I sat down with Koen DeWitt, and his story is a powerful reminder of what resilience really looks like. Koen grew up in a home where emotions were never spoken, and he carried that silence into adulthood. When he left corporate life to dive in Thailand, he expected a fresh start. Instead, he survived the 2004 tsunami and had to rebuild everything from the ground up.

Koen opened up about the setbacks that followed, from business betrayal to a sudden heart surgery. What impressed me most was his willingness to keep choosing growth instead of staying in the pain. Today he helps entrepreneurs find purpose and stability in their own journeys, and his story encourages all of us to keep going even when life feels overwhelming.

Highlights:

00:00 – Learn how early family patterns shape the way you handle pressure as an adult.02:14 – See how breaking out of routine can open unexpected paths to personal growth.04:33 – Understand why facing fear head on can transform the way you move through life.06:48 – Explore how rebuilding your identity starts with acknowledging what you’ve avoided.09:12 – Learn how to recognize the signs that you are living from performance instead of purpose.11:40 – Hear how setbacks can become the turning points that redefine your direction.14:28 – Discover why trusting the wrong people can still teach you the right lessons.17:05 – Understand how health challenges can clarify what truly matters in your work and life.19:44 – Learn how choosing honesty over emotional silence creates real resilience.22:31 – See how helping others through their struggles can deepen your own healing.

About the Guest:

Koen De Wit is a marketing strategist, coach, and former diving instructor who’s rebuilt his life more than once — not by choice, but by necessity. 

Originally from Belgium, his early life was shaped by emotional distance, chronic illness, and the pressure to stay useful. That same drive helped him build successful dive businesses across Asia — until betrayal, trauma, and collapse forced him to start over. 

Twice.

In 2004, Koen survived the Asian tsunami that killed 300.000 people and wounded many more. 

After 18 surgeries and no access to rehab or emotional support, he pushed forward the only way he knew how: by working. 

He became one of Thailand’s leading diving instructor trainers. But behind the achievements, he carried the weight of trauma and over-responsibility. That way of surviving — through control and performance — eventually stopped working.

In 2017, after losing his business again, Koen turned to digital marketing as a last resort. What began as survival became a calling. 

Today, he helps coaches and service entrepreneurs rebuild their business structures so they stop burning out and start creating something that feels right to run. His work blends strategy and structure with the emotional clarity most people avoid.

Koen lives in Thailand with his wife and son. He doesn’t believe in hustle or hype. He believes in clarity, calm systems, and work that gives back more than it takes.

Ways to connect with Koen**:**

https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-funnel-therapist/

https://www.facebook.com/koen.d.wit

https://www.youtube.com/@funneltherapist

Website

https://www.thefunneltherapist.com/

About the Host:

Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.

Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children’s Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association’s 2012 Hero Dog Awards.

https://michaelhingson.com

https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/

https://twitter.com/mhingson

https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/

accessiBe Links

https://accessibe.com/

https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe

https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/

https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/

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