WHY I DO WHAT I DO
I have spent the past decade founding and building a number of different brands and businesses. I learned firsthand that success isn't just about finding or using the right words – it's about weathering the storms, staying true to your vision and fostering growth that lasts.
Living through the highs and the lows of entrepreneurship myself has made me into the experienced professional that I am today, and it has given me a profound respect for those risk takers who give their all to add something beautiful and different to our world.
There's nothing more rewarding to me than putting my skills to work in support of entrepreneurs like you. Running a business can be challenging and stressful – let me help you cultivate the confidence to grow your brand sustainably and with integrity, so it can be a joyful experience.
WHAT I DO BEST
I have always loved unearthing the most interesting stories and finding the best ways to share them. That was my job as a freelance journalist fresh out of school, and it still is today, as a brand and communications strategist.
Every entrepreneur knows exactly what it is that makes their brand truly different from everyone else’s. But it’s an entirely different beast to accurately and convincingly communicate that to the outside world.
It’s a challenge I accept gladly – to first help you define and put into words what makes your brand special, and then lay out the plan to creatively and consistently share that with the world.
BOOKS I WROTE
My first book “How Blogs Work” was published in 2014 with Lannoo. Drawing on my extensive experience as a journalist and one of Belgium’s first lifestyle bloggers, it was a guide to help bloggers professionalize their platforms, and for brands to work with them as a new generation of earned and paid media.
In 2015 I co-founded a consultancy agency with my business partner Nele Pieters, and three years later we published “Community Marketing” with Pelckmans. Based on our experience consulting for brands and launching our own direct-to-consumer furniture brand, this book helped brands navigate a new way of connecting to their customer base through community marketing.
In 2020 we followed up with “You Do You”, focused entirely on brand strategy as the foundation for everything marketing and storytelling related. In it, we share the building blocks of our Community Brand Methodology, our take on competitive strategy for the 21st century.
RESUME
Brand and communications strategist for lifestyle businesses
2022 — now
Consultant sustainable branding and communications at Encon
2020 — 2022
Founding partner of brand consultancy and incubator RPPRT
2015 — 2020
Editor-in-chief Label Magazine
2008 — 2014
Journalist for ELLE, L’Officiel, Condé Nast Traveler, Kwintessens, and more
2008 — 2014