Frequently asked questions

For entrepreneurs who feel there's more. That could be a founder just starting out and struggling with focus, a scale-up entrepreneur hitting a growth ceiling, or someone in tough times who needs to change course. The common thread is always: you're ambitious, you're willing to look honestly at yourself, and you want to move forward.

I don't work with people expecting a ready-made answer. I work with people ready to have the real conversation.

I'm not a business coach. I'm an entrepreneur who's lived it. I've raised over €20 million, built a team of 150 people, lost almost everything, and had to reinvent the company with 15 people.

That means I'm not speaking from a textbook. When you tell me you're lying awake because your bank account is draining, I know exactly how that feels. When you say you're wondering whether to keep going or stop, I've asked myself that question too, with €5 million in debt on the table.

That's the difference: what I offer isn't theory, but insight that only comes from truly living through it.

Informal and no-pressure. We schedule a brief call, by phone or video, where I listen to where you are and what's going on. No sales pitch, no PowerPoint. Just an honest conversation.

At the end, we both know if there's a connection and if I can help you. Sometimes that's one session, sometimes a full program, sometimes the honest answer is that you'd be better served elsewhere. I'll tell you that too.

Clarity can come in a single session. Many entrepreneurs walk out after a half day with a completely different perspective, sharper choices, and concrete next steps.

Structural change takes more time, that's why I also offer an in-depth program alongside the session. The real shift isn't in the conversation itself, but in what you do after.

Absolutely. I've done multiple fundraising rounds myself, from a first round of €650,000 with friends and family in a wine bar, to a Series A of €13 million with international venture capitalists. I know the game of valuations, term sheets, due diligence, and the pressure that comes with it.

We start with the basics: is your company investable? What's your story? Who are the right investors for your stage? Then we build your pitch and strategy. Not from a template, but from what I know works.

Familiar situation. When we started, no Dutch bank would touch us, too risky, too unknown. We had to get creative: foreign bank accounts, alternative financing structures, crowdfunding, short-term loans.

The point is: there are always more options than you think. The question isn't whether the money exists, but whether you're telling the right story to the right people. That's where I help.

It completely depends on your stage, your valuation, and your negotiating position. But I can tell you this: I've seen what happens when you give away too much too soon, and I've seen what happens when you raise too little out of fear of dilution.

The art is balance. You want enough capital to really move, but you want to keep control of your company. I help you make that choice based on what I've experienced across multiple rounds.

Yes. I've stood at the edge of bankruptcy with €5 million in debt and enormous pressure on everything we'd built.

We called every creditor, made a restructuring plan, and kept the company afloat. Not with magic, but with honesty, sharpness, and the courage to have the hardest conversations.

If you're in that situation, I know how it feels, and I also know there's often more possible than it seems at the moment. But you have to act fast and you have to face the truth.

Very familiar. We grew from 3 to 150 people. At the peak we thought we had product-market fit. We had momentum, investors, an app in 37 countries. But behind the scenes we were losing control: too many people, too many costs, too little focus.

The lesson I learned: growth without control is a ticking bomb. Sometimes you have to deliberately slow down to speed up. We went back to 15 people, and those 15 did the work of 100. That was the real breakthrough.

I asked myself that on January 2, 2023. With an empty bank account and €5 million in debt. I chose: keep going. But only if I was 100% convinced it would work. No half measures.

The answer is different for everyone. But what I can give you is an honest outside perspective. Sometimes keeping going is the right choice. Sometimes stopping is the bravest decision you can make. It's about making that choice consciously, not from fear.

This is one of the most painful situations you can face as an entrepreneur. I've been through it myself, multiple times. A co-founder who said I wasn't performing at the right level. A technical founder who didn't want to participate in crucial steps. Years of partnership potentially ending in buyout conversations.

What I've learned: it comes down to honesty. You have to have the conversation you'd rather avoid. Not over email, not through intermediaries, but face to face. And sometimes going separate ways is the best outcome for both.

With respect, honesty, and speed. I had to go from 150 to 15 employees. Those conversations stay with you forever, people who believed in you, who put their heart and soul into your company.

But delay only makes it worse. For them and for your business. The best approach: be direct, be human, and make sure you do it right. And after: rebuild your core with people who really fit where you're going.

Sixty-seven hours a week. That's what I worked. And yet my business partners thought I wasn't doing enough. That's one of the loneliest experiences you can have as an entrepreneur.

What I learned: it's not about how many hours you work, but whether you're working on things that really matter. My business partner called it "Chefsache", the matters only the founder can handle. When I started focusing on that, everything changed.

If this resonates, that's exactly what we go deep on in a session.

It becomes as personal as needed. I believe your business breakthrough and your personal growth are inseparably connected. Your company can't grow beyond the point where you stand as a person.

In my own journey, meditation played a crucial role. Not as a hobby, but as a survival mechanism. In the hardest period of my entrepreneurial life, it kept me going. That's not for everyone, but the willingness to look honestly at yourself, that's essential.

Completely. At one point we had: a trading platform, an NFT project, international expansion, a podcast, sponsorship of the Dakar Rally, and five other things. Too many irons in the fire.

The breakthrough came when we stopped everything except the core. Do less, but better. Fifteen focused people beat a team of 150 running in all directions. If you notice you start everything but finish nothing, focus is your first breakthrough.

Yes. And I'm saying that not to reassure you, but because it's the truth. The bigger your company gets, the lonelier it can be at the top. You can't share everything with your team, not everything with your partner, not everything with your investors.

I was lucky to have a business coach for many years, Marianne Woolwich, where I could lay everything down. Fully tailored, one hundred percent. From manifesting and creating to difficult conversations, nothing was off the table. That changed everything. Not because she had the answers, but because she asked the questions that mattered. That's exactly what I do now for other entrepreneurs.

The Business Breakthrough Session is €750 for a half day 1-on-1. The Breakthrough Program, two sessions with an interim phase, is €1,500. Fundraising & Growth Strategy starts at €950.

Is that an investment? Yes. But the right decision at the right moment can save you months of time and tens of thousands of euros. Most entrepreneurs recoup their investment in the first weeks after a session.

In person or via video, whatever works best for you. In-person sessions are often more powerful, but I work with entrepreneurs across the Netherlands and beyond, so online works great too.

Of course. A brief conversation is always the first step. Fill in the contact form or call me directly at +31 6 15 439 193. No obligations, no pressure. Just talk about where you are.