All eyes on Michèle

Always positive, never standing still – that’s the best way to describe Michèle van Rooij. For 27 years, she’s been a driving force at Copaco Netherlands, where, as Manager of Business Operations, she spots opportunities where others often see problems. At home and at work, she thrives in the company of great people. Curious about her story? About how Rob keeps her balanced and also pulls her out of the canal?

Can you briefly introduce yourself? I’m Michèle van Rooij and have been happily together with Rob for 28 years. I love socialising and staying active. I’ve been working at Copaco Netherlands for 27 years now, and I still enjoy my role as Manager of the Business Operations department just as much as when I started.

The payoff for Trashious is: “Where some see trash, we see opportunities.” How does this apply to you? I always like to focus on what’s possible. Of course, there are challenges, but I always try to turn them into something positive. That perfectly matches both my work and the way Trashious sees opportunities where others see problems.

When do you feel at your strongest? At work, I feel strongest when I can help improve processes and when we manage to take steps together towards more efficient ways of working. In my personal life, I feel strongest when I’m surrounded by great people — people you can laugh with, but also share absolutely everything with.

Who or what gives you that kick you need when you’re lacking motivation? Well, I don’t think I need that kick very often. What does help is that I can sometimes be a bit busy and “fiery,” and Rob balances that out by approaching everything calmly.

Which decisions in your life make you proud? There are many. In my opinion, you can and should be proud of all the choices you make, as long as they feel right to you. They can be small or big things. I’m very much a person who follows my gut feeling, and luckily that feeling rarely lets me down.

How do you motivate yourself on days when you’d rather stay under a blanket? Luckily, I don’t really have days like that. When the alarm goes off (although I’m often awake before it does), I get up and I’m “on” straight away.

How do you minimise your footprint on the planet? I truly enjoy nature, so I try to do my bit. During the week, I drive an electric car; on weekends, I often take the bike. I’ve noticed that in recent years we’ve become much more conscious about these things. We’ve also been eating much less meat than we used to.

What’s the biggest blunder you can now laugh about? Oh dear, here we go… On my way home after a work dinner, the exhaust fell off my car. I was waiting for Rob to come and help me, but I desperately needed to go to the toilet. I spotted what I thought was a nice secluded spot behind some bushes (it was already dark), but to get there, I had to take a big step over a wire. And then — SPLASH — I was standing waist-deep in water. Turns out it was a canal around a beautiful mansion on Parklaan in Eindhoven, completely covered in green duckweed.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received or given? My mother’s advice, which she told me almost daily when I was a child: “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” That applies just as much to small personal or work tasks as it does to big life decisions.

If your bag could talk, what would it say about you? That I’m an enthusiastic and positive go-getter with a touch of curiosity.

What was your first job? Working at the checkout at Albert Heijn supermarket.

What’s the nicest compliment you’ve ever received? That people appreciate me for who I am.

Which woman inspires you? Who would you like to share an evening of wine and wisdom with To be honest, I’m not really into that. I prefer spending such an evening with my friends — we can be serious, but it usually ends in a lot of laughter and fun together.

What’s been the biggest challenge in your life, and how did you handle it? That’s the challenge I’m facing right now: my health is letting me down a bit. But that will be fine, too!

Which 3 hashtags describe you? #go-getter #positivewithspice #thoughtful

Which 3 hashtags describe Trashious? #sustainable #spottingopportunities #stylewithimpact

Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?A super beautiful and practical Trashious bag. You should be proud of yourselves. It’s amazing how you’ve built this wonderful brand with so much enthusiasm, courage, and energy.

Wil jij in de spotlight staan en deel uitmaken van All Eyes on You? Deel je verhaal dan hier.