This episode is about the book, but it’s also about everything that led to it.
I share the story behind Do Not Try HIM at Home and why this book needed to exist. Not as a memoir for entertainment, but as a lifeline for women who recognise pieces of themselves in my story.
I talk about growing up between cultures, early family dynamics, and the insecurities that quietly shaped my choices long before I understood them. How success in my professional life ran parallel to confusion and harm in my personal one. And how repeated patterns don’t come from weakness, but from unexamined conditioning.
I reflect on the relationships that broke me, the near-death experience that forced me to stop pretending I was fine, and the long, unglamorous process of rebuilding myself from the inside out.
This book was written for professional, capable women who cannot reconcile how they ended up in situations that eroded their confidence, safety, or sense of self. Women who are outwardly successful and inwardly struggling. Women who feel ashamed of stories that were never their fault.
We talk about why storytelling matters. Why naming your experience changes it. And how rewriting your internal script is not about reinvention, but about returning to yourself with clarity and compassion.
This episode is an invitation to understand the intention behind the pages. And to remind you that no matter how entrenched a pattern feels, it can be interrupted.
Your story is not over. And it was never meant to stay hidden.
About Sandra:
Sandra ten Hoope is a Sales & Story Strategist and corporate attorney. Drawing from her own experiences with three challenging relationships, she empowers professional women to rewrite their personal narratives. In her 2020 book, Do Not Try HIM at Home, Sandra reveals the duality of her life—successfully closing multi-million-pound deals while living in fear at home. The book struck a chord with countless women who saw their own struggles reflected in her story, offering them comfort and a sense of community.
Many entrepreneurs among her readers reached out, eager to understand how their personal stories could enhance their business growth. Sandra's answer was clear: personal experiences, no matter how difficult, are invaluable assets. As a Certified Business Strategist and Master Persuader, she created the Stop Waffling, Start Selling podcast, helping business owners harness the power of their unique stories. This storytelling approach personalizes brands and draws in clients, with Sandra advocating for strategic sharing, even in small doses, to make a powerful impact.
