Wendy van Ierschot

Founder

Inspiration items

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Podcast

Joint venture, the pros and cons

Femque van Geffen and Janneke Dröge may not be household names in the entrepreneurial world, but their product is. That is a conscious choice. For although they managed to set up a world-famous brand in the Netherlands, they themselves prefer to stay out of the spotlight. The brand in which they let their creativity loose, Blond Amsterdam, can in any case be found in the average crockery cupboard. The colourful tableware, born from a friendship between two creative minds.

Podcast

Put the inclusion booster on a pedestal

Science does a lot of research on diversity and inclusion, and proves beyond doubt that a diverse group of people who work well together achieve better performance. Yet depending on which body it is in, the same knowledge is worth more or less and has more or less credibility. Quite bizarre. Especially in times of labour shortage and a society that is much more diverse than 50 years ago. What makes it such a challenge to really change?

Podcast

What does commitment to employee welfare mean?

In the private sphere, we find it quite normal to feel love for each other, but in the workplace it is different. Professor of Ethics, Organisation and Society at Maastricht University, Harry Hummels thinks that this can and must change. He reasons from the Greek concept of 'Agape': the love for each other and for humanity. The Greek concept EROS is about love in our private lives, Agape focuses on love for each other, for humanity, and especially in our daily lives and thus in the workplace.

Podcast

Entrepreneurship through the eyes of Kristel van Dalen

You don't just become and stay the only company in the Netherlands whose accessories are sold by Apple worldwide. In addition, our guest this week, Kristel van Dalen, started Atelier Vesper, which stands for Eau de Parfums with fair prices.

Podcast

Socrates on trainers

We have conversations all day long and are in constant contact with each other, we all ask questions, but how many of us are asking the right questions? Often, we are more talking than listening, whereas the right question can get a valuable conversation going.

Strip

Labour market shortages and still achieving growth?

The news headlines about labour shortages and shrinking populations shoot through your timeline. It is therefore extremely logical that most leadership teams immediately start to focus on two aspects.

Podcast

How conflict and polarisation are the breeding ground for a successful organisation

We live in a society full of conflict and polarisation, yet, in all that darkness, there is light. Because all those conflicts and polarisation can be the breeding ground for a very successful organisation.

Podcast

Recruitment without bias, a successful business

A world without bias, where everyone is judged the same, that is the dream founders Fleur and Charlotte Melkert are realising with their company Equalture. Charlotte and Fleur are twins and are on the Forbes 30 under 30 list. They have raised beautiful investments and have shown impressive growth.

Podcast

The three qualities of a good leader

Google on what is the best leadership style and you will find more than 40 thousand results. People also ask: Which 4 leadership styles are there, What is a good leader. Scientific research shows that not one style is the right one, but that it depends on the situation. So how do you select the right leader within your organisation or the right style at the right time? And is it actually possible to have several styles?

Podcast

What we can learn from the Mafia

They are and remain criminal organisations: the mafia. But without being aware of it, we are talking about very well organised organisations from which the average Dutch company could learn a lot. Not from the criminal side, but from the organisational side at least that is what Jan-Joost Kroon, today's guest at the Werkprofessor, thinks.

Podcast

How important is the focus in your corporate culture

Do the best Dutch companies apply scientific insights consciously or unconsciously is today's question to Dimi Albers. We will talk about how to get different blood groups in a company to work well together, about retaining culture while growing organically and also taking over companies. And we will talk about how to maintain creativity in an organisation of more than 3000 people.

Podcast

From boardroom to sustainable fine-dining chef

The sustainable missions of companies are flying around our ears, the large organisations are eager to have large-scale objectives printed on their buildings: CO2 neutral by 2030 or 'half less emissions by 2025'. But what do they make of it? Sheila Struyck has a very different conviction: we eat three times a day, so we have three chances to make an impact.

Podcast

The real story: why women earn less than men

There are plenty of excuses as to why women earn less than men. The arguments: "Yes but, you also have less women in high positions; or yes but, women work more part-time", we all know them by now, but we still cannot solve the problem. Our guest today in the Werkprofessor is Sophie van Gool, entrepreneur with her company salaristijger and economist with a mission to close the wage gap.

Podcast

Fabienne Chapot on the science behind her success

Today's guest is Fabienne Chapot, who founded the clothing brand Fabienne Chapot and led it to success. As an investor, also in the clothing industry, I, Wendy van Ierschot, know like no other how difficult it is to be truly successful in the clothing retail sector. Every female entrepreneur knows this brand. That is an achievement in itself.

Podcast

Tackling stress

Oh I'm so busy, is what we often say to each other. During the lockdown, it was a relief that we were finally not so busy. No Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and while of course for a lot of people the whole lockdown was stressful, for others it was a step towards a quieter life. How can we keep the good of the calmer life in the lockdown and keep the bad of the busyness out? After all, we need a little stress to function at our best, but if we are under too much stress, we fall into the big black hole of burnout. Today, we talk to stress expert Jan Jaap Verolme about our stress system and when stress is functional or not.