Building a Business That Supports Your Life, Not the Other Way Around

I burned out at a digital agency in 2023. Exhausted by the structure, no ownership, either overwhelmed or underwhelmed and bored to the bones... Beginning of 2024, I quit my full-time job and went to Asia to teach yoga.

Most people expected me to "follow my passion." I tried. Then I realized something more mature: passion alone doesn't pay your bills. What actually changed everything was asking better questions:
What drains me? What gives me energy? What am I already good at that creates real value?

This talk is the honest version of that story. Not the polished LinkedIn post, but the actual decisions, the scary months, the identity shifts, and the clarity that came from choosing freedom over security.

I'll share how I went from stuck in a corporate agency in Berlin to running a growing freelance business from Berlin, Goa, Sri Lanka. With real clients, real income, and a life I actually designed on purpose.

I'll talk about why "follow your passion" is a little bit of a bullsh*t, why freelancing won't save you from burnout (but focus&clarity will!), and how to build a business around your lifestyle instead of sacrificing your life for your business.

This is especially relevant for women navigating career transitions, motherhood, or that moment where you know something has to change but you don't know what comes next. It's a real talk from someone still figuring it out and building something beautiful in the process.