There’s a German saying: Wer selbständig ist, arbeitet selbst und ständig. It means that being self-employed is something you devote yourself to at all times. And, of course, it isn’t always easy to combine my studies with my agency in terms of scheduling. Fortunately, I’ve only had to decide between the two on rare occasions, such as during a video production project in Berlin. In that case, the online study services at MBS during the COVID-19 pandemic were very helpful; I was able to attend my lectures and even took an exam in one of my customer’s meeting rooms. Besides working and studying, though, I also think it’s important to reserve some down time. In the Success Factor Happiness course with Prof. Dr. Schmidkonz, I learned how to deal with stress and concentrate on the things that matter. In my experience, knowing what my goals are, what I want to achieve, why I want to achieve it and for whom is a key insight for achieving balance in my day-to-day life.
My studies at MBS and my work with my agency have taught me a few things along the way. I would encourage you to expand your professional and private networks, approach others with an open mind and listen to them – and that’s something that I can still do better at times. My customers have almost all come about as a result of personal connections; I’ve hardly ever had to do cold calling. That said, it’s also important that you don’t just follow the cliché of self-employment, which I sometimes see on Instagram or LinkedIn. A business card with “CEO” on it doesn’t turn anyone into a serious business executive. In my opinion, the daily motivation to make progress and go the extra mile is the only way to achieve that. You need to focus on meeting your expectations of yourself and, with a little luck, maybe even exceed them. It can sometimes be difficult, tiring and stressful – but it’s worth it! Find out what you’re good at and then seize the opportunities that come to you. Your next idea could be your best.
