From shy girl with social anxiety,
To professional salsa dancer, entrepreneur & enjoyer of life
From shy girl with social anxiety,
To professional salsa dancer, entrepreneur & enjoyer of life
I felt worthless
of anyone’s time and energy
When I was younger (and still from time to time) I had very strong social anxiety.
I didn’t dare to talk to people, didn’t dare to speak my mind or just having a chitchat conversation was already a struggle.
I was bullied by other kids, which didn’t make the situations better.
In class I never said a thing, always the quiet one, and presentations scared me to death.
From about 10 years old, I started isolating myself, stopped having playdates with friends and was mostly by myself at home.
I felt like I wasn’t worth it, I felt like a nobody, as if I waisted somebody’s time meeting up with them.
In high school I had friends, but I still didn’t feel happy with myself.Β
I was still extremely insecure and felt even more worthless.
Then I discovered Dancing
Dancing made me go out there, stand on a stage, present myself
And especially: Express myself.
Thanks to dancing, I discovered a whole new side of myself.
One where I could communicate my feelings, thoughts and boldness, without having to talk with words, but with my body.
I started in high school in a weekly dancing class, where we explored different styles every few weeks
From ballet to hiphop and from tapdancing to… salsa π
This is the style that I felt the most: The music, the flow, the feeling, the vibe…
And the fact that it’s a social dance I absolutely loved. Again I could connect with people, without really having to talk.
Through the salsa scene I started meeting so many beautiful people, I got more and more confident and I felt better in my skin.
I learned that this is my ‘thing’:Β
I decided to move to New York
But then the fear kicked in
I remember very well, it was 2 months before I was getting on the airplane to go to New York City for 6 months.
And I didn’t want to go anymore.
I was too scared. I regreted my boldness.
“What was I thinking?” Constantly echoed through my head.
Who was this person that made this decision?
It felt like I was burning all my bridges: giving up my cosy apartment with my 2 superfun roommates, missing my friends and family for so long.
I was this close to canceling the whole thing.
Then on the airport, after I waved out my parents and 2 best friends, I walked to the airplane, crying out loud, a strong pain in my chest…
Something started to shift.
My fear turned into excitement.
I started thinking: The thing that I’m about to do, is actually very cool.
There is a whole wide world open for me, ready for me to discover.
From the moment I was in the airplane I felt so strong and powerful that I started this adventure.
And the 6 months in New York, turned into 4 years and a collection of life lessons that changed my life forever.
This experience changed my life forever
In New York I learned: There are no shortcuts to success, you become good in something by putting in the work and making the hours.
I joined one of the best salsa showteams in the world, to develop myself into a strong salsa dancer.
The people there don’t complain: Practice is often till 1am, then they travel home 45 minutes, go to work the next early morning and after go straight to the studio to train again,Β plus weekend traings too. Yes I did this too.
After almost a year I was exhausted: I fell asleep at work, couldn’t focus on anything and my body was injured constantly. I knew I had to make a change somehow.
The following question I asked myself changed everything:
What can I do to make money online, so I can just go dance as much as I want, without having to worry about money?
And after some research, I started my businesses in
Webdesign and Dropshipping.
Thanks to my online businesses
I created the freedom lifestyle that I dreamed of
- I am able to go dancing every night, enjoying myself and living in the moment. The next morning I can sleep in and relax, not having to rush to a job that I don’t like.
- I work from cosy coffee places with good vibes, enjoying a good cup of coffee while working from my laptop for a couple of hours, and decide myself when I’m done or not.
- I traveled to the most beautiful places while still making money and barely spending time on my laptop. I even flew first class to Dubai, myΒ ultimate bucketlist item that I never dared to dream to really make happen.
- I make money with doing the things I love the most: dancing, webdesign and e-commerce, and it never feels like work. It’s like spending everyday on my favorite hobbies, and even making money with it.
- I have enough time to spend with my closest friends and family, without having to wait for vacation days.
I would love to hear from you!
Now I would love to hear about you! I’m very curious. Who are you? What do you dream of? What are you running into to make your dreams a reality? What is still holding you back?
If there is anything you are currently stuck in and you feel I can help you, fill out the form below.
Tell me what your challenges are and together let’s see if we can click and do something for each other. Maybe somewhere you feel I can help you move forward in some way.
My mission is to help every woman move forward when they come in contact with me. Sometimes that is by starting a collaboration, but I am just as happy to refer you to somebody else if I feel you would have a better click with him/her.Β
Let me know by sending me a messag through Instagram. I will respond to your message Monday through Friday within 48 hours.
