For me, personal development is anything but self-optimisation.
It's not about functioning better, but about living more consciously—with everything that goes with it: uncertainty and contradictions as well as joy, clarity, and vitality.
I firmly believe that self-awareness and self-acceptance are the foundations for dealing with change calmly.
At the same time, they open up space for qualities that truly enrich our lives: joy and creativity, the freedom to try new things, and the courage to allow silence.
This inner attitude always has an outward effect – in our relationships, in our communication, in our interactions with one another.
Those who know and accept themselves can live with trust, openness, and cohesion—even when circumstances become difficult. In this sense, I do not see personal development as an individually isolated process—it is a central contribution to a successful community and an essential part of social development.
Does the world need more coaches?
For a long time, I would have answered this question with a laughing "No way!" Today, I think differently. – Because I have experienced for myself how valuable professional support can be when life challenges you and changes need to be mastered.
Life is change. That can be exciting, but sometimes it's also painful and full of uncertainty. Then we react with fear, sometimes clinging desperately to something and repeating old patterns—until we find ourselves standing next to ourselves, shaking our heads. Then life no longer feels coherent, but rather like a movie in which you play the leading role, yet at the same time you are certain that you have been cast in the wrong part.
I have gone through such phases more than once. I know how liberating it is to accept change and consciously break new ground. These experiences have shaped me, strengthened me, and above all, increased my serenity. They are the foundation of my work today.
I am a child of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Breaks, new beginnings, and the search for direction at a time when many things were possible and uncertain at the same time have shaped me.
As the second of four siblings, I was rarely alone and never quite at the forefront. I developed the ability to perceive moods, recognize subtle tensions, and understand how people and groups function at an early age.
However, learning not to lose myself in the process took a little longer.
I am a trained chef and started my own restaurant business at an early age. I dropped out of my A-levels at evening school before graduating, but many years later I passed my master chef's exam with honors. After 18 intense and exciting years
in the restaurant business, I decided to go to college (cheers to the master's certificate!) and then turn my back on the restaurant business almost entirely. Change—remember that?
Over the past 30 years, I have had the privilege of developing great products, experiencing and leading teams, training young people, designing processes and optimizing workflows, celebrating successes and also experiencing the occasional defeat – often under great pressure, always with responsibility.
What fascinated me most at the beginning of my professional journey was the craft itself: the products, the processes, the procedures, every little detail. Anyone who has ever combed the hair of a kiwi for the fruit bowl in the presidential suite of a 5-star+ hotel knows what I'm talking about.
Over time, I broadened my perspective to include concept development, process design, and strategic issues. Away from the details, toward the structural impact. And no matter what role I worked in, I never focused solely on results, but always on the people behind them—their motivation, their collaboration, their growth.
So my focus gradually shifted—from production and organization to personal and interpersonal processes. Today, I combine these experiences from practice, leadership, and consulting with in-depth training in systemic transformation design, integral coaching, embodiment coaching, and the fundamentals of polyvagal theory.
And when I'm not working?
Then I'm out in nature, spending time with my bees or reading a good book. I have a soft spot for old dogs and love the sea.
Coffee is my magic potion, and I'll skip a lot for a really good buttered sandwich.
Would you like to learn more?
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