The next generation: Myrthe van der Zwaan
The beginning of 2025 marks a new chapter for 32-year-old Myrthe van der Zwaan from Naarden. She is taking over the Kvik store in Amsterdam from her parents as franchisee—while also launching a complete showroom renovation. In this interview, she shares insights into the takeover process, her ambitions, and how she plans to put her own stamp on the family business.
*This was originally published in Dutch in the magazine Keuken & Design. It was written in Dutch by Minke deVogel with photography by Kvik Amsterdam Westpoort. We are grateful to them for letting us translate and republish Myrthe's story here.
Congratulations on taking over the family business. How did you experience the official handover?
Very positively. We went through a four-year process with Familiezaken, a firm that specialises in guiding family business transitions. What struck me is how universal the challenges are when handing over a business to the next generation. Everyone faces both the business side and the family side. Naturally, that brings some tension.
Older generations have to get used to letting go of responsibilities and learn to trust the next generation. That was a learning process for my parents, too.
For me, the journey was incredibly valuable. I learned how to truly make the business my own—and how to step out of the shadow of being “the daughter of.” I’ll always be that, of course, but the goal is that employees and customers don’t see me only in that light.
How did you originally get involved in your parents' business?
My parents were among the first Kvik franchisees in the Netherlands—eighteen years ago now. Together with my sister, I started out as an 'interior caretaker,' which is really just a fancy word for cleaner. In the meantime, we observed how our parents ran the business.
Professionally, I actually wanted something completely different. I studied to become a sports dietitian and dreamed of working with top athletes. But when things got really busy at the store, I decided to step in and help. That was eight years ago. In the end, it felt like a natural career move, because I’ve always had an interest in beautiful interiors and design products.
Your husband also considered joining the business, but in the end decided not to. How did that go?
My husband considered it, but during the guidance process with Familiezaken, everyone discovered their own role. He decided to follow his own path, which actually turned out really well. He still supports me—for example, in putting together teams. He’s a real people person, and I learn a lot from him. But it’s great that he has his own career. It means we can talk about something other than kitchens at home.
What did you discover about yourself during the takeover process?
That I’m capable of much more than I thought. The kitchen world is very male-dominated. At Kvik, it’s not just about the showroom—you also have a workshop, where most of the team are men. In the beginning, they saw me as ‘Dick’s daughter.’ That made me feel insecure, even though I’d already been part of the business for years. But in our current team, that’s absolutely not an issue—everyone takes me seriously.
During the process, I discovered that I had more knowledge and experience than I gave myself credit for—even when it comes to technical matters. There’s often an assumption that I wouldn’t know anything about that, but I’m perfectly capable of installing an oven or assembling and placing a cabinet.
How did you manage that without causing conflict with staff or freelancers?
In recent years, I’ve been involved in all the job interviews, which gave me the opportunity to build a fresh, young team. I enjoy working with younger people—they fully support me, and you can also see that in the way they interact with my father. It took time, but now it really feels like my team and my store.
We also have a loyal group of freelancers who already knew I’d be taking over the business. That collaboration is going really well.
Did your father learn anything during this process?
Definitely. As part of the guidance process, we worked with personality profiles using the DISC model. My father is someone who likes to keep control. Letting go is still a challenge for him, but he sees now that others are capable of building on what he created.
I actually take after him quite a bit. We’re both 'blue' types—we like to think things through and focus on how to do tasks properly. But I also have a 'red' side: I’m proactive and decisive. That combination helps me in my role.
What are your ambitions?
After the financial crisis, our store was one of the first to achieve really impressive sales figures. That was partly because we’re based in the capital. My father saw opportunities in the market and seized them—that was truly fantastic. That’s also what I love most about this profession. That’s real entrepreneurship. I’d really like to see this Kvik store return to the top.
In an industry that’s so male-dominated, I think it would be great if we could do that with my mostly female team. Of course, back office and installation are still mostly male domains.
Like my father, I’m not a fan of hard selling. He always said, ‘You have to push with a cotton ball.’ We also prefer to talk about guiding customers rather than selling kitchens—that’s something we’ll always keep doing. We help them design and realise their dream kitchen.
On top of that, my team really enjoys working with styling and social media. I think that’s great—it boosts our visibility and gives them a way to express their creativity. They’re given the space to do that.
The way we work together now as a team is something really special. And that’s incredibly important. We all want to enjoy going to work. Hopefully for many more years to come.
Some scenes from the re-opening
Myrthe remodeled the store and held a grand re-opening in February 2025.
Family and friends gathered
Speeches were given
Bubbles and confetti
