The Recipe for StartUp Success | Empathy

Recipe for Startup Success.

Bill Gross , a successful entrepreneur and founder of IdeaLab, is interested in finding out what is the recipe for success when it comes to StartUps.

He narrowed his search down to these 5 elements:

1. Ideas
2. Team
3. Business model
4. Funding
5. Timing | is the world ready for what you offer

After looking for these elements in Startups that made it and those which did not, he concluded that the number one factor was

1. Timing
2. Team | execution
3. Idea | truth
4. Business model
5. Funding

The idea came third! How interesting is this!

Timing was number one ingredient for Success, meaning you need to know if consumers are ready to accept what you are offering.

How can you do that? 

Empathy.

Once you find your voice and act on your life, you will be able take the right actions. The right actions can only be in sync with the global vibration.

The moment you lower that voice in your head that keeps judging you and putting obstacles between you and the change you want to achieve- because let’s face it, that “voice” considers change to be death and who wants to die?- you will be ale to “listen” to what others are saying.

This is Empathy.

The moment you raise your self confidence and tell the world “This is me and here I am”, that is the moment that you will be able to hear the world.

The moment you will make selfish choices and put yourself first, that is the moment you will be at your strongest and will be able to help anyone else around you.

Putting others first and yourself last is called “victimisation”. You need to be strong to be able to pull anyone else up.

Take care of yourself, love yourself, listen to yourself and this way you will learn how to love and listen to the entire world.

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If you wish to learn the techniques to raise your self confidence, strengthen yourself, reprogram confining convictions that are blocking you and identify and accomplish your goals- you can join us at the Success Masterclass on September 15th, 2015 and for 5 sessions, in Amsterdam.

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The Los Angeles Method at the Noorderwind Retreat

In February 2015 I directed and produced "Oedipus Rex | World Premiere" in Amsterdam. As we were approaching opening night, I decided I wanted a combat scene between Oedipus and Creon. I needed to portray the battle between the new and the old, the free spirit battling the "rules". Our actors had never had any stage combat training. The person who came to our rescue was Youval Kuipers. Only one week away from opening, he trained our actors and choreographed a powerful scene between the two characters.

Youval is one of the founders of Noorderwind. They specialise in combat choreography and performance for film, television and live shows. Their work is inspired by more of eight centuries of European martial tradition. Youval and his team have worked on productions like "Michiel De Ruyter" | Feature Film | 2015, "The White Queen" | BBC | 2013, "Kidnapping Mr. Heineken" with Anthony Hopkins | Feature Film | 2014, and more.

Introduction to The Los Angeles Method Acting Workshop at the Noorderwind Retreat at the Loevestein Castle.

Yesterday I was invited to teach an Introduction to The Los Angeles Method Acting Workshop at the Noorderwind retreat at Loevestein Castle.

It was a wonderful experience for me. 

It is always rewarding and special to watch The Los Angeles Method participants. The work we do unblocks emotions and reprograms confining convictions, so all of our workshops are emotionally charged. Yesterday though, that experience was heightened by the surroundings and the "family" feeling the Noorderwind members generously offered me.

Introduction to The Los Angeles Method Acting Workshop at the Noorderwind Retreat at the Loevestein Castle.

Introduction to The Los Angeles Method Acting Workshop at the Noorderwind Retreat at the Loevestein Castle.

It was inspiring and hopeful to watch all of them, highly trained stuntmen and stuntwomen, be interested in educating themselves in everything regarding their craft and art. They are not required to be masters of the Art of Acting, yet all of them dove in the theory and the exercises and made the best out of it; showing their courage but also their love of what they do.

Introduction to The Los Angeles Method Acting Workshop at the Noorderwind Retreat at the Loevestein Castle.

Introduction to The Los Angeles Method Acting Workshop at the Noorderwind Retreat at the Loevestein Castle.

Introduction to The Los Angeles Method Acting Workshop at the Noorderwind Retreat at the Loevestein Castle.

Introduction to The Los Angeles Method Acting Workshop at the Noorderwind Retreat at the Loevestein Castle.

Introduction to The Los Angeles Method Acting Workshop at the Noorderwind Retreat at the Loevestein Castle.

The Introduction to The Los Angeles Method Acting Workshop was scheduled to last for three hours, but I ended up staying for the entire day. After the workshop, the Noorderwind team presents a live show to the visitors of the Loevestein Castle. I watched their performance. The dedication of the members was such, that they wanted to work more on their scenes even after the completion of the show. 

I would like to thank the entire Noorderwind team, it was a great privilege to work with all of you.

Many Thanks to Youval, for reaching out when we needed him at the International Theatre in English and Oedipus Rex, but also for giving me the chance to work with his team and feel part of their "family".

My special thanks to Selina, for organising all this and making all the arrangements for me to reach Loevestein Castle.

Thank you!

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Introduction to The Los Angeles Method Acting Workshop at the Noorderwind Retreat at the Loevestein Castle.

Introduction to The Los Angeles Method Acting Workshop at the Noorderwind Retreat at the Loevestein Castle.

Introduction to The Los Angeles Method Acting Workshop at the Noorderwind Retreat at the Loevestein Castle.

Introduction to The Los Angeles Method Acting Workshop at the Noorderwind Retreat at the Loevestein Castle.

Introduction to The Los Angeles Method Acting Workshop at the Noorderwind Retreat at the Loevestein Castle.

Introduction to The Los Angeles Method Acting Workshop at the Noorderwind Retreat at the Loevestein Castle.

Introduction to The Los Angeles Method Acting Workshop at the Noorderwind Retreat at the Loevestein Castle.

Introduction to The Los Angeles Method Acting Workshop at the Noorderwind Retreat at the Loevestein Castle.

Click on the photos for the slideshow.

Thank you.

Lessons for Leaders | by famous Sushi Chef Jiro

I recently watched the documentary “Jiro dreams of Sushi”.

It is the story of the famous sushi chef Jiro.

Chef Jiro has a small sushi restaurant of 12 seats, located in a metro station in Tokyo. To eat at his restaurant one needs to make reservations 2 months to a year in advance.

Yamamoto, a famous Japanese food critic, who has known Jiro for the past 40 years, lists the 5 attributes a great chef should have; attributes that one will find in Chef Jiro:

1. A chef needs to take his/her work seriously | aspire to reach higher levels | have self discipline.
2. A chef needs to always work on his/her skills | aspire to improve his/her skills.
3. Cleanliness | if the restaurant does not feel good and clean the food will not feel good and clean either.
4. Impatience | great chefs are leaders not collaborators | they are stubborn and persistent and insist on their creation and vision.
5. A great chef needs to be passionate.

What a recipe!

Take these 5 attributes and substitute the word “chef” with any other profession. You have the recipe for success.

One must take their work seriously; in the sense that one commits and invests in it. This laser like focus will give you the strength to exercise self discipline.

One needs to educate himself or herself all the time. Everything is evolving in great speed and you need to keep up to date, you need to address the Now and be relevant.

One needs to be clean; not necessarily “hospital” clean. One needs to be clear and “clean” when leading, be specific, to the point.

One needs to persistent. In order to do that, a Leader must have first found his/her own voice, so he/she can let the world hear it. If you do not know who you are, where you are going, self discipline will be very hard to accomplish.

Passionate! The greatest ingredient, in my opinion, a Leader can have.  Passion inspires. Passion cuts through the pain and the agony and brings you closer to your goals and pleasure.

Who would have thought that a documentary about a sushi chef in Tokyo would give us a lesson on how to be good Leader and become the best of you.

Be present, in the Now, and you will be able to find the lesson everywhere.

What is your experience? Where did you find the lesson today?

You can leave your comment below, and start a conversation that could inspire many.

Thank you.

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