Last May we were lucky to catch up with our friends in Hong Kong at Restaurant Tosca. Whilst sharing great moments of laughter and happy tears we also experienced an evening with exceptional taste explosions. Chef Pino joined our table at dessert. We gave him compliments for the beautiful and tasty food and he humbly said: “My food is just a part of your recipe to happiness”.
Read MoreWhat luck, to have experienced an enervating evening during “Business Boost Live” in Ahoy together with 7000 others.
John de Mol is the king of entrepreneurship. In my opinion he is also the best podium speaker. The vulnerability he dares to show, his openness and above all, his clarity of vision, touches me.
Read MoreNobody is too busy if their priorities are set right. You make a To–Do list, look to see when and what you can do and then put them in your diary. Do you believe that this works? Sorry, then I’ll just have to shatter your dream. I just change this famous quote into “nobody is too busy if they make the right choices”. This is the essence of what it is all about.
Read MoreDon’t you love dreaming away about the smartly dressed, handsome men in "Suits". Crazy about the humour and don't let's forget Harvey Spicer's gifted utterances. Below, are my top five together with my interpretation.
Read MoreThis week one retailer surprised me, but unfortunately, I was also disappointed by another. Can these retailers learn something from each other; who knows?
Read MoreLearn about yourself, about your own limitations and daring to make mistakes. No, do not correct but above all, let it happen. This is what King Willem-Alexander shared with us during an interview on the evening before his 50th birthday.
Read More"Wow, that's a nice dress!" "Yeah, it was in the sales." Does this sound familiar? Appreciating a compliment is often just as difficult as giving one. And it's so simple. Say "Thank you" and enjoy the moment instead of talking right over it.
Read MoreIn the past, if my boss called to ask if I could pop in for a meeting, I would drop everything. That appointment with my colleague would have to wait. Is not your boss the most important person in the organisation? Now I know, I couldn't have been more wrong. Employees need just as much attention as bosses, maybe even more. Luckily, in recent years, I have seen more companies with whom I work being aware of this.
Read MoreBlessed to the fact that the assignments continue to flow in since the founding of my company 'Business in Person' in 2012. However in 2014 I felt stuck. How do I ensure that I do not stagnate myself? I made the decision to give myself every year a gift, as a business women I find it important to keep investing in my own development.
Read MoreDear Mrs Clinton and Mr Trump,
Billions of dollars are spent on your campaigns and although sometimes, in my thoughts, I ask myself about the many things you could do for the USA with all that money (such as: helping the poor, optimising medical services and supporting the economy by creating more jobs). I cannot, and will not, pass judgement on this.
Read More"Making his presentation to a large group without practising beforehand is really not smart" I said to a colleague before carrying on quickly with my own work. A week later the person I had criticised came into my office and gave me a piece of his mind.
Read MoreDuring the guest lecture "Managing from the heart" at the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences the subject of delegating comes up. Almost all the 3rd year students are of the opinion that they find delegating difficult. Letting go is daring to trust. This means that, maybe, a project can proceed other than you expect. Maybe miss a deadline once: well, that's all part of the process.
Read More“I will focus on the race and not start dreaming” said Max Verstappen the day before his historical Grand Prix Race in Spain. No doubt he is gifted with a special talent but beside this he is a remarkable person, a true inspirer, already at the age of 18 years old!
Read MoreI was preparing an university master class when my thoughts drifted off: "What should I impart to the students when they start their business career?"
Read MoreYesterday I went to a new restaurant for lunch. I complimented the owner about his surprisingly delicious organic soup. He thanked me and told me that he was seeking a way to expand the format of his business. Before I knew it, I had given him a few tips on how to get the best out of his enterprise. He immediately grabbed his notebook and began quickly to write everything down.
Read More"Your results are good but you could do better." I nodded in agreement but in the mean time am immediately thinking how I could have done it differently.
Read MoreI would like to share my favorite recipe with you: the one that leads towards company success. There are three main ingredients: connectivity, destination and essence. More ingredients may be used, but these three are essential. Don’t forget to add a pinch of love, as Vincent van Gogh said: ‘‘what is done in love, is done well.”
Read MoreDuring my first job I really wanted to be involved with everything. The more I saw managers meeting together, the more my curiosity made me restless. Why was I not allowed to be present at these meetings? What were the meetings about? As an ambitious know-it-all, I thought I had the answer to everything.
Read MoreStill exhausted from an intense workout, I walk to my car last Wednesday and find a note under the windshield wiper: Someone hit my car. I was bummed out about the dent, but it’s nice that a note is left behind. I get in touch. The warm, friendly voice on the other end of the line suddenly made me feel a whole lot better.
Read MoreDuring a recent birthday party my guests were talking about digital communication and how they sometimes dislike it. Before mobile phone’s their children would come home to their moms and dads to show their holiday pictures and share their stories, nowadays all they received was an app. Everything is shared digitally before the holidays are over, so there is no point anymore for a personal visit. This touched me, maybe even hit me in the face, as I know and feel that a lot has changed to make life easier.
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