On the day after my selection as Businesswoman of the Year 2009, I was overwhelmed by questions from the media. After four phone calls I was a little tired of questions about how I organized everything with children and work ‘and so on’. And then an editor from Intermediair phoned me.

She asked me: does it come with a financial reward, a title like this? I could honestly say: no, it actually costs money… and then I blurted out: … because you have to buy a whole set of new clothes for all the functions you’re invited to.

So that appeared word for word in the text we were sent for us to review. Well, we had to move heaven and earth to change it, because the editor was adamant that that was what I had said! Eventually we managed to get “she laughs” inserted after it. Because, of course, I was actually laughing when I said it, but that didn’t come across on the phone. Everyone was happy.

Good tip
Then, a year later, we end up with something similar! The editors of Bij ons in de BV, a KRO program presented by Jort Kelder, asked me to call them back. “Thank you for calling me back. Marlies van Wijhe, the new Businesswoman of the year 2010, is going to be visiting us on the show. Bij ons in de BV, you probably know the program.” I had just googled it, so yes, I knew it. “And I thought, maybe it would be interesting to ask you a few questions about it”. Well that is definitely interesting, what kind of questions do you have in mind? “What has been the most fun, what are the benefits, what has been the least fun, what has been the best moment and do you have a tip for Marlies.” This editor was obviously at the top of her game in terms of creativity and journalistic skills, I could tell. I was able to describe all those moments very well. And so I told her that the best moment was the meeting with the sixteen other international businesswomen in France, in Reims. And especially the impression I received that all these women were heavily involved in social issues, outside their own company.

True to yourself
“Oh, so that was a nice party over there?” asked the editor, who I think imagined herself to be a real society journalist for a moment. I said yes, you feel really festive, a bit like the Queen. “With a lot of champagne?” Yes, of course we had champagne, we were guests at the champagne house of Veuve Clicquot. “And what is your tip for Marlies?” My tip for Marlies is that she should stay true to herself in the upcoming year. Because that gives you the best chance of avoiding pitfalls. Just always stay true to yourself. It was silent on the other end of the phone. I don’t think she understood that at all, as she said: “I cannot really say that to our viewers, what do you mean by that?”. Well, just that you should stay true to yourself! Stick to what you know best, and don’t be tempted by subjects that don’t really suit you. “Yes, but a much better tip would be: buy a beautiful dress for the coming year” said our novice fashion journalist. What has that got to do with it? I thought. So I said: well no, that’s not really a serious tip.

Pants that are a little too short
And so the year ends where it began: a mischievous looking young man with braces and pants that are a little too short says in his program that the Businesswoman of the Year 2009 Meiny Prins gave the following tip to the new Businesswoman: “Buy a nice dress for all the parties you have to go to”.

Two days after the program was broadcast, I’m done. I’m not going to make a fuss, I have better things to spend my time and energy on. I decide that I will come back to it one more time in my blog, and then it’s over. And that’s how it was. Period.