I had been working consecutively for thirty years at one of the Big Four financial services firms when I came across Huib. I'd started as a junior associate all those years ago, 'on call' from the partners and seniors, until I climbed my way up to partnership myself. When I turned 53 and decided I wanted to take a step back, I discovered that while there's a lot of investment in developing a career upwards, the same doesn't hold when you want to 'climb down'. That's why I went in search of an external coach - someone to guide me through this process ­- and found Huib.

Why Huib? His website appealed to me to start with, particularly the way he illustrated his approach to coaching through metaphors familiar to me from the time I got my private pilot's licence. For example, that you need air resistance in order to fly - that fragile balance between lift and gravitational weight. Because of this shared passion, I felt we were on the same wavelength right away. Huib has a distinctly personable and informal approach. Throughout our coaching trajectory, I experienced him as an insightful - wise, you might say - and supportive friend, a travel companion along a part of my life journey. I chose to spread out the coaching over a year and a half or thereabouts, so that I had time in-between our sessions to try to apply and 'live' what I learned - own the insights.

Huib is an exceptionally good listener; strongly intuitive, he doesn't take things at face value, but knows how to probe and skilfully cut through to your real needs and underlying themes. My needs centred around the themes of drive/power and autonomy. I was 'switched on' all the time, but I didn't want that anymore ­- it didn't seem healthy. Now in both my private and professional life, my drive and energy had enabled me to achieve a lot. But are there other ways, other 'operating systems' besides drive and energy? How can I create more space for my authenticity? These are the questions I set out to explore with Huib.

We always held our sessions outdoors in the middle of nature. In the surroundings of the woods and sand dunes, all the protocol that comes with status dissolves, and the professional masks concealing our true thoughts and feelings are laid bare. In all kinds of weather and seasons, we'd set out on long walks. Walking together gives space: space for emotions, space to search for words, space for silence (nature permits longer pauses, I experienced). Sometimes I needed more time to absorb and process a particular insight, and we'd sit there, Huib and I, on a tree stump under the soft drizzle, or walk with our wet shoes through fresh snow in a winter landscape. Somehow, the sheer purity of our surroundings made meaningful exchange on deeper topics flow easier. Second nature, so to speak.

Huib isn't someone who does things by halves; so too in our coaching sessions he went 'all the way', holding a mirror not just to 'professional me' but also to the 'whole me' in my roles as father, husband and son. He encouraged me to engage in meaningful dialogue with my children and wife, honest discussions where everything could be put on the table about the way I function as father and partner. These are difficult conversations that are typically easier to avoid, yet can clear so much air and strengthen bonds. Later I had a conversation like this with my father. It was tough, but how grateful am I that I did it before he passed away!

Looking back at my coaching trajectory with Huib, I would describe it as a life-changing event.