Company founder.
Inspired creative writer.
Storyteller and content creator.
Short-order cook for two hungry kids.

Which means there is always something to talk about.

About me

I was born in Amsterdam in 1962, and lived in New York. I am now in Taiwan. Why? Short answer: I never want to be bored. Life is all about exploring. I now live and work on the slope of a semi-dormant volcano overlooking the city of Taipei, surrounded by jungle, far away from the windmills and canals of my childhood. I love it.

I graduated film school, worked in film and TV and moved to branding and marketing, which is not that different. Both are about the art of telling stories that connect to their audiences. This is what defines me, this is what I am at heart: a creator and storyteller.

My Companies

I am an entrepreneur who likes building things and leading motivated teams. I am intensely curious and always looking for a reason to deep dive into a topic. Twelve years ago, I founded Look Right, a branding and marketing agency with a unique portfolio of large and small international clients.

Take Off creates storytelling strategies and content for businesses on social media. Every business has a story to tell, and there are no boring stories - only boring storytellers.

Look Right

An international branding and marketing agency in Taiwan with clients in a wide variety of sectors and industries, from creative local startups to global industrial corporations.

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Take Off

Take Off creates complete social media story feeds for its clients. Social media is often the first time people look at a business online. We make sure it is not the last.

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Taiwanese Design

We help Taiwanese cultural organizations, designers and creative startups look professional and international, so that Taiwanese design can reach the global audience it deserves.

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Film & TV

My passion for creative communication has its roots in my previous career as a TV producer and screenwriter in Europe, where I wrote and produced over 200 hours of shows, movies, drama series, comedies and soap operas.

I still write to this day: formats, TV concepts, story universes, screenplays. My book on screenwriting and storytelling, The Sideways Hourglass, is scheduled for release in early 2022.

TV series
Jan, Jans & de Kinderen
Meiden van de Wit
Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden
Ugly Betty (Lotte)
Alex FM
Luifel & Luifel
Bibaboerderij
Fort Alpha
Commercials
Trimspa
NV
Nutramist
Trojan
iCool
iFlex
Qunol
Comedy
Bradaz
SamSam/Three's a Company
Kwartelhof
In de Vlaamsche Pot
Film
Blackout
All Inclusive
Live Life
TV Shows
Waar Vallen Vrouwen Voor
Lucky Lotto Live
De Markt
Other
AT 5 (executive producer)
BBC World Service (radio play)
Angel One (documentary)

Workshops

I love teaching, sharing knowledge and motivating creative entrepreneurs. Many of my topics are about building bridges between brands, creators and artists and their audiences.

INTERNATIONAL BRANDING FOR HOSPITALITY
How to bounce back after COVID-19 in a world that has changed travel and hospitality forever
HOW TO SURVIVE YOUR OWN BUSINESS
How to make a successful transition from startup to enterprise
THE FALL OF THE BRANDING EMPIRE
How the demise of Big Brand power creates new opportunities for small entrepreneurs
EMPOWER YOUR POWERPOINT
How to tell stories on the screen that capture your audience
DESIGN IS THE HUNTER
How to survive as a designer by developing your storytelling talents
CLICK TO START
Delivering a better User Experience is the first step to success
POPUP POWER
How to make the best of a great business opportunity as a popup-shop
PITCH PERFECT
How to deliver your message when every second counts

Taiwan

I love this unusual, kind, controversial, wonderful, infuriating, heartwarming country. I am always the outsider, yet never feel excluded. I am always welcome. There is no better place to be than Taiwan.

I have been talking about Taiwan

Taiwan deserves more recognition for its unique cultural identity. I think the new generation of designers would be the best ambassadors for Taiwan.

I have been promoting Taiwanese design for over a decade through books, speeches, writing and as a jury member of design awards. My mission is to get Taiwanese design off the island and into the world.

I have been living in Taiwan

What happens if your director-friend visits from Holland with a camera? You end up on YouTube, that's what. My life in Taipei, exposed by Martijn Hullegie's incisive questioning during our friendly banter, shows my friends and family back in Holland what daily life on this remarkable island is like.

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I have been writing about Taiwan

POV Taiwan is not a blog. It is not a rant or a manifesto. It is just a collection of stories about marketing, branding and the meaning of life. A stranger's perspective on an even stranger world.

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