Guiding careers, businesses and talents in creative industries to communicate better with themselves and the world, leaving no room to waste their potential.

Portrait photo of Bastiaan van der Sluis, wearing a black jacket and looking at the camera.

Hi, I’m Bastiaan van der Sluis. For over 15 years, I have worked in architecture, fashion, art, design, and communications as a designer and in PR. I've had the privilege of collaborating with many talented people and working with internationally renowned companies and clients, such as MVRDV, Nightingale World, Studio Roosegaarde, Studio Joost Grootens, KCAP, and BMWi.


After almost four years as Director of Communications at KCAP, and with the same effort I put into my work and personal development, I now offer guidance to others so they can concentrate on developing their talents, growing their businesses, and pursuing their ambitions.



Photo by Willem de Kam

Having a thriving career, an admired brand, and fulfilment are all about wisely using your time, money, emotions, and ambitions to make vital investments in future growth and freedom. But, that's easier said than done.



Don't Waste I acts as a human capital ambassador by sharing knowledge and support with those who aim to empower and inspire themselves and others—using communications to focus on reaching their full potential and stimulating art and creative industries to empower social, cultural and economic developments for future generations.

How to Better Reach Your Potential?

Join my newsletter for the latest tips, resources, news, and strategies for using communication to empower your career, mental health, business, and teams.

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Podcast

THEIR APPROACH

Listen to leaders, talents and change-makers of today and tomorrow close to you and how they grow their 'I' and keep guiding and inspiring others.

Piet Oudolf

Garden designer,

Nurseryman and Author

Yuro Moniz

Ceramic Artisan

Abdelkader Benali

Writer & Journalist

Bonnie Langedijk

Founder HURS, Art Director

Samir Bantal

Director of AMO/OMA

Inger Kammeraat

Executive Director of ULI

Dennis Vanderbroeck

Spatial Designer

Charlotte Thomas

Editor at De Architect

Joost Grootens

Graphic Designer &

Professor at Royal Danish Academy Copenhagen

Anne Kremers

Director of new to

open Fenix Museum

Tom Dorresteijn

Partner & Director of Strategy

at Studio Dumbar

Team Thursday

(Loes & Simone)

Graphic Designers

Said Kinos

Contemporary Artist

Tonya Drozdova

Creative Art Director

& 3D Visualiser

Ossip van Duivenbode

Architecture Photographer

Telmo Pieper

Imagemaker & (Mural) Painter

Simone van Neerven

Innovation & Change Catalyst

Founder of reBella

Renske van der Stoep

Architect & founder of Roffaa

Anouk Kuitenbrouwer

Partner at KCAP

Architect and Urban Planner

Javier Arpa

Architect, Dean of The Why Factory, Author, Curator

and PhD Researcher

Kim Heinen

International Media Relations Manager City of Rotterdam

Henk Oosterling

Philosopher & Writer

Sanne van Manen

Founder of Housing Platform

Paul Cournet

Architect

Founder at CLOUD,

Deputy Editor at CAPSULE

Aric Chen

General & Creative Director

The New Institute

Piet Oudolf

Garden designer,

Nurseryman and Author

Yuro Moniz

Ceramic Artisan

Abdelkader Benali

Writer & Journalist

NEWSLETTER

How to Better Reach Your Potential?

Join my bi-weekly newsletter for the latest tips, resources, news, and strategies for using communication to empower your career, mental health, business, and teams.

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SOCIAL MEDIA

Share Your Experiences, Anonymously

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Let's raise more awareness of the inappropriate actions that prevent people and businesses from reaching their potential and decrease the feeling of being out there alone.

SUBSCRIBE

SOCIAL MEDIA

Share Your Experiences, Anonymously

Let's raise more awareness of the inappropriate actions that prevent people and businesses from reaching their potential and decrease the feeling of being out there alone.

It’s okay to struggle; everyone does. But standing still could prevent reaching your potential as a person or business. Let’s take small steps forward together.

Don’t waste your time, don’t waste your ‘I’.

How Communications can guide you


  • Employees & Artists

    How to communicate with yourself?


    • How can I improve my communication with myself and foster a positive inner dialogue?
    • What strategies can I use to maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life?
    • How do I prevent burnout, and how can I effectively cope with it if it happens?
    • How do I motivate myself and take proactive steps towards personal growth?
    • How can I enhance my sleep quality, manage stress, and develop the ability to say 'no'?
    • How do I navigate and overcome feelings of disappointment and failure internally?

    How to communicate with the world around you?


    • What are effective ways to communicate with the world around me and build meaningful connections?
    • How can I build a personal brand and network to enhance my professional presence?
    • How do I handle a disappointing manager or an unfavourable work environment?
    • What strategies can I employ to grow my career and improve my skills?
    • How can I initiate and successfully run my own creative business externally?

  • Businesses & Leadership

    How do you communicate with your employees?


    • How can I enhance employee communication to foster a more engaged and productive workplace?
    • How can I improve our corporate culture, promote empathy, and stimulate innovation?
    • How do I enhance leadership skills through effective communication to inspire and guide my team?
    • What steps can I take to provide a healthy work-life balance for employees and proactively prevent burnout?
    • How can I empower employees to become effective brand ambassadors for the organisation?
    • If we say or want to play at Champions League level, what does it mean and take?

    How do you communicate with the world around you?


    • How do we communicate with the external world and establish a positive brand presence?
    • What strategies should I employ to market products or services online and reach a broader audience?
    • How do I attract talented individuals who align with the company's mission and values externally?
    • How can I prepare for and handle crises while maintaining clear and empathetic external communication?
    • What approaches can be taken to manage and improve the company's public image, reputation, and positioning in the external landscape?
    • How can we learn from our competitors and increase our market presence?

  • Students & Graduates

    How do you communicate with yourself?


    • How can I establish effective communication with myself for a more positive self-dialogue?
    • How do I determine my purpose and navigate the path that aligns with my goals?
    • What strategies can I use to set and manage expectations for myself and my surroundings?
    • How can I prevent or overcome burnout, manage stress, and improve sleep quality?
    • Which skills should I focus on to prepare for a successful study or career path?
    • How do I make informed choices when faced with a multitude of options?
    • How can I cope with disappointments and navigate feelings of failure internally?

    How do you communicate with the world around you?


    • What are the best ways to communicate with the external world and present a compelling resume?
    • How can I excel in job interviews and make a lasting impression on potential employers?
    • What steps can I take to successfully transition from academia to the professional world?
    • How do I initiate the process of building a personal brand and network effectively?
    • How do I evaluate future steps when a career is challenging to plan externally?

Who I work with the most:

ARTISTS
BRANDS
GRADUATES
LEADERSHIP
STARTUPS
STUDENTS
TEACHERS

What I write, guide and talk about

Advising how you can empower your career or business with sustainable growth using valuable potential growth strategies, ROI, and low-investment ideas

  • Branding

    • Brand strategy
    • Brand expression
    • Brand positioning
    • Brand reputation management
    • Competitor analysis
    • Rebranding process

  • Career- & Personal Development

    • Employee career development
    • Leadership towards employees
    • Personal branding & networking
    • Student career development
    • Work-life balance & burnout prevention

  • HR & Corporate Anthropology

    • Company culture improvement
    • Employee ambassador development
    • Recruitment of purpose-driven talents

  • Inbound Marketing

    • Social media strategy
    • Website improvements

  • Public Relations

    • PR strategy
    • Crisis communication planning
    • Media relationships
    • Press releases & media kits
    • Public events
    • Public speaking presentation techniques

For individual employees, artists, students and graduates who want support navigating their career path and personal development.

  • Live 1-2 Hour 1:1 Coaching Call
  • Send an E-mail
  • Online Courses (coming soon)

Career- & Personal Development

1:1 Coaching Sessions

How I Can Support You

This is for solo artists and business leaders who want to empower their brands and teams by focusing on short-term and long-term sustainable growth.

  • 1:1 Coaching Calls
  • Studio Sessions
  • Business Lab OS course (coming soon)

Business Lab

Brand & Team Growth

New Title

This is for solo entrepreneurs and business leaders who are about to make important decisions in the heat of a moment and seek guidance to help make the best short- and long-term choices regarding their business goals, team spirit, and brand image.

  • Reviewing your situation in a 30-minute free Discovery Call
  • Showing different perspectives to connect the dots and empower decision-making
  • Providing advise on how to proceed sustainably

€299 (p/hour)

Tip: In many cases, coaching/ consultancy is deductible from taxes.

Need Urgent Support?

Facing A Pressing Business Challenge?

New Title

For over 15 years, I have worked in the worlds of architecture, fashion, art and design.

MVRDV

mvrdv.com


MVRDV's exemplary, outspoken designs provide solutions to contemporary architectural and urban issues in all regions of the world.


Market Hall, Rotterdam (NL)

(c) MVRDV / Ossip van Duivenbode

Studio Roosegaarde

studioroosegaarde.net


Studio Roosegaarde creates landscapes of the future. Creativity is their true capital.


Waterlicht
(c) Roosegaarde / Ossip van Duivenbode

Nightingale World

nightingale.world


They are a progressive marketing and communications agency that delivers results-driven, boundary-pushing campaigns.


Komono campaign

(c) Nightingale World

KCAP

kcap.eu


Specialised in caring for the lifecycle and transformation processes of buildings, neighbourhoods and urban regions.


Europaallee, Zurich (CH)
(c)KCAP / Rene Durr

Case Study: KCAP

I've worked as a consultant and Director of Communications for KCAP in the past years.


Founded in 1989 by Kees Christiaanse (RIBA International Fellowship), we were on a mission to improve their identity, workflows and communications internally and externally.

Video by Ernie Buts

What They Say About The Collaboration

Anouk Kuitenbrouwer

Partner at KCAP

It has been a great journey, Bastiaan.

Edward Schuurmans

Partner at KCAP

Bastiaan, I’ve learned a lot from you. Thanks for everything!

Ute Schneider

Partner at KCAP

Many thanks for all your impact on empowering our brand!

Xavier Blaringhem

Partner at KCAP

Impactful four years, indeed!

Some Tunes To Get You Going

MUSIC

Ready To Empower Your Career Or Business?

Book a 1:1 coaching call or contact me to explore how we can improve your leadership or business potential.

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