“My mission is to touch the soul, and I won’t settle for less.”
My name is Julian.
I’m sporty, curious, determined, and ambitious – an entrepreneur and ex-pilot.
As a commercial pilot for Transavia and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, I transported people around the globe for over a decade.
A true childhood dream.
Being a pilot gave me a unique perspective on the world.
What a privilege it was to see the world from above!
From the endless tundras of Canada to the gigantic lakes of the United States,
From the vast Sahara in Africa…
…to the surreal, immense ice world of Greenland
with its rugged snow peaks and pristine ice lakes.
Looking down from above at impressive thunderstorms, at a safe distance.
Creating a spectacular light show in the dark, with flashes of lightning every few seconds.
Hours upon hours of no-man’s land.
Oceans, paradise islands…
…national parks and world cities,
I’ve been blessed to witness the most breathtaking sunsets, sunrises, and planetary rises, sometimes even all in one single long flight.
The sight of the Milky Way against a crystal-clear starry sky.
The magnificent spectacle of the Northern Lights, performed in grandeur as a vibrant green light dance against the backdrop of the dark night near the North Pole.
These views added color to my life and filled me with wonder.
It has always been my experience that as soon as you physically distance yourself from your familiar surroundings, you can gain a refreshing and clear perspective on life.
Additionally, by zooming out and taking a step back, you paradoxically can experience a deep sense of connection.
The view from the cockpit¹, high in the sky, never gets boring.
You look down at the earth.
It puts things into perspective.
Another day at the office: sunrise over Greenland during the
flight Calgary-Amsterdam.
Let alone when you consider that this same ‘big’ Earth is hurtling at an unimaginable speed through an infinitely vast, expanding, and for us largely unknown universe.
It makes you humble. It brings gratitude. You feel part of something greater and it evokes a sense of wonder.
My entire life, I have worked towards my dream of becoming an airline transport pilot.
Countless selections, exams, and applications I have navigated, and it was hard work, but my childhood dream came true.
After ten years in the cockpit, I unexpectedly faced a medical situation that prevented me from continuing my work as a pilot.
While this was a difficult decision, it also provided me with the opportunity to fully pursue my passion for entrepreneurship.
Becoming a pilot requires a tremendous investment of time, capital, and dedication to get through the rigorous selection process.
The market for commercial pilots in the Netherlands is small, and opportunities are limited. Yet, I managed to realize that dream.
But life is so often what happens to you while you are making other plans.
Not everything can be planned.
Sometimes it’s about going with the flow and adapting. Holding onto trust. Something beautiful will come your way.
On a warm summer evening, I read an interview with a Dutch philosopher and writer. One of the questions was, “What event has made the most impression on you?”
Her answer struck me: she spoke about how she lay in a coffin for thirty minutes in South Korea, as part of an intense confrontation with oneself and what one lives for.
I was fascinated and immediately watched the relevant broadcast that evening. What I saw stayed with me.
If such an experience impacted me as a viewer, it must be even more intense as a participant.
In the past, I had thought about a direct confrontation with oneself and mortality to appreciate life more. But that idea seemed so absurd that I let it go.
Until I saw that documentary².
It really existed.
Following this aircraft in front while on our way to home base Amsterdam Schiphol, during a sunrise above the Atlantic Ocean
I knew right away that I wanted to experience this for myself. My last flight – this time as a passenger – in the final days of my pilot career, took me to South Korea.
It was an experience that redirected my life’s course.
But I also know that a six-hour seminar, culminating in thirty minutes in a coffin, can be a bridge too far for many.³
Understandably.
That’s why, after years of experimenting and perfecting (believe me, even with 6 real coffins), I’ve made the experience as accessible as possible, so you can experience it digitally.
Whenever you want and wherever you are.
Simply from behind your computer or tablet.
But still with the same impact.
Here, my passion for personal growth merges with my role as your temporary co-pilot.
You are the captain.
I’m just flying alongside you for a while, offering the aircraft.
Perhaps for a life’s course change that you determine yourself.
As a pilot, I took hundreds of thousands of people on a journey.
Now, I want to take you on a special journey: one through your own life.
Zooming out, as if you’re looking down on your life from a plane.
And I’ll talk you through it.
Just as I communicated with you as a passenger via the intercom from the flightdeck.
But…I have now hung up my pilot’s hats on the willows:
Grateful for all those wonderful years and inspiration.
So now you’ll hear me only through your earbuds or headset.
Let’s discover together if you are living for what is truly important to you.
“How?”
I have a unique experience for you. Unique, and also very effective.
You don’t have to go all the way to South Korea for this.
No 6-hour seminar in Korean, culminating in a real coffin.
Simply being comfortably at home will suffice, with the luxury of a guided journey.
Face your earthly shadow.
Behind it, something priceless
may be hidden.
And if you conclude that everything is perfectly fine in your life, that’s wonderful.
But perhaps you want to change something.
While you still can.
Dare to truly look at how you live?
To discover what is important to you?
I invite you.
And I challenge you:
Give yourself the gift of clarity and direction.
PS: Want to know what your last hour could mean?
Start your journey here. 👇✨
