My simple wish:
To make it feasible
Creating something from nothing. Turning ideas into reality. So amazing and yet: such an equipment sport.
Book Lover 4ever.
(where there are letters, I will read them)
Innovator at the Core.
(On a hot summer day as a kid I decided to sleep on the cool desk surface. It appeared logical to me.)
Coffee Freak. 100%.
[hint: If you meet me AM , better check I had my first coffee already.]
As soon as the workshop became 'innovative', people started acting weird.
It was around 2007-2010 when I had facilitated quite a lot of innovation workshops in the energy industry, that I realized that no creative method ever would make the decisive cut. This was not just about getting a workshop effectively designed and moderated.
If I wanted people to really get from ideas to reality, I had to think bigger.
I started researching, realized there were no real answer or tools. At least not as hands-on as I imagined or solid enough. I then gave myself the permission to focus on this for a whole year. The topic deserved it. I felt, this needed to be done.
Here are some of the questions I had in mind when I started this.
01
What's so hard?
You got an idea, you turn it into reality. Sounds easy, right? That might be the case if there have been lots of similar ideas turned into reality and you can ask those people how they did it. But what if the idea so new there is no carved out path yet?
02
What's keeping us from it?
Money or rather: the lack of it might come to mind here first. But in reality, this is only one reason. Or is it rather an excuse? How can we get started and then stay on the game even through hurdles and roadblocks.
03
Where do we (really) fail?
Having worked at the IfM (Institute for Entrepreneurship) of the University of Mannheim and having founded my first company with the support of one of the first female entrepreneurship hubs (GiG7) I knew the stats. But figures never give you the real story. I wanted the complete picture. And some new lines of attack.
04
What makes the difference?
So for those who succeeded: What made the differnce in getting it done? Where they better connected or did they have some magic at their hands? What made others fail? From my time in the new economy, I knew there is always a narrative and then: the truth. I wanted the Non-PR answer.
05
Can you learn it
- at all?
Myself not coming from an entrepreneurial background, the question for me always was: Can I learn it and if so how? Not just the entrepreneurial but the innovation part? And how would one get it implemented?
06
What makes it awesome?
I had a huge fascination for any before/after situation and, over time, narrowed it down to the fact that I wanted to be part of building things, not micro-manage already existing systems. But what exactly was the magic – and how could I make it work? Systematically – for others and myself.
“Innovation is great and scary at the same.
It is a human privilege – only humans are capable of creating something from nothing.
And yet it poses exactly those humans in front of lots of mentally and emotional challenging situations.
It’s not for everyone, but even for its fans it can become much easier once you know how it works under the hood.”
Some stuff to know about me
Consultant, Facilitator, Coach, Entrepreneur.
- Though I love a well set up big brand and company, I have always naturally leaned towards change situations, before/afters – and then it narrowed down to innovation, startups, building new things.
- For years, I have been an active Member of the European Board – IAF International Association of Facilitators. I know quite a bit about workshop design and facilitation, I had my first training in that during my studies. At the IAF, I conceptualized and implemented a Pan-European chapter structure with 13 active chapters when I left.
- The first to work in the privatized energy market? Creating a crypto token whitepaper? Help people or the owners understand the benefits of their own technology? That would be me.
Lifelong Learner and Natural Innovator
- I hold a diploma in economics and cultural studies with some specializations in marketing and anglosaxon culture from the Univestiy of Mannheim.
- While working full time as a manager in a Frankfurt-based agency and then later, while founding my first company, completed my master’s with a specialization in Human Capital. My thesis in 2005 was about the gender pay gap from an entrepreneurial POV. My professor claimed the numbers were exaggerated. 😉
- I’ve completed a full training as a Vinyasa yoga teacher.
- If necessary, yes, I can detect that wrong code, set up that WordPress page myself, even get the design done.
- At my brand agency OVERW8 I get to work with the founder teams of startups and scaleups learnig so much from them every day.
Human
- Grew up in a not perfect family but at least with parents that were convinced I was pretty clever and up to the task.
- Also, grew up in an environment that was not considered sexy at that time (Mannheim), that provided me with lots of diverse cultural experiences without having to leave town. And that has a natural innovation mindset built in.
- Again and again, stumbling over people (including our clients) who looked at me a bit surprised, but then decided, “it sounds a bit crazy, but with her this can work.”
Welcome to o8 Labs
In the autumn 2022, I stumbled over the amazing opportunity to turn a flat in our amazing Starnberg surroundings (think: big trees, down there a big lake, backdrop with snow capped mountains) into a space to innovate. My hubbie and I had to dig deep to channeld our McDyver modes. Now my agency OVERW8 can provide you with 3 really nice workshop / meeting rooms with amazing views of the garden, a 2 meter broad vintage Bavarian schoolboard to serve as an oversized flipchart, lots of mental and physical space and all the favorite tools including electromagnetic postits of all sizes to get innovation done in style.
In the summer, we can work outside in the garden, the color palette and details are well thought through (well, can’t help it).
Did I mention the espresso machine is called Luigi?
Book an interview with me
Why don’t you let me know what you’ve got on your mind and what you’d (roughly) like to discuss. I will typically come back to you within 24 hrs. And in case it should be really really urgent, feel free to WA: 00491773715241.