This was not my first major turning point. At age five, I moved from the bustling streets of Arusha, Tanzania, to the orderly streets of Geneva, Switzerland. My father, known for his corduroy pants and Indiana-Jones hat, was pursuing a Ph.D. in agricultural development, while my mother, a former Peace Corps volunteer, had taught English in Africa. The dramatic shift in culture, language, and climate, along with my parents’ divorce, profoundly shaped my sense of identity. Growing up in multicultural Switzerland, I became acutely aware of the world’s inequalities and the contrasts between political and economic systems. This awareness led me to study International Relations at the Graduate Institute in Geneva.

My father, with his 30,000-book collection, instilled in me a passion for questioning, research, and uncovering deeper truths. In school, I was known as “the kid with the theories,” always seeking patterns in life’s complexities. Eager to explore, I worked various jobs to fund travels across Asia, Europe, and the U.S., gaining experiences that would become my greatest teachers.

At nineteen, I embarked on a journey around the world. These adventures took me off the beaten path, where I immersed myself in spiritual teachings, hiked remote mountains and volcanoes, and found profound purpose living on $400 a month in a small Central American town. My observations filled moleskin notebooks, some written in extreme moments—like being held at gunpoint in Guatemala. Every experience, conversation, and book deepened my understanding of life’s intricacies. Many of these insights would later form the foundation of The 7 Pillars Framework.

Professionally, I pursued a path of continuous growth, moving from an international financial institution to a Central American start-up, and eventually spending 25 years with a Fortune 500 company. I rose through the ranks, managing large teams and regions across cities like Miami, London, Zurich, and Paris. These experiences expanded my worldview and honed my language skills—adding conversational Dutch to my fluency in English, French, German, and Spanish.

Yet despite my achievements, I fell into auto-pilot mode. My career success no longer brought the fulfillment I once sought. I saw the same emptiness reflected in the eyes of those around me. The flame of inspiration and belief in endless possibilities had dimmed.

It was only when my family life dissolved that I truly woke up. Standing on the cliffs of Corsica, I asked myself, “What happened?” Confronted by the hard truth, I realized that many aspects of modern life are deeply flawed. The statistics painted a grim picture—escalating dissatisfaction and disconnection. The conventional solutions offered by society were failing.

Determined to find a way forward, I committed to creating a framework for those who, like me, felt lost in the fog of modern aspirations. I deconstructed the complex and rebuilt it into a practical, guiding system. The 7 Pillars Framework is both a roadmap and a philosophy—a guide for seekers yearning for a life of purpose and fulfillment. It offers concrete tools to make meaningful changes, both large and small, helping you progress toward your dreams and live a life of true alignment.