People, good day, good evening, good afternoon, good night, good morning, wherever you're
connecting from in this beautiful, wonderful world.
Thank you for being here with us today.
Welcome to the Sunside Kingdom Show, the place where we highlight successful individuals
with roots and or associations hailing from the Dutch Caribbean.
These accomplished persons are true role models and examples of what can be achieved when
hard work, perseverance and focus is attached to their journey.
Today I'm your host, John Sandiford, aka Jam Sandiford.
Let's get into this episode.
Welcome to the Sunside Kingdom Show.
All right, so today I'm here with I would say another good friend of mine.
Maybe for quite some years we were very good acquaintances and that friendship has been
growing ever since.
So cheers.
It's not rum because guys out here got to stay focused and sharp in 2023, you know what
I mean?
True, true.
So this is a little bit of-
It's the best coffee.
But I'm here sitting with Mr. Provasia, as I like to call him.
Someone that I've seen from afar and also up close has worked on his craft for many,
many years, has built one of the largest dance schools in the Eindhoven region.
So that's in the south of the Netherlands, has won I don't know how many championships
because whenever we walk into that place, I just see trophies on it.
It gets more and more-
Like trophies on trophies on trophies.
Has been a pillar in the Eindhoven urban community for almost 20 years, bro.
Almost 20, man.
Almost 20.
Yeah.
Time flies.
It's crazy.
Welcome to the show, Sandiford.
Thank you for having me, bro.
So introduce yourself.
Let the people know who you are, where you're from.
Yeah, just run us through some of those early talks, early begins.
So my name is Sandi Provasia.
I'm originally from Curaçao and I've been here in Holland now for almost 22 years.
I came here in 1999 to do my study and I did business informatics at Fonty's Hogescholen
and I finished that and then after that I started doing what I was passionate about
and that was dancing.
I tried to find a formula to make that my job, my work and that's what I'm doing now
for 16 years already.
Awesome, man.
Awesome, awesome.
So Sandi, we like to speak to persons that have done amazing things but with roots in
the Caribbean because we know that there's a lot of young guys and girls out there today
that have these big dreams and aspirations but when they're living on the small island,
it sometimes feels like those dreams are too far-fetched, too far away.
You just highlighted the fact that you started with business informatics, so business information
technology but you didn't decide to pursue a career in that.
What sort of happened with that decision?
Why then choose for business information technology and then why make the switch immediately after
you completed your study to follow your dream?
So the thing is, I think I speak for a lot of kids and young people from the island.
So the thing is when you come in from the island, most of the time your parents tell
you that it's impossible or difficult to make a living doing dance or other creative stuff
to support your family.
So what I did is I had a really strict parenting and they told me all the time that the most
important thing to do is school.
You got to finish your school because that's the only way that you can support yourself
and your family in the future.
Sounds familiar.
Yeah, yeah.
That was the only way.
But once you go abroad and then you move to a bigger world, you see more opportunities.
So I started doing my study, what I came to do.
And then while doing that, I was dancing also in the weekends.
So by doing that, I was building a network also through dancing.
And then because I was busy with my business informatics study, I was looking, I was searching
for a way to use my dance and then trying to make it as a job so I can live from.
And then so that's when I finished my degree and oh wow.
This is no worries, man.
So when you finish your degree in business information technology, let's say business
IT.
Okay, business IT.
Yeah.
So when I finished that, I remember I was sitting down in my room.
And I had one question that I asked myself.
And that's the first time that I really chose to really listen what my insight was telling
me, like my feeling.
And I asked myself, am I able to start now from nine till five working behind a desk,
doing programming or all of the stuff that I've learned through the years?
Or am I going to take a risk and start a dance studio or whatever with dancing?
Because that was my passion.
And once I asked myself that, it was pretty clear for me that the answer was go do dance.
It doesn't matter.
Like you don't have to know how, just start.
Just start.
Yeah.
And that's what I did.
So I choose to take the risk to try to do something with dance.
As the great Steve Harvey would say, you jumped.
Yeah, I jumped off the cliff and you didn't know how you were going to be able to fly.
But somehow on the way down, you figured out how to fly, how to glide.
Exactly.
Yeah.
I could imagine that was a pretty scary moment.
But you know what's funny about that?
It was scary.
And at the same time, it was liberating.
Yeah.
And it's like you felt a force pushing you, guiding you through the difficult times also.
Because as a young entrepreneur at that time, trying to make things happen as an Antillion
here in Holland, it wasn't easy.
But like I told you, the force, I was feeling the force.
Yeah.
So there was a hand of God guiding Mr. Provas.
Yes, yes, yes.
Oh, for sure, man.
For sure.
And this is something that I can obviously also relate to coming from a Caribbean home
where academics is always pushed more.
I would say for me personally, it was maybe a little bit less from my parents.
Well, my mom and dad are divorced and then it was a bit less from my mom in the sense
of pushing me in a particular direction.
But it was always pushed that go and get your degree.
And I have six sisters.
Five of them are older than me.
So basically all five older ones were also pushing.
So that's like six moms pushing, get that degree.
But there were many times that I also was thinking like, yeah, is this really it?
So I can imagine what that type of decision felt like.
So how did the parents respond when you decided?
Because I can also imagine it conversation being something like I completed the business
IT, so I have the degree.
Yes.
So if anything.
Yes.
So when I finished my study, it was a relief moment for me before I took the decision to
do the dance studio.
And they were really, really happy.
But still, once I told them that I'm going to start the dance studio, they couldn't comprehend
like the possibility that you can really make this a business.
Yeah.
In the sense they didn't understand because there was no one doing that in Curaçao on
this level that I'm doing right now.
So you can blame them.
They haven't seen it.
Yeah.
It's all about perspective.
Exactly.
So that was never in their field of view.
It was never part of their perspective to see.
And then it's a difficult thing for us as humans to just try and imagine what it could
be and sort of trust that you've raised this great son that can go out there and do the
things that he says he's going to do.
Yeah, exactly.
Exactly.
And so I had in 2000, let me think, 2013 it was?
13?
Yeah.
I had a theater show.
So once a year, we organized a theater show where the kids can show parents and family
members what they've learned through the year, the season.
So I had a theater show and at the end I was thanking everybody.
Everybody was on stage, all the kids behind me.
And all of a sudden I turned to my left hand and I saw my mom and my dad.
So they came to the show just to surprise me.
They arranged everything.
And just for the folks, mom and dad lives in Curaçao.
Yes.
So they traveled like 7, 8,000 miles or kilometers, whatever it is.
To come look at the show.
So they came on stage.
John, at that moment, I started crying and I couldn't stop.
I think I've seen footage of this, right?
Yeah.
I started crying because it was the kid inside me screaming to my mom and my dad, like, this
is what I was telling you guys about.
It was really, really strange also for a kid to really know what he wants to do at that
age already.
And then going through all the-
The trials and tribulations.
Yes, and the no-sayers, you know?
And that moment, everything came out.
Yeah.
Damn.
Yeah.
2013.
So that's now almost 10 years ago.
10 years, bro.
10 years.
And we still going strong.
And still I do have the feeling that I've just reached like maybe 30, 40% of my capability.
I have a lot more to give.
A lot more.
So there's some stuff that needs to be unlocked.
Yep.
Still.
It's everything, every day learning and growing.
Yeah.
That's what it is.
So growing up in Curaçao, right?
Yeah.
Tell me some of the things that shaped your childhood.
Maybe some of those key moments, like you said from a young child, you already knew
you wanted to do something with dance.
So what is the earliest memory of that already clicking?
I think that came also a lot from my parents because like my first dance I had with my
mom.
So my mom taught me how to dance salsa at that time.
And my dad was a musician.
Oh, I didn't know that.
And what did he play?
Guitar.
Okay.
Yeah.
And when he met my mom and they started a family together, he needed to stop doing his
music thing.
And he went to go study and be a teacher.
And then after that, he became a principal for 35 years.
Sandy, you see how you're unlocking the gems?
Yeah.
Because dad had to let the dream go.
So boy, how do you think you can just pick up this dream?
Exactly.
So that's why he was telling me through his experience.
Yeah.
That was the only way.
Go study and make sure that you can provide for your family.
Yeah man.
So some of those early memories of salsa dancing with mom, did dad sometimes play guitar at
home?
No, no, no.
He just really let it all go.
Yeah.
He stopped already, but he was playing music all the time.
Okay.
So every Sunday they were cleaning the house and you hear salsa music all the time, Maringue.
So we had a lot of music around me.
I had a lot of music around me.
And now he's pensioned now and like 10 years ago, he started playing again with his guys
from back then.
So 10 years ago, 2013, after he saw his son made it.
He started again with his passion.
He picked back up the dream.
Yeah.
True story.
Full circle.
Yeah.
And that was also like what I would like to tell parents is also really important to sometimes
listen, listen to what your kid is telling you.
And also when, I understand that you got a guide because you have experience in life
and you're trying to teach your kid what you have accumulated, the experience that you
have accumulated.
And guidance is different than rules.
Yes.
Like this is the way, like that's the rule.
Exactly.
Guidance is like, okay, this is the suggestion, go in this way, but it's still up to you to
make a different decision and I support you either way.
Yeah.
So basically what I'm trying to say is give the kid also room to develop what he's passionate
about because once I did this, let me tell you, I do have a feeling that anything is
possible.
It sounds cliche, but I really believe that anything is possible.
Yeah.
And that's why I'm telling you, like, I feel like I've done 30% of what I can still.
Yeah.
I still have to learn.
I still have more inside of me.
Yeah.
Awesome, man.
So coming back to this 16, 17 year journey with flexing, could you maybe run us through
some of the highlights, some of those moments that, yeah, some of the biggest moments?
So in 2005, I started with a small group of guys.
Our name was Flexing Squad.
And I was dancing every weekend in the biggest clubs in Holland.
And one of the DJs, they saw what I was doing and he liked it.
And he asked me if I'm down to get a group of guys and then make a show.
And that was a pre-show of Missy Elliott.
Oh, wow.
So I did pre-show of Missy Elliott.
That was my first big gig.
And then after that, it was really, really, really good.
Yeah.
And then after that came a lot more artists and opportunities that we have done.
So maybe name some of those artists.
So I did a pre-show of Missy Elliott, Buster Rhymes.
I did Chris Brown, Lumie D.
Like super early days Chris Brown.
Yeah.
Cascada.
We did Donald Jones also.
So I worked with a lot of artists from abroad.
And then also Langa Frans Bas Bé.
Those are some of the Dutch classics.
Yeah.
So those were the highlights and of course opening of the dance studio.
You know?
So in what year did you open the dance studio?
It was in 2006.
We opened our first studio.
It was an old Philips, how do you say that?
A building?
Oh, a meeting room.
Yeah.
It was an old Philips meeting room.
So Trudeau was looking for creative people to fill the clock ball.
Clock ball is like a many, many, what do you?
Yeah, the clock building.
So maybe to give a little bit of background story context is, so we're both located here
on Stripes.
Yeah.
And it used to be called the Forbidden City.
So all of the buildings that were here before we moved in were from Philips because the
whole area was from Philips.
From Philips, yeah.
And that particular area is where a lot of things were invented such as the DVD, the
CD.
Yeah, certain technologies around lighting.
I believe also the flat screen TVs that they were some of the first with it in combination
with the ambi lights.
They were some of the first to do like a real flat screen.
But a lot of lights.
Yeah.
They did a lot of lights.
So Philips did a ton of inventions here.
The reason why it was called the Forbidden City is because there were many patents that
were filed here.
So a lot of like cutting edge technology, the stuff that we have in our devices today,
probably a lot of that was invented 20, 30, 40 years ago.
In Eindhoven.
Right here in Eindhoven.
So those you couldn't go in and out without getting your complete car inspected, needed
a badge to get in, your bags were inspected, et cetera, to make sure that you weren't stealing
any intellectual property.
And Trudeau, which is the housing corporation, they were one of the first, along with two
others, that started to redevelop this region and then they brought in a lot of creatives
and gave a lot of creatives housing space to bring energy to the environment.
So that's.
Yeah.
So after the show, after the show, the Missy Elliott show, I took the, I made the decision
to go to Trudeau because they were looking for creative people to fill in the clock about.
So I gave a presentation and I told them like, just give me a chance to start my dance to
you here in the clock about.
So they gave me an old, they gave me the chance in an old.
A meeting room.
Meeting room.
So I remember that that was the last year of my study.
I wasn't finished yet.
And that year we get money from Stichting and Curacao.
Yeah.
And.
So that's the foundation from Curacao that provided student loans to students from their
islands.
Yeah.
So I remember the last year I took the.
You get money.
So that money was supposed.
Yeah, go ahead.
So you got money to buy books and stuff like that.
So I took that and I bought a floor and mirrors for the meeting room.
You took your school book money.
Yes.
That's what I did.
And I started the studio, bro.
And I grew in three years.
It was, I was too big to stay on the backside of the clock about.
So Trudeau invited me to sit down and tell me like, bro, you, you, you, you, Sandy, no,
bro.
Sandy, Sandy, you causing too much traffic here at the clock about too much kids.
Let's go to the front side of the clock about.
And then we got, we're going to make a dance studio for you with two spaces.
I had my own bar and, and, and launch area and everything.
So in 2010 we opened.
So who did you have those conversations with back then?
There was, what's his name?
He was, he's not working at Trudeau anymore.
Okay.
Oh, that doesn't matter.
I don't remember.
But you had some of these convos with Tom as well.
Tom.
Yeah.
But this guy was, was above Tom.
Okay.
Tom Olsons.
But what's his name?
Willie the Groot.
You remember Willie the Groot?
I think so.
But this might also be a bit before my time.
I joined the Trudeau squad years later.
Yeah.
So Willie the Groot, I was talking with Willie the Groot and so he made it happen for me.
Nice.
You know?
Yeah, man.
So in 2010 we opened the second studio of Lexan that's on the front side of, of Clock
Rebell.
And now after Corona we moved to Area 51.
There and the reason why we moved, I think the style that we do in the studio fits better
in this whole environment.
Yeah.
Because it's an area you have skating, BMX, you can do tricking and everything.
So all the urban sports.
Yeah.
And that's why I think Flexin did really good by moving to that building.
Yeah.
Also on Strapass.
And to add to that, like the Clock Rebell, obviously a lot of things transformed since
you first came here.
You were maybe one of the first few renters in the Clock Rebell.
And today there's tons of businesses.
The whole region is super vibrant.
True.
At least I think since I started here on Strapass in 2011, so that's like 12 years ago already.
I think there's been at least 20 to 30 new buildings that went up since then.
So it's been a crazy development out here.
But add into that, in Area, there's a lot of traffic of young kids.
So it's sort of young and old kids.
So it fits perfectly with the dance school environment.
Exactly.
Yeah.
So that's why I'm telling you.
It was also a pretty scary step to take because from 2010 till I was there, 10 years.
More than 10.
More than 10 because Corona was 2020, 2021.
So we were there like 11, 12 years.
It was scary.
But at the end, what I have right now is a bigger network also working together with
other organizations in urban scene.
And that's why I think that what you have seen from Flexin, it's still 30, 40%.
It's coming.
We're looking forward.
Yeah.
All right.
I'm going to pop open one more of these questions here.
We're on this late night vibe, right?
That's why we like keeping it smooth right now on this late night vibe, drinking the
coffee to keep awake here.
So Sandy, earlier you mentioned as an Antillion, there was maybe certain challenges that you
felt that you faced building and setting up something like this.
What would you say were some of the biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
Okay, so first of all is the language.
First of all is the language.
So maybe just to explain to folks like...
Because my mother tongue is Papiamento.
So get him some Papiamento for anyone that's logging in and doesn't know what the Papiamento
sounds like.
Get him some Papiamento.
That's what I said just now for everybody watching this show, this is the show you got
to watch.
So the first challenge was language.
Once you come here, you come from the island, every day you speak Papiamento and then all
of a sudden you got to speak Dutch.
That's one thing.
Besides that, we don't get enough knowledge how to go about money.
So as a student, you're going to have a lot of challenges dealing with money.
If you didn't have that in your household, in your home environment, that's going to
be a challenge.
So I learned the hard way and I'm still learning.
I learned the hard way how to deal with that and overcome everything that can go wrong.
So those two things were the biggest challenges for me.
Because also in the business world, you got to be fluent with how you speak and you know
what I mean?
And also you got to know how to deal with money.
It's a very big deal.
It's something that we aren't really properly taught or prepared for.
Unless you get it fully from your own household, you won't be fully ready to deal with all
that you have to deal with once you move to a different country.
And I think especially coming to the Netherlands is a little bit tricky because I've also heard
different stories from people I know that moved to the States.
So you have different struggles over there.
So the struggles you would have over there is the fact that you don't have a green card,
so you're not officially allowed to work, etc.
So then you really have to budget your money.
And as soon as the time is up, you're back.
You got to go.
You got to leave.
And then we don't have that here, which is a bit of the gift and the curse.
So because we don't have that, we also have rights to everything that anyone has that
was born and raised in the Netherlands.
But then we didn't get the financial literacy and background of what it is to deal with
those opportunities.
So now, yeah, we remember many kids going out and getting two or three, well, in Dutch
they call it telephone abonnements, so like memberships for telephone plans.
And would get themselves into big troubles, big debts, etc.
So there's all kinds of stuff that you can get on layaway, quote unquote, layaway, and
you could end up in all types of problems with that.
So it's something that's very key and vital that has to be pushed, promoted, and taught
more to students.
And I would say we shouldn't be starting in the year that they're going away to study.
That should start basically when they start high school, at least.
Preferably before high school, but at least when they start high school, there should
be some type of extracurricular type of activities that's really teaching the basics of financial
literacy and getting kids more prepared to live on their own.
Oh yeah, the other point I wanted to make there is if we compare ourselves to many kids
that were born and raised in the Netherlands, for them it's home.
So even if they leave, let's say they were born in Eindhoven and then they leave and
they go to Amsterdam to study, going back to mom and dad is a train ride away.
Getting your clothes washed there or whatever is a train ride away.
And yeah, most of us don't have that luxury when we're up here.
We're just completely on our own from 18 years old and making all of the adult decisions
without that whole financial literacy background.
That's why I want to say this.
Every kid coming from the island doing something good or you're studying or you're trying to
make it with a business or everything, be proud of yourself because coming from the
island we got to face a lot of challenges.
It's not being talked about a lot, enough I think, but we just do it because it's like
we are accustomed to overcome challenges to reach where we got to reach.
But sometimes you got to stand still and really evaluate how much you have overcome already.
How much you achieved already.
Already, you know.
And it's not being talked about enough, I think.
And I'm saying that also to myself.
So Sandy, if we were to go back in time now and how old you were?
19 when you came here?
19.
So let's say we go back all the way to the 18 year old Sandy.
What advice would you give the 18 year old Sandy with the knowledge that you have today?
Okay.
I still, I would tell him to still finish his study, school, finish that.
But start investing, save, just be more conscious about how you go about money.
Because if I've done that, my impact would be way bigger now.
And the possibilities.
That's the most important lesson I'll tell him.
Because I know the other things he would.
He's not gonna listen to anything else.
What you're saying Papi Mento then?
He's not gonna listen to anything else.
So listen is listen, right?
Yeah.
So the most important thing is for him to know how to go about this whole money thing.
So again, it comes back to what you were saying earlier as an Antillion start in a business
and progressing.
One of the biggest challenges you faced was the financial literacy part.
And that's the part that you would want to go and tell 18 year old Sandy.
Because the drive that he has, he's going to make it either way.
But if he have known better how to do this whole financial thing, would be better off.
All right.
Awesome.
So Sandy, someone that's starting out their journey today.
Let's say they're hailing from the islands and they want to pursue something more creative,
whether it be dance, music, artistry, etc.
In today's world with your current knowledge and almost two decades of experience, what
advice would you give them?
First of all, surround yourself with people that's positive and does believe in your dreams.
Try to get as much as possible people that are like-minded.
Because I think that helps a lot.
Also when you have challenges, so you can talk to them about things.
That's one thing.
And really, really listen to the voice inside.
It's there for a reason.
Your intuition really speaks volumes.
Really, really listen to it and trust.
Trust it.
I understand it's scary.
You're not going to know right away which steps you have to take.
Some steps you take might be mistakes.
Exactly.
But you learn from mistakes.
There's no mistakes.
There are only lessons.
That's what it is.
And just follow it.
Follow it.
Try to follow that.
That's it, John.
That's it.
Awesome.
So maybe coming back to some of those highlights, because you mentioned in 2005, there was
a sort of a stint where you and some guys, it was your squad and you guys did a lot of
opening shows for some big artists.
Then around 2006, you opened a dance school.
Then the dance school moved in 2010.
Now it moved again.
But between those 12 years...
Well, you were really listening, bro.
That's what I'm here for.
But in those 12 years, I know there was a couple more big highlights of things that
you accomplished with the dance school.
So you mentioned the theater shows.
Maybe give us a bit more context of that.
So how big are these theater shows?
So before we go to the theater shows, I started doing competitions also with the team.
And then we started winning left and right.
We did...
Yeah, that's all those goddamn trophies that you stumble upon when you walk into the dance
studio.
Yeah.
So we did a lot of competition.
We were Dutch champions, European champions.
We did a lot of shows also and theater shows.
But I'm trying to think about maybe another moment that was really impactful.
So funny enough, I also recently interviewed Derek Kusmas of WAD photography, WOD photography.
I remember there was some type of WOD...
Okay, let me talk about that.
Was that not a highlight?
Yeah, that was really, really good.
So in 2012, at that time I was married.
Now I'm divorced.
But in 2012, it was a little bit before that.
At that time I was thinking like, I would like to do something that's never been done
before here in Holland.
And I was talking to my at that time wife, I was telling her like, let's try to bring
a competition that was only in the States at that moment.
You know what it is?
She didn't want to do it because I was the one willing to take the risk.
I was pushing to take the risk, but she was more reserved about that.
So in 2012, that was the first time that we brought WOD to Holland, to Europe.
And we did organize WOD at that time in six countries.
So I did Holland, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK.
So I was flying around organizing events for dancers.
And it was really, it was a nice moment when I got interviewed by the German television
about the event.
So that was also a highlight.
You were right.
Yeah.
So yeah, WOD was a really big one.
And then in 2016, we parted.
And then I stayed with the dance studio and she took the events.
But now I'm working also on my own events coming.
I'm going to start.
You want to tell us a bit about that?
Yeah.
So this event is called X Jam.
So basically it's the same thing.
It's not a competition, but it's more a place where...
A showcase.
Yeah, showcase.
It's more a place where dancers can come together.
And it's a platform where choreographers can get a chance to show what they can create.
And it's not about who's better than the other one.
It's about sharing the passion at that moment.
So it's going to be a day where dancers can come together and enjoy the fact that we can
be together dancing and enjoy sharing.
It's more like a network place for dancers.
That's what I'm working on now.
And the first edition of that is going to be on the 5th of May coming.
And then I'm working together with Emoves and Area 51.
So it's going to be a big, big, big event.
Nice man.
Nice.
Congrats.
I'm coming back.
Coming back.
I'm telling you.
So we're bringing that 30 to like 40, 45.
Yeah.
And we're keeping it moving.
Yep.
Upwards.
Awesome.
So I haven't fully integrated this as yet, but coming back to that financial topics,
right?
Yep.
So as maybe some of you know, some don't know as yet, but I've been working also in the
background on creating a financial literacy course called the Six Ings.
And without getting into too much details, we have three boxes up top.
The first one is for earnings.
Second is for savings.
And the third is for investing.
So if we're looking now at your current situation and you don't have to go into details and
numbers, et cetera, but just maybe just highlight.
So on the earnings side, your primary income sources comes from the dance school.
And besides that, you also have a few other ventures that you dabble into company wise.
Yeah.
Events, stuff like that.
So essentially the main income sources comes from your company slash companies.
Yes.
Right.
And then over on the savings side, well, we won't get into those details right now.
But then when we jump over to the invest inside.
So on the invest inside, I like to mention that we should, and this was advice that I
once upon a time got from one of Tony Robbins, Tony Robbins' books.
You should have these three parts.
One part where you have low risk investments, another part where you have medium risk investments,
and then a third part where you have high risk investments.
And there should be a healthy balance between those three.
So low risk being things more like government bonds, et cetera, like those investments wouldn't
go to zero unless the complete country falls.
I mean, in 2023, since 2020, we're living in some strange times again.
Who knows?
But historically, at least these things would be pretty solid for a lifetime.
And then the medium investments could be some like real estate, could be like index funds,
ETFs.
Also index funds, for instance, one of the most popular ones is the S&P 500, the S&P
500, which holds the 500 top companies in the United States.
Here in Europe, we also have a couple of those.
I believe there's a European one in general.
We have one.
And in the Netherlands, we have it's called the AEX.
So I just did the letters in Dutch.
And in English, that would be the AEX.
I wanted to say X again.
AEX.
So that's the Amsterdam exchange, I believe.
I don't know.
If I'm wrong, hey, correct me in the comments.
Then I learned something as well.
And I think that has like the top 30 or top 40 companies.
It's 30, right?
Yeah.
So the top 30 companies in the Netherlands.
So that would be like the index fund really for the Netherlands.
So those are more medium risk.
So essentially, and each layer of risk that you go up, there's a higher potential of losing
your money, but there's also a higher potential of making more money.
So the ROI, the return on investment is a lot larger in those categories.
And then when we move up to the high risk category, and maybe some might even say, well,
there's high risk and then there's high, high risk or there's like astronomical risk.
But high risk would then be also typically investing in individual stocks.
So you might, persons might invest in Apple or invest in Nike or Microsoft or Google,
Amazon, Tesla, et cetera.
And obviously in the past, what is it?
14, 15 years, 13 years.
There's also been a new category in crypto.
Crypto, crypto, crypto, crypto.
So when we look at low risk, medium risk, high risk, is there anything that you would
consider on your investment portfolio that's now in low risk?
Not yet.
That could also be anything that's maybe geared more towards a basic pension fund or something
that could also sort of fall into that.
I'm doing right now, I'm doing, I don't know how you call that in English.
So just say it in Dutch.
So that you put something apart monthly and then you can't touch it anymore until 65.
So saving money.
Yeah, yeah.
Okay.
So that's what I'm doing.
So it's like a closed, closed slash fixed deposit.
Yeah.
So every month.
So you can't touch it till, yeah, that's what I'm doing.
And that's being done via the bank?
Yeah.
That's set up with a bank?
Yeah.
Then it goes directly.
Which bank is it?
Rabo.
With Rabo.
Okay.
Yeah, it might be what I just mentioned, the bank spare.
It's more or less what they call that.
And that's fixed to be part of, in Dutch they say, anvillade en pentoen.
So that would be, shit, what the hell is anvillade in English?
It's basically add into your pension, to your overall pension.
Yeah.
Okay.
Yeah.
So there's some type of fixed closed deposit savings that, well, maybe those in the States
might call it a 401k or a Roth IRA.
I think 401k.
But we don't really have those type of setups here in the Netherlands.
Okay.
So that's in low risk.
Anything in medium?
Not yet.
Okay.
Yeah.
But I'm searching and I'm...
Well, at some point you would consider, because when you guys were married and lived together,
you did purchase a house back then.
Yeah, we did.
We did.
So that would have been one of the elements, the real estate element would have been in
the medium risk category.
Yeah.
So we're working on getting that back.
And then on the high risk?
Yes.
I'm guilty.
Guilty.
Yes.
No risk, no reward, son.
Let's get it.
Yeah.
So I've been since 2017, I've been researching crypto.
And like you said, it is a high risk investing.
But I think if you do your research, you're gonna see some project that's going to be
really important in the new financial system that's coming.
So do your research.
We're not financial advisors.
Please do your own research.
But there's particular projects that are going to be very important for the new financial
system.
Very, very important.
Do your own research, invest at your own risk.
So in the six inks dynamic, it falls into the high risk category, but high risk also
can have high rewards.
It can go to zero or it can go to 10,000, 100,000, a million or more.
Yeah.
Okay.
Awesome.
So again, that whole financial literacy thing is something that I understand plays has played
a big role in your journey.
And it starts to like level up now in playing an even bigger role.
Yes.
And the thing is that I understand now that it sounds strange, but for me, this is becoming
my foundation.
Yeah.
You know, and it's backwards because I was building a house on an unstable foundation.
And now I'm...
That's deep.
I'm understanding how to fix my foundation first.
It's going to take time and it's going to take patience, which I don't have all the
time, but...
That's a lot of our conversations, right?
So that's patience and papimento.
Bro, the most important thing also, patience.
You get the patience, you get the rewards.
Do the patience first.
And I think that's like a huge key lesson also for others hailing from the Caribbean
and whether they still live in there and going through their daily lives.
I'm more talking to the youngsters.
I mean, it's also for the older heads as well.
And nowadays I can't even say older head as much anymore because look at all the damn
gray in my beard.
Like this light here is just shining all the grays on my head.
So I am becoming one of the older heads now.
I still feel young in spirit, man.
But yeah, let's say the 20, 30 year olds is understanding like really that fundamental
basic financial literacy and building a solid foundation there that you can then build everything
else upon and understanding and knowing how to set your priorities properly.
Because oftentimes and not, we actually do have access to a lot more than we think we
have, but it's because priorities are misdirected by whatever that pops up on this.
Exactly.
Before it used to be the television, we would be locked into BET all day long.
But now we just got this TikTok drug here.
So is there anything else that you would like to share that you feel might be only someone
from your perspective and your point of view could share to this Caribbean audience?
Yes, believe in yourself.
Believe in yourself and listen to that inner voice.
Listen to it.
Because for me, that's the way I live my life.
And when I don't listen, you get more challenges, you get friction.
And this is something like being around you, I'm telling something about you, being around
you and seeing how you do things and how you tell me all the time, you got to have patience,
you got to have patience.
I'm starting really to understand that in order to get where I want to be, first of
all, I need to fix the foundation.
But this foundation is not going to be fixed overnight.
It's really a process, a process of minimum 20 years, maybe.
You know, if you want to do it, no risk.
So listen, listen, listen, surround yourself with good people.
That's what I'm doing right now.
That's why I'm here.
And believe.
That's it.
Yeah, man.
Sandy, Mr. Provasia, I would like to thank you.
Hopi, hopi, hopi mucho.
Thank you for having me, bro.
Thank you for having me.
Thanks, man.
I've been looking forward to this day, been looking forward to this moment.
I think this also is one that will trigger many other moments.
So we got potentially we got some stuff cooking up.
So folks will just have to stay tuned to when when when those pots start to bubble.
Let's go.
Yeah, man.
Thanks a lot.
And for you guys at home, thank you also for listening, for tuning in, for giving us your
precious time and attention.
If you would like to see more of this content and see more successful, inspirational, hardworking
and focused, persevering, resilient individuals hailing from the sunny side of the Dutch Kingdom,
then please subscribe, like and drop some comments on the video.
Let us know what were some of the most interesting takes that you that you saw during the interview.
What were some of the maybe questions you felt I needed to ask that I didn't ask.
So let me know for the next time.
And yeah, we're looking for more inspirational people hailing from the Dutch Caribbean to
interview and be part of this show and be part of this journey so that we can continue
to hopefully inspire the generations coming up and also our peers to continue to dream
big and seek out the best in themselves.
Thank you for tuning in.
This was Sunside Kingdom.
Adios.
I'm gone.
We're gone.
Bless.