I am Marcela

I am Marcela, born in 1986 and raised in Colombia. I always felt different from others, I never knew what that really meant until now.

I used to tell the younger me, that I was born to do something with a positive impact in the world, I didn't know back then what...but now I know; supporting others to transform their life the same way I transformed mine.

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Colombia

I started struggling with belonging since I was living in Colombia. I was raised in the small town of Barrancabermeja and moved to Medellin to study my bachelor degree. Medellin, was the first place where I started feeling like an outsider... people looked at me because they knew I was not local, people made comments because I had a different accent... I was still in Colombia, but I did feel different.

 

UK

Once I finished my bachelor, I was eager to embrace a new adventure, so I went to London, "the experience that changed my life and vision of the world", I never thought there could be a place so diverse, where so many cultures could live together, where the public transport could take you everywhere, where the food variety was uncountable, where there was so much to do every day, where I felt free from judgement (at least at the beginning) maybe because there were so many outsiders that I became the norm and not the exception. However, I felt treated less than others, underestimated in my skills, I started getting lost in the crowd, I felt invisible and I decided to go back to Colombia like a soldier who has been defeated, in this case by a culture I didn't know how to handle. 

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Netherlands

6 months after returning to Colombia, I felt in love with a dutch man.

I visited Amsterdam while living in London and told myself I would never be back in NL... well... I was back in Rotterdam in 2012. Everything seemed to be perfect at the beginning, I enjoyed the attention of being new, the curiosity of others, the well managed infrastructure, the windmills, the bicycles... but slowly started getting frustrated with everything I didn't understand: the language, the 3 kisses on the cheek, the health system, the requirements to find a job, the not understanding my own relationship... I didn't feel heard, supported or understood and started a more solitary life.

At certain point, I told myself I was just getting old and boring, nothing excited me anymore... I was just focused on getting a job, which costed me sending 200 CV's, recoding videos, taking IQ test... I was soooo frustrated. so I decided I was going to move anywhere to find my dream Job and I landed in the beautiful city of Venlo. 

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At this stage of my life, I chose to focus on the essentials: obtaining my Dutch nationality, getting my driver’s license, securing a permanent contract, and buying a house. And when the moment finally arrived, I knew it was time to have kids. That last part deserves an entire chapter of its own, so keep reading…

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Hoera! I became mama 

At some point I felt life was not exciting enough, and thought a child was the missing peace to my relationship. haha I didn't know about this unknown dimension of being a mother, and not just a mother, being a mother abroad, with no family surrrounding me, with a partner from a different culture, with an unknown system: verloskundige, kraamzorg, mamadag...going through pregnancy diabetes... what was all that? I landed in a whole new world to me, it has been so far the most challenging work ever.

I struggle with separation anxiety with my first born, I didn't sleep for 2 years, I breast fed for the same 2 years I didn't sleep, I was doing everything by myself; the cleaning, the cooking, the diapers, my office work..

and started missing my Me time, how come there is no Me time when you are a mom?... what an adventure I embarked in ...and all that on the top of trying to survive a pandemic. 

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two years later, I felt ready for my second child. It was a completely new experience for me, but my boy game me the strength to become who I am today. it was by far, one of the most difficult situationsI I had ever faced, right up there with my divorce. 

My child was born, and three months later, he started suffering from eczema. it then developed into food intolerances and allergies. 

He was crying constantly, sweating, scratching, and I had no idea what was happening. My sleepless nights started all over again. i was worried, desperate, alone, hopeless... No one seemed to heard me when i said, "my son is reacting to my breast milk". I was told it wasn't possible for a baby to have allergic reactions through breast milk. 

I was so exhausted and frustrated that I decided to become my son's doctor. i read books, articles, blogs, and eventually found a facebook group full of other desperate moms going through the same. i felt relief, i wasn't crazy. i was finally about to discover what my son had. 

After months of trial and error, i had a full list of do's and don'ts. My son was finally treated. I was finally heard. it cost me many tears, but I made it. My son was allergic to eggs and had multiple intolerances. I could breath again, but not completely, I still had to carry an Epipen everywhere. "That was terrifying"

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​I was better alone and I conquer Myself

2023 and 2024 have been the most challenging years of my life. First, I faced all the struggles with my son, and then I decided divorce was the healthiest path forward. That journey changed everything. It pushed me to rediscover myself my identity, my values, and the woman I wanted to become.

After navigating the chaos of finding a new home, learning to be independent, and supporting myself as a single mom, I realized it was finally time to take care of me. I made a promise to myself: never again would I engage in anything that harmed me,whether through drinking, eating, or allowing unhealthy situations and toxic people into my life.

I used every skill I had to rebuild my life and shape the one I had always envisioned. My process‑improvement background helped me see my life as a system I could optimize. My advisory experience taught me how to speak to myself as if I were my most important client—guiding myself toward a better life, convincing myself I deserved it, and learning to talk to, see, and treat myself with love, compassion, and acceptance. 

And I knew it was all possible. As a former professional swimmer, I understand discipline. I know what it means to be coached for success, to cultivate a winner’s mindset, and to pursue a goal with everything you have. That became the foundation of my transformation: conquering my own process and becoming the person I wanted to be grounded, confident, valuable, and finally at peace with myself. I finally understood that the issue was never tied to a location, it was about my ability to sustain the life I wanted. 

From that place of clarity and strength, I was ready to reconnect with myself, with others, and with life. And that’s how ConquerIN was born.