MAARTEN'S STORY
Making a positive impact on people's lives has always been a part of my career. For 15 years, I've driven corporate sustainability strategies for Fortune 500 companies. As a senior leader, I have seen the inside of many Board rooms, and have been inspired (and disappointed) by some of the brightest business minds in the world.
Throughout my career, I've found the greatest personal satisfaction in helping my colleagues navigate life's challenges, both professionally and personally.
Although I've climbed the same corporate ladder you're on, my experiences—along with some inexplicable events (which I'll share below)—have taught me that professional success isn't everything.
As a Certified Life Coach (CLC) and Spiritual Life Coach (SLC), I help you redefine success, and design a life you love.
IT WASN'T ALWAYS EASY
Although my life has been filled with opportunities and privilege, I’ve faced many of the same struggles working parents encounter today. As a working dad (who also happens to be an expat and immigrant), I’ve grappled with feelings of isolation, the grief of a past life, guilt when I when wanted to do something for just me (so then didn't) and emotional exhaustion.
When the pandemic thrust me into the role of 'lead parent,' I felt a profound loss of identity, as if the life I had envisioned was slipping further and further out of reach.
But something unexpected pulled me out...
A HELPING HAND
On two separate occasions, years apart, I woke up with an unexplainable handprint on my body. The hand was much smaller than my own, but the energy beaming from it was undeniable.
I discovered that these handprints appeared every time after my mother visited a local chapel to ask her (deceased) mother—my grandmother—to watch over my sister and me.
Now, I believe these may have been my first Reiki treatments.
It took some time for me to fully recognize these events as miracles, but they ultimately triggered a spiritual awakening.
Through this process of self-assessment, I recognized that I needed to step away from my corporate career to directly work with people that want to create a better flow of life.
Together, we will find the right path for you.
"Happiness is a good flow of life." - Zeno
Follow the Path
When my wife and I flew back from our wedding in Greece, I noticed a mysterious old woman boarding the plane in Athens. Her presence sparked my imagination, and a fictional story about her life took shape in my mind. Before I knew it, the first chapters of my debut novel were born.
I never intended to become an author, but the joy of tapping into my creativity was addictive. As I kept writing, things magically fell into place. I wanted illustrations reminiscent of the fairytales of my childhood, and to my surprise, celebrated artist Zsófia Ötvös agreed to illustrate the book simply because she loved the story so much.
In May 2023, Tzia: The Book of Galatéa was published.
Trade reviewers compared it to classics like The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and I soon found myself at book signings in cities across the U.S.
This journey taught me that doors open when you follow what brings you joy. The path will reveal itself.
As a Certified Life Coach and Spiritual Life Coach, I can show you how to do the same.
Tzia Website
Certifications
- Certified Life Coach (CLS) - Life Purpose Institute
- Certified Spiritual Coach (CSC) - Life Purpose Institute
- Second Degree Reiki (Usui / Holy Fire III) - The International Center for Reiki Training
- First Degree Reiki (Usui/ Holy Fire III) - The International Center for Reiki Training
Degrees
- Master of Science, Marketing Management - Nyenrode Business University (The Netherlands)
- Bachelor of Science, International Business Administration - Erasmus University Rotterdam (The Netherlands)
Corporate Credentials
- Vice President of Global Sustainability (driving impact programs for companies like Heineken, PepsiCo, U.N. World Food Program, Edelman, and Unilever amongst others).
- Speaker at The United Nations Global Compact, The Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship.
