At that time I didn’t have a plan -I had just a vague concept- but what I did know was that it would include sports and physical training, combined with elements of sports psychology, neuroscience and mindfulness.

I spent nine months developing my minimal viable product. I traveled to California to attend a mindfulness training that was developed for the U.S. Army. I worked with a Krav Maga / self defence trainer who worked for the Dutch Military and trained with a kickbox and self defence trainer who also trains police officers and young adolescents with addictions.

I lived in Thailand in the middle of nowhere to live like a Nak Muay Thai (Muay Thai fighter). I spoke to researchers, trainers, psychologists, and sociologists. Gradually some of the puzzle pieces fit together.

Our proof of concept was approved in July 2016, when we hosted a pilot training in my backyard. I gave the training together with Krav Maga Expert level 2 trainer Roy Tichelaar. We invited 15 people, varying from corporate managers, teachers, students, elite athletes, an ultra runner, a referee, entrepreneurs, a lady who was suffering from chronic stress and someone with rheumatism. The reactions were very positive, the participants told us that they had found new insights into their behavior and a totally new learning experience. Our MVP (Minimal Viable Product) was approved.

This autumn, Mind5® trainer Esther Huijsmans and I developed the Mind5® M.E.T.H.O.D.© The Mind5® M.E.T.H.O.D.© wasn’t something new. In fact, it had been there since day 1. Our training just didn’t have a name and we used lots of words to describe what we were doing.

The Mind 5 method can be used for several target groups. It is based on the following key principles:

M = Manage stress, pressure & crisis situations

E = Energy management

T = Teamwork

H = Hold Focus

O = Optimal performance

D = Development & reflection

After three years of hard work, together with my team of six freelance trainers, we have trained hundreds of people. We have hosted four tryouts for managers from Brand Loyalty, KLM, KPN, PON, Avans University of Applied Sciences, Jumbo supermarkets, DSM, SAP, Sanoma, Mettom Payrolling, Schouten Nelissen and many more.

We have been invited by companies like Bever, IKEA, Bugaboo, TKP Pensioen, Jumbo, Municipality of Amsterdam, The Dutch Ministry of Education (OCW) and BAM Infra to train their employees to thrive under pressure and better deal with stress, pressure and crisis situations.

Last week we received a call from an American journalist and two times Emmy Award nominee to ask if she could interview me for her podcast.

It’s time to share our thoughts internationally!

I have always protected my intellectual property with great care. Now that we are scaling up and getting traction, I decided to share our Mind5® M.E.T.H.O.D.© with trainers, coaches, teachers and managers from outside our organization. But why would I give away everything that I dedicated all my time, money and energy to?

Here’s why..

1. My main mission is to create impact. I want to improve the quality of corporate life and work, change people’s way of thinking and shake up the sports and coaching industry. In the past year we have created hundreds of ambassadors and we want to share experiences, common beliefs and ideas.

2. We noticed that change comes from within the organization. We can give 1, 3, 6 or more workshops, inspire people or help them improve self-awareness, but we noticed that change happens when the people within the organization start making a change. We have always supported people in their journey towards optimal performance, now we are ready to train optimal performance leaders.

3. I created Mind5® training to help high potentials, managers and executives in corporates thrive under pressure. Mind5® training turned out to be a perfect training methodology for all sorts of niche groups; young adults, students, children, athletes, cancer patients, young professionals, entrepreneurs, people suffering from burnout and even people with PTSS (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrom). There were times that I lost focus, because I wanted to help everyone. I realized that I need to stick to my original plan, but that there are hundreds of people who can help. Every trainer, coach, teacher or manager has their own experience, preferences and ideal target group. I want to help good trainers, coaches, teachers and managers to become great, match them with their ideal client and create excellent customer satisfaction as a result.

4. In any role that I had, I have always wanted to innovate, create and improve. We are good in spotting trends, but more people will discover more things. We like to learn from our community, not only in The Netherlands, but everywhere around the world.