I didn't get here in a straight line.

Definitely not without a few bumps along the way.

I grew up in a small village in Limburg, with a Macedonian mother and a Dutch father. From there I moved to Eindhoven, and eventually to Amsterdam—the first city that truly felt like home.

When I was nineteen, I was involved in a car accident that forced me to slow down. It became a turning point in my life. After changing my own lifestyle, I eventually became a personal trainer because I wanted to help others do the same.

Working with clients taught me something I hadn't expected.

Most of them already knew exactly what they needed to do.

That question stayed with me and eventually led me to study Applied Psychology and later to my work as a POH-GGZ in general practice.

Looking back, my career probably doesn't make much sense on paper.

Eight years in makeup.
Personal training.
Applied Psychology.
Mental healthcare.

To me, they've always been connected by the same question:

I've spent the last ten years reading, studying and questioning everything I could find about psychology and human behaviour.

It's fair to say I've never been very good at doing things halfway.

Not because I was looking for another self-help method, but because I've always wanted to understand why people do what they do.

Over time, I realised I naturally look beyond the problem people describe and become curious about the pattern underneath it.

That's still how I coach today.

I'm less interested in giving advice than I am in helping people understand what's actually keeping them stuck. Because once you understand the pattern, you know what needs to change.

That's also why I created The School of Growth.

A place where psychology becomes practical, understandable, and something you can actually use in everyday life.

Outside of all of this, I collect hobbies like it's a competition, ask far too many questions at dinner, and still think people are endlessly fascinating.