What if we chose to be our best selves?

In how we work, how we lead, how we live, and how we show up for others.

I’m Dutch-Chinese, a former global business executive, a High Performance Coach, and a yoga, mindfulness, and happiness teacher.

At first glance, these might seem like very different worlds. But to me, they’re deeply connected.

I’ve spent much of my life exploring what we’re capable of, what makes us happy, and how we can continue growing as people.

I love business. I love learning. I love seeing people achieve things they once thought weren’t possible.

And over the years, I’ve come to believe that how we show up matters just as much as what we achieve.

The career I worked hard to build

I joined L’Oréal as a Marketing Intern and spent 19 years building an international career across Europe, Asia, and the United States.

By 30, I was a General Manager in Vietnam, building new teams and launching new brands. Later, I worked in global business development before becoming Senior Vice President of Human Resources for global teams in New York.

I loved my career. The challenges, the people, the opportunities to learn, build businesses, and grow as a leader.
But some moments made me question how I was living.

Two moments that changed my perspective

While living in Ho Chi Minh City, I went through one of the most difficult periods of my life.

I felt stuck. I felt like a victim of my circumstances. And I wanted to leave.

Then I had a motorbike accident.

I remember lying on the filthy street in downtown Ho Chi Minh City.

The experience made me realize I needed to become stronger, physically and especially mentally, and find a different way to approach my circumstances.

Around that time, my Global HR Leader acknowledged what I had been going through and told me he was sorry, and said he wanted to apologize on behalf of the Group.

But ultimately, whether I stayed was my decision.

And I chose to stay.

That realization changed everything. I was no longer staying because I had to. I was staying because I had made that choice.

A year later, I was participating in a charity run through the beautiful temples of Siem Reap, Cambodia.

As I was running, I suddenly saw an image in my mind of a young woman who had been running for ten years.

Always moving forward. Always working toward the next thing.

But she no longer knew what she was running for.

That young woman was me.

I had spent years building a career I was proud of. Yet somewhere along the way, I had stopped asking myself what I actually wanted.

And the truth was, I didn’t know.

What I did know was that I needed a break.

Learning to live differently

I stepped away from corporate and immersed myself in yoga, holistic health, the science of happiness, and high performance.

I became fascinated by how our minds and bodies work, how our habits shape our lives, and how much influence we have over our health and happiness.

But I also realized something.

Learning something intellectually is very different from putting it into practice.

So I returned to L’Oréal.

For another 8+ years, I continued building my corporate career while integrating what I’d learned into the realities of work and leadership.

There were still long days, difficult decisions, high expectations, and lots of stress. I continued learning, practicing, teaching, and coaching alongside my corporate career.

It wasn’t always easy. But I experienced firsthand that it was possible to pursue ambitious goals while taking care of my health and happiness.

And as I moved into senior Human Resources leadership, I became increasingly aware that how we show up as leaders shapes the people, teams, and environments around us. 

Why I founded Flow Grounds

After 19 years at L’Oréal, I founded Flow Grounds to bring together my experience in business and people leadership with everything I’d learned and practiced in high performance, mindfulness, and holistic wellbeing.

Today, I work with executives, professionals, and organizations through coaching, leadership development, workshops, and experiences.

I’m particularly passionate about helping people perform at their best, lead responsibly, and create happier, healthier workplaces where people can thrive.

I believe ambition is a wonderful thing. So is achieving goals while enjoying the journey.

And I believe we can do both while taking care of ourselves and the people around us.

Because ultimately, work is part of life. And I want both to be good.

Beyond work

I’m still a student of life.

I love learning, exploring new perspectives, and experiencing different cultures. My Dutch upbringing, Chinese heritage, and years living and working across continents have shaped how I see the world.

Yoga and mindfulness remain part of my life, not simply things I teach. They continue to remind me to pay attention, stay curious, and keep practicing what I believe.

And while I care deeply about the work I do, I also believe in enjoying life along the way.