Let’s get honest and personal right from the start. Not just our guests but your hosts as well. In this introductory episode, Vivian Acquah interviews her co-host Marjolijn Vlug.
Don't miss this lively conversation and share this channel with others who are passionate about building a more inclusive world.
“We know you as a DEI coach.
What do we not know about you yet?
What did I not know yet?”
Marjolijn (she/her) is a professionally trained and certified coach who works with people who seriously care about DEI. Working with her, you will equip yourself to make a lasting impact.
It’s frequently said about DEI work that it’s not a sprint but a marathon. It’s a long-term process. Growing you in authenticity and accountability, clarity and confidence, resilience and resourcefulness, Marjolijn coaches people to run this marathon. Coaching is an effective and human-centered tool to sustain yourself and be long-term successful and authentic in this work.
The Importance of Coaching for Long-Term Success in DEI work: "Coaching can be a great tool to be focused, to be authentic and confident, clear and resilient in this work." Marjolijn Vlug
The Importance of Activating Curiosity and Active Listening: "This is all about applying the growth mindset and learning from that, seeing everything as a lesson that can be learned from and allowing people to grow." Vivian Acquah
Marjolijn shares her journey with career setbacks that led to growth and discovering her true calling as a coach. She cares about being kind, being a good parent, noticing things, and speaking out in a gentle way. She has learned how to put her talent of being intuitive to good use.
Listen to pick up Marjolijn’s favorite productivity hacks as well as book recommendations.
Bringing in that signature Global Inclusion Podcast interview question about reading recommendations, there’s really no way Vivian can get around Marjolijn's passion for literature. She clarifies that when you read stories and immerse yourself in lived experiences, exploring powerful narratives that challenge and expand your perspective, you grow into a better DEI professional.
Books that Expand Perspectives: "When you read stories, you really immerse yourself in someone's lived experience, whether it's fictional or autobiographical, that helps you feel for a little bit what it's like to be them. And I think that really gets into your core. It makes you a better DEI professional, makes you understand other lived experiences better, makes you understand someone else's life is not yours. Let's get curious."— Marjolijn Vlug
Making Books Accessible: “For those who aren't speedy book readers like myself, or prefer to listen, most of these books that we have here are also audiobooks. So look into that as well.” — Vivian Acquah
Marjolijn, in turn, is inspired by how Vivian’s key ingredient in her work is having a growth mindset - inspiring that mindset in others and expanding it in herself. It allows people to grow and elevate.
Marjolijn has been working on aspects of inclusion for most of her life. In the social justice summer of 2020, she realized that what had been filed under different headers in her work up to that point had really been about inclusion and belonging all along.
With her personal journey, Marjolijn’s story is an example of the transformative potential of embracing your true self and serving others from there.
Reach out to Marjolijn if you have any further inquiries or would like to explore more. 🙂
And we’d love to hear your stories in the comments as well.
About Marjolijn:
Marjolijn Vlug, a certified coach from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, specializes in partnering with DEI professionals, advocates and allies to create positive change and sustain their journey. With clarity, integrity and warmth, she helps navigate the challenges of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion work, fostering inner drive and leveraging strengths for lasting impact.
Connect with Marjolijn Vlug via
Resources & references in this episode:
We Should All Be Feminists, an essay by Chimomanda Ngozi Adichie (and then read all of her books) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Should_All_Be_Feminists
Girl, Woman, Other, a novel by Bernardine Evaristo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl,_Woman,_Other
She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement, a nonfiction book by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She_Said_(book)
Colson Whitehead, American novelist (all of his books)
Beyond Coaching: Marjolijn Vlug on Authenticity and Accountability in DEI