Entrepreneurship

Inspiration Shot June 2026

Reinventing yourself, one experiment at a time.

One of the best things about entrepreneurship is that you never stop learning. Since 1992 (!) I have fallen flat on my face more times than I can count, and had some very visible successes too. Occasionally both happened at once. Most of all, all those years have taught me to know myself extremely well.

In my enthusiasm to apply AI, I forgot one important rule in the previous Inspiration Shot: always check everything. Whether you work with people or with AI agents. Unfortunately a few links did not work properly, including the blog about magic in Peru and my posts about AI, relationships and KPIs. You can still read everything in the previous Inspiration Shot.

Many people who want to quit their job, who want to stop doing what they are doing now or who want to start something new, think they have to make a radical choice right away. Let everything go. Jump. Start over.

My advice is usually the exact opposite: do not burn all your ships behind you straight away.

Instead, build a bridge between where you are today and where you would like to be. Use what you already have: your experience, your network, your knowledge, your reputation and maybe your income for a little while longer. Test your new idea in or alongside your current work. Talk about it. Help someone. Try a small first offer. Pay attention to what sparks enthusiasm, both for you and for the people around you.

On Instagram I shared my 8 steps to turn almost anything into a business: look at what you already know or can do, find out who it is valuable for, solve a concrete problem, turn it into a simple offer, test it on a small scale, ask for feedback, talk about it and improve as you go.

That may sound less spectacular than “I quit everything and followed my dream”. Usually it is smarter, calmer and more sustainable. Entrepreneurship is not about having the perfect plan. It is about taking the next step.

I am often surprised and honoured when people tell me they have been following me for years, some even for more than 25 years. During that time I have reinvented myself more times than I can count: from charities to speaker and author, from Expedition Robinson to the first Dutch digital nomad, and during Covid my work shifted almost completely online.

After a year sabbatical, I notice that I feel like connecting live again. Small groups, real conversations, sitting around a table together. That is why I am organising a few exclusive practical AI days at my home in Amsterdam. The first one filled up almost immediately and there is one spot left for the second date. It seems people are looking for something different than yet another online course.

I am also playing with a new idea: walking in Cinque Terre for a few days with a small group of inspiring entrepreneurs. No conference room, no tight schedule. Just walking, talking, exchanging ideas and seeing where the conversations take us. Maybe after 34 years of entrepreneurship that is still what it is about: trying things, building as you go and adjusting along the way. Feel like joining? Let me know.

Entrepreneurship is one thing. Living as a digital nomad is another. Combining the two makes it even more interesting. How do you decide what matters most? Do you move quickly or stay put for a while? Which countries do you choose? What do you bring?

The posts below give you a glimpse into my life: how do you become a local? and what actually counts as a country? And yes, I still like to travel light. My Capsule Wardrobe post shows what I bring.

This month: biopics about keeping going, young entrepreneurs who do not wait for permission, and a book about AI that is surprisingly human.

FILM
Michael

Dancing, glitter, eighties, The King of Pop.

I spent most of the film resisting the urge to get up and dance.

Fun detail: Michael is played by his nephew Jaafar Jackson, the son of Jermaine.

FILM
Deliver Me From Nowhere

You may associate Bruce Springsteen with stadiums, energy and Born to Run, but behind The Boss there is another story. This film is about the darker side: depression, family patterns and keeping going when life does not feel big or shiny on the inside.

INSPIRATION
Just do it!

Together with his friend and business partner Wesley, he now makes wonderful videos about their hilarious business adventures: from a winter gala to renting out air conditioners and selling coconuts. Follow them via @Halobanprod on Instagram 🇫🇷 or via their YouTube channel with English subtitles 🇬🇧.

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR BOOK!
Minke Tromp

During one of my writing retreats in Mallorca, Minke wrote her first book.

She is now already on her third book: Hoe AI ons menselijker maakt.

Fun fact: she still uses the Reverse Writing system.

…that I have never worked for a boss? I have been an entrepreneur for 34 years now and I have probably failed a hundred times. Looking back, I am actually quite grateful for that. Every mistake, setback and unexpected detour taught me something. Not just about business, but especially about myself.

We often expect leaders, entrepreneurs and well-known people to be good at everything: vision, numbers, communication, details, charisma, empathy, execution. Almost nobody is all of that at the same time.

That is why I spend my time almost exclusively on things that give me energy and where I can truly add value. I try to avoid, delegate or simply stop doing the rest as much as possible.

Maybe that is my most important entrepreneurship lesson: success does not come from trying to be good at everything. It comes from knowing what you should mostly not do. I also wrote this social media post about prime ministers.

In Amsterdam I had a few days to recover from my jet lag and the intense week in Miami with my father and sister. I am still savouring a special moment with my father. Since his pneumonia he has been very tired and his clear moments have become rare. Yet somehow, whenever I am with him, something unexpected happens. After I had told him I would leave again the next day, he slowly placed his trembling hand on my back. And suddenly he gave me not one, but ten little kisses on my cheek. Love does not always need words.

I wrote this Inspiration Shot from my Tiny Trullo in Puglia. An extra reason to go to Puglia was a special request from the Irish television programme Cheap European Homes. If they could interview and film me at my Tiny Trullo. Of course I said yes. A chance to share my story, inspire others, capture some beautiful drone footage and shine a spotlight on Puglia is not something I turn down. My episode will air on Irish RTÉ TV in March 2027.

It confirms something I have believed in for years: the power of visibility and free publicity. I even created a course about it, sharing my experiences and tips: Modern promotion and free publicity.

After Puglia I travelled on to Gruissan, a charming French seaside town that seems to have stayed in the eighties, to visit a friend. Then I will be back in Amsterdam for the first practical AI day. After that I am going to Malta for a few days for the 45th anniversary of my Nyenrode society, together with 57 (!) women. Then comes the second practical AI day, for which there is one spot left.

And then, for a change, no flights for a while. If everything goes according to plan, I will simply be in Amsterdam in July and August. My favourite time of year. Who knows, maybe we will bump into each other somewhere this summer.

PS. Curious where I am? On my website agenda you can always find my current schedule.