Do you have any other creative ambitions or dreams to which you aspire?
As a child what did you want to become (profession-wise)?
A vet or dolphin trainer!
In which town did you grow up? I grew up in Nieuwegein, a small town south of Utrecht in The Netherlands. I am so glad I did not stay there!
Do you think your background has influenced your current book-writing style? If so, what specific element in your background is most pervasive in influencing your current book-writing style?
Creativity, out-of-the-box thinking and seeking solutions instead of problems are now my main themes. I think this is because of the lack of this kind of mentality where I grew up; everybody was into “keeping up with the Joneses” and security. I would like to say to them, “If you do what you always did, you’ll get what you always got.” So if you don’t like what you have, you have to change your approach. That’s what I have learned and what I am now trying to teach others.
What inspires you in the job of being an author?
I love the idea of being able to inspire people without actually having to do anything! (Except for writing the book first...). Also everything I do in my life — meeting people, watching movies, traveling — everything might provide inspiration for a new book, so no moment is wasted.
In which way do you consider yourself an innovative creator?
I am the living proof that you don’t need money, experience or a network to get things done. Your mentality is all that matters; you can make things happen! You don’t need a lot of money to work less, travel the world and have fun in life. And in doing so, I even get to inspire others to chase their dreams!
I would like to show people how beautiful the world is. I have traveled to over 100 countries and have met the richest and the poorest family of Guatemala, monks, fishermen, ex pats, presidents, etc. I have been to the Amazon and to Siberia, swam with wild dolphins, and seen the most beautiful places — and also destruction. I would like to share these experiences and insights in a TV format, eventually.
Which basic elements of creativity did your family teach you?
My father was an entrepreneur and taught me that not following the beaten paths, hard work and your individuality matter. My mother came from a family of grocers. She taught me to get along with little money. And my father’s family is Jewish, and only some of them survived the holocaust. From that side I have a very strong survivor instinct. I even participated in European Survivor to test this!
How did you get the idea of writing this book?
When the euro was introduced in 2002, I collected all leftover foreign coins and raised $25 million for charities. I did this without experience, a network or budget. Companies asked me to give presentations on this project. More and more people in the audience started to ask questions about my life and person: the choices I made, my experiences during Survivor, etc. Then they started telling me I should write a book about my experiences. Which I eventually did! What is Your Excuse? came out in 2009 and is now being translated into English.
Then readers told me how inspired they were by my story and asked for tips to realize their dreams. I then wrote What is Your Dream? in 10 days, on a sailing boat in the Caribbean! It was published in 2010 and is also being translated in English right now.
Do you have a favorite author yourself?
I really love Malcolm Gladwell, because he looks differently at things around us and manages to take his readers on this journey.