In 3 short stories
As a little girl, I had one dream. The one thing my parents would never give to me: a horse.
What does this have to do with becoming an entrepreneur?
Well, this one dream taught me a great deal about determination, always learning skills and a strong mindset. Qualities you definitely need as entrepreneur.
As a girl, I am so frustrated my parents don't want to buy me a horse. To me it is clear as day: ss soon as I am earning "adult" money, I will buy a horse. Until that moment, I will learn everything I can to make sure I will become the best horse owner I can be.
Then, when I finished my master degree in Environmental Sciences and landed a job, my grandmother dies and leaves me a small inheritance. I know "This is my moment".
I look everywhere for the right version of my dream: a young jumping horse, that I can train myself.
The moment I see the advertisement online, I know: this is the horse. The following day I step into my car and drive through the village where my grandmother used to live.
To me, that was a sign. This is her.
Looking back, this experience taught me that whenever you truly want something, you will find a way.
This experience is the experience that made me believe I can start my own business.
During my graduate studies to become an environmentalist, I hit a wall.
A deep depression teaches me one crucial truth: I thrive when I can work efficiently and on my own terms.
I quickly realize I wasn't built for the traditional 9–5 office life. The fluorescent lights, the rigid hours, the endless small talk - it all drains me. But still, I push myself into a couple of jobs, hoping it would grow on me.
Instead, live gives my a wake up call: anxiety shows up on my door to a level that I cannot function anymore.
And I know: I need freedom: freedom in time, creativity and finances. But the kind of work environment I want and need doesn't exist… unless I create it for myself.
The tough part: unlearning every belief I have about success and entrepreneurship.
The biggest one? “I can’t run a business because I’m not from an entrepreneurial family.”
So I started from zero, taught myself everything I needed to build a business. A business that felt good for me as an introverted and highly sensitive person with a deep desire to
teach and support women to earn their own money. To make this world a better place.
Marketing, sales, online course creation, tech tools, finances—I learned it all. Armed with a laptop, a phone, and a mission, I launched my business. And over time, it grew.
Fast-forward to now:
I’ve taught over 1,500 students across workshops, live trainings, and online courses. I’ve created five courses, two of which are still running strong.
And soon, I'll teach entrepreneurs how to build transformative online courses: the kind that change lives, not just check boxes. Because the power of online courses isn't just that it is a scalable business model, it's the change you can bring to your clients
Growing up, In groups I always am the quiet one, the wallflower, observing but not truly participating.
"You are shy"
"You have to speak up"
Are sentences I hear often
I secretly dreamed of being on a stage… To express my voice and my opinion.
But bm voice is soft, I blush intensely when it is my turn to say something in a meeting or when I have to give a presentation.
Until I decide to start voice lessons and sign up for the yearlong training to become an internationally certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) trainer.
NLP changed my life. I learned to take charge, to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, and to change my limiting beliefs.
I discovered I LOVE to be the center of attention when I am prepared. And that I am great at teaching people new skills.
Is your name Dorien or Cornelia?
When I started my international brand I wanted a name everyone could pronounce.
I learned from living in Canada that native English speakers often struggle to pronounce my name correctly. They tend to pronounce it "Dori-en", instead of how it should be pronounced "Doreen"
I don't like the English pronunciation so in English I use my second name Cornelia.
Did you grow up in an entrepreneurial family?
No, both my parents worked as civil servants. Their motto was: work hard to live a nice life and be safe.
It gave me a drive to live my life differently. I didn't follow in their footsteps. It was my partner, who owns a tech company, who inspired me to take the leap
Why do you eat vegan?
As a student, I once attended a lecture in which the professor said: "After this lecture, you will all eat vegan"
Well, that didn't happen right away. After watching way to many documentaries about the effect of dairy and meat on our bodies and the planet, I started an experiment.
What would happen if I started to eat only vegan? Turns out, it's a personal growth challenge in many ways. And I love these challenges.
It turns out I am actually allergic to anything milk... Now, I feel much more energized daily. How long will this experiment last? Maybe my whole life, maybe I'll quit tomorrow ;)
Dorien Cornelia van Kranenburg (1994)
Online Entrepreneur, NLP trainer for entrepreneurs, Podcast host
Cornelia studied Future Planet Studies and graduated in Water Science and Management at the university of Utrecht in 2017 and started her career as a civil servant in the Netherlands. Soon after she started Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) training: practitioner, master practitioner and became an international certified NLP trainer (IANLP)
In 2020 she started her first business in Horsemanship training as a side hustle, soon figuring out that entrepreneurship was her calling.
In 2023 she started her successful online courses and training business: Eager Minds Academy. With which she teaches entrepreneurial skills, specializing in visibility and online business strategies for introverted and highly sensitive entrepreneurs. With this business she taught over 1500 students and trains groups on a weekly basis.
With her Dutch podcast she has 500 monthly streams, her English podcast "Business, I have no clue' quickly catching up in streams. She has been in the media: interviewed for Quest Psychology and the CEO blog.
