Sisters in Life:
(part 2 of 2)
About working together, differences and continuing to grow together
In the second part of the conversation (read the first part here >), Willemijn and Floortje talk about what it means to carry rasalila together, both as sisters and as entrepreneurs.
What is it like to run a business with your sister?
F: “People sometimes say: you’re sisters? I could never work with family.”
W: “For us, work and private life are very intertwined. Sometimes we still secretly talk about work during Christmas dinner.”
F: “It’s a deeply shared responsibility.”
W: “Every now and then, we also say to each other: we really need to do something fun together again, without phones or work conversations. Just as sisters.”
What makes working together easier — and what makes it more difficult?
F: “At the core, we think very similarly. That helps.”
W:
“The differences are more about energy than opinion; for example, I tend to want to move faster than Floortje when it comes to (wanting to) executing new ideas. But when it comes to picking colours for the walls, we always agree very quickly.”
Where do you differ the most?
F: “Our biggest clash was when we moved from the school building to this location.”
W: “At that point I already had a vision for the future. That it needed to grow, so we could both make a full-time living from it.”
F: “I found it difficult to let go of the old place. I felt safe there.”
F: “We worked with a coach during that time. We usually agree with each other, but our pace is slightly different.”
W: “Now we are more aware of that and recognise it sooner. And we work with more people now, which also helps. It means I can share and develop my ideas with other people too without putting pressure on Floortje when she’s not ready yet.”
How do you deal with boundaries between work and private life?
W: “The biggest difference now is that we talk less about work during holidays or family gatherings than we did in the beginning. At some point it became a bit too much.”
F: “We don’t really have standard working hours, so it easily becomes 24/7. That can sometimes feel overwhelming. Also for the people around us”
W: “So we try to be stricter about that now, and these days we barely discuss work during birthdays or other non-work-related events. Which is actually really nice.”
What are you most proud of?
F: “During the last show Willemijn stood next to me and said: ‘Wow, this is actually amazing. This is what we have created’”
W: “Yes, I have moments like that quite often. You create it together with so many people and when you’re in the middle of it all, you don’t always realise it, but we are the driving force behind it. Sometimes you suddenly see the community so clearly and think: this really started with us. That feels very special.”
F: “And it’s important to really pause and feel that sometimes. Otherwise an event or moment is over before you know it.”
W: “And it’s also so special that the people we work with align so naturally with the energy we once envisioned.”
What have you learned from each other?
F: “Our motto is ‘endless possibilities’. Our roles keep evolving. That is something we gave space for together”
W: “We regularly reflect and evaluate. Conscious movement for us is also about asking yourself: what are you actually doing? And do you still want that? Movement in every aspect of life. We learned to give each other space to change and evolve”
What has entrepreneurship brought you personally?
W: “A huge belief in possibilities. It still feels special that you can continue creating for such a long time. That there are always new ideas to explore. That it simply keeps evolving.”
F: “And also the freedom to do the work that suits you best in that moment. That also means asking yourself: what do you let go of? What do you hand over to others?”
F: “In the beginning, we did everything ourselves. Now we work with people like Lynn, who creates beautiful illustrations, does customer service and social media (and even teaches!). Kyra is an amazing teacher and performer, schedules the workshops and loves doing the bookings for the agency. Willemijn did that for me for a long time, but it didn’t give her energy. Others teach the classes that I can not. It’s beautiful when everyone gets to do what truly energises them.”
What do you dream about for the future?
F: “Sometimes we dream about having more space. But this place also has something intimate about it.”
W: “I dreamed of creating teacher trainings for a long time. More depth and creating a legacy. And that’s something that is finally coming to life in November 2026!”
F: “And sometimes we also think: another city, or even another country…”
Finally: what does ‘Sisters in Life, Sisters in Business’ mean to you?
F: “That everything is intertwined. Always.”
W: “Love, connection and work. And that it works. Because we keep finding each other.”
Come and say hi in the studio! We’d love to see you in class.
Love,
Floortje & Willemijn
rasalila