What went through my mind that night in 2016, standing on stage with this award in my hands—Rosette la Vedette crowned Best Belgian Webshop in the Health & Beauty category? Honestly: all the customers, healthcare professionals, and volunteers who inspire me every single day with their resilience and optimism. That, above all! But I also thought a little about Mister Ronny. And how grateful I am that I never listened to him…

Yes We Can, Mister Ronny!

Back to 2010. Picture this: a shabby office in a sewing workshop somewhere deep in Flanders. Me: “a woman with a plan,” but also a complete rookie in the world of fashion. Across from me: Mister Ronny, a grumpy old hand in the trade. He inspected my very first prototype—a trial version of the headwear collection I had been dreaming about for two years.

Then he squinted at me and hissed: “So, did you come out of the social sector? I know the type. Burned-out ladies who think they can sew and want to start their own line. Doesn’t work that way. And chemo hats? Who’s going to buy those? Everyone wears wigs. And in bright colors?! Forget it, girl. This will never be anything.” Gulp.

Sorry, Mister Ronny. I didn’t give up. I found people who did believe in my idea, partnered with another workshop, and a few years later—Rosette la Vedette won the BeCommerce Award for Best Belgian Webshop. I’m forever glad I didn’t listen.

No Business Journey Without the Cancer Journey

That meeting with Mister Ronny was just the start. There were fabrics to source, an atelier to find, a team to build, hospitals to connect with, journalists to convince… What began as a hobby turned into something bigger—slow, steady, honest. And I grew with it.

And you know what? Without cancer, I would never have come this far. Jumping on the cancer express overnight taught me lessons that shaped me into the entrepreneur I am today. Lessons I’m sharing with you—because they’re just as valuable at home, at work, or during treatment as they are in business.

Lesson 1: Just Because You’ve Never Done It Doesn’t Mean You Can’t

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase,” Martin Luther King said. That’s exactly what cancer teaches you. You don’t know what chemo will do to you. You’re scared. But you have no choice—you start, step by step. Each session teaches you more about your body and yourself.

Business is the same. You’ve never done it before. But you’ll never know unless you jump. As Lao Tse said: “A path is made by walking it.”

(A meeting with our web team the day after winning the BeCommerce Award? Of course there was cake!)

Lesson 2: Dare to Ask for Help

A tough one for a control freak like me. But there’s that African proverb: “Alone you go faster, together you go further.” People often ask me: “Do you run Rosette la Vedette all by yourself?!” The truth is no. Sure, I don’t have employees, but I do have a team of freelancers and partners: seamstresses, web developers, stylists, translators, logistics, you name it. Without them, I’d be lost.

And yes, cancer taught me this too. Sometimes you can’t drive yourself to the hospital with a fever. Sometimes you need your mom’s couch after chemo. Asking for help makes you stronger—and it makes your loved ones happy to do something for you.

Lesson 3: Stay True to Yourself

Cancer is something you have, not who you are. I hated being called “a patient.” I wanted honest communication, not pity. Access to my lab results gave me a sense of control. And telling my doctors what scared me helped them understand me better.

Entrepreneurship is no different. My gut feeling is my compass. For me, success isn’t about topping charts or managing dozens of staff. It’s about meaningful work and the freedom to live life my way.

Ask yourself: do I live to work, or work to live? For me, the answer is clear: I choose what gives me energy, not what others expect of me.