'Challenge yourself and step out of your comfort zone'

She took the plunge

Because Merle noticed that the energy in her current job as Performance Manager was dwindling, she took the plunge and - even before she had found something else - quit her job at Adwise. "Quite a difficult decision, because Adwise is a fun, dynamic company that always wants to be ahead of the curve, which also employs a fantastic club of people. But I felt it was time to do something else and had every confidence that it would work out. The fire had started to burn."

She interviewed at three different training and coaching agencies and was able to work at all three as a freelance trainer and coach. She finally chose Orange8 in March 2022 because she got the best feeling with them. "Like Adwise, they are ahead of the curve and want to be different from the rest. That suits me. Orange8 lets go of all models because it's not about theory and it's not about us. Every company, every team, every person requires their own approach. A training with us is 80% doing. We challenge people and get them out of their comfort zone. That's how we make an impact and get people moving."

Since then, she has hit the mark and has already provided training and coaching sessions in the field of personal development, both individual and group, for several clients. She also provides various types of training in the areas of sales and customer focus, working effectively, communication and collaboration. In addition, she is currently busy setting up a special development program for ambitious young talents and plans to provide leadership training in the future.

At the end of the theme day the CLP participants of Adwise Academy were extremely enthusiastic and gave the trainer a high mark of nine. For 2023, Merle has again been asked to provide the Personal Development theme day. "The fact that I am able to kindle the fire in others and teach them the importance of gaining insight into themselves and others is what I like best about this profession. When I hear afterwards that such a session has really changed people and that they have gained a lot from it in practice, it really feels like a gift."

Theme Day Personal Development

During the Personal Development theme day of Adwise Academy's CLP program, various components are addressed. In advance she gathers the pain points and needs of the participants, so that she can adjust the program accordingly. Fixed part is a piece of awareness of yourself and that of another. What is happening on a conscious and unconscious level? And if you have these insights, what can you do with them?

The DISC model is also discussed. This model provides insight into people's behavior. A DISC profile consists of four behavioral styles: Dominance, Influence, Stability and Conformism. These are indicated by the four DISC colors red, yellow, green and blue. This reflects how a person comes across in communication (verbal and nonverbal) to those around them, for example, and it looks at how a person deals with challenges and problems. "We do a short test and I have the participants assess each other. Afterwards, I have the participants think about how they can use this for optimal cooperation in the workplace. Finally, I also teach them more about different communication filters and how to best adapt them to situations and different types."

Get behind the wheel yourself

Merle emphasizes that online marketing specialists and managers must continue to develop not only professionally, but also on a personal level. The pressure of work is often high, developments move at lightning speed and you are often busy putting out fires. "This makes you very much lived in and you quickly forget yourself. And that's a shame. You have to make sure you don't burn out. Thinking about your goals and about what costs you energy, or what gives you energy, is a must. After all, you yourself are your most important resource. You have to make sure that you don't sit in the back of the bus and allow yourself to be transported, but that you get behind the wheel yourself and stay in control."