From profession to passion – An interview with Michaela Sauerwein

Michaela, do you believe in the concept of a ‘vocation’?

Vocation is a big word, personally I would rather speak of passion. Passion for what I do, for the people I work with and for the best solution for my clients.

Would you say you’ve found your passion?

Yes, absolutely! I now have the opportunity to support people and companies – either as a coach or as a consultant. A wonderful task that fulfills me very much.

Do your childhood career dreams coincide with your current job?

No, not at all, I was convinced until my 18th birthday that I would become a vet. After that, I simply tried things out and got a taste of many different areas and industries. It was a long journey to find out what I really, really want – to quote Frithjof Bergmann.

What motivates you most in your job?

I am a door opener – I open up (solution) spaces that were not previously open or visible to my clients. When they then enter them and explore their solution spaces and solutions, goals, strategies and successes emerge from them, that is my greatest motivator.

If you want to pursue your passion, you sometimes have to make fundamental changes. What advice do you have for dealing with fear of change?

Yes, that’s true, sometimes fundamental changes are scary. What I recommend here are two things – to answer the simple question: “What is the worst thing that could happen?”. If you name the elephant in the room, it suddenly doesn’t seem so big anymore. And then it takes courage to take the first step.