantage if you listen to our convo!

If you care about 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 in the workplace, this book is a must-read!

The authors Tamara Myles and Wes Adams, MAPP  describe three elements that make work meaningful. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 the feeling of belonging and being seen. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 knowing that what you do matters. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 having room to grow without being overwhelmed. These three form the ground on which people stay engaged, resilient and connected!

𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 is the concept that struck me most. It put language to something I have lived, first in my own story and later in the teams I supported. I know what it feels like when autonomy is taken away. Growing up in instability and control, my decisions were made for me and around me. At thirteen, I walked away and chose my own path. That moment was not rebellion. 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳.

Years later during the pandemic heading Operations, I watched a team face uncertainty and isolation. Instead of control, we created connection. Instead of pressure, we created 𝗽𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆. Invitations rather than instructions. 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 and 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 at the same time. People did not just cope. They grew stronger together.

That is why the balanced autonomy concept in this book resonates. It confirms that we do not thrive in freedom alone, nor in structure alone. 𝗪𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁, 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁. When we are treated as humans rather than resources. When we can act from alignment rather than fear!

Balanced autonomy is not a leadership tactic. It is a way of relating to people. And it reminds me that meaning at work begins 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁.

✨Journeys of Empowerment✨[bonus monthly book alert #15]

Ps Martijn Boomsma thx for this invaluable read buddy!

#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.

She trained more than twenty hours a week, broke bones, chased perfection and still believed she wasn’t good enough. Leaving gymnastics pushed her into a long stretch of identity searching. At the same time her own endometriosis was dismissed as stress for years. Through it all she built VitsAll with the same drive she had in sport, but now with a deeper understanding of what vitality really asks of us!

Deep dive talking points:

👉🏾Movement and meaning: how elite sport shaped her drive and her blind spots;
👉🏾 Vitality at work: why habits, fun and maintenance matter more than quick fixes;
👉🏾 Endometriosis: speaking up after years of not being heard;
👉🏾 Identity beyond achievement: quitting gymnastics and rebuilding from zero;
👉🏾 Building VitsAll: turning personal experience into purpose driven entrepreneurship;

Nuggets of empowerment:

🙌🏾 Sometimes the bravest step is simply saying this is my limit and choosing a different path;
🙌🏾 Strength without softness collapses, strength with softness becomes sustainable;
🙌🏾 You can dream big and still take small steps every day. They are not opposites, they are the way forward!

In Sabine’s empowering words:

"Everyone has a story and it is okay to be not fine and to speak about it"

Sabine’s story is a reminder that dedication can take you far, but honesty with yourself will take you deeper. Maybe the question to sit with after listening is this: 

👉🏾 where in your own life is it time to stop pushing and start listening to what your body has been trying to tell you?

Join ✨Journeys of Empowerment✨and stay close to these weekly stories of resilience and purpose!

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