Meet Ferry Zandvliet | Motivational Speaker and Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ferry Zandvliet and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ferry, what’s the most difficult decision you’ve ever had to make?
The most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make was giving up my stability and security as a physical therapist to become a motivational speaker. I decided to leave everything I knew in order to truly pursue my dreams. I knew that I had to give this 100% and the only way to do it was to dive in deep. So I did, and I never looked back.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I hink I’m different because I’m so authentic in my vulnerability, something that I encourage everyone else to do. It’s scary to share things that are personal and poignant, but doing so has not only helped me grow as a person and a professional, I’ve seen how others have grown from this as well. I’m proud of what I have accomplished so far – starting as a physical therapist, no knowledge about the business, writing, or speakers world, and now I’m a speaker and a writer. All of this I had to learn on my own and I think because I’m self-made and self-taught I have a lot of respect from people who live from the lessons they have learned. My inner compass has served me so well – sometimes when things seemed overwhelming, like speaking in front of a large group, it was scary but I knew that this is exactly what I needed to do in order to grow and develop. I want people to know that even surviving a violent terrorist attack can lead to something positive- I befriended the family of the attacker, something that no one could believe at the time. They lost their son that night, and I was there for his last moment as he shot into the crowd in Paris. Hearing their story about him showed me that no one is born evil. This knowledge has affected everything I do. It has made me curious, resilient, and grateful, something everyone feels when they meet me,

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There is so much to mention but I’ll give you my top 3: 1. The La Jolla area – I loved it because of the food, the people, and the cool vibe.
2. Hiking through Torrey Pines State Park – I fell off a rock while trying to capture the beauty with my camera. Dangerous but worth it!
3. Seeing System of a Down at the Viegas Arena – that was an unforgettable night.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to celebrate the presence of Joseph Oubelkas. He was unjustly imprisoned in Morocco for several years, and is a well-known motivational speaker and writer. He was kind enough to give me stage time during his own talks in order to feel what it was like to share my story with the world. This encouragement truly helped me . He believed in me, so I believed in me. And now so many people have benefited from his kindness and generosity. I’m so grateful for the first chance on that stage, thanks to Joseph. Now I am also able to invite other new speakers to come and share the stage with me – truly paying it forward.

Website: www.ferryzandvliet.nl

Instagram: https://instagram.com/ferry_zandvliet?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ferry-zandvliet-55a358107

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ferry.zandvliet

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCKFgAeXx0wYp1gPLqShQ01A

Image Credits
Linelle Deunk RTL NOS Make a Wish Foundation