Why Tony Robbins Visited Me in Amsterdam

I was just 23 years old, a young man living in Amsterdam and utterly inspired by Tony Robbins. Now, at 38, I look back at one of the most impactful moments of my life when Robbins himself visited me in my hometown. It all began with a simple question from a friend.

On an ordinary morning, my friend Frank approached me with a hypothetical question: "Klaas, if you could meet anyone in the world, who would it be?" Without a moment's hesitation, I answered, "Tony Robbins." His books, CDs, and seminars had shaped my life in profound ways. In fact, it was after attending his Unleash The Power Within (UPW) event that I decided to pursue an MBA, a decision that later had a tremendous impact on my life.

In the spirit of spontaneous adventure, we decided to try and make this meeting happen. That same evening, we called Tony Robbins' call center with an audacious proposal: we wanted to name a new variety of tulip after him.

For a week, we heard nothing. The silence was deafening. Then, a response came, an email from the CEO of Tony Robbins' organization. He was honored by our proposal and wanted to know how we could make it happen. I was overwhelmed with excitement; was this really going to happen?

We suggested a baptism ceremony for the tulip, complete with champagne to officiate the occasion. Tony, always gracious and thoughtful, had two requests. Firstly, he wanted the tulip to be named after his wife, Bonnie Pearl Robbins. Secondly, he suggested we meet in London, a day before his four-day UPW event was to commence.

However, we decided to refuse his request. One of the lessons Tony teaches is to see rejection not as a setback but as an opportunity. While London sounded fantastic, we proposed a meeting in the USA. In response, Tony countered with a surprise: he would come to us in Amsterdam.

And so it happened. Two days before the UPW event in London, Tony Robbins flew to Amsterdam. We arranged a boat ride through the city's canals, inviting only our closest family and friends to share in the moment.

Having listened to countless speeches by Tony Robbins, I found myself delivering a heartfelt address to the man himself. I shared my gratitude for his work, for the impact he has had on the world, and for his influence on my personal life. As a dyslexic, English had always been a struggle for me, and the idea of pursuing an MBA in English was daunting. But it was at the UPW event that I decided to borrow $20,000 and overcome this challenge. And I did, completing my MBA with joy and success, a testament to the power of Tony's teachings.

That afternoon, we baptized two new varieties of tulips: one named after Bonnie Pearl Robbins, and the other after Tony Robbins himself.

An afternoon with Tony Robbins. I still think about it often. It showed me what can happen when you dare to dream big, and then simply pick up the phone.

That day also gave me an idea. I wanted to help young people dare to dream just as big. This led to the establishment of a special initiative through my company.

We decided that 5% of the revenue would be funneled into a fund dedicated to inspiring individuals under 25 to chase their dreams and achieve their potential. We believe that everyone has the capacity for greatness and that by offering guidance and resources, we can help young people seize opportunities and make their dreams a reality.

Tony Robbins once said, "The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment." By devoting a part of CXIA's revenue to youth empowerment, we hope to help young people dream big, and then actually go after those dreams. Living Dreams. Together.