What car would the people in your life be? 🚗

Over the past few years, friendship has quietly moved to the top of my personal agenda.
 Pandemic effect? Age? Life doing what life does? Probably all of the above.

We all have circles.
 First circle: the people who truly have your back.
 Second, third… and some who shouldn’t even be on the map.

After a recent party, I realized a friend had moved from my first circle to my third.
 And suddenly, a very clear image came to mind: a car.

Once I started seeing people through that lens, I couldn’t unsee it.

• The Antique Italian Convertible: exhilarating… when it works. Mostly drama.
• The Volvo: deeply reliable, slightly boring, quietly invaluable.
• The Mini: fun and dependable — the gold standard.
• The Range Rover / G Wagon: entitlement on wheels.
• The Ferrari: access, elegance, unforgettable — but rarely parked.
• The Minivan: no longer a human, now a parent.
• The Nissan Leaf: morally superior and silently judging you.
• The Beat-Up Honda Civic: down on luck, still running, somehow.
• And yes… the White Van. No explanation needed.

The exercise isn’t about judging others (well… not only).
It’s about being honest with ourselves about who belongs in which circle, and what each relationship actually costs — and gives back.

I wrote the full piece as a lighthearted but very real reflection on friendship, boundaries, and energy.

And if you’re wondering:
 I’m personally a mix of Volvo and, hopefully, Mini Cooper.
Reliable when it matters. Fun when it counts.
Always trying to stay out of the white van category.

👉 Full newsletter in the comments.
 Curious: what car are you?

Peggy Van de Plassche is a value creation strategist and senior advisor with over 20 years of experience in private equity, financial services, healthcare, and technology. She works with investment firms, boards, and C-suite leaders to accelerate portfolio company performance, drive operational transformation, and unlock long-term value. Peggy specializes in the execution of complex value creation plans—spanning capital allocation, digital enablement, transaction advisory, and leadership alignment. Her work consistently bridges strategy and implementation, helping investors and operators maximize EBITDA and enterprise value. A founding board member of Invest in Canada, she also brings deep expertise in public-private partnerships and institutional capital deployment—critical levers for competitive advantage in today’s global landscape. Her clients have included BMO, CI Financial, HOOPP, OMERS, GreenShield Canada, Nicola Wealth, and Power Financial. Learn more at peggyvandeplassche.com.

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