Woman in Business

Josha Jansen from Marie-Stella-Maris

The column Women in Business showcases women who are successful in their work. This time we sit down with the lovely Josha Jansen, Marketing & Communications Manager at Marie-Stella-Maris.

Name: Josha Jansen
Age: 33 years
Born: in Groningen
Lives: now 10 years in Amsterdam
Relationship: married and 4.5 months pregnant with the first
Study: Clinical neuropsychology
Position: Marketing & Communications Manager at Marie-Stella-Maris
Income: “I am very satisfied, I can do what I want. I find it more important to go to work with a happy feeling than to earn a lot of money.”
Hours: “40 per week, but soon one day less with the baby. I think that has to happen because I didn't have a child to not see it.”

Why does this job make you happy?

“It's the combination: my job has a social purpose and I get to create beautiful things. I love being aesthetically engaged, but also conveying a message.”

What time do you get up and what is the first thing you do?

“At a quarter past seven and the first thing is having breakfast together, yogurt with fruit. My wife works in Haarlem and I work in Amsterdam. I bike to work or sometimes take the Car2go.”

Do you have a vacation policy?

“My policy is that I always need to have something to look forward to. We love to travel and see new places. Now we are first going to South Africa to travel around. It’s very bizarre because there is so much water-related issues there now. I am somewhat used to it because when we are on the road for Marie-Stella-Maris, sometimes you only have a bucket with three people. Then washing with a small cup is already a luxury.”

Your very first job?

“Cashier of course, but that supermarket doesn’t even exist anymore. Nieuwe Weme, I think it’s now Jumbo. I even became assistant head cashier. I was allowed to announce when we were closing and stand behind the information desk for tobacco and medicine.”

What is your mentality?

“Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, work hard but also have fun. I also celebrate the small successes, so I get satisfaction from checking off my to-do list. It’s important to take ownership of what you do. Of course, you have to be flexible, but if you only do what others ask, then they determine your agenda. I have grown in that.”

And what do you do to clear your head?

“Normally I run, but that’s not possible right now. We got a 12-week meditation course at Marie, so I do that occasionally. But I mainly enjoy going outside. I love to blow off steam at the beach. My in-laws live in IJmuiden, close to the beach. Or I go to the forest or take a walk and have coffee at Westerpark or I go to the local farm.”

Let's gossip legally about your colleagues...

“It’s a super close team, almost family. When I talk about them to friends or family, they all say: wow. That’s how it feels too. We have team days where you learn about Marie, do a quiz, solve a puzzle. Sounds childish, but it has substance and is really fun.”

Honestly, do you prefer working with men or women?

“I find that very difficult. I work almost exclusively with women, but I also find working with men very relaxed. There’s less chatter and just doing things. At Marie-Stella-Maris, the founder is a man, we have one in logistics and one in finance. It seems generalized, but it’s exactly where you expect them.”

A tip to yourself when you just started working?

“Ninety percent is also good. I was way too perfectionistic. I would take my laptop home to work on Sundays, but you learn over the years that the work is never really finished. Tomorrow further, taking rest and distance is good.”

What should someone do who comes to apply with you?

“Be yourself. It may sound cliché, but you gain nothing by pretending to be someone else. Then you might have to do something that isn’t you, find something that suits you.”

From the house of Marie-Stella-Maris that you can't live without?

“I’m not really a beauty-beauty girl, but I do like good day cream and a bit of mascara. That’s fine by me. I swear by the facial cream from Marie. In April it will get a new look. It feels nice, isn’t extremely greasy and is just quite pleasant. I also have an oil, I use three drops on drier days. The lavender is said to relax your skin. Maybe it’s a placebo effect in my head, haha, but it feels wonderful.‘

Later when you grow up, then...

“I want challenge, to learn new things and to be happy. As long as I get satisfaction from what I do. It can go in any direction.”