Blog: Anne van de Vijver

Back to Zeeuws-Vlaanderen with a Mission

Back to Aardenburg

I grew up on a farm in the polders of Aardenburg. After a detour through various studies, I discovered my passion for trend research. A small and still fairly unknown field with little to no job opportunities in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. Still, I decided to come back. Curious about my whole story? You can read it below. 
 

An Unexpected Passion

After high school, I was determined not to move out because I was afraid of getting homesick. I chose to study at HZ University of Applied Sciences. However, this turned out not to be the right decision for me. Looking back, I realized it’s not smart to choose a study just because it seems easy. I didn’t enjoy my studies and my grades suffered because of it.

The turning point came during my third year, when I took the Trendwatching minor at Fontys in Tilburg. Despite my fear of homesickness, I dared to take the step because the minor only required me to be in Tilburg three days a week. Here I discovered my passion: trend research. I enjoyed the minor and the city so much that I didn’t feel homesick at all.

Quitting Your Studies in the Final Year?

The minor opened my eyes and I decided to quit my studies at HZ and start over completely with the course Trendresearch & Concept Creation in Lifestyle in Tilburg. A choice that almost no one understood, but one I have absolutely no regrets about to this day. I’ve learned that you really have to follow your heart. If you do something you enjoy, everything becomes much easier. Where I barely scraped by at HZ, in Tilburg I was among the best in the class. 

Back in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen

After my studies, I returned to Zeeuws-Vlaanderen for a summer to work in a cocktail bar in Cadzand-Bad. That summer ended up lasting much longer. In 2023, I decided to start my own company: Toekomstbureau De Concepten Vijver. Here in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, you can’t find a job in my field, but what I first saw as a problem, I turned into an opportunity, and that’s how my company was born.

Opportunities in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen

Our region faces major challenges due to population decline, labor shortages, aging, and maintaining facilities. But precisely here there are so many opportunities to improve Zeeuws-Vlaanderen as a place to live. With De Concepten Vijver, I want to use my specific expertise to make living, working, and experiencing Zeeuws-Vlaanderen better for all residents.

I’ve learned how important it is to follow your heart. And to turn problems into opportunities. ‘Just because something doesn’t exist yet, doesn’t mean there’s no need for it.’ With De Concepten Vijver, I hope to make a positive contribution to the future of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen.
 

Anne’s Tip

Try taking a different route than you’re used to. While running or driving, I’ve discovered some beautiful spots in the polders of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen that I didn’t know before.