Community Stories: Nilo - Society tends to put us in a box, but we must decide whether to stay there or not.

Welcome to our series of community stories about international residents in The Hague and surrounds.

Nilo Rondelli is a Brazilian author and a storyteller who connected his business experience and his passion for education with a master’s degree in development studies.

A father of two, he believes in the power of stories to shape young minds and inspire kindness, empathy, and emotional growth.

Currently living in the Netherlands, Nilo finds joy in writing, especially for children, crafting stories that nurture curiosity and resilience while making learning an engaging and magical experience.

Nilo shares his story below of how he became an author of children’s books in multiple languages.

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For several years, I stayed in mine: commercial executive. I can’t complain, I started my career as a Sales Representative and became a CEO before turning 40.

But success is relative. I still felt I wasn’t fulfilling my purpose.

I decided to take a leap of faith: I resigned from the corporate world, moved to the Netherlands with my wife and daughters, and returned to academia to pursue a master’s degree in Development Studies. I knew that education is a powerful tool for transforming lives—it changed mine. And I believe it will give my kids a better chance to succeed in the future.

I always tell my daughters they can be whoever they want, follow their dreams, and do what they love. I also remind them that we don’t have to limit ourselves to just one thing in life. But what about other children? I know not everyone has the same opportunities. Still, all of us are driven by our beliefs—and beliefs are shaped by stories. So let me tell you one:

Since my daughters were born, bedtime stories have become a tradition in our home. Until one day… we ran out of books. So, I started making up my own.

To my surprise, they loved them even more! My daughters encouraged me to write a book, but my first thought was: “I’m not an author.” I had put myself back in the box.

But then I decided to take my own advice. I picked the story they loved the most, wrote it down… and published it.

It may sound simple in one sentence, but in reality, it took me six months to make it happen. From deciding to write the book to actually finishing it, I had to overcome Impostor Syndrome and remind myself: the only thing that separates an author from a non-author is one book.

They say “good is the enemy of great.” But instead of paralyzing myself chasing perfection, I just did the best I could—with a lot of love and effort. After all, delivering something good beats never delivering something great.

To my surprise, it was good enough. My first book became a top seller—without investing a single cent in advertising. That gave me the courage to write a second book… and then start a series.

There is life outside the box.
Leave your message to the world!
And in the meantime, share mine with the kids you love and want to empower:
👉 https://amzn.eu/d/0fgzq9O