Christel van der Boom is the co-founder of Family Room LLC and a dedicated executive coach. She partners with leaders, change-makers, and professionals to develop clarity, confidence, and emotional resilience. Her approach to leadership emphasizes responsibility, support, and inspiring action toward a shared vision. Recognizing that leadership comes with weighty decisions, complex relationships, and moments of doubt, Christel’s mission is to help individuals tap into their inner wisdom and lead in alignment with their values and the impact they wish to create.
Could you elaborate on the nature of your business, highlighting its purpose and the ways it benefits people?
At Family Room, we work with people who are called to make a difference, to lead, and to have a positive impact—those who are committed to something bigger than themselves. Whether they hold a formal leadership role or not, they influence others through their actions, decisions, and words. When they lead with self-awareness, resilience, and integrity, they build trust, strengthen relationships, and create meaningful change.
Coaching is at the heart of what I do. As a coach, I create space for reflection, clarity, and growth, helping people navigate challenges, make intentional choices, and step into their leadership with confidence. Whether they’re managing transitions, making high-stakes decisions, or struggling with the complexities of guiding a team, through coaching I provide the structure and support to move forward.
Beyond coaching, we offer training and consultancy. My co-founder is an experienced educator with expertise in culturally sensitive approaches, mindfulness, vision-making, and emotional intelligence. Collaboratively, we facilitate workshops, serve as thought partners, and provide strategic guidance.
At a time of uncertainty and division, we help people bridge the gap between vision and action, ensuring their work not only inspires but also leads to a positive impact.
What inspired you to start your journey as a coach and entrepreneur? Were there any specific events, challenges, or people that motivated you to take this path?
My journey into coaching and entrepreneurship wasn’t a single moment of realization but rather a decade-long evolution.
Coaching has always been part of my work; it just took me a while to recognize it as my calling.
I spent years in leadership roles in communications, working closely with founders and executives, often serving as a thought partner as they navigated challenges. What I found most fulfilling wasn’t just shaping messaging or strategy but coaching my team members, guiding leaders through complex decisions, and fostering cultures of trust and belonging. I was always drawn to deeper conversations, helping people gain clarity, see new possibilities, and move forward with confidence.
The pivotal moment came in the fall of 2023 when I attended a workshop with Dr. Edith Eger, a Holocaust survivor, psychologist, and author of The Choice. Dr. Eger’s story and her message that even in the most difficult circumstances, we always have a choice deeply resonated with me. She became a psychologist at 51 and, at 97, continues to inspire others to step into their power. Her workshop, From Revolving to Evolving, was the catalyst I needed. After years of saying I wanted to pursue coaching without taking real action, I finally took a leap of faith.
Shortly after, I met the founder of the Wilfred Jarvis Institute, Minh Le, who invited me to co-facilitate leadership workshops for the City of San Jose’s Department of Transportation. That experience helped me step fully into my vision and affirmed my belief in the power of empathetic leadership.
Now, I am in the final stages of completing training with the Institute for Coaching Excellence, accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), to earn my Professional Certified Coach (PCC) certification. I’m on a journey of continuous learning, which is part of my commitment to my practice and the people I support.
Looking back at the beginning of your career, what were the major challenges you faced when establishing yourself as a leader/coach? How did you overcome those obstacles?
I became a leader early in my career—not because I set out to be one, but because I was a real internet pioneer. My first boss saw something in me and sent me to leadership training, where I was introduced to situational leadership, including coaching. That experience shaped how I approached leadership from the start. I quickly realized that being a strong people manager required prioritizing my team, knowing that my success depended on their growth, motivation, and trust.
But stepping into leadership at a young age also meant navigating environments where I wasn’t always immediately seen as a leader. When I moved from Amsterdam to Silicon Valley, I had to learn how to hold my own in spaces where I wasn’t always expected to have a voice and navigate office politics, all while relearning my profession and adjusting to a new culture.
What helped me through those challenges was developing the skills that have become the foundation of my leadership and coaching philosophy: mindfulness, Nonviolent Communication (NVC), and emotional intelligence. The more I invested in my own self-awareness, the stronger I became as a person and as a leader.
Ultimately, I had to trust my gut and my own inner wisdom to leave that world behind and follow my passion. Pivoting from a successful career into something new, starting over in many ways, is one of the biggest leaps of faith I’ve taken. It’s also been one of the greatest opportunities for growth.
Would you like to share any remarkable achievement?
After a successful career, I trusted my inner wisdom and made the bold decision to leave corporate leadership behind to follow my passion for coaching, despite the risks and challenges of starting over.
One moment that has really stuck with me was an early session with a client who had been laid off. He had multiple job offers but wasn’t sure what direction to take. We talked through what truly mattered to him—his values, his long-term vision, and the kind of leadership he wanted to step into. By the end of the 30-minute conversation, he had a level of clarity and confidence that hadn’t been there before. He was moved to tears. That moment reinforced for me how powerful coaching can be.
What are your thoughts on women’s leadership today?
Women have made huge strides in leadership, but challenges remain. I learned early in my career that it’s not enough to be good at your job; people have to believe you belong there, and for women, that belief is never automatic.
Instead of “fixing” women to fit old models, it’s time to redefine leadership. We need workplaces where women don’t have to prove themselves twice as much, where relational skills are valued as leadership strengths, and where all people can lead in ways that feel authentic to them.
What message or advice would you have for future women leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs?
- Seek out places where you feel valued and heard.
- Trust your inner wisdom and follow it.
- Recognize your agency in shaping your professional environment.
Website & Social Media Links:
Family Room Coaching
LinkedIn – Family Room LLC
LinkedIn – Christel van der Boom
