Also known as The Reinvention MentorÆ, AnYes van Rhijn, is an award-winning life and business transformation mentor. She helps heart-centred, action-taking professional women, who have reached a certain level of success but have lost their mojo, turn midlife and beyond into a life of purpose, passion, and impact.
AnYes is a French citizen with strong Dutch roots. She is known for her positive outlook on life (hence the capital Y in her first name because she says Yes to life) and her resilience. She has a very inspiring story to prove that last point. She spent 25 years in the corporate world in senior positions before setting up her boutique Coaching and Management consultancy in France. She now focuses exclusively on working with businesswomen in the second season of their life. She has two adult children and lives in London, where she arrived in 2015.
Thank you for interviewing with us today. Can you introduce yourself to us?
With pleasure! I'm a 66 year young French citizen who has been strongly influenced by her Dutch roots. I like to say that I have taken up the best of both cultures, as it's hard to find two countries that are geographically so close but culturally so different. I am passionate (maybe even obsessed) about helping women become emotionally and financially free so that they not only always have the power of choices but also become role models for more women to do the same. You may wonder why? Well, that is because I believe that women who dare step into their power have the power to change the world, and we need more of them.
Can you take us through your journey to where you are now?
That is a long story. The highlights are that I have 25 years of corporate experience in senior roles. At 40, I had the nagging feeling there must be more to life. That initiated a journey of reconversion into Executive Coaching. Out of fear of failing, I overtrained in various modalities (Life coaching, Business Coaching, NLP, Personal Branding, Money Breakthrough, Change Management etc.). It took me another eight years before I dared start my boutique Coaching business in France, working with International Clients. During those years, I had to rely twice on my resilience. The first time was when I almost burnt out, and the second was when I lost all my clients when the economy collapsed.
In both instances, I became successful again. But then my personal life fell apart. I decided to leave a toxic relationship despite knowing I would lose everything. I was 57 and moved in with one of my sisters and her kids. Instead of stepping into victimhood, I decided it was a fantastic opportunity to reconsider all my choices in life and business, which I did. The first decision that came out of that introspection was a professional one; I decided to no longer work as an Executive Coach and Change Management Consultant but to focus instead exclusively on working with female entrepreneurs. On a personal side, despite having lived over 50 years in France and eight years in The Netherlands, I have never felt at home in either country. The second decision I made, therefore, was to move to London. That was an incredible leap of faith because I was 58 and had absolutely no income or savings. But that didn't stop me from arriving in London on July 21, 2015, with just two suitcases and the firm intention to rebuild my life.
Less than three months later, I bought (without the first penny to pay for it) three franchises of the UK's premier female business networking organization in Central London. It's what has allowed me to rise from my ashes successfully. Now, almost eight years later, I'm selling two of my three franchises to dedicate more time to my Mentoring Business, The Reinvention MentorÆ. I have spent the past few months working on a brand evolution. I've decided to focus exclusively on heart-centred, action-taking women in business who have achieved a certain level of success but have lost their mojo. I help them feel alive again and connect to turn purpose and passion. As a result of working with me, they now not only run a meaningful and successful business that gives them freedom of choice, time, and money, but they also make a difference in the life of others. They enjoy living to its fullest the reinvented life they have created for themselves and their loved ones.
Since starting, have you made any changes to your business model?
The most noticeable thing I have done is completely move away from the hustle culture. I have stopped following the so-called formulas that are supposed to lead us to business success. My motto is now ease and flow. I now follow my intuition and focus on relationship building, authenticity and organic growth.
Have you ever had a mentor?
The appropriate question is," When did you not have a mentor". Since I started my personal development journey some 18 years ago or so, I have spent a small fortune investing in myself. I've always had some form of support, whether a 1:2:1 coach/mentor, group coaching, masterminds, or training courses etc. 80% of it has been highly beneficial and has accelerated my growth. As for the remaining 20%, I'm now clear why it didn't work. The main reasons have been 1) resistance (i.e., not being ready to do the work, 2) not being clear about what I was looking for and 3) not ensuring that we were a good fit for each other)
What outlets do you use for marketing?
Finding out what works for me has taken me a long time. I'm not very keen on social media, even if I'm using it. I'm a storyteller, and I prefer any form of public speaking (interviews on podcasts, magazines etc.)
What or Who has inspired you most recently?
What fuels me and energizes me is the current uprising of women who are ripple starters like me. The women who are trailblazers and want to shake the world. Women who favour collaboration over competition. Women who are at peace with the idea of being wealthy because they know that money means power and freedom, and that is what will allow us to change the world. Women who don't fight against something (that's negative energy) but instead embody the change they want to see in the world. These are the type of women I surround myself with and who inspire me.
What is the best piece of business advice you have received to date?
These are the ones that I'm always giving when asked that question (and they are actually mine):
- Don't let anyone tell you your dream is impossible,
- It's never too late (nor too early, by the way) to step into the driver's seat of your life to reinvent it,
- Don't let your current circumstances define who you are,
- Embrace your fear as fuel instead of letting it paralyze you
How do you create an evenly balanced work and personal life?
I am passionate about what I'm doing. It doesn't feel like work, so it's easy to blur the lines, but I have found what works for me. I'm an early riser (I wake up naturally around 5:30 am), and I love the quietness of the morning hours. I don't work before 9:30/10:00 am. I dedicate these early hours to my physical, mental, and emotional health. I listen to my intuition and go with the flow. I don't work according to an imposed schedule. I can work on a Sunday and take a day off during the week. Another important aspect is that I believe that our body is an incredibly sophisticated self-healing machine … if we treat it well. So, I only eat organic food; I don't eat any processed foods; I take a cold shower every day, optimize the quality of my sleep, etc. My body seems to thank me for it as I haven't been sick for over four years, and according to my scale, my metabolic age is 62 (I'm 66). All of it has a direct positive impact on my levels of stress.
Name a seminal point in your career so far.
There have been several.
The first time was when I decided to leave the corporate world to set up my own business.
The second time was when I decided that I no longer wanted to be an Executive Coach working in the corporate world but instead chose to work solely with women entrepreneurs.
The third and most epic one is when I decided to move to London from France at 58 with just two suitcases, without any income or savings, but with the firm intention of rising from my ashes (which I did successfully).
What gives you ultimate career satisfaction?
What gives me a kick is when I see the before/after snapshot of the life of my clients once they dare step into their power and act upon it despite their fears or the pressure of their environment.
Are there any leading entrepreneurs or SME leaders you admire, and if so, why?
Powerhouses such as Oprah Winfrey or Michelle Obama (even if she's not an entrepreneur) inspire me, of course. However, at a "smaller" level, I admire the "ripple makers" I mentioned before. These are women like Justine Campbell, Rachel Wayte, Melanie Ann Layer, and Camille L. Miller, to name a few, who are all, in their own right, focusing on making a difference in the world by creating movements to empower women and change the narrative about what women can achieve for themselves and the greater good.
How do you define your own success?
Success means different things to different people. For me, it's always having the freedom of choice, continuously working on my personal development, and knowing that I make a difference in the life of others. All of it while enjoying life.
Finally, what can we expect from you next?
I have trademarked the name New Paradigm WomanÆ. I'm launching a movement of women in the second season of their life who have decided to step into their power and challenge the societal/patriarchal expectations of a woman's role in her midlife and beyond years. This will lead to a book, a podcast, a YouTube channel, an online programme, a mastermind, and retreats.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anyesvanrhijn/
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