John Van den Herik

Observer
DISC Type : ic

Business Development at The Soap Farm

Gorinchem, South Holland, Netherlands

Overview

John is a lifelong entrepreneur with a deep history in the apparel and lifestyle industry. After taking over his fathers textile business, he successfully built and scaled major brands, including "lief! lifestyle" and the childrens characters "Fien & Teun". In recent years, he has transitioned into an advisory and business development role, leveraging his extensive experience.

Outside of his entrepreneurial ventures, John is a fan of AFC Ajax. He values quality time with his family, recently taking a music-focused trip to Berlin with his daughter. He has also worked closely with his wife, Yvonne, who was the creative force behind the "lief! lifestyle" brand, which they built together.

He is the creator and founder of the well-known Dutch childrens characters Fien & Teun.

Personality Overview

Value Driven

Example Seeker

Assertive

They are generally strong communicators and are not easy to convince.  They can sound friendly and charming but can quickly change gears to become inquisitive and probing. They often ask many questions and rely heavily on information and documentation.

Topics They Care About

Brand Creation
He has a long history of building brands from the ground up, including his own fashion lines, the "lief! lifestyle" brand, and the characters Fien & Teun.
Lifestyle Licensing
A core part of his business strategy involves expanding brands into new product categories through strategic licensing, a model he successfully applied to "lief! lifestyle".
Entrepreneurial Journey
He has navigated the full lifecycle of a business, from rapid growth and managing 150 employees to executing a necessary business restart and transitioning to an advisory role.

Media Appearances

John has no verified media appearances

Work History

5-2025
Business Development at The Soap Farm
2-2025
Business Development at Dutch drip drinks
11-2024
Business Development Licensing & Merchandise at Van Hoorne Studios
11-2024
Business Development at Bosch Bedding
5-2022
Brand Activation Advisor at Monta

Education

John has no verified education history

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 37 Location : Gorinchem, South Holland, Netherlands Job Level : N/A Designation : Business Development at The Soap Farm
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Insights For Selling To John

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Build rapport, it will come handy to handle hard questions later
  • Focus on immediate action-items rather than the larger goals
  • Be prepared for a lot of questions, answer them objectively

DONT's

  • Avoid making offhand commitments
  • Don’t brush off any concerns, take all questions seriously
  • Don’t try to rush them into a decision, provide all necessary information first

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with John is

  • Clear proof of product value matters to them, followed by others' testimonials and rapport.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from John

  • They are practical yet friendly, don’t expect a clear no very often.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will John move?

  • They like to analyze well and then make their decisions.
  • Can John take some risk or not?

  • They systematically evaluate all decisions and are unlikely to take many risks.

You And John

Personality Compatibility


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