As a little girl, I dreamed of a better, kinder world. A world where everybody could be happy and free.
I wanted to change the world.
But somewhere along the way, I learned that this wasn't the kind of dream you were supposed to say out loud. People laughed. Called it naive.
So I stopped talking about it.
I did what most of us do — I learned to fit in. I got good at reading a room, adapting, becoming what was expected of me. I bought a house in Amsterdam at 26. Built a career in TV that people envied. All the things that were supposed to add up to a good life.
They didn't.
Somewhere underneath it all, I was on autopilot, depleted from working 24/7, and I couldn't feel much of anything.
I started finding pieces of my life that felt real. That felt like me.
I was working myself into the ground for most of the year, saving enough money to spend a few months doing what actually lit me up: teaching film to young people in Langa, Cape Town.
And that's where I found what I hadn't even realised I'd been missing: meaning. Purpose. Connection. I felt useful. I felt alive. I felt happy.
Then I would go back to the life that was suffocating me.
Even writing that makes me feel guilty. Because from the outside, there was absolutely nothing wrong with my life. It just wasn't mine anymore.
Maybe you feel this too
Maybe you know some version of this feeling — looking like you have it together while some part of you is exhausted from holding it all up.
Knowing something needs to change, but having absolutely no idea what comes next. Because there's the fear of the unknown, too. If I stop living like this… then what?
For me, the real shift came when I was stuck in the same traffic jam I'd been stuck in for 20 years.
I just couldn't do it anymore.
I made a decision right there and then: to really start building the life I knew was out there for me.
I quit my work in TV, sold almost everything, and started rebuilding my life the way I wanted to. Not according to the norm, my parents, or whoever was scared I'd drown.
According to me.
I started creating my own Lemonade Life.
A dream that refused to disappear
Turns out, I never really gave up on that little girl's dream. I just stopped talking about it for a while.
In Cape Town, I found a place where that dream could breathe. Where I could pour my love for people and life into something real.
Over time, I started to see the connection between the things that had changed my own life: having the courage to choose your own path, discovering what makes you feel truly alive, and finding meaning beyond yourself.
The Lemonade Movement grew from that idea.
And from a belief I hold deeply: when we feel more alive, connected and true to ourselves, we have more to give. And a good life becomes even better when some of that goodness spills over to others.
Today, I live between the Netherlands and Cape Town, chasing the sun. And the dream keeps growing.
I'd love for you to be part of it.
Make Lemonade with me?
I’m Mo, the dreamer behind The Lemonade Movement.
That little girl with the big dream you read about? Yep, that’s me! And while I’m not so little anymore, my dream of creating a world filled with love and positivity is still that big.
I’m a nature lover at heart. You’ll usually find me hiking or swimming & chilling at the beach. I feel most alive in South Africa, my second home after the Netherlands. And when I’m not adventuring outdoors, you’ll find me spending time with my niece and nephew, my favorite little humans who remind me to keep my inner child alive.
Music makes my heart sing, I don’t eat animals, and I love bubbles in every shape and form!
My Journey to Living My Lemonade Life
Growing up, I felt out of place, like I didn’t quite belong. I know now that I was hiding who I really was, afraid that who I was wouldn’t be enough. I became a star at adapting, people-pleasing, and bending to fit others’ expectations. Deep down, I knew this wasn’t it, and life had more in store for me. I was living a numbed life on auto-pilot and I needed to get out!
Breaking free from those expectations and my own patterns wasn’t easy. It took time, therapy, coaching, and a lot of courage. I started making bold choices that aligned with who I truly am - quit my job, moved to another country, and sold everything to live on a camp site, all while manifesting my dream of starting an impactful movement and changing lives in disadvantaged communities in Cape Town. It’s been 10 years in the making, and trust me, it hasn’t been a walk in the park.
But... it was totally worth it! I’ve rediscovered my true self and realised what I’ve always known: I’m here to serve. Today, I’m a certified coach, counselor, breathwork practitioner, and somatic therapist, and I’m absolutely in love with this work. Every day, I wake up excited to help people step into their full potential and create lives filled with joy and purpose.
The Lemonade Movement is my love letter to the world. It’s a vulnerable, passion-filled project born from my deepest desire to make this world a better place. And I’m beyond excited to share it with you.
My mission is simple: to help you live a life you absolutely love AND to spread that love far and wide. I want you to be so happy, so full of life, that it overflows into everything and everyone around you. Let’s make the sweetest lemonade together!
