‘I didn’t have the guts to start my own business before’

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‘After 33 years of paid employment in the catering industry, I was fired during a reorganisation. I was done making money for someone else. I brainstormed and talked to a headhunter. That’s how I ended up at the University of Amsterdam, where I run a lunch counter.

“Now I provide students with cups of foam (cappuccino) and milk slippers (latte). And I make really tasty bacon, with a bite, not with a silly lettuce leaf. I no longer have a boss who determines that a maximum of two slices of cucumber or an ounce of meat can be placed on a sandwich. That freedom is wonderful.

“Entrepreneurship is in my blood, but before that I didn’t have the guts to start my own business. Dare it: a permanent contract is safe. Because of that reorganization, the choice was made for me. And I am so happy about that, this work is really a lottery ticket.

“It was exciting for a while; I didn’t pick an easy time to start. I have been working for three years now and we are four lockdowns further. It’s simple: if there are fewer students in the corridors, I have less income.

“Of course there were some doubts at the time, but it’s not in me to sit down and take it easy. Fortunately, I also have a buffer that I can fall back on. I used the time to come up with all kinds of recipes so that I could have a blast as soon as everything started again. And now it’s a madhouse, really busier than ever.”

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“I’m organized and like to be in control. This way I always know what is on my account and I try, for example, to do groceries with a fixed amount, although I also like to deviate from that for something tasty like asparagus.

“You can also see that in my appointments, which I plan far in advance. I go to the beautician once a month, to the hairdresser every six weeks and to the pedicure every three months, because I stand so much. You do have to take good care of yourself.

“I also have crazy excesses. I used to be able to spend good money on clothes, now mainly on travel and music. I think I have a thousand CDs. Music is so good for your system. In case of rain or an unlucky day you have to put on music very loudly and dance with a big smile for ten minutes. When the music comes on, I can’t stand still. Even when I’m at work, put my earphones in or the radio on and then dance behind the counter.

“I am very well off. I don’t have to be super rich, I think it’s especially important that I enjoy my work and that I can make a good living from it. That’s what I do: I get energy from my work every day, I can buy a glass of wine with the groceries and I’m somewhere on the dance floor every Saturday.”