How Amber went from self-employed entrepreneur to project manager at Cube.

An entrepreneurial start.

Born in Almelo, Amber started her career studying photography. "I really liked it, but I soon knew I didn't want to become a photographer," she says, laughing. After her MBO education, she got her havo diploma at the VAVO, while in the meantime she set up her first business: an online print shop.

That experience sparked her curiosity about technology and processes. "We were doing everything manually, price changes, product classification, everything had to be entered by hand. We could do that smarter." So she realised a link between producers and webshops. "That link proved handy not only for us, but for everyone working with print shops. And when corona came along, the demand for webshops was huge. We linked our software to dozens of new shops." Not much later, she started something new again: a padel school. "I love building something and making it bigger. But as soon as it's up and running, it starts itching: then I want to move on to something new again."

Looking for something lasting.

After a few years in business, Amber decided to stop and think about what she really wanted. "I asked myself: what gives me energy, not only now, but also in five years' time?" She talked to several project managers and recognised a lot in their work. "Project management is also about building, structuring and completing. Alone, you don't do it alone anymore, but together."

Through Instagram, she came across Cube. "Cube immediately felt right: young, creative, and an environment where you are allowed to think along. I was ready for stability, but not a rigid regime. I wanted space to express my own ideas. I found that here." She soon found that the impression Cube gives online matches well with the atmosphere in the office. The openness and creativity she saw online turned out to be the same in real life.

From solo work to collaboration.

After years of working independently, the transition to a team was quite exciting. "I was used to doing everything on my own. Now that you work with different teams like business, design and development, it's really different. But that's exactly what makes it fun. You learn from each other and the switching keeps it dynamic." The first weeks were intense but instructive. "After four days, I thought: if I have to read one more document, I'll go crazy. Give me a project. And fortunately, that was soon allowed," she says, laughing. "I was able to collaborate on projects, take over things from colleagues who were on holiday. That quickly gave me a complete picture of how everything works, from sprint 0 to going live."

Peace and structure as strength.

Amber clearly brings her entrepreneurial experience to her role. "As an entrepreneur, you learn to stay calm. You have to make a lot of decisions, prioritise and not get stressed. That helps enormously as a project manager." Structure is also important to her. "I like to set things up so that someone else can take over. Systems should work before you, not the other way around. At Cube, there is a lot of room for that. You can do things your way, as long as it is well organised."

Work hard, play hard.

About Cube's culture, she enthuses. "It's a fine balance between hard work and sociability. When something needs to be finished, everyone goes for it. But there is also always room for laughter. You are really included here, I never felt I had to find my place."

What she particularly appreciates are the moments of reflection. "In my entrepreneurship, I sometimes missed that. Here you have moments of evaluation, feedback, and you can really grow. That gives direction and energy."

Keep building, but now together.

Despite leaving her own business behind, the entrepreneurial drive remains. "I don't miss entrepreneurship, but I will always have ideas. Cube gives me the space to release that energy, while at the same time I have the stability I was looking for." With her calmness, structure and drive to improve, Amber fits exactly the profile of a Cube project manager: entrepreneurial, eager to learn and always looking for the next step.