Studying your own Way | Vera van Veen | TEDxHaarlem Salon

Quick Overview

Vera van Veen shares her journey of launching an influencer agency in Haarlem at age 18, emphasizing that success comes from following your own learning style and ignoring external pressures about age or conventional paths like university, even when facing initial rejections.

Key Points: Vera van Veen started her influencer agency in Haarlem when she was 18, an idea she believed no one else had at the time. She struggled initially because she was deemed too young (18) for internships or jobs, despite being financially independent from baking cakes for €20 per cake. Her learning style, informed by her mother, involved learning through action and experience rather than solely from textbooks or listening. She faced rejection when applying for an internship at a major Dutch influencer agency because she was considered too young and lacked the expected student life experience. Vera emphasizes that one should follow their own learning style (reading, traveling, hands-on work) rather than conforming to societal expectations about age or conventional paths like higher education. She learned that age is not a fixed barrier; being 25 now, she reflects that she was too young at 18 but realizes now that age doesn't dictate capability.

Context: Vera van Veen presents at a TEDxHaarlem Youth event, sharing her entrepreneurial journey of starting an influencer agency despite being very young (18) right after secondary school (week 1, day 2 of secondary school mentioned in context). She contrasts her hands-on, action-oriented learning style, influenced by her mother, with traditional academic paths, highlighting the challenges she faced getting her first big break because she didn't fit the mold of a typical student.

Detailed Analysis

Vera van Veen recounts the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey, starting her influencer agency when she was only 18, right after secondary school. She recalls her early efforts selling cakes to local bakers for €20 per cake to fund her independence, noting that she already had the business idea when her peers were just starting university or struggling with their first hangover. A major setback occurred when she applied for an internship at a top Dutch influencer agency but was rejected because she was too young and hadn't experienced the typical student life, including student housing or partying. Vera argues that everyone learns differently—some by reading, some by traveling, some by hands-on work—and stresses the importance of following one's own path rather than adhering to societal timelines, such as needing to be 25 to be considered mature enough for a professional role. She concludes that her biggest lesson was realizing that age does not dictate capability, and she continues to learn daily through her business, which she started when she was 18.