Michelle Bouthoorn

Out of My Boxes & people-oriented work

Fortunately, more and more organizations realize that a strong team consists of happy people. They realize that you can grow as a company because your employees feel seen, heard and valued. I think it’s great to see that things are changing for the better, but it’s not going fast enough for me. With Out of My Boxes, I want to give this movement on people-oriented work an extra boost. Because good and tasty food makes people happy and productive – and that’s exactly what you need to make your business successful!

How I learned that you achieve success together

Out of My Boxes was born from a culinary passion for good food but also from experience working at an office. I know from personal experience that a company without warmth and togetherness doesn’t feel like a second home. We spend so much time at work, so it’s important to feel comfortable there. For that you need a sense of connection, appreciation and belonging. If this isn’t present at all, well, then there’s no team spirit. And no matter how hard people work, only by working together do you achieve success. I believe that having lunch together and having drinks brings colleagues together. A strong company culture creates a strong team and that’s how you achieve success!

In my experience, companies often forget to provide lunch for employees or don’t celebrate the (small) successes or don’t express their gratitude. I believe and have seen that appreciating your employees leads to better results because they work longer and harder, achieving their targets more often, or even better, as a result. Out of My Boxes helps companies express this appreciation to employees as well as stimulate mutual relationships through company-wide breakfasts, special lunches, and online drink parties with our well-stocked borrelboxes.

From the hospitality industry to Out of My Boxes

I come from a real entrepreneurial family. I used to run around in my mother’s bakery and shout that I wanted to start my own business. A few years have gone by since then, and I have found my mission: to help companies build a strong company culture through honest, sustainable and tasty good food.

I bring my culinary experience from the hospitality industry with me. I know how important personal contact and hospitality is in the business. I know how valuable it is to put time, energy, and effort into a good and solid relationship with your clients. My clients feel that I listen to them, that I think along with them and that I go the extra mile for them. And by making them feel heard and taken seriously, I hope to inspire them to do the same for others.

Not your standard brands, but stories and quality instead

It’s not just the energy we put into relationships that makes Out of My Boxes so unique; even the products we use and caterers we work together with makes us different. If you order a borrelbox from us, you won’t get a package with your standard brands. We look for products with a story: bread from the baker in Beverwijk, a slice of meat from the Halal butcher in Amsterdam and a bag of nuts from the nut roaster in Haarlem. I know my partners and I know they share our values: real, familiar, local, and sustainable. I know it’s the stories and the warmth that bring people together. I look for that warmth, that pleasant conversation and honest smile in everything I do, not just in the products I put together and deliver.

Creative thinking as the basis

Obviously, the name Out of My Boxes comes from somewhere. I love to think outside the box. I love to surprise my clients in creative ways. Not just in terms of catering and events but also in terms of innovative food boxes that I can add to the assortment. I’m always searching for new, unique and sustainable products. That way I always stay close to the market. As soon as I see something new, hear about a problem a client is having or see an opportunity, I start working on it. And in everything we do, creative thinking forms the basis.

Appreciation doesn’t have to eat up your budget

You want to let your employees know you appreciate them but worry about how you’re going to get that done within a realistic budget? Well, we have great news for you, something you’ll probably even recognize yourself. A feeling of appreciation isn’t about the big things: it’s in a box of chocolates after completing that huge assignment, a handwritten card with that bag of chocolate Easter eggs or a Wellness box in times of Covid-19.

Connections are made by bringing people together, by letting them experience things together. This can be done from a distance with a borrelbox put together specially for your company, during a weekly lunch with the team or making a great impression with the right catering during an event. With the Out of My Boxes, we want to make it easier for companies to show their appreciation – with big and small surprises.