Turning Struggles into Wins.
The day the first-ever Business Bootcamp took place marked a turning point not just for OCA, but for our lives.
It all began six weeks earlier when Yoni returned from his annual Vision Quest with one of his trademark “crazy” ideas—only this one was bigger than anything we’d ever attempted before.
His bold proposition? Instead of hosting nearly 70 small events a year for about 50-80 participants, why not go all-in and host 4–5 massive events annually, each attracting 1,000 people?
Our small but mighty team—Rani, Joop, Marina, Aramik, and I—were… let’s just say, skeptical.
We knew firsthand the Herculean effort it took to organize even our smaller events.
The logistics, administration, and endless planning already felt overwhelming.
And now Yoni wanted us to pull off a thousand-person, two-day business seminar, completely free, in just six weeks?
But if there’s one thing we all knew, it was that the word impossible doesn’t exist in Yoni’s world.
So, with a mix of nerves and excitement, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work.
This had never been done before in the Netherlands.
Sure, arenas filled up for festivals or concerts, but a business seminar for 1,000 people? Unheard of.
We had to find the right venue, train a volunteer team in our unique service culture, and generate enough buzz to fill an entire auditorium—fast.
Yoni, Rani, and Joop tackled the marketing, while Marina, Aramik, and I handled the mountain of logistics and admin.
Somehow, six weeks later, on February 20, 2010, the doors of the NBC in Nieuwegein opened at 10:00 a.m. welcoming over 800 people to the first-ever Business Bootcamp.
And as they say, the rest was history.
It was a runaway success that reminded us all of the power of belief, dedication, and teamwork.
A small group of committed people can truly accomplish the seemingly impossible.
Yoni and I knew we couldn’t have done it without our amazing team, and we wanted to thank them in a BIG way.
The plan? Rent a private plane, fly everyone to London for a West End musical and a fabulous dinner, and return the same night (because, let’s face it, I had a 13-year-old daughter waiting at home).
I kept the entire plan under wraps, even coming up with a creative excuse for why everyone needed to bring their passports.
Everything was set—the plane, the tickets, the restaurant. And then… Mother Nature stepped in.
The infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted in Iceland, grounding flights across Europe.
The private plane stayed firmly on the runway, and I found myself having to explain to our incredible team that the grand surprise was a no-go.
But if there’s one thing Yoni and I are good at, it’s adapting.
I didn’t want the moment to pass without showing our gratitude.
With Rani’s help, we found a unique experience that turned out to be just as memorable: a private cooking workshop with a renowned chef.
The chef not only taught us the art of cooking but also how to have fun as a team.
It was an unforgettable day filled with laughter, teamwork, and delicious food—and it sparked a tradition of celebrating our wins with the team.
That cooking class in March 2010 was the first of many adventures we shared with our growing OCA family.
Over the years, our team expanded from 4 to 25, but no matter how busy we were, we always made time to celebrate together.
From team-building activities to spontaneous fun, these moments weren’t just about saying “thank you.”
They were about reinforcing the bond we all shared.
Our team wasn’t just a collection of colleagues—they were family. And every success we achieved was because of them.
Looking back, 2010 wasn’t just the year of our first Business Bootcamp.
It was the year we learned how far belief, teamwork, and a little creativity could take us—and how important it is to cherish and celebrate the people who make it all possible.
