Influencer Militza ‘Milly’ Pandt: energetic, dedicated and loving
Interview February 2022; we will invite you to our next Personal Journey “Emoshon kiko e ta?” the 12th that starts in March. We will also share some short videos based on “Ideas to start businesses”. We will upload one of these videos every day on our facebook.com/share2uplift page.
Could you share with us some information about your family life?
I was born on 3 April 1969 in St. Eustatius. My father was sent to work as a police officer for three years and I was born there. We always had the support of both our parents. They never forced us to become how they wanted to see us. Our brother passed away more than 30 years ago when he was 20 years old. Now we are the three of us, and I am the eldest. We also have a sister and a brother (from my father’s side). I was married for 25 years, but I am now divorced. JP and I are still friends, but that is especially because we have two beautiful kids that we both love and still take care of them with our lives. Our son, AJ, is 28 and our daughter Marie-Louise is 26. Both are entrepreneurs.
Could you share something about your educational background and your experience?
In the past, I wanted to become a sports teacher. I passed the test but failed my High School exams. But as everything was already prepared, I went to Holland anyway, to become a sports teacher. But I noticed, I didn’t like practicing sports in the cold weather in Holland. I moved to Zwolle and I wanted to study Tourism, but after a while, I switched to Corporate Communication. I got married just after finishing my exams, so from being a party-loving student, I became a wife, a professional, a mother, and also I stayed a student. As I never stopped studying and learning new curriculums like marketing, management and I have a pedagogical certificate. This was the last thing I did, and then I started a business. I am also a sports masseur and recently started teaching marketing.
We know you to be an entrepreneur and of late you have ran to be appointed in the Board of the Chamber of Commerce of Curaçao. Can you expand a little on this, but also the why you are an entrepreneur and why you deciced to become a board member?
I think that I became an entrepreneur because my parents were. It is what you are used to because you have seen it all your life. Since I was very young as a child, a friend and me sold fruit and vegetables for the garden of our house. Back in Curaçao in 1992, I and my husband at that time started a restaurant. After that, I worked in the marketing world and at KPMG, after that at DAE, and later at Janssen de Jong. I have always been involved in the business world and by doing that I gained experiences in different aspects of a business. I was fortunate as working at all these different companies I was given enough freedom to make my own decisions on what I considered the best thing to do. Ultimately, I reached a point where I decided to choose for myself and my own company. This was because I saw the opportunities, and I was fully aware of and dared to take the required risks. When I started my own company, I was fully supported by the Chamber of Commerce. I was offered and attended a free course on how to start your own business; how to make a business plan and design the business model, the administrative tasks and taxes involved when you start your own business.
Of late I was approached by different people asking me how I was running my business and also approached with the question: “How to start your own business?”
My first response to those questions was, to approach the Chamber of Commerce and ask for information. As I started reflecting on this, I thought that the reason people were unaware of what the Chamber of Commerce had to offer was a lack of information, due to my communication background this was the first thing that came into my mind. After one of the network meet & greet events, the Chamber of Commerce organized, I finally got inspired enough to change my role, instead of standing at the sidelines telling people how things should be, I decided to join the Board of the Chamber of Commerce and give my contribution and support. I was encouraged by the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce himself to run for a board position in the Chamber of Commerce’s upcoming election. After a very intense campaign I was elected and next week I will attend the first official Chamber of Commerce board meeting. I will learn how the organization works, and I will explore how the board of the chamber of Commerce and I can best collaborate to achieve goals that both of us underwrite.
What is your BIG WHY or driving motivation to be who you are right now?
I want to myself, dream, formulate goals and take actions to achieve these goals. Towards other people, I would say: “What you see is what you get”.
What are your plans for the coming years and when do you consider that you have been successful in your personal and business/professional life, let us say 5 years from now?
I want to keep enjoying life. I love my work, my friends, and my family. Five years from now, I would like to be in a position not to have to work, but to work for the love of it. I want to be involved in sharing my knowledge and experiences for example…
Where do you want to be 10 years from now with your personal and professional life?
The same as what I answered for 5 years, but then also together with my grandchildren.
What are the challenges that you are dealing with? And how are you dealing with these different challenges you confront?
My work is all about interacting with people. Every single person is different and that is always a challenge. When I used to work for a boss, that would be a challenge at times, now I work for my clients and they are bosses on themselves.
Do you use your inner voice to evaluate when dilemmas show up? How does that work for you?
Always. With the power of the Higher Source, my inner voice works as my guide.
How are you trying also to keep up with your knowledge and skills levels?
On the job. Once I decide to go for something, then I start researching all that I can find on that subject matter. Via training, workshops, and Google.
What are your strengths?
I am a very driven person. If I want to achieve something, I become very goal – and result-oriented. I am blessed with excellent communication skills and I have a big and strong network. I am a good organizer and I know the business.
Do you have hobbies or interests that you are also passionate about?
I love sports. My favorite sport is running. My goal for ’23 is to run a full international marathon. I am proud to be the cover face of the KLM Curaçao Marathon.
If you as Milly would meet a stranger on the bus (let say in New York or Bogota Columbia) and they would ask you to introduce yourself, what would you answer?
Hi, I am Milly, I am a mother of two beautiful children and I am from Curaçao. Then I will stay quiet and wait for the next thing to happen or the next question to be asked.
How would you describe Milly in one word or one sentence?
Energetic, dedicated, loving,
Who are the persons that have inspired you the most in your career?
Raymond Begina en Walter Hofstede.
What is a trait that is still a work in progress?
Don’t take too much hay on my fork.
What was a defining moment in your life?
The moment I decided to out myself as the highest priority and decided to run my company full time. That was in 2013.
What would you want your Loved Ones, family, friends, and others to say about you let’s say 20 years from now?
She has always stayed her authentic self.
What makes you stay optimistic about the future of Curaçao as we are in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, recession, and in the middle of growing environmental challenges because of the global warming consequences?
I am an optimist by nature. First, the pandemic, especially after the first lockdown, appeared to trigger a downward spiral. But I decided ultimately to see it as a moment of self-reflection. In my head, I took the puzzle apart first and added all the pieces back at their place one by one. This has amplified my vision and I am now open to new challenges. This makes me stay optimistic about the future of Curaçao.
Connect or for more information
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MP International B.V.
One of the 250 Influencers of Curaçao
Militza (Milly) Pandt is an energetic, dedicated, loving, driven person, authentic person, that combines her ample organizing abilities to be at the same time very goal – and result-oriented. Blessed with excellent communication skills and having a big and strong network, makes her a successful entrepreneur. Of late she decided to step into the arena and ran and was elected a Board Member of the Chamber of Commerce. As of now, instead of standing at the sidelines telling people how things should be, she will contribute, by sharing her knowledge and experience as a Board member, to the further development of the business environment in Curacao. All this makes her special, and we consider Milly one of the 250 influencers of the islands representing the business sector. Look at the list of the Influencers we have interviewed or reported on, up to now.