ENGLISH Anne-Trije Wijsenbeek is not only the owner of Eetsalon Van Dobben and Ellis Gourmet Burger Netherlands, she is also the mother of Bella, Boris, Tommie and Trijntje and her fifth child is on the way. How does she balance her job with her family? CV / Personalia Name: Anne-Trije Wijsenbeek Job: Directrice Married: to Alexander Wijsenbeek Children: 4, Bella, Boris, Tommie and Trijntje Study: Marketing/Communication Previous job: Regus Eight weeks after giving birth to your first child you already started working. "I do not know exactly when I went back to work. Since I have my own company, there has always been a phone or a laptop near my bed after I gave birth. Of course I got my rest but I was also always busy with the company." How do you combine your busy job with your family? "Our vacations are sacred, we spend a lot of time with the kids and we really like family quality time together. We also make sure we have dinner with the kids twice a week and every morning we have breakfast together. Our Sunday evening is always devoted to cooking, on Saturday we get all the ingredients and on Sunday we enjoy what we made, together with the children. Our favourite dish is Peking duck." Did you want to go back to work during your maternity leave? "Yes, definitely. Your company will just go on, during your leave. If you are like me and not used to sitting still, it’s not always easy to let go." Some men give the mother of their child a jewel after giving birth; did you get this so-called baby mama gift? "Yes! I got the rings that I am wearing in the picture, after the birth of my two oldest children. I got the bracelet after the twins were born. The bracelet is from the Collection T, because their names both start with a T." Who does what in your household? "My husband usually cooks. You can say he is responsible for the food and beverages. I take mostly care of the children. I also manage the agenda, to keep the family chaos in order." How do you control the daily care for the children? "The care for the kids is in the good hands of Lyn, our beloved nanny. She has been with us for five years. We truly would be lost without her help!" How would you describe the bond between you and your children? "Intense and loving. And open communication is key in our household."
152 | Gassan magazine