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Flashback 2019 – the year of Masterminding (mostly)

Flashback 2019 – the year of Masterminding (mostly)

by | Memory lane

“If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.”

Some say it’s an African proverb, I’m not sure about that. But that’s not the point – the point is what does it mean or how does it apply in our lives?

For me, personally, this meant that if I wanted to grow my business and get further, I had to change the way I thought about it. I decided at the end of 2018 that I needed more support to achieve what I had envisioned.

Initially my outlook for 2019 was

  • Keep on, keep on blogging – and with a little help from my friend’s and content coach, Judith “Sympatexter” Peters, I’m sure I’ll manage – mostly on track, although have not written nearly as much as I could have or wanted to. 
  • A four-week online course for women struggling in midlife – let the rebel out – not quite, but I did run an online course – more later
  • Find a new hobby – maybe take up swimming again.. Ähm, nooo. So I guess that is on the books for the new decade – 2020 here I come
  • Vacation to some exotic island – it’s amazing how time flies, and so, no, this didn’t happen either

My vision for the next 3 – 5 years was to support menopausal women to unearth a new side of themselves or re-invent for the better.

What I discovered along the way was that I wasn’t attracting menopausal women, but younger women under 30 who were suffering from all sorts of symptoms: from bulimia to panic attacks to self-worth issues. Most of them were severely traumatized – and had a LOT of suppressed ANGER.

This meant either my messaging wasn’t clear enough, or I wasn’t clear on what I was offering. Or maybe they saw me as a mother-figure. I felt honored to be able to support and inspire them, so I took on that challenge or adventure.

And then I was unsure of what language I should operate in. English? German?

All these questions resulted in me having to make a decision. 

I decided I was going to work in English – as having two languages means updating two websites – which if you didn’t know, is a crap load of work on your own – unless you have a team.

Without realizing it, my year turned out to be about growing my confidence, visibility and learning to “trust the process”. It was filled with Masterminding and group coaching – almost to the extent that that’s almost all that happened. Well, not really, but you get my drift.

The first of many to come started off in March where my buddies and I all met in Berlin for a 3 day weekend.

Next up was Zürich, then Hamburg and last but not least Bern (which was very special – as we spoke to a horse and got some insights to our business).

Other highlights of the year were:
  • 51st Birthday – Duh, why not 50th? and our Crappy Christmas Party
  • Painting Workshop offline – to the 5 Chinese elements
  • Online painting course – also to the 5 chinese elements
  • Sigrun Live
  • Hypnosis convention in Zürich
  • Attract your dream client workshop in Drent with Esther

The year of masterminding started in Berlin.

As everyone was arriving at different times we had the chance to do a little sightseeing and window shopping.

Some of the highlights were La Fayette – a wonderful shopping Gallery – if not for shopping (as I was travelling with only hand-luggage) at least a feast for the eye.

We even experienced the first international “Fridays for Future” that took place in Berlin on March 15th, 2019  which was attended by more than 2000 towns and cities in 125 countries. Well over a million young people worldwide took to the streets together to demonstrate for consistent climate protection.

We also had the pleasure of visiting Rausch’s Schokoladenhaus – another feast for the eyes (and stomach) – except I’m not a chocoholic so I didn’t indulge in those sweet temptations. And their chocolate sculptures are impressive to say the least.

Over the course of the weekend we did several vision exercises and it became clear in which direction I wanted to go. Women, intuitive painting, lightness, fun and transformation. My mastermind friends literally forced me into planning an offline workshop on intuitive painting.

Said and done – well not quite, because May was just around the corner and I needed to get my shit together i.e. organise all the materials needed and get the meditation ready – and not to forget work on my mindset of offering this course.

Berlin Mastermind

Mastermind Berlin

And so, the first workshop of many to come had been birthed.

Expressing emotions and discovering a healthy outlet for suppressed feelings.

The idea behind Connect Artfully was to connect with the heart using art. It’s an Intuitive, intentional and creative practice. It allows to identify and transform negative emotions into positive on a deeper level. Finding inner peace through creativity, rediscovering satisfaction and joy in everyday life and nurturing a long-forgotten side of oneself that is essential to wholeness, happiness and personal fulfillment.

We started with a guided meditation based on the 5 Chinese elements. During the workshop, the participants were taken on a journey through a relaxing meditation and visualisation technique to activate their thought awareness as well as their emotions and any other physical sensations. 

After the meditation they were then free to express whatever came up first using a dominant colour for a while to stay in a relaxed, meditative state. This was then followed by whatever colours called them.

Being in this meditative state allowed them to go with the flow. To not be in their heads and just allow what needed to come out. They described it as a peaceful, rewarding and satisfying time.

Some went deeper and deeper not being able to stop, others were done quickly. Some tweaked their paintings more and more not wanting it to end.

This workshop was a journey designed to help clear out obstacles and bring balance. Their inner dialogue became obvious and they had the opportunity to allow themselves to change it. It empowered some of them to shift emotional trauma, feelings of insecurity and process emotions for insightful value rather than avoid them as uncomfortable. Everyone felt a sense of release and also commented on how painting a wonderful medium is to get things flowing.

What a wonderful successful workshop and the feedback was amazing.

Releasing emotions through art Workshop

After the great success of the offline workshop the idea was borne to take it online – enter Somba Summer School. 

Luckily this was just around the corner and the perfect opportunity to test the waters and do a beta round.

The outcome blew my socks off – this was WAY more exciting and transforming than I could ever have imagined.

The participants were so engaged and motivated and joined our weekly calls from all over the world – India, Seychelles, UK, Germany, Italy, Ireland to mention just a few. 

The transformation was also incredible.

Anger, fear, deep hurt were all acknowledged and allowed to be expressed on canvas. Although this course was like an “anti-art” some of the participants made extraordinary paintings – so much talent – even though it was not about that…

Summer School 2019

And as one thing leads to another in life the next mastermind was on the cards – this time in Hamburg.

I seriously can’t remember what profound insights we had, but obviously food was at the centre… – check mastermind buddies…

Mastermind Hamburg

Somba – Be inspired, think big, take action

When you finish a training or further education as an adult, most often you are not given the tools to build a business. Yes, you’re now self-employed or an entrepreneur, but most often have no idea what the next steps are. Where was I going, what I was doing and most importantly what did I want to achieve?

I was clueless! I had a website, was on facebook and instagram – but apparently that was not what was needed to get me any traction.

I am forever grateful to have discovered this amazing coach. Without her I would have given up my business as a Kinesiologist and Hypnotherapist 2 years ago. 

Not only having discovered Sigrun and her group coaching, it has opened my world to so many amazing people, whether entrepreneurs or therapists. 

I can highly recommend a mastermind or a coach for anyone in business. The added value is simply priceless.

To top it all,  I was accepted to be a mentor in her online course. This was a sign of trust in my capabilities and potential.

Sigrun Live 2019

Hypnosis Convention November 2019

Seriously peeps (I know of someone who hates this word – and maybe you do too – but I don’t really like to say guys or girls/gals – so this is kind of gender neutral – and people, well, that also sucks…)

If you have done any kind of further education in whatever area it is – I can only recommend attending workshops or conventions or training days that they offer for further motivation, insights or inspiration!

This was soo aaaamazzzing. Thank you Hansruedi Wipf and your team for facilitating such an awesome, well organised thought through conference!

I attended some really inspiring classes with

Tanja Klaus – Hypnose und ätherische Öle
Bruno Erni – Jenseits der Logik? – Ja logisch
Eva Reich – Trauma Klienten noch besser unterstützen und begleiten

amongst others – and met many new aspiring hypnotists as well as seasoned therapists.

Hypnosis Convention Zürich 2019

Mastermind Bern was really a turnaround.

The interesting part about this weekend was the coaching

One of my mastermind partners, Selen, has a special gift. She can communicate with animals. Now if your imagination is running wild and you’re seeing pictures of talking horses or dogs, it is not. 😉 What she does is more on a subliminal level. I think there are different terms for it depending on how you express yourself. Some call it telepathy, others call it reading body language and micro-expressions, for some it is communication with the subconscious … I’ll leave it up to you what you call it.

As a teenager I had ridden horses, BUT then one day we went on a trip with a couple of families and horse riding was on the agenda. Well F*ck this took the adventure or experience to another level.

We were set up with horse on a farm/stable thingi. My horse decided he needed to put his hoof on my foot – and that was it folks – it was deemed for catastrophe. HE STOOD ON MY FOOT! and wouldn’t lift his leg or give way. Have you ever had a horse stand on your foot? 

You can imagine what happened next. As I obviously had no more control and he knew it – he ran away with me in the woods – and seriously peeps – i had a friggin fit. That was it – get that “monster” away from me!

So now our mastermind in Bern was coming up and I was nervous about meeting the horse. How would I react, how would he react? Turned out he was quite chilled – check him out having a laugh (or was it a yawn?)

We each had the chance to present a question and lead the horse around an obstacle course. The horse gave signals through his behaviour and attitude, reflecting how we felt about the situation. Selen helped interpret his behaviour into something we could understand.

Mastermind Bern

Other highlights of the year

Self hypnosis at the vocational school for Dental Assistants

As part of her exams my daughter did her final assignment on hypnosis. And as a kind of joke I asked her if her teacher and class would be interested in a group self-hypnosis demonstration.

I never for the life of me thought that the response would be positive. I nearly shat myself, and was soo nervous to present in front of a class of 22 young ladies. Would they laugh at me, be rude or indifferent?

The outcome was not at all what I expected! They were friendly (if not a little shy), interested and totally game.

Thank you ladies for being so open and being part of a wonderful workshop!

Self-hypnosis workshop

Omni hypnosis turns 40

You know you’re part of a great stable institution when they get to celebrate their 40th birthday and you get party with them. OMNI stands for solid hypnotherapy.

Gerald F. Kein founded the OMNI Hypnosis Training Center in Florida, USA in 1979.  In 2012 this process was also further refined by Hansruedi Wipf and was certified according to ISO 9001 as the worldwide first hypnosis process ever in March 2015.

No matter where in the world you take part in an OMNI training, you get the same learning contents of highest quality. Each trainer has his/her own style but we are united by a joint identification with OMNI as brand and its philosophy.

Omni Hypnosis turns 40!

Organisation operation – Digitalisation and more

Theoretically – I love structure, organisation and planning – implementing is another thing..⁣
In my life as a back-office manager I was used to planning, organising and structuring everything for the business and everyone else.⁣
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Practically – since becoming self-employed it has kind of gotten out of hand.⁣
Having said that, I still haven’t found the perfect tool where everything fits into one spot. I guess there isn’t.⁣
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Sharing a calendar with the whole family and one for clients and other private events can be quite a daunting challenge. I use google calendar, outlook calendar, an online booking tool for client’s appointments (connected with gmail).⁣
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Client dossiers old fashion on paper and then filed in a cabinet for vertical hanging files. Need a solution there – like a CRM where the docs are digital and invoices/receipts, contacts etc are all in one place⁣
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Social media planning: excel for blog articles, sometimes later.com for Instagram posts that are not spontaneous or longer, facebook posts are a bit on the back burner.⁣
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Trello for daily/monthly project to-do’s⁣
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Projects on the to-do-list:⁣
Digitalisation of office docs/invoices etc – getting all the relevant (important) docs scanned and saved in the cloud – and really only keeping the most crucial docs in files.⁣
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Decluttering all the thousands of notes that I take on mastermind calls and other interesting podcasts or videos. I’m thinking of investing in a rocketbook and making all my notes digital on evernote.⁣

Overwhelmed? Me too!⁣

I bought new bookshelves with doors as the old ones were over 20 years old and showing their age – so all of the files that were kept are hidden “behind closed doors”.

As for going digital – I was way too optimistic and instead of doing things parallel I went straight to eliminating the paper docs which resulted in total chaos and many unpaid bills. Well, I didn’t really eliminate the paperwork because a little voice in the back of my head was telling me to “maybe” save them for just incase..

Thank goodness – I was almost up shit creek without a paddle. Can you imagine what would have happened if I had shredded all those invoices? Yeah, reminders and inevitably dunning letters.

Survived – but, that is a HUGE project that I will need to tackle next year.

Organisation operation

Organisation operation

Live workshop in Eext with Esther

It’s wonderful when you can meet up with people that you’ve only met online in real life. It just makes the relationship that you’ve established so much stronger.

I met Esther at Sigrun live in 2018 and as part of our mini mastermind session, she really spoke to my heart. Being or becoming the rebel that was deep inside. Getting out there with my message. It’s only taken me like a year to kind of let that sink in and appreciate what that means for me and my business.

This workshop was about being a brave entrepreneur. Learning about personal branding: what components are important – and maybe already present, or what still needs to be implemented. And not just about having a website or a logo. How do we show up daily and how do we consciously differentiate ourselves from our peers. What is our zone of genius and

Esther is the Founder of Brave Branding. She’s famous for co-creating unapologetically authentic unique Brave Brands for her clients as an international Personal Brave Branding Queen, business soul whisperer and author.

To quote her: “Do you fear that people see you as different, weird, loud, too soft, too outspoken too colorful! Congratulations 🎊 When you have something Important to say being different is the best thing that can happen to you! Personal Branding is all about differentiation. To stand out amongst your peers.⠀So, please show up! Not when you’re perfect (cause perfect is boooring) but right now! TODAY!!⠀Feeling ‘Weird’ – the real you – is the best, most effective marketing material you’ve got!⠀⁣⁣You are way to awesome to hide”

Bravo Esther for being the real deal, originally authentically wonderfully weird! Love you the way you are.

Live day at Restaurant Rikus in Eext with Esther

Paper and digital notebooks – a game changer

Well heck, I’m a note-taker. And so I have post-its all over the place, notes written on blocks, filed in files, in notebooks and on the computer or wherever – and the thing is, they all get jumbled together somewhere and never looked at again.

SOOOOO, I decided to invest in a Rocketbook which I mentioned in my operation organisation post.

OMG I’m stoked! Amazing how small things can change your “life”…

So now I can write to my heart’s content, decide where it’s going and scan it to my drive – whichever one for whichever content.. I guess not for everyone that wants to go digital.

But otherwise, I can only recommend this. Even if you never look at your notes or scribbles again – it still helps to keep the environment a little friendly and green.

my absolute favourite small gift to myself this year – Rocketbook

My conclusions from 2019

The year just seemed to race by. They say that time flies when you’re having fun.

I spent soo much time on my business. Learning, researching, masterminding and planning – and less on really executing and working in the business.

I had the courage to invest in myself, was part (and still am) of an awesome mastermind group. Learned to become more visible despite the love/hate relationship with social media. Learning to #trusttheprocess and that I am worthy and capable.

Outlook for 2020

  • What I want for 2020 amongst other things.

Time – to do the things I love – whether it’s running a business or exploring new hobbies e.g. pottery or painting.
Home – a place to live wherever I chose to – in a moderate climate, at the sea or in the mountains – I’m dreaming BEACHES.
Money  – to be able to support families that might need health care support or are struggling financially and need a kickstart.

At the end of the day may there be more sales… because without sales we have no money and without money we cannot live. We can only give in abundance if we have an abundance ourselves. 

  • Selfmade Summit with Sigrun – the conference of the year 2020 for female online entrepreneurs. This is going to be EPIC!
    Want to join me and hundreds of other female entrepreneurs? Sign up here

Self made summit with Sigrun in Iceland 2020

My word for 2020 – PEACE

Inner peace – peace of mind, freedom from fear, less stress and anxiety, less worry, harmony in personal relationships.

 

Peace

 

You want more?

Here are more year reviews 2019 from other women entrepreneurs! Women who dare to dream big and take action!

English:

Sigrun: 2019, A Year in Review
Michelle Petit: 2019 You have made me been seen!

German:

Judith “Sympatexter” Peters: Mein Jahresrückblick 2019: the minor fall(s), the major lift
Anne Retter: Schöpfergeists Jahresrückblick 2019: Mein Online-Business aufbauen
Michaela Schächner: Mein Jahr 2019, Das Aufdecken meines eigenen WARUM hat mir Flügel verliehen
Ingrid Angehrn Dewulf: 2019, du warst eine Achterbahnfahrt!
Daniela Persike: 2010 bis 2019. Menschenskinders, ihr wart vielleicht aufregend. Der Dekadenrücklick einer Jobreisenden.
Maria Busque: Mein Jahresrückblick 2019: ein einziges Experiment
Marta Thut: Körbechliebe: 2019 – Ein Jahresrückblick

How was your year? Do you want to featured here? You are also welcome to link to your own review of the year 2019 in the comments. 🙂

Review February 2019

Review February 2019

by | Memory lane

End of February – it’s that time of the month.

This is actually quite a good exercise and serves as a sort of journal for me. I kind of haven’t transitioned from the paper type  (as in a physical journal) to the digital type (like taking notes on the phone or using an app or platform online). Well realistically, I struggled with the paper type too…

Review of the preview – What I had in store for February

  • Marketing for website – facebook ads for local? Ooookkayy. No, didn’t get done..
  • Update work with me/homepage/about me – Never ending story and a process in and of itself
  • Positioning and branding? Another one of those things not done – or maybe?

Process Communication Model® – PCM – The art of adaptive communication

As part of an advanced training in hypnosis my colleagues and I were introduced to the Process Communication Model®. It is an innovative tool based on human behavior which enables the user to understand how and why people communicate.

According to the PCM, individual personality structure is comprised of six types of personality. Each of us has all six of the personality types defined by Kahler. Those six types, however, are present in differing orders and in differing strengths.

PCM personalities

PCM personalities

By getting to know ourselves and understanding the personality types of the people in our lives, we can dramatically change the way we communicate and motivate.

According to the insights of my colleagues I’m a Rebel:

Rebel is a very creative person who tends to find solutions in situations when others see only problems. He is spontaneous, playful and able to turn a boring task into a game. Rebel reacts to people and things with likes and dislikes. He is a source of positive energy and enthusiasm for others and is therefore gladly invited to numerous gatherings.

Not sure about the spontaneous and playful – but it does match up with my claim – “Rebel with a cause”

Social Media and my challenges with it

As an introvert and someone who does not necessarily like being on social media, it’s a tough thing being visible. There are soo many platforms that are recommended for marketing and just being out there. These platforms includes Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter to mention just a few. Deciding on which platform to use is also a challenge. Where will my ideal clients find me, what kind of content do they want to see, how can I engage with them or get them to engage with me?

I started off on Instagram with quote of the day. Coming up with something relevant, inspiring or motivating can become quite a task.

Starting with an excel table I surfed the internet for positive nouns, verbs and adjectives. Next up finding quotes on the words and then individualising them with my thoughts and insights. I posted 3 times a day on Instagram for two weeks. That was exhausting. Even if you can automate (shock!) almost everything in today’s day and age, there still has to be some thought behind it all. What, how often, how relevant, more selfies etc etc etc.- and for me, the look of the grid. Most people would probably not understand that part, but Hey, maybe that’s just me.

Instagram feed

Instagram feed

Reading is one of my passions and it became an important part of the month

In January I took part in an online summit called the Self Sabotage Summit, hosted by Helen Maffini. One of the presenters was Curt Thompson. After watching his presentation I was intrigued to say the least and bought his book. In this book Dr. Thompson reveals how it is possible to rewire your mind by altering your brain patterns. It integrates knowledge from neuroscience with insights from the worlds of psychology and spirituality. I find the concept very interesting as he writes about a new way of understanding and experiencing life with God but also using the language of neuroscience and attachment.

Anatomy of the soul – Curt Thompson, M.D. – Surprising connections between neuroscience and spiritual practices that can transform your life and relationships

Anatomy of the soul

Anatomy of the soul

 

The subtle art of not giving a f*ck – Mark Manson – A counterintuitive approach to living a good life

Next on the agenda was a book that was given rave reviews by a couple of colleagues and friends. If you’re not into profanity – then maybe this is not for you, HOWEVER, I found it very enlightening and for me it made a lot of sense. Amongst a lot of other things  he talks about Alan Watts “the backwards law”. – The desire for more positive experience is itself a negative experience. And, paradoxically, the acceptance of one’s negative experience is itself a positive experience.

The subtle art of not giving a f3ck

The subtle art of not giving a f3ck

 

Outlook/Forecast March 2019

Mastermind in Berlin with my favourite business ladies

Keeping up on social media – need to work on a tactic or automate it more.

And last but not least , keeping up with the blogging.

I am so grateful to have accountability buddies in my coaching and mastermind. I would be lost without their support and guidance, inspiration and motivation.

Till next time

jenne

 

Confessions of a rebel with a cause

Confessions of a rebel with a cause

by | Memory lane

What is a confession – or an admission statement. And what does that have to do with me?

 

Where does one start, how deep do you go and how personal do you get? Are you ready for a shitstorm, being attacked on social media or privately?

Who gives a sh*t anyway? OOOHHH, this is going to be interesting, this confession.

The list of attack is endless when it comes to making a confession. So why am I? Well, I’m a rebel with a cause – so what, you might ask. It does actually make sense, though, in my line of duty, which I will illustrate later.

 

As a kid, as far back as I can remember, I was a little rebel. Then I became a bigger rebel and then a real big rebel. But then one day I decided to try to become a “normal” human being.

My first memories of being a rebel are at about the age of three. My mom had probably told me to do something and I thought – I don’t think so. I packed my little brown suitcase and walked out the door. I was leaving home. Or so I thought. Anyways, off I marched, down the road on my way to ?. I didn’t get very far. About 200 metres down the road there was a house with two huge dogs –  alsatians!. As I approached the garden gate they started barking loudly and aggressively. Oops, maybe I didn’t want to leave home at all. I don’t remember how I got home, but I obviously did as the next years were spent there.

brown suitcase

Little brown suitcase – the closest I could get to the original – I don’t have photo’s of it from that time.

 

The ice cream man and another occasion to break out.

At school there was this ice cream truck or bicycle dude that used to sell ice creams during break. I must have been about 8 or so at the time. My mom always used to pack a sandwich for snack break and never would give me money for an ice cream. I decided to take matters into my own hand.

ice-cream-truck

Ice cream trike ala those days

I plotted out a plan and engaged the help of a friend. We went round the neighbourhood, house to house, and sold tickets to an imaginary ballet concert on the weekend. All they needed to do was give me 10 or 20 cents upfront and then pick up their tickets at the event. Every person, that was home, gave me a small amount and at the end of the afternoon I had a little plastic bag full of coins. I obviously hadn’t thought further than the tip of my nose, because next morning my mom put my sandwich in my little brown suitcase, and discovered my treasure. Can you imagine what happened next?

Well, I had to go back to every single one of my sponsors and give them back their donation. How embarrassing that was? And then, I was late for school and my mom got the teacher to come out of class. To top it all she explained to her why I was late for school. OMGosh. That was even more humiliating.

Lesson learned? As far as that was concerned, yes. BUT, that wasn’t the end of my rebellious days.

I’m going to leave it up to your imagination what kind of trouble I got into as the years went by. I’m not going to tell you though, yet (maybe never), as my kids might read this and pick up ideas – and we’re not going there…

Another part of the “rebellion” as a young adult was to leave home at the age of 21 and travel through Europe. With nothing more than a backpack, CHF 500, a return ticket to southern Africa and an initial starting point in Switzerland – off I went.

Being in a foreign country, not speaking the language or knowing the culture it was important to fit in and not feel like an outsider.

At some point later during my travel adventure, learning the language and trying to adjust to a different culture and mentality, I met my husband. We got married and had kids (long story short). That was the start of a new challenge in life. Grow up, become an adult, be responsible, do what society expects of you, don’t rock the boat. Be grounded, complaisant. At the same time hold a good job, run a household, be a good mother, wife and and and ……

And with that losing my own identity – or was it?

Learning the language, looking back now, was the easiest part of the puzzle.

Swiss German

Swiss German

So what does this have to do with me in today and here?

Now, over 8 years ago, we were living on a smallholding out of town and I was feeling lost and insecure. Not knowing what my purpose was, having kids with issues, I decided to look into broadening my knowledge which led to another outlook on life.

I started studying Kinesiology which led to learning Hypnotherapy. Which in turn led to doing all sorts of extra courses – in the search of “my identity”. Looking for the person I used to be. Gone were those days, but, the future held potential.

Over the last 9 years my life has changed a lot. What is a lot? Well, I have learned the importance of self care, self love and believing in my capabilities. Not that I also do what I know I should – i.e. get the right amount of sleep, exercise regularly, regular healthy meals, less stress etc etc etc.

A rebel is a person who stands up for their own personal opinions despite what anyone else says. A true rebel stands up for what they believe is right, not against what’s right. According to the Urban dictionary.

Now don’t get me wrong – there are a million other definitions, explanations and illustrations of what being a rebel means. Not all are positive. I’ll stick with the one from urban dictionary for the moment.

For me that means not compromising my individuality or opinion. Being honest about what is important for me. “Taking back” my identity which is always a work in process – i know that is sooooooooo generic. Helping other women to regain their inner strength and do what they believe in, or find a way to embrace their future in a different way.

The reason for this confession is to inspire and encourage who ever else is feeling the same to step out and reclaim their rebel.

Another confession… I’m not going to confess all my rebel acts, as that will definitely either:

  1. Cause a shit storm
  2. Give kids ideas – if they read the blog, which they might
  3. My mom might have a heart attack
  4. This is not an absolution – as in the catholic church

It’s never too late, but never early enough to realise that being a “rebel” can also mean taking responsibility for YOUR life. If you aren’t happy, how can you be of service to anyone else, whether children, partner, parents, colleagues or co-workers.

So there you have it – my Geständnis…

Oh and BTW – I invested in a great book: The subtle art of not giving a f*ck by Mark Manson
Maybe subject for a review in the future.

The subtle art of not giving a f3ck

The subtle art of not giving a f3ck

 

For a free discovery session, contact me here.

To read more about me, go here

Review January 2019

Review January 2019

by | Memory lane

January – A celebratory start to the New Year

So why write a monthly review in January? Visibility of course. Will anybody read this? I have no clue, and at the end of the day it’s irrelevant as I’m initially writing this for myself – kind of like an online journal.

This isn’t my first review – but my first monthly review. The last one was a Flashback 2018.
So when reviewing a previous month it can be quite overwhelming. Where does one start? Going through the calendar of events and appointments? Browsing through all the photos on the phone? Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (hhhmm – not active there) or any other online or social media activity?

Setting up a structure is important, so as mentioned above, I’ll start with my calendar, photos and then Instagram.

 

January – the month of many birthdays, festivities and celebrating becomes a bit much

My birthday is at the beginning of the month, which as a kid was not good timing… Christmas, New Year and then a birthday. Everyone is kind of sick of celebrating by then. Not to mention all the presents received for Christmas and then what do you gift for a birthday?

Anyways…. So this year, having not celebrated my big birthday last year, I decided to have a very spontaneous apero. I did not anticipate so much reaction as it is also Christmas holiday time. So many of my favourite people came by to give a toast and join me in celebrating my new life year.

 

Birthday apero with fave peeps

 

Crappy christmas present party – or white elephant gift exchange

Every year a bunch of us girlfriends have a get together party for a “Crappy Christmas Presents”exchange. I don’t know where the initial idea came from, but it’s a good excuse for all to meet up at the beginning of the year. Ok, hold on a sec, I think I might have to google that. So apparently it comes from the white elephant gift exchange according to Wikipedia.

General rules of the game

  1. each person brings a wrapped, unmarked gift (really crappy gift) received
  2. they are all placed under the christmas tree (which in some cases has not been taken down yet) or a designated spot
  3. each guest draws a random number from a hat (or other container)
  4. Person assigned with #1 picks a gift and opens for all to see
  5. Person with #2 gets the choice of stealing gift #1 or chosing a wrapped one from the heap
  6. if #2 steals #1 gift, then #1 gets to choose and open another gift
  7. As each player takes their turn, they either select a new gift or take any already opened gift from any of the other players
  8. the gift exchange ends when the last wrapped gift is chosen and opened

In all the years we’ve been meeting up and exchanging gifts there seem to be “evergreens” e.g. that favourite jumper (jersey) that nobody wants but it keeps returning, the reading glasses that close on the nose (and go around the head), the tiny little hip flask not to mention the dubious chocolate fondue set or the scary hot sauce. (note the description….)

 

Crappy christmas present party

 

Research, online course, social media – it just never ends

So what else did the January hold in store?

Researching / Learning the ins and outs of online business. Find my tribe, create great content, set up a newsletter, update the website etc etc etc.

Blogging – With a little help from my friend and content coach, Judith “Sympatexter” Peters, and her Content-Erfolgs-Kurs, I’m on my way to getting out there.

The plan is to blog weekly, post on Instagram regularly, use Facebook to its full potential, keep people posted in LinkedIn and Xing, update Pinterest – did I forget Twitter? AAARRRGGHH.

Social media activity

 

OMGosh. So why the hell on all those platforms? Well, VISIBILITY. If you’re not visible you can’t sell your services to guide and support or help people. Or if you’re in another business e.g. art or cosmetics, you can’t sell your products if nobody knows you exist.

So there my old friends, new friends and family. This is what the January held in store.

OUTLOOK FEBRUARY 2019

Further education – ChiroTrans Hypnosis
Marketing for website – facebook ads for local clients
Update the website – a never ending project

More info about me you can read here or here.
To get in contact with me go here

Look forward to seeing you on the other side.

Flashback 2018

Flashback 2018

by | Memory lane

FLASHBACK 2018

Half a century, shattered memories, greener pastures

and moving on into the future with lots of masterminding

with inspiring and motivating friends and partners.

 

Half a century

HECK! Half a century? How did time go by so fast?

I still feel like I’m 18 (maybe 21 – that’s an adult, not?) and sometimes have no clue whether I’m coming or going.

Ok, so they say that midlife and menopause are second puberty.

And to quote Brené Brown: “Midlife is not a crisis. Midlife is an unraveling. By definition, you can’t control or manage an unraveling. You can’t cure the midlife unraveling with control any more than the acquisitions, accomplishments, and alpha-parenting of our thirties cured our deep longing for permission to slow down and be imperfect.”

Well, then, we have a lot of unravelling to do…

So to celebrate my big day, instead of having a huge bash, the family spent the evening with me, celebrating.

And look at all those awesome, beautiful flower bouquets – I LUV flowers

Family time celebrations

Flowers and more flowers

Shattered memories

After somehow not having a crisis about turning 50, I was not spared from another one.

Crockery that I was given for my 20th birthday was going to make its way from Namibia to Switzerland. Unfortunately, very unfortunately, it was not handled with care on it’s journey, and arrived in bits and pieces.

I was devastated. The memories, the anticipation of “souveniring the past” – SHATTERED.

Nearly a year has gone by, and the odds and ends are carefully packed in the box awaiting life support. I guess I’ll have to chose the most precious piece to have it saved, as alas, patching them all up will probably take another life time and cost an arm and a leg.

At least 3 of the coffee mugs (especially that of my beloved dad, who is now in heaven – how do I know he’s in heaven, coz I just know) survived the ordeal.

I know, I know … don’t get on my case – this is a first world problem…

shattered…

bit n pieces

more shattered

survivors

Sigrun live

As i mentioned in my last post – I spent two weeks in Sri Lanka at an Ayurveda retreat at the end of 2017. I guess the midlife unravelling hadn’t hit home – and it felt more like a crisis. I needed to get my head and heart sorted out. My business as a Kinesiologist and Hypnotherapist had taken off – but not enough for me to leave my JOB (just over broke) status.

Coming or going? Starting or stopping?
What to do, what to do…
Decisions, decisions…

Well, around that time and especially toward Christmas this inspiring lady kept popping up in my news feed, and in January was offering an online coaching for 2018.

Soooo, having sussed her out for a while, devouring all the brilliant free content she has to offer, I decided it was now or never. SOMBA was booked.

End of January was the first live event where I met some super inspiring entrepreneurs, amongst other, my first new online-mastermind buddy. I had never in my life expected to do something quite as crazy as this. All jokes aside – this new territory scared the living sh**  aka daylights out of me, and it threw me a curve. What the hell did I think I was doing? Am I really a solopreneur?

But as we say, it’s now a thing of the past, (well not really as I’m still in the midst of it)  – and we keep on marching forward. Going through the process of growing, becoming braver, being more visible and learning to navigate rough waters – whatever that means to you, for me it means getting out there in public space…

Sigrun Live January 2018

Somba Buddy

Camping for old people – or for the not faint at heart…

Another “don’t get on my case – this is first world”

We have a caravan in the mountains close to Walensee, Canton St. Gallen – for those of you who don’t know where that is – you can go and google it later – I’m not going to link it for you HAHAHA. Geography homework baby…

And every year we spend some time there in winter skiing and in summer hiking (well, we used to… hike that is). HOWEVER, with the kids going through puberty and all that fun stuff, it’s just the hubby and I that really go up there at the moment. Spending time in nature, with no loud music, no parties till who know’s when, no all-nighters.

Camping – Oberterzen – Canton St. Gallen

Summer floods

So having spent a peaceful weekend in the mountains, life gets back to normal. Or so one thinks…

There were freak storms in and around the area we live in and many houses/homes were flooded. Thank goodness we were spared the drama – many neighbours not. Almost the whole settlement got involved with the clean up. Terraces, cellars and garages were under water and some severe damage was done. Luckily no-one was injured.

flooding everywhere

clean up work

Kids growing up

And just when you think things are calming down and getting quieter, the next event takes place. That’s how you know you’re getting older (OLD). The baby of the family gets confirmed. A signal that the kids are growing up, becoming mature and hopefully wiser.

Confirmation 2018

What happened to small children??

“Furry friends”

Because of the high temperatures and little to no rain, a lot of animals were at danger of dehydrating. We knew we had a hedgehog in our garden, but were pleasantly surprised when we discovered that they had had offspring. These little guys (or girls – didn’t check…) were very grateful for the supplies during those rough times.

big furry

little furries

SOMBA Summer school

As part of my coaching we were challenged to create an online summer school four weeks course.

Challenge accepted – and a challenge it was…

It was also one of the most fun, invigorating, motivating part of my business this year. The course was for women in menopause striving to regain energy and vitality with a simple effective technique – Tapping or EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) as some know it.

Now most business owners believe that nothing can be accomplished during the summer here in the northern hemisphere. Well, let me tell you, that was not the case for me. I had lots of wonderful active ladies in my summer course, who engaged, contributed and learned a lot! This was an excellent experience for us all. So, hence, the online course adventure will continue in the new year. I want to support, guide and inspire more women in midlife and menopause to empower them to unleash their “rebel” inside and discover a new outlook on life.

SOMBA summer school offer

Summer holidays: Algarve, Portugal

Half way through the course – summer holidays happened. Told you…

My daughter and I went on a short “excursion” to the Algarve, Portugal to visit a friend I hadn’t seen in 20 years. Those friendships are the best – the ones where you haven’t seen each other since forever – and at the same time when reunited you feel you saw them at least a week or two ago.

It was also during the time of the heatwave and raging wildfires in the southern region of Portugal. The ambiance was quite surreal – almost like one would expect the end of the world to look like, and the distance from the fires was over 60 km.

Faro old town

Friends forever

End of the world

Apocalypse over Albufeira

“Greener” pastures

Hardly back from taking a break the next thing to tackle was the move of my practice in our health clinic. There was room for improvement and as the room had become too small, the best decision was to move – so, move I did – into a more airy, spacious and light environment. Ready to welcome more patients and clients.

New practice room

Where the magic happens

Sigrun live October 2018

October rounds the corner and it’s once again time for a live event weekend with Sigrun. As an extension of my coaching which is now transitioned into a mastermind I get to meet my buddies live after having weekly calls online. What an event! And what lovely ladies.

If you’re an entrepreneur – or aspiring to be one – I can HIGHLY recommend you find a mastermind, whether it’s where I am, or with someone else. It’s a big game changer in business.

Very special lady – Sigrun

Super masterminding friends

Socialising and keeping up with the Joneses – but not in a material way

The year is slowly drawing to a close and I feel that apart from a lot of business, my social life has kind of dwindled.

Wait, no, there was something. Fondue night with more neighbours and friends, with a lot of laughter and shenanigans. The guys were there too but they were in charge of cooking and taking films and photos.

the pose

friends and family

shenanigans

The next best ring thing

Another highlight of the year was the eventual arrival of the long awaited Oura ring. HUH, what’s so special about that?

Well, hubby’s wedding ring got lost in a major clean out and so instead of buying new wedding rings, we decided to invest (yes invest) in something that could be beneficial to our health. Well, not really beneficial health wise – but in a way that we can track all sorts of stuff that could be relevant to our health and tweak where necessary.

So what is so unique about this ring. Well, it tracks all sorts of stuff: sleep, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, activity and last but not least, readiness.  You can go and check them out here. I might even have a discount code if you’re interested.

the Oura ring

MY Oura ring

Continuing education –  Hypnowaving ???

And as time doesn’t stand still – and further training is essential I want on to learn the ins and outs of Hypnowaving – EMDR for Hypnotherapists. Short and sweet – no explanation needed… or maybe… Ok so what is hypnowaving or EMDR?

According to psychology today “EMDR is a unique, nontraditional form of psychotherapy designed to diminish negative feelings associated with memories of traumatic events. Unlike most forms of talk therapy, EMDR focuses less on the traumatic event itself and more on the disturbing emotions and symptoms that result from the event.”

EMDR for Hypnotherapists..

Hypnowaving Certification

Masterminding

The end of the year has almost arrived. Another special way to celebrate and create for the new year. A weekend with like-minded entrepreneurs to mastermind.

We travelled from near and far (Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Bern and Zürich) and we had an amazing weekend! We worked hard – masterminded till….., cooked and ate together, and had a bottle or two to celebrate our beliefs in each other and our dreams and aspirations.

We also realised, in the aftermath of the “battle” – that we will have to let the universe take charge of the decisions we made and let things be – sound weird, well hell yeah…

Hope this inspires any of you solo/entrepreneurs out there to do something similar – it is priceless and so invaluable!”

Masterminding with my buddies

Masterminding celebrations

OUTLOOK FOR 2019

2019 will definitely NOT be boring. There are more things on planned that mentioned here.

BUT this blog post is SOOOOOOOO LOOOONNNG that if anyone has got so far down, they deserve a medal!

  • Keep on, keep on blogging – and with a little help from my friend’s and content coach, Judith “Sympatexter” Peters, I’m sure I’ll manage.
  • A four week online course for women struggling in midlife – let the rebel out
  • Find a new hobby – maybe take up swimming again..
  • Vacation to some exotic island
A day in the life of…

A day in the life of…

by | Memory lane

If anyone had told me a year ago, 27. November 2017, that I would start writing blog posts I would have laughed my head off and probably hysterically. Hysterically because, writing blog posts are not fun, or so I thought then (- still not sure), and hysterical because of the thought “who the heck is interested in what I have to say anyway”.

And actually a year ago I was enjoying Ayurveda treatments in Sri Lanka… (maybe a blog post for another day 😉  – had no intention of blogging and no idea that I would be looking for a coach…

Well, here we go. This might not be my first blog post, it’s my third, but the direction where this is going is different.

 

To blog or not to blog

So, for me to learn the ins and outs of blogging, I’m doing a blog crash course with Judith “Sympatexter” Peters. Judith is hilarious, as in a VERY good way. She knows how to tell stories that keep one engaged till the end. I’m aspiring to be like her.

What happened to the other blog posts? Not believing in myself enough to write them, which in hindsight is probably rubbish, well, (hides face in shame – not really HAHA) I bought them. Better said, I had someone finish them up for me (and paid them). Amazing what you can buy on the internet…

The posts were not about me and what i do but more like an overview of the methods that I “practice”. Practice is also not a good explanation because that would mean I don’t really know what I’m doing or not experienced. So let’s try and define this a little better – practice as in perform or carry out or administrate. Sounds quite profound, what… Thank goodness for the internet, AGAIN.

They’re still there if you want to go and compare… here and here.

Working in/on the practice

Insights on short sightedness – is that a word???

Next on the agenda for today is picking up my new glasses. I’m short sighted… well have become with age… An interesting concept. Not the age part, the other one.

According to dictionary.com short sightedness also means “lacking imagination or foresight”.

Heck! I am definitely not lacking in imagination – as for foresight – again dictionary.com comes to help:  “the ability to predict what will happen or be needed in the future.”

So to the foresight (Imagination’s been covered) – I’m not a fortune teller (or “future” teller) BUT i do have help in getting done what needs to get done. I’m part of a coaching called SOMBA – Sigrun’s online MBA. This has practically saved my life. Well kinda. If it weren’t for the course and the community I would probably still be hiding behind my laptop and not about to share with the world what I’m up to. Pretty scary thought…

Sigrun is so inspiring. Her motto is: Be inspired, Think big and Take Action.

And my masterminding buddies are the best!

 

I’m not an affilliate – in case you were wondering

Taking action after thinking big and being inspired

Sooooo me being inspired, thinking big and taking action agreed to do an article for a health guide that will be published in Canton Zurich for a year and placed in doctor’s offices, pharmacies, local municipalities and who knows where else – everywhere…

This is how the publishing company describes it: “The “health guide for the whole family” is a competent guide for people of all ages and reports up-to-date and informative from the areas: Health & nutrition, Therapies & Healing Methods, Fitness & Exercise, Wellness & Beauty and Tax & Law.”

My contribution is on Hypnosis during Menopause.. And mid life. What we women experience, what hypnosis is (not too much detail – there wasn’t enough space in the article…) and how it can help with climacteric syndrome.

For my german speaking friends to find out more hop on over here.

Gesundheitsratgeber – LDK Verlag

So there we have it. Survived the task at hand of blogging and am looking forward to doing more in the future.

And apparently I like starting sentences with “SO” and love using dotdotdot’s…….