What would you like us to know about you?

My name is Mieke. I live in the city of Nijmegen with my soulmate and our two daughters aged 19 and 15. Having been brought up in a small village, I always knew that I would prefer the anonymity of city life. I wanted to broaden my horizons and have the opportunity to meet new people with differing points of view and experiences from those I had grown up with.

I am firmly committed to equal rights and a fair go for everyone, so I get annoyed at injustice. I am a free spirit and I’m raising my daughters to believe that they too can do whatever they set their minds to. In my view, life is not about how much you earn or the size of your house. It’s not about how many holidays abroad you can afford or the size and type of car you drive. True happiness lies within yourself, and only there.

Tell us about your career:

My father, and my grandfather before him, were both gentlemen tailors. They had a workshop at the family home and sold their wares from there to their clientele. Growing up, I used to go to the ‘World Fashion Centre’ in Amsterdam with my parents and also to what is nowadays referred to as the ‘Fashion Factory’ or in Dutch, ‘ModeFabriek.’ Everyone expected that I would follow in the family’s footsteps and have a career in fashion. I, on the other hand, had other plans.

I have always enjoyed being an unpredictable, independent thinker, so instead, I chose to spread my wings, go to the big city and study ‘Theatre Science’ at the University of Amsterdam. However, after a stint of working part-time at the clothing store ‘Mac&Maggie,’ I discovered that a passion for fashion really did run in my veins after all. I switched courses and began studying fashion at business school, acquiring jobs as a brand representative for various companies. It was an amazing period; lots of status, freedom, and adventure, but I felt unfulfilled on a personal level. I wanted to be engaged in something more meaningful, but what?

Last year it came to me. I’d had a restless sleep, tossing and turning for most of the night, unable to sleep really well, when I realized what it was that I truly wanted to invest in. I’d had a blog as a sideline for several years, and suddenly I understood that my true destiny lay in writing! So now I have a new career at www.miekedekok.wordpress.com, trying to earn some money. Best of all – it gives me so much pleasure.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

Well, this is probably a bit predictable, but I would have to say, being a mother to my two beautiful daughters. Before having children, I honestly never gave much actual thought to the prospect of becoming a mother. But when it did happen…I loved it – and them, so much!

I’ve tried to raise my girls to be good, kind, and open-minded individuals. I certainly didn’t try to be ‘the perfect mom’, that’s absolutely not my style. For much the same reason, you wouldn’t have found me helping out at school or the sports club either. I do believe though that my slightly ‘hands off’ approach have proven very successful. My daughters have both grown up to be loving, kind, and self-aware young women. I am super proud of who they have become.