Kind words
Wall of Love
Real stories from women in academia who have found clarity, courage, and community here.
1:1 Coaching
“The process with Sanne has been excellent. She helped me turn my ideas into action by encouraging me to make a concrete plan and follow through on things I had been thinking about for a long time. Thanks to her guidance, I actually created a plan, and I made the steps to accomplish it.The process also gave me a great deal of time for reflection. I gained a deeper understanding of my values, what motivates me, and how I want to move forward. As a result, I feel more confident and wholehearted about continuing my academic journey in a new way.I now work more intentionally, guided not only by my values but also by my energy and what truly matters to me. For me, the coaching sessions with Sanne have been valuable both professionally and personally. They have helped me grow as an academic and as a person.I highly recommend getting in touch with Sanne if you’re considering coaching. For me, the experience has been truly excellent. Thank you, Sanne.”
Retreat
“I am always amazed how effective even single coaching sessions with Sanne are. She asks exactly the right questions and gives advice and support that just make sense to me. No wonder that the retreat version of coaching exponentiated that experience for me. I returned from an energizing week in a beautiful setting filled with joy and gratitude for the life I have, fuelled by the great connections I made with the other brilliant women. Even after two weeks, I feel more confident in my skills and my research agenda than I ever did in my career.”
Her Academic Archetype
“This workshop was like...receiving something you desperately needed but never realized. Understanding the various archetypes and especially when I encountered mine, was like something clicking into place, like “OH! *That* is why!” The archetype metaphor also makes it so much easier for me to catch my patterns of thinking and behavior when they happen, because it is so much easier to visualize it. So I can actually apply it in real time. This workshop was something I joined on a whim, but it ended up being one of the most important things I did. It is brain-altering, cathartic, and supportive.”
Group Coaching Program
“The Breakthrough Scholar was a great experience that helped me understand myself and my plans in a short time! Sanne's approach is warm, open, compassionate, and creative in ways that support a group of diverse scholars across the world, and I found myself waiting for the weekly meetings!The modules and their workbook reflections were very helpful and the dedicated regular online environment to learn, exchange experiences, share visions and desires, and develop concrete plans was transformative.The balance between structured guidance and open exploration was perfect. I've already decided I'll continue working with Sanne at any opportunity I find!”
University Workshops for PhD-day
“Sanne is an exceptional coach because she makes the workshops so relatable and fun. She has this ability to make people talk about their apprehensions and share the very human experience of dealing with harsh feedback, rejection and the arduous journey of an academic itself, which is often uncomfortable for most of us to talk about. Through Sanne's workshops, I have been able to reflect on my research identity with a lot more clarity and have experienced a shift in my mindset from over-analyzing my negative traits or weaknesses and instead nurturing the positive qualities and skills I have developed through my personal and professional experiences. What's particularly great about these workshops is that it shows you, you are not alone in the journey and the others in the room share the same fears as you even though it may not outwardly seem like it!”
You are enough.
Big Careers Without the Tears
“Sanne is an amazing coach with great knowledge of academic challenges. She was able to create a truly inspiring and supportive community.”
Group Coaching Program
“I loved this programme! I feel much more confident in my work and feel ready to embrace new challenges.”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“The course has opened my eyes to the degree of self-diminishing I had perpetuated over many years in my professional life. Going through this course I learnt that paying attention to details of my work routines, I could identify numerous small adjustments which can bring a sense of balance into work as part of my life. And I also learnt that I have all that it takes to take control over my professional development.”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“I loved being a part of the course. It was amazing to have dedicated space to think outside my own head about my research and academic writing. I feel redirected now, especially thanks to my academic mission statement. Having a space in the research world that I have claimed via my mission statement, I feel I am supposed to be here now. That has been a huge step for me.”
Retreat
“I feel more connected to myself and confident in being who I am. This has been building over some time, so not just from the retreat, but it did help me a lot in also prioritizing accordingly. Most importantly, I redrew from a project that I could no longer see moving in the direction I was hoping for. That felt great and opened up other options that are already starting to materialize.”
You don't have to do academia alone.
Big Careers Without the Tears
“Fantastic course, lots of diverse content and lots of journaling prompts that I imagine I will come back to again and again. Sanne has such a wonderful way of presenting the ideas and giving examples from her own experience while encouraging that there's no one formula. Also it was very inspiring to be part of something with so many impressive and ambitious women.”
University Workshops for Female Senior Researchers
“Sanne, you are a truly inspiring and knowledgeable person, and I'm very grateful to have attended your two-day workshop on mid-career women in academia, a group that is often overlooked or treated as the second choice. You shared many insightful and practical perspectives that I can apply in my daily work, helping me to be more intentional and mindful about how I spend my time, rather than just juggling tasks without a clear focus.”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“The best parts were listening to others and giving positive feedback to each other — really valuable for hearing how our worries are actually very similar. We are not alone. Group coaching combined with journalling have been excellent.”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“Sanne's course has been inspiring and eye-opening in so many ways. It really makes you think about who you are and who you would like to become. It has really changed something inside me — I am more aware of my inner critics and I understand why they are there.”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“Great to be part of a community that experiences some of the same things — and to have a forum and space for self-development. Thank you, I already see the difference in how I work and think about my work!”
Stop hiding, share your work.
Big Careers Without the Tears
“This course has been an eye opening. Here, we go and struggle in academia, when we can be a part of this community, women supporting each other. Thank you Sanne for your generosity of sharing both your knowledge and experiences.”
University Workshops for PhD-day
“I have participated in two of Sanne's workshops and they were such a great experience. Sanne really creates a safe space to think and talk about ourselves. More critically engaging with my inner critic and reflecting on my own skills and wants for a future career has been very helpful. I would fully recommend her workshops.”
Her Academic Archetype
“I strongly recommend this course to get to know what has been working for you and what has not been working for you in academia. Sanne creates a safe space where it is possible to discuss negative feelings of shame and the coaching is really spot-on!”
Her Academic Archetype
“Sanne has a warm presence which fosters an intimate and affirmative environment for collective sharing and learning. The course gave me agency through insights and practical tools to recognise a number of unhelpful patterns I hold onto and how to work with these in order to start moving towards fulfilling my academic goals and dreams. I wish I had known about Sanne and this course sooner!”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“Sanne's coaching has reinvigorated my passion for research and clarified my academic and professional pathways. With her kindness and encouragement, I've discovered my 'sweet spot' in research, a realisation that will empower me to be more strategic in ensuring that 'opportunities' I take up align with my core interests and long-term goals.”
Reclaim your story
Big Careers Without the Tears
“This four-week journey was a perfect blend of insightful content and interactive sessions and nothing short of empowering. Her warm and friendly personality created a safe and inclusive environment where I felt encouraged to open up and explore new possibilities for my academic career. From defining my unique research profile and envisioning my ideal career to learning effective time management strategies, each module provided actionable insights and exercises that I could apply immediately.”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“Many courses and initiatives focus on early career academics — but many women struggle in their mid-career, post-tenure academic life, and still face a number of structural and cultural barriers which often work behind our backs and therefore also often stay as individualised problems. This course fills very effectfully into that void. The mix of literature-based, hands-on tools and methods on one hand and building a community of female mid-career academics on the other works very well.”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“Most women leaders face distinct challenges that are not addressed in traditional leadership courses. The paucity of women leaders also means that most women are unlikely to find mentors who can help through those challenges. This course offers a much-needed road map to help women navigate the wild, disorienting and uncertain terrain of academic leadership.”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“The weekly lessons were great, easy to make time for with the different formats — I listened to the podcast on my commute. The interactive sessions were really useful for putting the tools into practise and getting advice from other like-minded academics who face the same challenges. I have learnt how to set goals in a fun and interactive way and I have tools to deal with my inner critic when it raises its head above the parapet.”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“Great tools to define myself as a researcher, improve my focus, and optimize my time; help to start thinking about and answering some of the career-defining questions you typically have as a mid-career researcher; and a sense of community — I am not alone in this, in having imposter syndrome, in finding it difficult to juggle all the academic balls, in finding my own way.”
Lead with curiosity and compassion.
Big Careers Without the Tears
“This course is both practical and emotionally intelligent. It challenged me to think about how and when I write as well as bigger philosophical questions about what is important to me as a feminist academic. It really helped to know that other mid-career women were also feeling a bit lost and wanted to think about how to care for ourselves as well as our children and careers.”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“The course provides a safe space to explore your own motivations, thought processes, problems and place as a woman in academia. Sanne guides and supports brilliantly during the different exercises and provides practical advice as well as suggestions for future reading. It has provided a useful platform for discussions with my female colleagues.”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“Sanne creates a warm and safe environment where it's easy to share insecurities around career making in academia. Wherever you are in the academic path, you will feel at home in the course. Fellow course participants are intelligent, professional and generous female academics from all around the world. Meeting them was an unexpected reward, as they have made me realize what my dream community of colleagues looks like.”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“I appreciated that the course covered a variety of relevant topics from the abstract, big-picture level to the concrete and detail-oriented. The practical exercises really helped me to put the ideas into practice and gave me the confidence to start exploring new ways of shaping my career.”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“This webinar made me more aware of my academic profile and strengths, which really improved my confidence as a mid-career academic in general. Sanne is an excellent coach, making everyone feel recognised and not guilty for not preparing perfectly before the sessions. 80% is the new perfect, I have learned!”
You can be brilliant and imperfect at the same time.
Big Careers Without the Tears
“I really like the course since it puts focus on the challenges that women face in academia, which we mostly are struggling with all on our own. It was a big relief to realize that many other women face similar problems, and it was helpful to get good tools and feedback from Sanne on how to work with overcoming the challenges.”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“I found the range and flexibility of the prompts particularly useful. I would have had to read a lot of different books to find all of them. Sanne brings them together and curates the most useful for academic women's career planning.”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“After listening to the first module while walking my dog, it was SO easy for me to allocate the time to go to the Zoom session. I looked forward to the release of each module and each weekly meeting. I do not have a lot of free time in my work schedule, but this was easily worth it!”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“It is a great resource for academics at every stage of their career. It reminds you that you do not have to be perfect or have everything perfect to get results — you just have to show up and do your best. It is a wonderful container of like-minded peers who are welcoming and compassionate while we navigate this together.”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“I liked the journal prompts that really made me reflect and dig into thoughts that I had never explored. The live coaching was a great opportunity to share experiences and talk with other academics facing similar challenges.”
Academic sisterhood
Big Careers Without the Tears
“Sanne is a wonderful facilitator and these important conversations happened just at the moment when I needed them. Finding a community of women who understand my life, but who aren't directly in my immediate area, was freeing — and it was lovely to have a safe space to speak live about how I am doing.”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“I liked how Sanne presented everything in such a lovely and simple, yet professional way. I brought home many useful tips, especially about the inner critic, understanding when I am most productive, and identifying my academic mission. Very useful to understand that there is no 'traditional' path in academia!”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“Working through structured activities and setting aside time to think about my career, strengths and areas of focus was really helpful. I enjoyed the sense of being part of a community.”
University Workshops for Female Senior Researchers
“This workshop was truly eye-opening for me. I gained a clear understanding of how important it is to structure my time intentionally—especially protecting my morning hours for writing and research. I also realized how much of my current workload does not actively support my career or research goals. Going forward, I will be much more focused and strategic about prioritizing what truly matters.”
University Workshops for Female Senior Researchers
“Sannes successeds in creating a safe space for sharing thought , reflections and uncertainties in relation to carreer and life balance. She really knows the academic world, and how as a female researcher, we can work against gender specific expectations from yourself and others.”
Your work matters. So do you.
Group Coaching Program
“The program offers an excellent balance of inner-work through self-reflection and practical strategies for moving forward”
Workshop
“The 'Unlock your callings' workshop made me think about my career from a different perspective. It was interesting to reflect on the concept of a calling, and how it aligns (or doesn't) with my goals and ambitions in academia. I also appreciate having the time within the workshop to do some short journaling tasks, to consolidate what I have learnt. Thank you Sanne for another useful and enjoyable workshop!”
Workshop
“Those of us at mid-career level still need a boost, particularly as this is when we are often juggling significant other responsibilities. It also prompted me to finally send an email I should have sent months ago. I am not sure if anything will come of it, but it needed to be sent. I learnt that I need to stop the 'yes, but' excuses.”
Workshop
“It's a great space to pause, look inward, and re-examine personal and professional goals, as well as to be exposed to a community of female academics who may be encountering similar roadblocks and struggles.”
Workshop
“Great to take time out and think about our callings from a 'big picture' perspective. The 1000-year shift is a really great device.”
Take back your power.
Her Academic Archetype
“There is so little time as academics to focus on our development and how we stand in our own way sometimes. These sessions really helped solidify what I want my life to look like and gave me some concrete ideas about how to get there.”
Her Academic Archetype
“This engaging workshop made it easy and pleasant for me to be introspective for 3 days. It helped me think about my present and future selves: what to keep and what to de-emphasize.”
Her Academic Archetype
“The warm and welcoming environment that Sanne created, the inclusive nature of the exercises and journalling, the insights on archetypes drawing on Sanne's research.”
Her Academic Archetype
“You’ll know you’re not alone in this journey!”
Her Academic Archetype
“A safe space to rethink my priorities.”
Curiosity over comparison.
Her Academic Archetype
“It was a useful experience to reflect and ask myself a few hard questions.”
University Workshops for Post-Tenure Academics
“Sanne’s post-tenured workshop offered a safe, enriching, and genuinely enjoyable space to reflect on my career as a whole person. It encouraged engagement not only with academic profile and writing practices, but also with some of the deeper fears and disappointments that can accompany academic life, in a way that felt constructive, thoughtful, and affirming. I came away with both valuable food for thought and practical strategies that I am already applying in my work.”
University Workshops for Post-Tenure Academics
“We often use incredible amounts of energy to make our work valuable in the eyes of everyone else, saying yes to more than we should, especially pre-tenure. This is not a sustainable way of working in the long run. Now is the time to prioritize. This workshop has given me very specific tools to do just that in a way that is tailored to the particularities of academic life.”
University Workshops for Post-Tenure Academics
“You are empathetic and create a safe space for being vulnerable.”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“Sanne shows you how you can take the best from yourself and stay yourself, without additional pressure.”
Build the academic life you want.
Big Careers Without the Tears
“The course may feel like an indulgence, but it isn't! It goes right to key questions with a gentle touch.”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“Time to really reflect and think strategically about your career and your work situation.”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“If you want to identify your goals, seek clarity and work out what is getting in your way so you can address barriers — this is a really helpful structure to follow!”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“A clear outline on the key points to keep in mind in leading your career, combined with actionable steps towards it.”
Big Careers Without the Tears
“It was very nice to see how many other women are in the same situation as myself. It definitely makes work-life feel less lonely.”
Want to add your voice?
If you have worked with me and would like to share a few words, I would love to hear from you.
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