Jeanine Hofs – “Master your energy”
Jeanine Hofs – “Master your energy”
By Fati Gorezi
Jeanine Hofs is the founder of ‘Recharging for Women’, a best-selling Author, renowned Therapist and a Teacher and Mentor in ‘personal energy management’ based in the Netherlands. In this article you will read more about this strong woman and will get acquainted with her success story. Jeanine shares her experience and the secrets of her success and tells us about her mission; to enable women all over the world to manage their energy so that they become responsible for their own health, their business and their lives. She speaks with a passion, vibrancy and energy that mesmerizes her audience wherever she speaks.
Could you tell us more about your childhood, and how your upbringing has contributed to the life that you lead now?
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When I was nine my father started his own business and opened a yoga studio. So healthy living and energy have always been important topics at our home. It’s not surprising that I ended up in the business of energy management. My passion for helping women in matters concerning personal energy, started with the Western approach; after university I ended up in the family business which had grown into a health club at that time. For 17 years I worked as a certified fitness and health trainer, and nutrition coach. In this way I helped and trained thousands of people improve their health and energy. So, I can tell you everything about energy, down to cellular level, from mitochondria to adenosine triphosphates. But for me it got really interesting after I discovered the Oriental secrets to energy: that really changed my life.
Who has supported and influenced you on your life journey?
My mother always told me that one of my first words were: ‘’I do it myself.’’ So, I was a pretty stubborn child. I wanted to do everything myself. My parents always supported me and offered me everything I needed, but it would have saved me a lot of time, energy and money if I had accepted a little bit more help when I was younger. Nowadays I see that in my clients too. It’s a big pitfall to always want to do everything yourself. You’ll achieve your goals so much faster if you’re led by a mentor; someone who is already at that higher level where you want to go.
Have you faced any memorable challenges in your life, and how did you overcome them?
Well, let’s say I wasn’t born with superpowers. The reason that I am such an expert in energy management nowadays, besides my training of course, is that life has given me a lot of lessons to learn from. Some of them were tough but in hindsight I am very grateful for them. They made me who I am today, a happy and successful woman who lives in abundance, both in my private life and in business. But that wasn’t always the case. In 2002 I found myself with my back against the wall. Literally.
I was sitting with my back against the wall of the health club where I worked. It was a nice sunny Sunday afternoon, but the tears were running down my cheeks. I sat there because I did not know where else to go. My relationship of 14 years had just ended, I had lost my house, I lost all my “friends” and I was pretty broke. And in the evening when the club closed for the night I stayed there, secretly sleeping on the massage table. At the same time, I discovered Eastern medicine and philosophy and that gave me a totally different perspective on energy. I realised that in the West we have an incomplete view of energy. We think our energy is fine when we go to the gym a few times a week and eat healthily. But that is only a small part of energy. Having good energy and mastering your energy means so much more.
I always compare it with bubbles; when my energy is high, I feel bubbly like champagne. I’m creative, productive and super focused. I always have the right ideas and I make the right decisions. When I have bubbles, everything flows effortlessly. And that’s when I realised that I did have an energy problem in that dark period of my life. Even though I didn’t think so; even though I was not tired, and I had so much knowledge of energy. Afterwards I realised that I had no bubbles at all and I felt empty inside. No bubbles, no champagne but still water. I also realised that I needed a totally different approach.
I decided to study TCM – ‘Traditional Chinese Medicine’. As a certified therapist in Chinese medicine, I opened a private practice that became very successful. I wrote a book about energy, which is now a bestseller in the Netherlands and obligatory teaching materials in various courses. And I applied everything I learned very consistently in my own life. ‘Practice what you preach’ is an important value for me. And that resulted in a complete turnaround in my life. I not only got my life in order, but I built my dream life. I developed a fantastic relationship with the love of my life and we bought a wonderful house together. I now have a great social life with very dear friends and I have a close relationship with my family. I have travelled all over the world and I am now the go-to-person in the field of energy management. I am bubbling and I’m sparkling. I’m happy and I live in abundance, both in my private life and in business. That’s what can happen to you when your energy is in balance, when you master your energy.
You are the founder of the ‘Yin-Power’ platform. Can you tell us more about it?
If we experience a problem in our lives or in our business, we usually focus on that problem. We think about it a lot, gather information about it and take courses on that subject. But it’s actually a symptom approach. That’s what we’re used to in the Western world. We zoom in on the symptom – often outside of us – and try to solve it there. We work from the outside-in. I used to do it like that too. I lived my life from the outside-in. I thought that by working harder, making longer days, becoming more smarter, I would automatically become successful. But that wasn’t the case. It only caused me more exhaustion, overload, stress and frustration. And I’m not the only one. Burnout, stress and a ‘full head’ are today’s new epidemics. What we miss is the core of the problem and that resides inside of us – in our energy. Chinese philosophy says: “If you want to be successful in the outside world, work on your inner world”.
That’s not what we’re used to doing in our society because we are mainly focused on the outside. In the East they call this ‘yang energy’. Yang can be seen as male energy, warm, action-oriented, reasoning and moving outward. While they are more inwardly oriented and therefore more aware of their ‘yin energy’. Yin can be seen as feminine, cool, quiet, more intuitive and feeling and moving inward. That balance, the balance between yin and yang within the energy, that is what we miss in our Western society and in our lives. That incomplete picture that we have of energy must be supplemented with the balance between yin and yang. Only then do we know what to do to get a grip on our energy.
Our lives are dominated by yang influences, and I used to live accordingly to that. I remember that I would start my vacation days at six o’clock in the morning, at the kitchen table with my laptop, because I had to achieve my targets. What a difference compared with my life now! Nowadays I work less and less hard, I take more rest, more me-time, I listen to my intuition and to my body and I achieve my goals much faster and much easier. That is the power of yin. “If you want to be successful in the outside world – work on your inner world”
Because I started doing that, I have been able to solve all my problems and create my dream life and career. That’s what I would like for you too and I’m confident that you can achieve that with the right coaching and the right mentor. Like me and so many of my clients you can master your energy and get a grip on your life, your health, your relationships and your business without sacrificing yourself.
How do you help Entrepreneurs, Managers and Professionals to focus on their energy and to be more attractive for media, publicity and money?
‘Everything is energy’ says Buddha and Einstein got famous because of this same message. It’s one of the laws of nature that govern life on earth. Another important law that affects your life and business is: ‘you attract what you radiate’. That means that your success is 20% skills and 80% energy. I always tell my clients: “Success is already inside of you, you just have to activate it.” And that is an inside-out job, that is energy management. I teach my clients to work from the inside-out and to increase their Yin-Power. For that I am their mentor in exclusive and personal 1-on-1 programs (international) and also host unique retreats in Spain, Morocco and the Sahara. Do you want to get a grip on your energy and increase your Yin-Power? Download my free e-book: ‘The 7 steps blueprint to master your energy’.
What is ‘Your Personal Success Code’ and how did you develop it?
‘Your Personal Success Code’ is based on ancient successful and proven knowledge from Chinese medicine and is the starting point of all my training and coaching. It’s comparable to a personality analysis and gives you profound insights into yourself, your motives, your qualities and pitfalls, but also in your energy leaks. The way you respond to situations and to others is determined entirely by the influence of your energy. According to Chinese philosophy, this energy can be grouped into five elements: fire, earth, metal, water and wood. These five influences are constantly represented in you but there is always one primary and secondary element. This energy has the greatest influence on how you respond to circumstances, which choices you make, how you behave in conflict situations and which people or events give or cost you energy. From my years of experience as a therapist and trainer in both Western and Eastern energy theory, I developed this test, this energetic blueprint, to help women to reach the next level even faster and more efficiently in their personal and business development. It helps them to:
– understand the dynamics in themselves (even) better
– make the most of their qualities
– recognise and avoid their recurring patterns and pitfalls
– control their impulses in conflict situations
– make better decisions and make them faster
– improve their relationships with others
In short; it’s a very effective tool to quickly and effectively achieve your goals!
What advice would you give to women who want to have a great career like you?
If you want to have great success in your business or career, if you want abundance in all areas of your life then I have three tips for you. I still use them to my advantage!
1) Invest in yourself
“If you want to achieve success in the outside world, work on your inner world.” You yourself are your biggest capital, so you have to let that grow. That is why you have to invest in YOURSELF, in time, in money and in energy. It’s important to get clear on what your goals are and to align with them. Remember; success is 20% technical stuff and skills and 80% energy! I myself have a busy life and a growing business and sometimes it’s not easy to keep all the balls in the air, but I clearly set my priorities. I consciously choose what to do or not to do. When to say ‘yes’ or say ‘no’. Every day I carve out some time for myself, for energy management exercises and for my love. Very consciously. Sometimes I work on Sundays or evenings, but I could also take a bath on a Tuesday afternoon.
Every day I start with my morning ritual, every hour I check my energy level, I do a ‘meeting with myself’ at the beginning of every week to stay focused and I work with focus blocks that I alternate with energy exercises and ‘empty-head’ exercises. Because I invest in myself and in my energy, I’m fitter, more clear-headed, and super focused. This makes me more creative, productive, able to make better decisions and stress-free. I also invest a lot of money in mentors. Experts in their field who assist me in my growth. And that brings me to my next tip:
2) Don’t do everything yourself
The biggest pitfall I encounter is that people want to do everything by themselves. Sometimes it’s their nature and sometimes people do this to save money. But believe me; it will cost you money in the long run because it will slow you down. I wish somebody gave me this advice when I was younger as it would have saved me a lot of time, energy and money. Moreover, I would have been successful much sooner. By doing everything by yourself you’re at risk of following an ineffective path. The internet is filled with well-intentioned opinions but it’s important to separate the wheat from the chaff, because everyone can call themselves a Coach these days. There’s information and there’s specific knowledge. Your energy is your biggest capital so choose wisely who you take advice from.
In addition to that it’s extremely difficult to keep yourself motivated and accountable. Energy management is like muscle training; the muscle only gets stronger if you train it repeatedly. Using the right techniques is one thing – but implementing and repeating will give you the biggest success. Energy management is an ongoing business therefore it is important that you have a good accountability partner.
3) Surround yourself with people who increase your energy
Did you know that you are the average of the 5-7 people you spend the most time with? So just think what that means for you. Who do you spend the most time with? And what’s the quality of their health, business success, love life and energy? Inspiring people uplift your energy so take a critical look at the people around you and find yourself a mastermind, accountability partner, mentorship or coach. You will grow so much faster, I promise you that.
What are your plans for the future? What would you like to achieve for yourself?
I’m passionate about women stepping up and creating better positions and opportunities for themselves. It’s my belief that for women to have real impact, it’s not enough to use only left-brained techniques. Women need Yin-Power too. Yin-Power is feminine leadership. A perfect balance between two forces that helps them gain results without sacrificing themselves. A new model of leadership that allows them to be in their full power while not falling into the trap of burnout, frustration and exhaustion.
It’s my mission to help one million smart and ambitious women to (re)discover and develop their yin-side, their feminine leadership, so they can thrive, feel great and make an impact in this world. Because when you master your energy you will master your life and business!
