FROM CORPORATE LEADER TO CONSCIOUS SCALING

Skillionaires Podcast – Episode 20

Anna Schmidt

[Dr. Angela Thomas]

Very welcome in this episode of Skillners, the podcast where story stick and strategy scale. And here with me is Anna Schmidt. Thank you for being here.

And I have a lot of questions. Questions to you. I saw you on Gladiator Summit and wow, the first speech on stage, it was like goosebumps everywhere.

And you had such a good anchor of actually getting that energy transported into the daily task. And Anna, if I can introduce you to her, is somebody who has left the corporate world with many tasks and many successes there, or big leaders transforming lives, right? And I wanted to pick your brain on how you did that.

And why was it actually, and where was the beginning of that, that you say, okay, corporate world, I'm gonna leave. I know a lot of people who want to go inside the corporate world, but leaving it is something I wanted to know. Let me know how and why.

[Anna Schmidt]

Yeah, thank you so, so much. First, it's a huge honor that you invited me here. Thank you so much for having me and for, yeah, enjoying the time together for us enjoying the session during the Gladiator Summit.

Your own story, I really wanted to see and hear more about it. Yeah, the transformation. I mean, I grew into the corporate world because honestly, I moved from Kazakhstan as a German Russian.

So my parents literally had to start from zero in Germany. And I had always these big dreams. One day I wanted to have it all.

So the first thought to achieve it was for me, the typical educational side, right? You do your school, you do your education, you do university, you go into a big company, you travel the world. Well, I did indeed.

And I was super happy. So my last station, I was working for SAP, the global software company. Incredible, like, I still love it.

I left with a bleeding heart. I was successful, I was climbing the careers. But to be very honest, the first awakening, let's say it this way, came, especially if we were working in this corporate world was, I was working in an international sales role.

And when my first child came, and this feeling of from one moment to the other, when I went to maternity leave, and literally someone just made a cut. From one day to another, I had no access to any emails. All my clients, everything I was worked for, you know, all the years I had the feeling, what is this?

I mean, on one side, it was good to be there for the baby. Detach. To detach, but it is a big part of your identity, right?

It was. So I, that was the first, like, awakening I had, like, wow, you created something. And now just someone else is taking over.

And, and she was successful. She was flying to Hawaii. Like, I mean, I was happy for her.

But for me, it was weird. So it was the first child. Then I knew already when the second was coming, like what will happen.

And also what it's still need to be a woman in a global corporate world, climbing up your successful career, and being a mom at the same time. We really underestimate the role of a mom. And also, like, that the children are not robots.

We cannot just press a button, and they're quiet. Switch them out and off.

[Dr. Angela Thomas]

Exactly.

[Anna Schmidt]

So I really need to understand, I cannot do full time anymore. Like, I wanted to be present. Since I was a child, I was also at the same time working on my personal development.

I read a lot on growth, on, on psychology, on how the mind works, limiting beliefs, uncovering where they're coming from. And so much is happening in the childhood. So when I was a mom, I also studied a lot of, like, educational books, because nobody's preparing you for this role.

And I really had a big challenge to accept this and let my children until 6pm in the nursery, which was impossible, because they were starting, like, they slept at six. So anyhow, I had to adjust a lot. And, and that was my first really, like, detachment from the whole corporate world was like, do you really want to build something on this?

Do you really want to sacrifice your family for this? And how are you gonna manage? I remember like the first times when when when they had fever, and I had to travel fine in Germany, sometimes even like with cars, you need to get to a client like five hours and then back and then having the calls and doctors and everything.

And that was the worst for me. So it's like, I don't want this. I need a phone to combine everything.

So when the second child came, COVID hit. And we decided to spend Christmas here instead of in Germany, because we wanted to spend it with our family. So with the parents, we came to Dubai, and it was beautiful.

So instead of staying for three weeks, we stayed five months. And finally, it was so good that we decided we don't want to anymore. We felt in our energy, we felt empowered.

We felt that the people surrounding us are literally lifting us up. They have all dreams similar to us. And the system is allowing you to dream big, which was beautiful.

So we literally looked into each other's eyes, my husband and I, and we were like, Can we do it? And we just said, Yes, we can do it. So for me, easy or not, I don't know, because he has his company.

So he had to find the right structure that he can allow himself to come here. And for me, when I confronted SAP with this, the feedback was because I was hired for the for the German base. So if I want to switch, I would have needed to switch the contracts and then go into a full time contract.

And that was nothing for me. Also knowing what it needs to be really successful in sales on an international basis and with my standards. So then they offered me just to take my full parental leave for both children.

So I had them three years left in Germany. It's quite a lot. Yes, it is.

Here the time runs. Exactly. Here it's different.

So and they basically, they saved my position. So which was amazing. So I'm so grateful for all this.

And we decided, let's let's try three years. And with this, I just totally entered in the entrepreneurial world. We started to buy and sell real estate, to design it, to try other things.

So we founded our family holding here and just started to invest in different opportunities to basically also for me, it was great to spread my wings in another world and to use also my knowledge, what I had, but in this time more for myself and to my terms. So I was able to be there for my children. I could align my work all around it.

I fully went into my passion, which is transformational coaching. And instead of just like doing it on the side or consuming it more for me, I started to offer it. And honestly, it fulfilled me so much.

I went on a big journey after leaving this world behind me for sure I had myself like an identity. It's not a crisis, but but an identity phase where I had to understand who am I? What is my calling?

What is my true why? What do I want to leave in this world? And the more I entered, especially into the into the coaching, leveling up, transforming people's life, I understood that this is mine.

Instead of transforming companies, which if we should do with an amazing software, um, me myself, I recharge from transforming people and just leaving an imprint on one life, one heart, giving them the possibility to enjoy life better, or to, to overcome difficult times. This feeling was so long lasting. Then then this one sales contract, which which which was great, like for a few hours, sometimes a few days, but then it flipped.

But this knowingness of really doing good, but on a deeper state. Yeah, it's just mine. I can't say anything.

[Dr. Angela Thomas]

Thank you for this deep dive. I really value deep dives all the time. And that's why I wanted to exactly go into that one and first moment that you described.

Wow, suddenly was everything cut off. And this is kind of a really deep cut sort of Yeah, not only because maybe you identify yourself and the work very much. But also because you gave this position, this company a lot of energy, digesting all of this.

And obviously, you have digested throughout the years that you explained. Obviously, you have digested everything throughout the years about this deep cut, I would like to know what knowledge what experience you take as an advice for the people you are advising today and coach today to find into their transformation. Because I remember I had some kind of an uncomfortable cut that came just like from the universe, I believe today, but back then it was so hurtful.

And I could not understand how a company just cut me off like that. And I wanted to know what you took away from that knowledge out of learning for yourself, and can benefit do you towards your own clients at this today business that you're driving? Yeah.

[Anna Schmidt]

For sure. First of all, not to being attached too much to external things. Especially if they are out of your control.

And also not to take things for granted.

[Dr. Angela Thomas]

Do we always know if they're out of our control? Do we always reflect this? Or is this something that you can have to reflect those?

Yeah, if you are in such an process of letting go that you don't always reflect if you can influence this or not, isn't it?

[Anna Schmidt]

I mean, at the end, so many things from the outside can happen. They are, I would say, out of our control, because these are actions where other people are involved. And if you're working for corporate world, for example, it's not you who's putting the decision if you stay, or if you have to go one day, for sure, it's your effort you're bringing in.

But then, for example, the business can go wrong, or the company has to shut down. There are some external factors, even though if you would have done your best, but other factors are coming in, which are out of your control. And I would say even as an entrepreneur, same time, like likewise, things can happen, your client is facing bankruptcy and cannot pay the bill, but you already started to produce, for example, you already did the prepayment.

So with this also, we almost faced a big, big damage. And then for me, the biggest learning is, I'm a big believer that everything here in the world is happening for us and through us. So it's more to step back and to understand what is my lesson.

And most of all, from a detached perspective, okay, I learned this, okay, what is more there out for me? And how can I do it better next time? Which steps can I improve?

And in which steps can I just accept? Because the more we face the challenges from a perspective of the lesson for me, it can be a good or a bad one. Often from the bad ones, we progress even faster, even faster.

[Dr. Angela Thomas]

And I don't have something like that. And I'll be totally on your on your on your base. There is not a bad lesson.

Yeah, it is what it is. And it is what we make out of it. And if we make the lesson and if we hold ownership of this very lesson, and whatever happened, then it is always a good outcome of it.

Exactly. And I fancy so much that you have the gift of giving this to entrepreneurs who wants to scale. So we are in a podcast that's about scaling.

What do you think those owners of businesses, companies or even leading positions in the corporate world, I bet you come across of those clientele as well. What do you think is the secret of scaling when you align or misalign? How does it go along?

Can you make kind of such a robbery energy wise about your body about your soul and still scale? And how is it to be overgoing all of these signs overriding constantly signs of stress? How is it how do you bring people out of this?

I wanted to know. Yeah.

[Anna Schmidt]

So for me, everything starts with being back aligned with yourself with your inner world and the outside world. We're so much trained to live in this outside world to react to everything which is coming towards us. From one point, it's good when you grow when you enter into your business world when you're an amazing entrepreneur, you need a lot of resilience, you just go.

But the higher you climb, the higher he also often, the more you're successful, because you're capable to adjust to to challenges to new people to to lead. But then also you're wearing a lot of different masks. It can happen that one day either you're selling your company, or maybe you have to change your position, somebody else maybe is taking over, or like what happened to me.

And then you realize, okay, these masks, I had them. Okay, I don't need them now. But who am I?

What is there? What is actually my driver? So I always start with connecting with their true why not the why and the visions from the outside world that were put on us from our parents from our employer from from the outside world from maybe a role model we always chase because we thought this is what we need.

[Dr. Angela Thomas]

Those little kind of secret contracts that we have. Exactly. They are unknown and sometimes only signed with your soul.

[Anna Schmidt]

Yeah, and a lot is happening in the subconsciousness. Our mind is driving to direction our subconscious is actually is really demanding something else. So in my work, I align the conscious with the subconsciousness.

So we bring into the awareness, what's really out there for me? What do I need and want? What is my driver and push in my life?

So once they understand their vision for their life, the clarity, and this align through different pillars, so I call it the holistic wealth matrix. So it's not just the financial, my business success, how I want, you know, to create build. It's also my social impact, my social relationships, my connections, my important family basis, like, who do I am I what I want to build what I want to create how I recharge and also how I want to grow my intellectual capital, which is so important.

And if we align this, so we can literally align our business in a benefit for ourselves. And then also we recharge we have the power we have the necessary energy as we are chasing not someone else's version, but our vision for ourselves. And same time still, though, I also train resilience tools, nervous system regulation, so quick resets, just to come back to yourself to come back to the present moment.

So not to act from a fighter or fear motors, but also to come back and to align, especially for decision makings. If it really feels right for you, if it really feels right for the business, how big is the risk and the win. But again, from a perspective that is fully aligned with you, your vision, you see the signals between the noise and then you act.

So they're they're amazing tools to regulate the nervous system. And if we in this flow, what I see just the capabilities are amazing, and then you usually take the right actions for you. And even maybe if they're not right, you know how to take the lessons.

Very good.

[Dr. Angela Thomas]

Very good. And that's a very big step as for everybody, but especially in entrepreneurship, to find actually your own truth and your own middle, as we say, and then you have kind of a home where you can go to because everything is within ourselves. Right.

And I think in Dubai, it's especially a place where we somehow I can only speak for myself, but I witnessed this also in others. Just allow me to ask you also if you have the same feeling. But I witnessed that we here in Dubai, because of this place is so high vibrating with energy, positivity, we automatically kind of open when it comes to energy.

And I feel out of my own experience, I pick up energy so quickly, even if they are not good. So yesterday, for example, I had a very awkward situation with the taxi driver, everybody who was watching my story saw it. However, I was quickly thankful for tools.

Like, I don't know exactly about your tools. Maybe you can talk about that. But I have also some tools for myself.

And I took these tools out for using them to detach me from this energy and be in within myself. And I thought to myself, how come that's my reflection, I was picking that energy up in the first place so quick. Secondly, wow, thank you, Angela, for reflecting this quickly and coming back to yourself and being de-escalating.

And some of these things, we need in entrepreneurship so much. And that is such an important place to drive our businesses, right? So tell us a little bit about those happenings that clients maybe come to you that you help them.

What are the tools? And why is this place so easy to pick up energies?

[Anna Schmidt]

Yeah, I would say in general, this place is very special. First of all, it's super international. So people are coming here literally from all over the world, from all forms of beliefs, in all different statuses and also financial situations.

And also different psychological backgrounds. It's like a bouquet in a good and bad way, because it's also training us for the world to adapt and also to protect ourselves in the beginning. And also, I remember my first years, you know, you want to try everything and jump everywhere and then you feel so drained.

And sometimes even out of your own body, like you're acting not in your own way. And this is, yes, so much is happening, so much is giving there for you. But also because you try to sometimes jump and achieve and be reactive.

Yeah, reactive, exactly. And then it's also all about from time to time to come back to yourself and to understand, is it this circle I want? Because we're surrounded by energies and the energies around you will also have automatically an effect on you.

And I always say, look where you want to go and then find these circles, find these communities, surround yourself by like-minded people. And also if you feel maybe you're drained, then find a sports group, you know, somebody, because when you do sports, usually you're not depressed, you know, you're happy, you enjoy or by the beach. I always say, when you're grateful or like successful, I mean, happy inside, especially gratefulness or full of love and joy, there's no place for depression, there's no space for fear, there's no space for sadness, because it's already like fueled, you can just make yourself or try like, just feel grateful for your beautiful body, how it's walking, how it's acting.

I mean, there's so many people lying there in the hospital and are incapable to walk. And you're just fully grateful. You cannot same time think of like, I don't know, the shitty taxi driver, sorry, you got this, the mad taxi driver who said those things to you, right?

But the important thing is to said, we have to be conscious how it's affecting us. And when you have this, again, there are different tools, right? One we had, for example, the scent, if you have something like a scent, which is always reminding you of a beautiful state, you smell the scent.

For me, very effective tool, I love to work with breath. And the shortest reset for sure is always like slow breathing, slow inhale, even longer exhale. Or there's a technique even used by Navy SEALs, NASA, it's called box breathing, you can literally like imagine like a box.

And it's four breaths in, four, hold, four breath out, four, hold. So it's like, yeah, in two, three, four, then you hold two, three, four, then you exhale. And you just do this for a few rounds.

If you can even combine it, like while you inhale, you just inhale all the positive life force energy while you hold, you send out all the gratitude for everything around you. While you exhale, you release everything, all the tension, so like the taxi driver who drove you crazy, literally. And then you hold again, and just coming back to your beautiful balance state.

And this is literally something which is bringing you within one minute back to yourself, back to your balance, and back to, yeah, the functioning mode. The scent is powerful. I also love to work with SadoBoard, it's like a nail board, where you can regulate your nervous system just within three minutes.

It's a painful stimulation, but very effective. Actually, a lot of executives are using it, even for decision making or entering an important meeting, sales pitches, whatever. I love to teach this.

Yeah, yeah. And then basically, it can be also just a call to your loved ones, which you need to hear to do. It can be beautiful music you love.

Or if you're close to the beach or the forest, whatever you like, the connection with nature.

[Dr. Angela Thomas]

You anchor a lot of things then that's beautiful. And I, in the preparation of this interview, I saw beautiful how the whole family makes sport together. And I just wanted to get this actually as a jump in, a short jump in into my question that I ask all founders, because entrepreneurs are on the journey of expanding, scaling, but how they get along with the fact of family.

I mean, you obviously the peaceholder of your family, as I have detected it somehow. But what would you advise somebody who is going on these events that we meet, taking care for personal development, and having this success driven, yeah, milestones that you wanted to achieve, but maybe the family at home is not taking the same speed up, picking not the same level up. How are you advising those people to take your family, kids and spouse along?

Because this is the biggest breaking point where success means nothing, when this is not in place, isn't it?

[Anna Schmidt]

Absolutely. I agree 100%. And honestly, I would say at least half of my clients have either suffered or currently suffering or want to restructure this whole situation, which even led my husband and me to create a community for power couples, because I'm a big believer in this.

And since we started dating, some would say I was too adjustive. But for me, it was always super important that first we have common hobbies. And the more I studied, it's like growth has to go together.

If one is growing too fast, and the other can't speed up, you will have disbalance at one point in different fields. And also to spend time together, especially when business is coming, kids, I mean, there's so many things where we're just out of track. So first of all, have common hobbies, and have like a day just for you to like today to go out to keep the balance.

And I would also say at home, be unit. Once the kids can be part of your life, make them part of your life. Maybe with this, I will go against a lot of typical beliefs of, sorry to say, a lot of Germans to include the children.

It was even up to one point, for example, my daughter, she didn't accept the bottle. I was breastfeeding for long. She couldn't sleep at night.

It didn't work out with 90s nothing. And I didn't want to detach her and let her cry. Because again, like I know all those psychological effects which could happen.

So I just decided I had like, it's like something like you put in front of you, like a kangaroo. I put her as a baby quite early. There, we went out even in the evening, she was sleeping so fine.

When she was hungry, I mean, she was right at the source, right. And we still kind of continued our life. And that was our theme.

We traveled with them, we took them wherever we could. Now we are a bit restricted with the school. But still, I try to teach her what I'm doing.

When I do work, I always, I'm a big fan of explanation, monkey see, monkey do. What I'm doing, if you want, you can join, but there are rules included, right. And also, if you join a social special environment, there are also rules.

Like I know you have your feelings and the feelings you can always express to me. But then, because there's, I mean, let's say it like social behavior frame, we have to give them. And when they're ready, just include them.

[Dr. Angela Thomas]

These are the directions that you can give them. It's for me, unbelievable hard for a child to see if they are growing up rootless. And I'm not meaning this in a bad way.

But if parents are not parenting consciously, and I think this is something so beautiful. And if it comes to books, I wanted to have one recommendation to our clients. If I'm asking always, you go to the moon today, nothing is allowed to taken with you.

But one book you can have, please let me know which one would you take?

[Anna Schmidt]

Oh, that's a very, very good question. Because I have a lot. And I'm thinking which I love the most.

I mean, Think and Grow Rich was nice. But really for my heart. I think that that was probably my inspiration.

Think and Grow Rich. Yeah, I like that. It's really like, even the theme of my life.

[Dr. Angela Thomas]

It includes so much also family, right? Yes. The entrepreneur mindset to be transported into the next generation.

I think this is such a good task that we are being given to fulfill in this life. And if we will be present with some souls that are given to us to grow up and bring into this society, there's something wonderful that we are allowed to do. And kids are always coming through us, not for us.

And we are guiding them along the way. There's something so nice. Thank you for this interview, Anna.

And I'm sure you inspired a lot of people. And we're gonna put all and everything underneath the show notes so everybody can get in contact with you on a very balanced way. And I hope this brings also value to your clients and to your audience.

Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. Thank you for this time.

Good.