Treehouse: Creating Space for Change – Story about the Wind and the Sun

The wind blows hard.
Stronger… and stronger.

A traveler walks along the road—
holding his cloak tightly.

The wind tries to force it off him.
But the harder it blows…
the tighter he holds on.

Then the sun comes out.

It doesn’t push.
It doesn’t force.

It simply warms the air…

And slowly…
the traveler lets go.

I often think about this in the context of coaching.

Because coaching, for me,
is not about force.

It’s about creating space.
Warmth.
The right conditions…
for something to shift.

And yet—that kind of space is not available to everyone.

Let’s be honest.

If you don’t have the right job,
or the right budget…
coaching is often out of reach.

There are systems for psychological support,
like the GGZ here in the Netherlands—
if you get through the waitlists.

But for coaching…
that space is mostly missing.

And often,
the people who might benefit most…
are the least able to access it.

That’s why this foundation exists.

And in a way,
it started very simply.

Three times,
people asked me:

“How can I support your work?”

Three times,
I said no.

And then…
I went down a late-night rabbit hole—
trying to understand how to make it possible.

What we needed was actually quite simple:

A notary.
A board.
And a bit of starting capital.

And within a few weeks,
Stichting Treehouse Coaching took shape.

Not long after,
we became a registered charitable foundation.

But what does that mean… in real life?

Let me share two short examples.

A young art historian.
Highly educated. Deeply passionate.
But stuck in work that drained her.

Through coaching,
she reconnected with why she started.

She’s now interviewing for a role
at a museum nearby.

A chef, originally from Brazil,
who experienced discrimination
to the point she left her job.

She wanted to find what truly fit.

Today, she’s working in a Michelin-starred kitchen
where her creativity is valued.

What connects them is simple:

Without this foundation…
they would not have had access to coaching.

And they’re not alone.

Today,
we’re a group of around 24 coaches.

13 nationalities.
15 languages.

People who choose to contribute—
through time,
through reduced fees,
through care.

And none of this happens alone.

There are many people behind this.

The board.
Our advisors.
Friends and partners.
And all of you—
being here today.

So in a way,
this brings us back…
to the beginning.

To the wind…
and the sun.

If coaching is about creating warmth—
about making space
for people to move,
to rediscover,
to choose—

Then this foundation is about one thing:

Making that space…
more accessible

This speech was given by Kai Kaldewaaij at the Stichting Treehouse Coaching Launch Event on May 15th, 2026.