About | The Smart Rebel

Hi! I'm Simone

I'm a coach specialized in unlocking the power of giftedness and the potential that comes with it.

But that's not all I do... Because, just like you, I have a billion different passions.

About me

I’ve been working with gifted adults since 2020, when I started my online coaching practice.

Since then, I’ve supported hundreds of gifted people worldwide — from the US to Uganda — helping them navigate the challenges of a fast, intense, and often misunderstood mind.

My clients come from many different backgrounds: from academics to artists, engineers to entrepreneurs, hair dressers to home-makers. What they share isn’t a specific career path, but a way of thinking that is deep, intense, and often overwhelming to live with if left unsupported.

I’m currently based in the Netherlands, after a decade of living abroad across eight countries and four continents. I’m known for completing three Bachelor’s degrees in three years, and my work has been featured by over 30 media outlets. In 2022, I was selected as one of the Netherlands’ leading research talents by Het Financieele Dagblad.

But this didn’t come from an effortless path.

I know what it’s like to feel out of place early in life — to be bored, understimulated, and misunderstood. To swing between overthinking and overexertion. To burn out from trying to fit in.

For a long time, I tried to adapt myself to a world designed for neurotypical minds. That came at a cost: self-abandonment. I felt capped, contained, and disconnected from my own potential.

The real shift came when I stopped asking, “How do I adapt better to fit in?”and started asking, “How do I create a life that actually fits me?”

That question changed everything.

Today, alongside my coaching work, I’m completing a PhD in Polar Studies at the University of Cambridge — my fifth academic degree, all in different fields. Not because I couldn’t choose, but because I no longer believe gifted people need to narrow themselves to be taken seriously.

I also work occasionally as an expedition guide in the Arctic and Antarctica, create podcasts and music, write for newspapers, and have my first book coming out in 2026.

This multipath life isn’t about doing more; it’s about doing what fits. And what feels fun!

The Shift

What made this possible wasn’t another productivity system or generic mindset advice, but learning to recognize and work with giftedness-specific patterns that were quietly getting in my way, such as:

chronic overthinking leading to paralysis
pressure to “maximize potential,” feeding perfectionism
getting bored with projects quickly, never finishing them
fear of being seen as arrogant or exposed as an imposter
standards so high they made disappointment inevitable

I realized that gifted minds don’t need one-size-fits-all solutions. They need approaches that account for how they’re actually wired. So I spent years studying how giftedness-related inner blocks show up — and how they can be dismantled.

This is the work I now do with clients.

I help gifted people get unstuck and work with their mind to build a life that actually moves forward — without self-betrayal, chronic doubt, or burnout.

Ready to explore more?

Join my free webinar

I host a monthly live webinar where I cover:

How giftedness shapes your inner and outer life
The most common reasons gifted people get stuck
How to work with your gifted mind instead of against it

You can sign up for free below.

Hope to see you there!