Who was/is your Role Model and why?

My role models are definitely my mom and dad. My life is built around their mottos: “Niks is meer weerd as vandaage” (Emma’s mom, Drenths for “Nothing is worth more than this day”) and “Voorkom ‘had-ik-maar…’” (Emma’s dad, Dutch for “Avoid ‘I wish I had…’”). They’re also the sweetest people I know.

What advice would give your 17 year old (or younger) self, reflecting on your personal or professional challenges, experiences or successes?

Live in the moment and make decisions based on what and how you feel at the moment you decide. Sure, thinking about the future is important, but you won’t get there without living in the here and now. Long story short: Don’t worry, be happy. And also: Don’t worry about being unhappy sometimes. As we say in Dutch: “Zonder wrijving geen glans” (“Without friction no shine”).