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Speaker, Bachelor in Healthcare and Hospitality

Ferry Zandvliet

Ferry Zandvliet captivates audiences with a personal and powerful story about resilience and mental freedom. Drawing from his experience after the attack in Bataclan, he demonstrates how adversity can lead to personal growth. Open, down-to-earth and with humor, he shares insights that are directly applicable to work and life.

  • Rate indication: Price on request
  • Available for booking as: Speaker
  • Languages: Dutch English

About Ferry Zandvliet

For years, Ferry Zandvliet blamed others – and life itself – for everything that went wrong. Until, in 2015, he and three friends found themselves in the middle of the attack on the Bataclan concert hall. What could have become a defining moment of victimhood became the moment when everything changed. The experience awakened him and showed him that freedom and happiness begin with taking responsibility. Since then, he has dedicated his life to sharing these lessons – honestly, down-to-earth and with humor.

 

A new life on stage

 

Where he was once terrified of speaking in front of a group, Ferry now feels completely at home on stage. Within a year of his first lecture, he left his job as a physiotherapist behind and became a sought-after speaker on resilience, change and humanity. His openness, humour and realistic perspective on life deeply resonate with people. Whether he speaks to employees, students or leaders, Ferry effortlessly connects with his audience and creates genuine engagement. He has spoken at events such as Lowlands, addressed the United Nations in Vienna and wrote the bestseller Souvenirs: Beter na Bataclan, described by Peter R. de Vries as “excellent and masterful.”

 

Gratitude as a strength

 

Gratitude is the common thread throughout Ferry’s story. What he once considered a vague concept, he discovered to be a powerful mental skill: focusing on what is present rather than what is missing. According to Ferry, resilience is not a fixed trait, but something you train every day. His message is clear and practical: even when life feels unstable, there is always one thing you can influence – your attitude. And that is exactly where inner peace begins.

Sessions

In his keynote, Ferry Zandvliet shows that adversity and change can become opportunities for personal growth. After surviving the attack on Bataclan, he does not focus on the event itself, but on what followed: his mental journey, dealing with PTSD and the search for freedom. He discovered that true growth begins with humanity, connection and taking responsibility. With humour and a down-to-earth approach, he shares lessons about communication, living according to your values, investing in mental and physical fitness, and the power of gratitude – his shortcut to inner peace.

His keynotes provide guidance and practical tools to help people become stronger in life, both personally and professionally. Ferry speaks in Dutch and English, tailors each keynote to the audience and prefers to meet clients personally.

Ferry Zandvliet demonstrates that adversity can lead to growth. After surviving the attack on Bataclan, he rarely speaks about that night itself, but focuses on what followed: the mental struggle, coping with PTSD and the journey towards inner freedom. True change emerged when humanity and connection replaced distance and protocols.

In his keynote, Ferry shares lessons on openness, living according to your values, the importance of a strong support network and investing in mental and physical resilience. Gratitude is at the heart of his message – a simple yet powerful way to find peace and balance. His keynotes provide practical tools to approach life with greater perspective and strength.

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