Making It Real
Make room for the work you want to do. And the life you want to live.
Making It Real is a four-month career coaching programme for experienced creatives who want to do more of the work that matters to them, without starting from scratch.
See how it works
You've built a lot already.
You have experience. People rely on you. There are clients, colleagues and projects all asking something from you.
And you can't bring your best work to 15 things at once.
Sometimes the pressure and pace of it all make a cabin in the woods, with no Wi-Fi and nobody asking you for anything, sound extremely appealing.
But disappearing into the woods probably isn't the change you're looking for.
You want more room for the things that matter to you.
That might mean more time for your own creative projects instead of a week swallowed by meetings and client demands.
Stepping into a more senior role, with more influence over the work and decisions being made.
Or building a business with enough steady work to take three weeks off with your family without worrying about what happens while you're away.
Maybe you simply want more control over what gets your best time and energy.
But your career is already full.
And the changes you want are remarkably easy to keep postponing.
“I was constantly searching for the perfect, brilliant concept. I found it difficult to choose between my ideas and was afraid of making the wrong decision.
Through the conversations with Daphne, I realised I actually already knew what I wanted. She taught me to move forward step by step and stop waiting for the perfect moment.
I am no longer waiting. I have started putting my plans into action.”
Knowing what you want is only part of the decision.
Stepping into leadership might mean speaking up more, having conversations you'd rather avoid, or letting other people take responsibility instead of stepping in.
Building a business that gives you more freedom might require more structure, not less.
And changing direction can mean moving away from work you're already good at, or a reputation you've spent years building.
There are also real things to consider. Salary, mortgages, family and energy. They all matter.
There's only so much you can figure out by thinking things through.
At some point, you need to find out what actually works for you.
Making It Real
Four months to turn the changes you've been thinking about into something real.
What makes Making It Real different
Here, insight isn't the end goal.
You may already have spent a lot of time thinking about what you want, talking it through or researching your options.
But some things you can only find out by trying them.
So we use what you learn about yourself to decide what to test in real life before you make a big move.
You'll treat your first step as an experiment, not a commitment.
“I was being led by the demands of the day and by other people's ideas and wishes. I kept postponing the things I wanted to do, even though they stayed on my mind.
Now I make better choices and give priority to the things I want to do. I make plans and stick to them. I take the agreements I make with myself seriously.”
How we work
Practical 1:1 coaching for creative people with full lives and complicated decisions.
I know creative careers from the inside, but I'm far enough outside yours to see what you might be missing.
You get space to think, honest perspective, and someone who isn't caught up in your situation.
Sometimes that means coaching. Sometimes it means strategy. And sometimes it means direct feedback on your portfolio, positioning or the work you're putting into the world.
Our work moves between all three, depending on what you need.
“Daphne asked the right questions, helped me find language for what I want, and kept things practical. And when I slipped on my own follow-through, Daphne kindly and persistently stayed in touch.
Her steadiness helped me come back, re-commit, and finish what I started.”
Making It Real
What the four months look like
Start with you
We start by looking at the career you've already built and what you want to be different.
That might mean looking at where your time is going, the decisions you keep putting off, the work you want more or less of, or a pattern that keeps getting in your way.
We also look at what you already have to work with: your experience, strengths, relationships and reputation.
You'll work out what matters to you, what you're good at and what makes your work distinctly yours.
From there, we make a list of possibilities worth exploring.
Evidence before commitment
Then we test some of those possibilities in real life before you make a big move.
That could mean talking to someone doing work you're curious about, protecting time for your own project, changing how you position yourself, delegating differently or trying an idea with a client.
Then we look at what actually happened.
What worked? What didn't? What surprised you?
What do you know now that you couldn't have known just by thinking about it?
Make the change
Once you've learned enough to make a decision, we start turning what you've discovered into action.
That might mean changing how you work, moving towards a different role, making more room for your own creative projects or building something of your own.
And you'll have coaching and support while you do it.
By the time we finish, you've already started making the change rather than leaving with a plan to begin later.
By the end of four months
More focus
You have a clearer sense of what you want more of, what you want less of and where you want to put your best time and energy.
You know what matters now, what can wait and which opportunities are worth your attention.
A stronger sense of your value
You understand what you do well, what you want to build on and how to talk about your work without underselling it.
That might show up in how you position yourself, update your portfolio or website, pitch an idea or introduce what you do.
Confidence through action
You've tested ideas in real life, had conversations, tried things and learned from what actually happened.
You've already begun making changes rather than waiting until everything feels certain.
You're also getting better at saying no to work, requests and opportunities that don't fit where you want to go.
A way to work through future changes
When something changes in your work or life again, you'll have a way to think through your options, test ideas and decide what to do next.
“What changed during the coaching is that I now have a voice in my head asking me questions: Is this good for me? What do I get out of this? Am I really the person who needs to help, or could it be done another way? What's the worst that could happen if I say no?
I've said no much more often without feeling guilty, I speak up more, and I'm less afraid to give my opinion.”
Clients have gone on to move into leadership roles, change how they talk about their work, finish long-postponed projects, negotiate new opportunities and create more space for work of their own.
How Making It Real works
Making It Real is four months of 1:1 coaching.
8 × 60-minute coaching sessions
We generally meet every other week, online via Zoom or in person in Haarlem.
Sessions are available in English or Dutch.
You bring whatever is actually going on: a decision you're wrestling with, a half-formed idea, something you're working on or a conversation you need to have.
Each session ends with something to do or try before we meet again. That's how the thinking starts becoming real.
Support between sessions
You can reach me by email or Voxer when something comes up, you want feedback or you want to celebrate a win.
Practical tools and exercises
We'll use simple exercises and frameworks when they're helpful. Not an avalanche of workbooks you'll never look at again.
Feedback on your work
Where useful, we can work directly on your portfolio, CV, LinkedIn, website, positioning or pitch.
One client calls this my “eagle eye”: spotting what's unclear, overcomplicated or underselling your work.
“Daphne helped me refine my CV and pitch, and most importantly, I learned to trust myself and prioritise my own path.
As a solopreneur, being able to brainstorm the strategic side of my business with her was really important.”
And after four months?
Making It Real is designed as a complete four-month programme.
Some clients choose to continue working with me afterwards. If you'd like to keep going, we can decide together what would be useful from there.
Hi, I'm Daphne.
I was a creative long before I became a coach.
I spent more than 20 years in the creative industries and became the first female colourist in the Netherlands.
I worked on commercials, films and projects with people like Steve Buscemi, and learned a lot about ambition, pressure and what creative work actually asks of you.
Over the years, I've become less interested in what's impressive and more interested in what actually works for me.
I know what it's like to put years of time and effort into building a career and then realise you want something different.
I started exploring other possibilities through writing, hosting workshops and putting more of my own ideas into the world.
Some things worked, some didn't. But trying them helped me discover the mix of work that suits me now.
It's one of the reasons I don't believe changing direction means starting again.
There's usually a lot worth taking with you.
These days, I coach creative people who care about their work and want to do it well without letting it take over their lives.
The investment
€1,899
for four months of 1:1 coaching.
Payment plans are available.
The Making It Real FAQ
Do I need to know exactly what I want before we start?
No. You might have a specific change in mind, or just know that something about the way you're working needs to change.
We'll work out what deserves your attention first, then start testing what makes sense in real life.
I'm not planning a complete career change. Is this still for me?
Yes. You might want to change direction, but you might also want to change how you work, take on a different role or make more room for work of your own.
You don't have to throw away a career you've spent years building to change something about it.
I'm employed. Is this only for freelancers and founders?
No. I work with people in organisations as well as people running their own businesses.
How much time do I need each week?
We meet for 60 minutes every other week. Between sessions, you'll have something to do or try based on what we're working on.
It's designed to fit around your work, not become another full-time job.
Do we have to meet every other week?
Not necessarily. We can plan sessions around your schedule and what you need at different stages of the programme.
We generally meet every other week because it gives you time to try things between sessions while keeping things moving.
What happens after the first call?
The first call is a free 20-minute conversation about what's going on and what you want to change.
If we both think Making It Real could be a good fit, we'll arrange a second call to talk through the programme and answer any questions before you decide.
Let's start with a hello.
The first step is a free 20-minute call to talk about what's going on, what you'd like to change and whether Making It Real could be a good fit.