Female leadership as key to transformation
I'm Carla. Executive coach, author and speaker based on the vision that women play a crucial role in successfully transforming our organizations.
Organizations I work with
Power & purpose-driven leadership
My fascination with female leadership began early on. Growing up in the ’80s and ’90s, I was inspired by the power of Madonna, Melissa Etheridge and Salt-n-Pepa. Movies like Working Girl, Erin Brockovich and Thelma & Louise showed me what it means to stand up for yourself – to claim your place, even when the system works against you.
But the biggest impact came from up close: my mother and my grandmother Clarissa, for whom I am named. They taught me the power of sisterhood and unconditional self-love. Only much later did I realize how deeply their lessons would become woven into my work.
in transforming the world we live in."
My career began at a leading consulting firm, where I quickly stood out as the youngest consultant. My talent did not go unnoticed: I was offered a Master’s degree at Nyenrode, and before I was even 30, I had secured a strategic position at the board table of a major energy company.
But despite all the successes, it felt like something was missing. What struck me? That I – like the other women on the leadership team – completely conformed to the masculine standard. We were playing the game perfectly, growing at lightning speed in our careers, but at what cost? How often was this at the expense of ourselves, our values and our vision? Was I really leading from the strength I so admired as a young girl in the women around me?
I knew: this has to be different. That realization set me on a new path. I started leading culture change projects and took responsibility for the leadership development of executives and senior managers. I took a coaching course and began my own journey back to my inner strength. And what a difference that made! Not only in my own life, but also in the impact I had as a transition manager and leadership coach.
My biggest impact? The sisterhood I created among women leaders. A powerful community in which women empower not only themselves, but each other. In which they no longer try to fit within a system not designed for them, but instead set a new standard. So that as authentic role models, they become an inspiration to their peers, their teams and the leaders of the future.
The journey to authentic leadership
Driven by the impact I made, I decided I wanted to inspire many more women within all kinds of organizations to be a force for change . I developed my unique coaching method, Journey to Wholeness®, a holistic approach where mind, body & soul come together. Not a standard leadership program, but a profound transformation in which women rediscover and harness their authentic power.
My expertise has been enriched by training at The Tavistock Institute in London and the Deep Coaching Institute in San Francisco. But most importantly? The stories and transformations of the women I work with.
Where are you in
your leadership journey?
I want to occupy my space
01
Do you feel that modesty or self-doubt is keeping you small? I help you take space naturally and let your voice be heard confidently.
I want to lead in my own way
02
Do you always adapt to a masculine work environment – and lose yourself in it?
I guide you to authentic leadership, where strength and vulnerability go hand in hand.
I want to experience more meaning
03
Do you ask yourself: Is this everything? Your career seems beautiful, but inside you feel restlessness.
Together we find the depth, connection and impact that are truly right for you.
My personal discovery
For a long time, I felt that “something” had crawled under my skin. Despite my successes, my self-confidence was dwindling. I studied harder, worked harder, fought harder. Until I realized what was at play: the masculine leadership harness in which I had hoisted myself was counterproductive. The stereotypical image of what a leader should look like made me small. I was adapting to it. And that was killing my sense of dignity and authenticity.
My breakthrough? Returning to a circle of women. There I found the freedom to be fully myself – and more powerful than ever.
Appreciation for who you are as a woman
You are not the only female leader who feels she has lost a part of herself in this male-dominated and shaped society. You, and our society, will only never change if you keep adapting yourself.
Feeling free to be a radiant, powerful woman. Fulfilling the leadership role your way. With a deep appreciation for both your masculine and feminine qualities. Appreciation for your intellectual and emotional intelligence. Appreciation for the sharpness of your analysis and intuition. Appreciation for the power of your mind AND body.
We all have our own journey to make to the core of who we are and from where we want to lead. And at the same time, as women, we have so much in common that just sharing our stories creates a sense of connection. The feeling that you are not alone, that you are understood.
And above all, that there are women who have gone before you, and that there are women who are now joining you on their leadership journey. We can draw on a well of wisdom, experiences and support.
I am here for you
To guide you on your own path back to the core of who you are and from where you want to lead. For that I have The Women’s Leadership Program developed. And on my site I share videos, articles, meditations and for free the first part of my book ‘Born to change the game, authentic leadership for women’.
Whatever you will follow from me – my coaching program, my social media, my newsletter, the content on my site – I hope you will feel and experience one thing above all else more and more: the freedom to be the woman and leader you truly are.
That is the greatest gift you can give the world.
Are you ready to lead your way?
You have everything you need to make a difference. Now it’s time to take your leadership to the next level.
