“Women want to unite rather than compare”
Women are empathic an able to guide from a place of love and compassion, without losing side of the higher goal. Women tend to have a rich past of adversities which are the fuel of many beautiful soul driven companies and organizations. Women want to unite rather than compare.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Myrte Scheffer.
Myrte has already been on an entrepreneurial journey since she was 23 years old. Being only 35 now (March 2021), she already accomplished a lot as a Strategic and Trusted Advisor for National (Holland) and international parties, where she guided board members and whole organizations to the next level, mostly from a Corporate Social Responsibility perspective. Since September 2020 she decided to use all her knowledge and experience to follow her heart-business: traveling the world to find, enrich, empower, guide and connect female leaders all over the world to help them maximise their impact on society by strengthen their soul, spirit (mind) and strategy. At the same time she travels the world this way, to collect all the wisdom they held inside, for the higher goal: inspire the next generation to lead and create impact from the heart. The movement is called Global S.T.A.R.S.: She Triumphed Adversities & Rises. The payoff is “United by Uniqueness”.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
Honestly, I believe I was always meant to do this. Something big. I always told my friends that I was put on this earth to make an impact and that I wasn’t born for a functional life as I like to call it. By now, I understand that my journey is one with many obstacles, setbacks, comebacks and victories. The main part of my backstory however, is one that stands from a place of love. When I was 11 years old, I became the proud sister of a multi disabled little girl. Having 2 little brothers already, I was thrilled to find out I had a sister. Tessa was one of the most vivid girls I know, perfectly perfect in her own way. Tessa turned out to be the opposite of me: she couldn’t walk, she couldn’t talk, she couldn’t take care of herself and most importantly: she couldn’t consciously manifest her purpose in this world.
In November 2017 she suddenly passed away at the age of 21. For all her life I always felt responsible for her in a way and after she passed away, I caught myself not only feeling sad. I also felt relieve kicking in. As if I was released from a responsibility that wasn’t even mine in the first place. It was the most bizarre and weird feeling ever, because this wasn’t “normal”, right?
As if the Universe was playing with me, I ended up fostering the most beautiful teenage girl ever (she was almost 16 back then), only 4 months after Tessa passed away. This girl was already in my life and I occasionally took care of her, but it wasn’t until then when I felt and knew, I needed to be there for her fulltime. So I did. And we had an amazing 6 months together and I’m still very proud to have her in my daily life. By fostering her, I not only healed her, but she also healed me. She showed me how young I was when I had to deal with all the stuff I dealt with during my teenage years. She also showed me that no matter what curveball you get thrown in life, it’s you that decides the impact of it. The biggest insights of that time, was that I never developed my own identity in my teenage years, and instead, I started building other people’s identities. At first in my personal life, and when I started my first business at the age of 23, all I did was building identities for entrepreneurs, CEO’s and whole organisations. I slowly started to realise why I’ve always felt so drained and unsatisfied in my business, even when I was creating massive results and winning awards with the concepts I designed.
It was this feeling of unsatisfaction that I decided not to accept anymore in my life:
I started an intense journey of self-discovery that started in 2017 and it wasn’t until November 2020, when I suddenly understood what her purpose in life was: to help me find mine. We were always meant to be a team. She and I. Because of her, I discovered my true purpose in life.
One day, when the first wave of COVID-19 hit the van, I decided to fully focus on my inner self. To embrace and take a journey inside to really find out what I want in life and to listen to my intuition to show me my true needs and desires. I found out that I created a life for myself that was exactly the opposite from what I really wanted: freedom, love, connection, authenticity, travel the world ánd create global impact.
So I decided it was time to put myself first and to step into my purpose. In September 2020 I took the first step in realising my dream and I knew the first thing I had to do was to built the business fundamentals to create a global movement that guides FEMALE LEADERS ALL OVER THE WORLD, to grow personally, spiritually and professionally. After years of working as a Strategic & Trusted Advisor in a male-dominant environment that started when I was 23 years old, I bravely transitioned and reinvented my business by focusing on the females. I finally realized that working with women is where I can find my true fulfillment as I comfortably speak the same language with them. Influenced by the inspiring women in my life such as my mother, siste, foster daughter and my “second mom”, I realized the impact of a feminine love, support, and perspective in helping one discover her identity and happiness. The combination of my soul-driven strategies and healing abilities are key to one’s personal and business-related growth! Today, I continue to traverse the mission in touching more and more women and transforming lives through building a global movement called Global STARS. S.T.A.R. stands for She Triumphed Adversities & Rises.
I strongly believe that everyone is born a true STAR. And due to circumstances, events and happenings in your life, this star is not developed to it’s maximum potential. And that’s a waste.
If Tessa thought me one thing, it is to be my authentic self. She couldn’t be anyone different than herself, and yet, she served an ever bigger purpose than she could ever know.
Let this girl be an example and inspiration to all of us.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I was still in University when I decided to start working for myself. I was asked by Mercedez-Benz Holland to execute a market research for them. Since I’ve always knew I wanted to work for myself, I started my first business for this big brand at the age of 23. I grew up in an entrepreneurial family and I always felt I wasn’t a ‘system-girl’ — I’ve always been different and authentic even though it took me some time (35 years) to wrap my head around that Anyway, one of my most interesting stories stands from the decision to start working for myself. As part of my graduation I ended up doing an assignment for a professional football organization in the Netherlands. The assignment back then was to investigate the role of Social Return on Investment on Sport Sponsoring. I ended up developing an award winning social department where we not only helped 2000 people a year through our social projects, but also collected more than half a million euro every season due to social sponsoring. I designed a unique collaboration model where sport, government, business and corporates worked together on creating impact. The interesting thing for me — looking back — is that from the beginning of this assignment, I had a vision. I saw it. I believed it. And I nailed it.
We won multiple awards for the concept and 11 years later, this social department of the professional football club PEC Zwolle, it still marked as a vivid example in the world of Social Sport sponsoring and Corporate Social Responsibility.
For me that’s the most interesting part: sometimes you are the only one who sees the bigger vision or the higher dream. And that’s ok! When you truly know deep down, you will find a way.
Don’t give up.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Well, the funniest element of this all is me actually. Sometimes I look at myself and the things I’m doing and I’m thinking to myself: really? Haha.. I’m wired in such a different way that it’s almost funny sometimes. That fact brought me into multiple painful, expensive and disappointing work situations, however, it also brought out the best of me.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Besides my mom and dad taking care of Tessa unconditionally, Tessa herself and my foster daughter, there is a fourth person who inspired me massively: I call her my second mom. Unfortunately she also passed away 3 years ago, but she has known me even before I was born. This beautiful wise women, thought me that it’s ok to be me and she understood me on the deepest level. She was working as a social worker and her mantra was: I see you, I hear you, You are ok.
At one moment, I think I was 10 years old, we were on a family holiday on Tenerife. I “caught” her and her husband kissing in the kitchen. She was wearing a colourful hairband and a beautiful outfit with all kinds of colors. She was such a beautiful soul. She was so happy. They were so happy. So in love. I still remember that image and I remember thinking: this is what love looks like and this is what I want as well.
Love has no location or limitation.
All the women in my life have showed me that, and that’s exactly the underlying message of this mission: the love for yourself, the decision to take care of yourself and therefore impact others from this place of love. If you ask me, I strongly believe this is the new way of doing business.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Without a doubt “The choice” by Dr. Edith Eger.
Internationally acclaimed psychologist Dr. Edith Eger — one of the last remaining Holocaust survivors — tells her unforgettable story in this moving testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of choice in our lives.
At the age of sixteen, Edith Eger, a trained ballet dancer and gymnast, was sent to Auschwitz. Hours after her parents were sent to the gas chamber, the “Angel of Death,” Nazi officer Dr. Josef Mengele, forced Edie to dance for his amusement — and her survival. He rewarded her with a loaf of bread that she shared with her fellow prisoners — an act of generosity that would later save her life.
The Choice is a reminder of what courage looks like in the worst of times and that we all have the ability to pay attention to what we’ve lost, or to pay attention to what we still have.” — Oprah
When I was in the darkest of my days, I just lost my twins due to a missed miscarriage (April 2020), there was this one nurse who advised me to read this book. She told me I could withdrawal so much power out of this, to help me through this process.
It changed my life completely.
Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. Even tough it’s a pretty intense story to read, there were so many valuable learnings and lessons that resonated with me so much.
I decided right there, right then, to take back control of my life. I’ve set myself free from the prison in my own head and I started taking action to turn my life into my desired life.
I decided to start sharing my story in order to help, support and guide other women. Just like Edith, I turned my pain into my power. It’s been a journey to decide to be this open, however, I feel this is the way to go for me. Not for me, but through me, I hope to inspire a lot of (young) women to overcome difficult situations and to start living the life they truly want and to be(come) the inspirational leader the world needs so desperately!
Link to the book: https://dreditheger.com/the-choice/
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
“If you don’t position yourself as the most important thing, you will never be seen and heard, mostly by yourself”
Following up on the previous question: when I was in that situation after losing twins, I had to decide to put myself first. I had to decide to no longer tolerate systems, structures and settings in my life that were dysfunctional for me. If a flower doesn’t bloom anymore, you don’t change the flower; you change the flower’s environment.
It was only me who could decide that, believe that, act on it and slowly transforming my life and business in a way that would facilitate me and my mission.
It was then when I decided to travel the world to start building the Global STAR Movement.
I decided to transform all my Pains into my Power. All my Trauma’s into Treasures. All my Adversities into Adventures.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I officially started my first business back in September 2009 as early as 23 years old. Since then I gained a lot of knowledge and expertise as I worked with a lot of different people, on different levels, and I saw and guided many organizations in the journey of transformation. I’ve been a Strategic & Trusted Advisor on board level for years. For companies, municipalities, professional football clubs and also for the Director of the National Football Association in Holland. I’ve won multiple awards with the (mostly Corporate Social Responsibility) concepts I designed for those parties.
All that experience and knowledge, I now use to make the world a better place with the Global STARS Mission. I live, breath and embody this movement. Every single day I wake up and go to sleep with only 1 question: what more can I do to empower all female leaders and to further build this movement. The success (= impact!) is really starting to happen now as we gain more publicity and followers who share the same vision.
And we’re only just getting started… (since February 2021)
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?
- The idea of having to fit in, to have to follow a certain system to be successful
- Imposter syndrome — Is this really valuable what I’m giving?
- The voices in our own head — our limiting belief that we are not worth it, that we are not good enough, that no one is waiting for our message/business
- Getting stuck in our heads instead of serving from our hearts
- Only focusing on the bigger goal and get so overwhelmed by that, that we are scared to just get started.
- And most of all, I believe, that deep down inside, I’d like to believe we are actually scared of our own potential power…
Can you share with our readers what you are doing to help empower women to become founders?
- The idea of having to fit in, to have to follow a certain system to be successful: Together we take a deep dive in identifying your true purpose/calling and we create an authentic business/organization (concept) around that.
- Imposter syndrome — “Is this really valuable what I’m giving”: We do deep soul work to heal past pains and empower them on an energetic level.
- The voices in our own voice in our own head: I’ll guide you on your journey by intensive mentoring & coaching around personal development & leadership and together we will quiet those voices and replace them with a fire that can’t be stopped.
- Getting stuck in our heads instead of serving from our hearts: We go back to your core, we work on your purpose and the alignment of that, I will help you to see, seek and serve from a place of purpose.
- Only focusing on the bigger goal and get overwhelmed by that: Time for action: we create a badass business concept and plan to achieve your goals and step by step I will guide you to grow into the best version of yourself and your business/organization.
I’m currently traveling the world to spread my message and at the same time I work with my 1:1 clients on their soul, their spirit (mind) and their strategy. I decided to keep my services very simple, I call it STAR Guidance. You can choose 3 levels: 3 months, 6–9 months or you can follow my year program: The Ultimate STAR Breakthrough Experience. This is tailored, intensive, unique experience that held 1:1 coaching and mentoring, a fully covered unique retreat in Spain and many tailored options along the way. I believe that my client is the source of all this and together we craft your unique experience, based on your current situation, your desired outcome, your personality and your needs and desires.
This might be intuitive to you but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?
1. Women are natural creators and we are born to build.
2. Women are empathic an able to guide from a place of love and compassion, without losing side of the higher goal.
3. Women create from a purpose of contribution instead of cash.
4. Women dare to be vulnerable for the higher good.
5. Women tend to have a rich past of adversities which are the fuel of many beautiful soul driven companies and organizations.
6. Women want to unite rather than compare.
Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. Can you please share 5 things that can be done or should be done to help empower more women to become founders? If you can, please share an example or story for each.
I’m using some of the steps of my STAR Program here and I’ll explain what they contain. I designed these steps specifically for the purpose of empowering women to become founders.
1. Enrich the soul — This is were the real magic happens. Every time I start working with a new client, I always start with a very intense soul-discovery session (also digital). During this 4 hour spiritual experience we take a deep dive in your past to do two things: detect your pains and heal them ánd identify (the first layers) of your true purpose. This is such a fundamental element in my guidance and it’s life changing for everyone upon till this day.
2. Empower the mind — The next step is to empower the mindset, leadership skills, professional positioning (internal and external) and actively working on their mindset. Work on those limiting beliefs, envision your dream, start believing you can do this and mostly: feel empowered to create. To turn your vision into reality!
3. Elevate the strategy — In order to turn your vision into reality, you need a vehicle. A concept, a strategy that facilitates your beautifull vision. Together we will discover and design this piece by piece. I always walk along side my clients during the whole proces and experience showed that the best results come when you work intensively on this together. It’s not a one size fits all, it’s a one size that fits you!
4. Unite Uniqueness — I can’t even count how many times I’ve felt alone and lonely on this journey. Misunderstood and guided the wrong way, because what we’re doing here, requires a high level of all the above. That’s why we need to accept that we are unique and that our path to realizing our dreams is therefore also unique. When you connect with like minded souls and yet, have your own unique path, you will feel inspired and empowered in a way you could never imagine!
5. Collaborating with the STARS — Last but not least; when you are ready to really take it to the next level, you can start collaborating. Not from a place of desperation (haven’t we all been there ;)) but from a level of elevating. Can you even begin to imagine what will happen when all the right stars are aligned and working together…
Also watch my video: Five things that can or should be done to help empower more women to become female founders
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Well, that’s simple: Global STAR Movement of course!
Women are creators. We are the source, the cement and the soul of a lot more than is visible. We are here not only to create something for ourselves, but we also have the united power of building something for the benefit of all women. However, it’s not a paved road as history showed. It’s a road of falling and rising, of rejection and redirection and mostly of love and connection (for me). In my journey of coaching, advising and guiding CEO’s on board level, NGO directors ánd purpose driven entrepreneurs I’ve seen and learned a lot about leadership in different industries. All my experience combined, I decided in september 2020 — in between two lockdowns — to use all my experience to build my own dream: I’m now building my own global coaching business for female entrepreneurs and leaders. The higher goal/outcome of that is a global movement to help and guide young girls to create a life based on their needs and talents, called Global STARS (She Triumphed Adversities & Rises). This movement is an outcome of a series of personal adversities I overcame in my life. These are serious topics such as a burn-out, a missed miscarriage, having (and losing) a multi disabled sister, fostering a teenage girl and more. All my personal and professional experience I use to make sure that no girl or women ever has to feel lost or lonely again.
The first step of that dream was to move from Holland to London so I could start up the formal businesses before Brexit and therefore be able to do business from the UK.
The second step is happening now: I’m currently located in Spain to work on another part of the dream: find and build a physical location where all female entrepreneurs and leaders can come to and work on their soul, spirit (leadership skills) and strategy.
The coming year, within the guidelines of travel of course, I’ll be expanding my network and activities online, offline and on stage to inspire young girls and women all over the world, to actively create and design the life they want.
We are Global STARS — United by Uniquess…
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Definitely: Michelle Obama, Oprah, Dr. Edith Eva Eger & Lady Gaga. Preferably together in one room ☺ They represent the diversity of leadership for me: Miss Obama as a political and social representative of a nation. Oprah as a spokes lady for so many females out there, Dr. Edith Eger as an example of how strong we are when we put our minds to it and Miss Gaga through her creative and expressive way. All four very inspirational with their own story, their own scars and their own stars.
I would LOVE to work with them as part of the Global STARS Mission!
How can our readers further follow your work online?
The following are links to her social media accounts and sites for further reference:
Since the movement just started, we are still in the process of setting up all the proper websites and all social media platforms. We are currently working really hard on those platforms because we want to reach out and help as many Global STARS as possible — across the globe — so bare with us and in the meantime follow us on:
Facebook account (personal):
https://www.facebook.com/myrte.scheffer/https://www.facebook.com/myrte.scheffer/
Facebook Public Figure page:
https://www.facebook.com/MyrteSchefferOfficialhttps://www.facebook.com/MyrteSchefferOfficial
Instagram account:
https://www.instagram.com/myrtescheffer_official/https://www.instagram.com/myrtescheffer_official/
Corporate site: https://dev.myrtescheffer.com (currently under construction)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/myrtescheffer/https://www.linkedin.com/in/myrtescheffer/
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.— Published on March 14, 2021. LINK TO THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE: https://thriveglobal.com/stories/myrte-scheffer-of-global-stars-women-want-to-unite-rather-than-compare/