You get the chance and space you need here to be ambitious and to grow

This time Lieke van Gulik hands out the report cards. A remainer if there ever was one. Because she was born in Tilburg, went to secondary school there, studied at the university and is currently pursuing a career there. Is she afraid of adventure outside the city? No way. During her bachelor social psychology she left for Bangkok for six months to follow marketing and economics courses at Thammasat University (and to live like God in France...eh Thailand). Now, as Brand Manager at the Tilburg-based beauty developer Céleste Originals, she has daily contact with people, brands and influencers from all over the world. Including sounding names such as NikkieTutorials, Flying Tiger, Anna Nooshin and Primark. Yet good old 013 is and remains her home: "I keep discovering new sides of the city that I think I know so well."

CAREER: 7.5

"I'm going for a 7.5. That's more than sufficient, but there is always room for improvement. For example, I find it strange that at career days and job fairs you mainly come across the big companies from the Randstad. A matter of offer and demand of course, they are looking for many talents and talents want to work there. But in Tilburg there are so many great companies where you can make a career - and for which you don't have to rent an expensive room of 15m2 in Amsterdam - that it really pays to stick around. Here you get all the space you need to be ambitious and to grow."

This is what Lieke found out after an internship at PostNL in The Hague, she says: "Of course I could have stayed in that region. But how many beautiful companies in Tilburg and Brabant would I skip then? During an information evening for my next internship I came into contact with digital agency LiveWall. A super cool club in Tilburg that I had a good click with. I was hired as an intern and after my studies I was offered a job as a Project Manager. After a year it started itching again. I was ready for something new. At a family birthday party I got talking to my cousin Denise (van Gulik, owner and CEO of Céleste Originals, ed.). One thing led to another and now I'm part of the small, close-knit team. What do I do exactly? Assisting clients in the development of all kinds of beauty product lines; from formulas to packaging and from production to logistics. No day is the same."

"In the places I go, I feel a lot of togetherness. There should be more of that between the different types of Tilburgers as well."

VIBE: 9

"Ten years ago I would have given the vibe in Tilburg a 5. Now a big 9. It's cozy, it bustles and there is a lot to offer. The city also seems to have become busier. No Amsterdam scenes, fortunately it is still quiet enough. But there is just more happening than ever. My favorite places? Café NOIR is very nice, the owners do a super job. Burgemeester Jansen in the Piushaven is top for a carefree beer. And then you have Buutvrij and Café Nieuwland and the wine bars in the city center... Too much to mention. The center, Dwaalgebied and Piushaven are really the places to be for me."

PEOPLE: 7,5

"There are so many different types of Tilburg residents. The students who bring liveliness and can also cause inconvenience. The people you only see at the Tilburgse Kermis, so to speak. The real Tilburg people who stay within the city ring their entire lives. The young families who stick around. In the places where I go, I feel a lot of solidarity. As far as I'm concerned, this should also be more apparent between the different types of Tilburg residents. Everyone can claim his place, because together it is always nicer. That's why I give the people a 7.5, because there is still room for improvement. I think that the transition of the city - which is now mainly interesting for students, young families and starters - should be made interesting for all Tilburg residents. The city belongs to all of us."

Speaking of people: the beauty industry has the persistent image of a lot of exterior without too much substance. Lieke laughs: "If I would have said in the past that I would ever work in beauty, everyone would have been surprised. I'm not one for lots of make-up or going to the hairdresser every month and I also had a certain image of this industry. That everyone would have an attitude or something. Nothing could be further from the truth! I only meet ordinary, real, passionate people. People who don't talk the talk, but walk the walk, just like we do at Céleste. And what you give, you get back. I love that."

"Ten years ago I would have given the vibe in Tilburg a 5. Now a big 9."

LIVING: 9

"As far as living is concerned, I have it well organized, I give it a 9. I have a great apartment with two bedrooms for a great price. And a good friend lives below me. A kind of living apart together, haha. I'm five minutes away from the center, so I'm happy. Of course I'd like to buy a house. But that's not easy in this day and age. Sometimes I find that annoying, because I don't like standing still in life. I am quite restless and always hungry for new things. What I have learned is to always trust myself. On my feelings and my passion. So it really does work out in the end, you know. That's also my message to future remainers: trust yourself and don't give a damn about what others think, say and feel. That goes for all the choices you make in your life. And even though everyone around you is leaving Tilburg, if you want to stay you should stay!"