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Can you have it all? Career, family and life?
I am sure you all heard the famous jokes, made mostly by men, about the perfect woman. I can’t stop thinking that there is a self-inflicted pain a woman experiences when aiming to become the ideal woman. It all starts in the teenage years when you discover you like a...
The power of language for breaking barriers
'In good times, but especially in bad times we discover over and over again how powerful language can be. Words can heal or they can hurt, they can unite or they can divide nations.' No matter where you are in the world, you have...
Mothers as leaders learning across borders – Families as Teams
We spent the last two weeks homeworking, homeschooling, feeding our families and meanwhile trying to keep fit with our workouts. We are almost all turning into the Wonder women, but wait...how sustainable is this situation on long term? How can we replenish our...
Some anxiety is normal but how can we avoid becoming victims of group panic
How do we protect our brain and our heart from group panic? I view myself as a relatively calm person, but even I struggled to sleep well the last few nights. Considering that the number of Corona related deaths in Europe is increasing significantly, it is not...
Equality starts at home
Tomorrow is the 8th of March, the International Women Day, #eachforequal, but... What does equality really mean for us? I grew up in a traditional family where the role of the woman and the man was set many years ago. My mother was a girl with ambitions and my dad was...
When dreams come true
After few days of anxiety about presenting my book in front of my children, husband, mother- in-law and neighbours, the moment of the truth came on Wednesday, the 29th of January. That's when I had my official book launch at the Paagman bookstore in The Hague. It is...
Change management for parents and consultants
As an Organization Development and change consultant some of the most used words in my day-to-day business language are 'change', 'transition' and 'experiment'. I am now feeling the impact of those words directly, as I am going through several personal changes myself....
What makes someone a leader?
Some people say that leaders are born, others say they are made. I think we are all born with the possibility of being leaders but we are also all born with the desire to follow because the desire to belong to social structures has existed in humans since the 'hunter...
‘Happy mums for happy kids’. The highs and lows of raising kids in The Netherlands & How we can rise as Mothers and Leaders
In my podcast interview with Andy Clark from Here in Holland I spoke about the role of mothers in the Dutch society and the difference between living as an expat and the challenges of local mums. I shared the story of Diana, one of the charachters from the 'Mothers as...
#Metoo campaign is need it everywhere but in Afghanistan is a human rights issue
As I was reading this shocking article about the rate of sexual abuse in the Afghan I am reminded again how fortunate I feel that my daughter wasn't born in a country where women can't feel safe at their workplace. We are benefiting from the privileges gained for us...
A dream comes true…the Mothers as Leaders book
It started as a wild dream five years ago, but it is now a reality. The book created due to the generosity of many mothers from across the world who shared their life story with me is now available to be ordered via amazon Thank you to everyone who believed in the...
BBC News: Ethiopian woman gives birth and sits exams 30 minutes later
BBC News - Ethiopian woman gives birth and sits exams 30 minutes later https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-48594161 A fascinating story about a mother in Ethiopia and her drive to get an education no matter what.
Live your dream…
Today we are celebrating Mother's Day in The Netherlands. If you are a mother with small children like me, you will be surprised with little crafted gifts with many red hearts and sweet little poems. We take pictures of these moments and we might even print them for...
Is she bossy? The language bias against women
Today is International Women Day, we celebrate women's courage and beauty. We congratulate each other on our achievements and progress against discrimination and but, how was this day chosen? On 8 March 1908 a New York textile factory caught on fire with the owner...
‘Letting go to letting come’
Last week, it was my son's first week at school. I waved goodbye hoping he will cry asking me to stay longer, but he didn't. He was ready for it and actually looking forward to it with excitement. I, on the other hand, wasn't ready to let go. I was afraid because ...