The magic of attention. My compass in hospitality and growth

Learning is feeling. It goes beyond knowledge or theory. It's in small moments: a look, a breath, a hand falling silent for a moment. As I write this, my shoulders sag and a smile appears. Learning is not just knowing, it is experiencing, moving, trusting.

Running a 24/7 hospitality business requires a lot. It is intense, beautiful, sometimes spicy. That's precisely why I want to understand how people really think, feel and react. Because at the heart of hospitality is not the menu or a bed, but how you make someone feel. That is why I took the course in influencing psychology at the Academy for Behavioural Knowledge®.

The power of attention - my compass

During my training, I am writing the book "The Power of Attention" for my team. This book is a guide for teams who want to do it together: seven keys, a collection of insights and stories that show how important genuine attention is, with moments full of sociability, intimacy, togetherness, cordiality and sincerity. Not a dry manual, but stories that encourage you to feel and connect. And that call you to move and reflect. Not always perfect, but pure and real.

I have long known that attention makes all the difference. This training confirms that once again: only when attention is lacking do you feel how cold and impersonal something can be. Attention is not an extra, but the core of warmth, connection and sociability.

That there is no single truth, I already knew from my coaching background. This programme gives me new tools to connect even better with the other person, based on real connection, warmth and commitment. I now see more clearly how thinking styles work and how feelings are often learned, while emotions are pure nature. These insights make my book The Power of Attention even more valuable: it grows with me and gains more depth in meaning and application.

The experience of learning

Combining learning with running a hospitality business sometimes feels like top-class sport. Every day is different and requires shifting gears. Yet in that busyness, I also find peace and flexibility. Evenings when I plop down tired, my hands automatically grab my notes. And the moment an insight lands, I feel my breath go deeper. The smile that appears then says: this is what I do it for.

During training, there comes a moment of realisation. Since then, I have known:
"You only really belong when you are seen.
You taste the difference when everything is right.
You feel welcome when it is sincere."

Stories that touch

My final presentation revolves around the power of attention, the common thread in everything I do at Onder de Linden. I let the audience feel what a warm look, a smell or a small gesture can do. How silence, taste and stories merge into experience and togetherness. Where spontaneity and conviviality arise naturally. I see how people become silent, how they smile and nod. It feels as if my story becomes their story. Goosebumps.

What I bring

This degree is not an end point, but a new starting point. Hospitality is about much more than service. It is about feeling welcome, safe, connected. That is why I work on my mission every day: to create a place where attention is not contrived, but lived through with security and conviviality.
If I take one message away from this journey, it is this:
"The power of attention starts with feeling. First with yourself, then with the other."
It is a phrase that is not only in my book, but also in every action I take, every smile, every conversation.

Learning doesn't stop. I keep moving. Not because I have to, but because each new insight takes me and others further. Development is not a goal, it is a way of life. I am currently exploring how my book "The Power of Attention" can be shaped for a wider audience, so that the stories and insights can inspire and touch others outside my team.

The invitation

Learning feels like reading a good book. You crack it open, get carried away and don't want to close it until it's finished. My journey with influence psychology gives me new knowledge AND makes me feel again that true hospitality is all about spontaneity, genuineness, togetherness, sociability, intimacy, connection and trust.
Everyone writes their own story. Maybe this is the time to open your next chapter.
Browse inside Onder de Linden in Roden and experience what the magic of attention feels like. A story you won't want to slam shut again, as a guest, as a listener, as a human being.

"Attention is not an extra. It is the experience. The core. The magic."

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The magic of attention: a signal from a grasshopper

At home, it begins. I walk through the house and watch our kitten Mio. He is focused and alert. On the floor is a green grasshopper. One tap with Mio's paw. A high arc through the air. I feel excitement and fascination at the same time. As if nature comes in for a moment and whispers: look, listen, move with me.

Summer agenda

With the holidays approaching, we introduce our summer calendar. Even more fun every weekend at Hotel Onder de Linden from 5 July to 5 September 2021.

The Loop of Roden

On Saturday 8 July, the cycling event of the North will again take place. The Loop van Roden is a prominent name on the list of northern criteriums and enjoys national recognition. It also brings with it a lot of Rôner sociability, with packed terraces and a lot of happy faces. Especially on the terrace of Onder de Linden, where you will find a real VIP tent.

North Dutch Neutjee Shooting Championship at Onder de Linden

Fine traditions should be cherished. The Vereniging voor Volksvermaken Roden traditionally organises the neutjesschieten at Onder de Linden every year on Easter Monday. A game for young and old that involves precision and tactics. This year there will be a very special edition of this old Drenthe-Groningen tradition; the North Dutch Neutji Shooting Championship!

From tree to bar table

At Onder de Linden, we value history and the story behind our place. A great example of this is the old lime tree. The iconic lime tree was always an important part of our terrace. Unfortunately, the tree had to be cut down recently. But instead of saying goodbye, we gave it a new purpose: as a robust bar table on our terrace.

The 4 most enjoyable cycling routes from Under the Linden!

Onder de Linden is the perfect base for a day of cycling in Roden. Hop on your bike and discover the beautiful surroundings, from vast forests and picturesque villages to unique nature reserves.