“You are micromanaging us.” 
A team member said to me during a 360-feedback session back in 2017. It hit me hard. Because I had studied leadership, consulted others, and now I became that ‘horrible boss’ myself. 

That moment changed everything. I realised leadership has little to do with what you know, and everything to do with what you believe, and what you fear. It became the start of a deeper journey. And eventually, the foundation for the On Purpose Studio.”
 

Carlijn has a background in Organisational Psychology and Behavioural & Organisational Sciences (two Master’s degrees) and 10+ years of experience in business growth, leadership development, and culture change across Fortune 500 companies and scale ups. She bridges behavioural science in the context of real business pressure.

Earlier in her career, she found herself constantly pushing to meet expectations and prove herself, only to feel drained and disconnected. Learning to slow down, trust her instincts, and lead from authenticity rather than pressure has become both her personal journey and the core of her work with others.

She has guided hundreds of founders and leadership teams across Europe through leadership programs, 1-1 coaching, retreats, and company development journeys. She is known to create safe spaces without ego. Her approach is confronting, disarming, and liberating. 

Alongside her work, Carlijn continues her own inquiry into living and leading on purpose. She spends extended time in nature, including at her self-built off-grid homestead in Portugal, where she practices the same principles she brings to leaders: creating space, observing patterns, and learning to be led by the force of life, rather than running on adrenaline.