LinkedIn done differently
If you’re here for learning more about my educational and professional background, have a look at my LinkedIn profile. Pinky promise, it’s not just a chronologic bragging list of all my achievements and things I’ve done but rather a description of how I have slowly found my mission and passion in life and how the different work experiences have contributed to that.
Surfing the wave of my life
Some people are just naturally talented for things, such as soccer or extreme sports like surfing. I am not that person. Read my surf journey to discover how I got into surfing, where I got most of my surf scars, what setbacks I have encountered, who took my Ulus virginity, and when I was ready to confess my surf addiction to myself.
Embodied creativity and a bit of whitewash
Like being able to do sharp turns or a turtle roll without choking yourself, a surf art brand does not grow overnight. If you want to know how ostriches, virtual horse games, curly-haired Barbie dolls, a bruised rib, my cum laude diplomas, and affogato’s at The Cashew Tree are related to the start of Ninarosaqua, I highly recommend you indulge in the hammock vertex with some vegan cookies and read the history of Ninarosaqua.
Ninarosa Trivia
I am 25% Indonesian and absolutely love the country. And no, I do not speak Bahasa.
My pseudonym is Amanda. This is how I will introduce myself to people I do not really want to be introduced to (e.g. the laundry people in Bali) or if I think they cannot remember or pronounce my name.
Also, some creep at the sauna once looked up ‘Ninarosa’ on Google after he got home, found my online marketplace (Marktplaats) account, and WhatsApped me on the mobile number I provided on the profile (which was in no way intended for such purposes). Besides changing my name there to my initials, I decided to be more careful about telling people my name.
I am a twin with a guy. We look related but not like twins and character-wise we could not be further apart. We just share the same sense of humour and take equal amounts of joy in fooling my parents.
I’m a blood donor, although I hate needles. The free cookies and good karma make up for it.
My dad is a bartender and always took us to bartend competitions. My passion for cooking and creativity surely stems from this: combining flavours, surprising people, and making everything look beautiful.
I started kite surfing in Fuerteventura in 2021 because there were no surfable waves that week and ended up loving it. I bought 3 kites and attended a kite camp in Cyprus within a year. I still suck at it but I adore it.
I’ve been horseback riding from age 8 to 16 with currently only riding on holidays. I am sure my love for horses is related to my choice of becoming vegan.
I have a tattoo of a wave on my left pink that stands for my love for the ocean. Additionally, it stands for me discovering a sport that I truly love besides horse back riding, as I despise all team sports, sports with a ball, or sports where you have to run.
I have been fully vegan since 2017, after a 1-year long journey from a carnivore, that ended when I saw all the dead animals during Christmas and realised there was simply no need. I make exceptions for wine and beer. Yes, my blood levels are excellent, thank you.
I am milk intolerant. No, not lactose intolerant, I can’t eat any type of milk or I’ll have a bloated belly for over a week.
My favourite food is sweet potato fries with vegan truffle mayonnaise. I generally eat very healthily but I cheat a lot too because of my love for deep-fried food.
I am a semi-influencer for Festileaks and Eat Live Travel, where I write about festivals (Festileaks), food, travelling, sustainability, and lifestyle (Eat Live Travel) as press and get to attend all sorts of cool events.
I am registered at the Chamber of Commerce since September 2016 with my company Denkfabriek Agency (formerly: Ninarosa & Ninarosa Denkfabriek). I started out with freelance copywriting and expanded to design and website building, ultimately manifesting in a creative web agency where we build strategic websites for companies that want to make the world a better place. I do the branding/marketing and copywriting and designers, developers, and salespeople do the rest.
I crowdfunded Qommunity (platform and community for freelancers) and Boca Grandi (kite surf restaurant in Kijkduin, near Den Haag).
I work as a graphic design volunteer for the Dutch Vegan Association.
I had a food blog called The Macadamia in 2017, where we shared healthy + accessible + cheap student meals.
Between 2016 and 2022, the longest I spent paying rent at one place is 11 months, during the beginning of the pandemic. Other than that, I have lived all over the world while working or studying, moving every few months; to Australia, Belgium, New Zealand, Bali, Costa Rica, Fuerteventura, Austria, Portugal, and Bali again.
I always cry the first day I arrive at a new place I move and wonder why I am doing this to myself but I always end up loving it.
I hate arranging trips and booking things. I postpone it to the very last moment. It forces me to live more in the moment and enjoy things spontaneously (and pay excessive flight and accommodation prices).
I moved to Scheveningen, the beach part of Den Haag, in 2022. I visited a dear friend of mine a few times when I lived in Rotterdam in 2019 and liked it a lot. So when a girl was subletting her room in the summer of 2021, I decided to try it out. I ended up loving it, as it combines the structure and organisation of The Netherlands with the chill vibe and work-life balance of Costa Rica and Bali.
I can’t do without my morning routine, which includes a workout or yoga, journaling, reading, a healthy breakfast, and meditation. I take a full hour for this, if not more, and therefore wake up early, preferably at 6am.
I have sold my soul to Apple and own an iPhone X, a MacBook Pro, an iPad Air, an iPad Mini, AirPods, AirPods Pro, and a Magic Keyboard + TrackPad, with an Apple Watch high on the wish list.
I love all sorts of creativity. I did a pottery course and a ceramics course, resulting in an ugly-ass vase (of some sort) and a beautiful ocean-inspired teapot set.
I am super sensitive to colours and energies of people. Good energy people can empower me to the extent that I can’t sleep at the end of the day, bad energy people can exhaust me so much that I need to take 3 power naps.
Anything else you’d like to know about me? Just hit me up and I’ll be happy to answer your burning question. Might even add it to the list with a shout-out, how thrilling!