Benedikt Oehmen

In that moment, I realized, wow, like coaching, I really resonate with that. Not telling people what to do, but listening to them where they are right now, where they want or need to be in the future. And then together, explore that possibility space of what they can start doing right now with a long term view, but very small and iterative steps right now to get to where they need to be.

In that moment, I realized, wow, like coaching, I really resonate with that. Not telling people what to do, but listening to them where they are right now, where they want or need to be in the future. And then together, explore that possibility space of what they can start doing right now with a long term view, but very small and iterative steps right now to get to where they need to be.

And that's when I discovered for me and said, hey, after the time at Blizzard, I'll have some time and I have some resources. I'll get certified in coaching. I want to know more about that and I want to be able to do it professionally. And during the following year, I did then exactly that. And that's what convinced me doing that course with other coaches.

And that's when I discovered for me and said, hey, after the time at Blizzard, I'll have some time and I have some resources. I'll get certified in coaching. I want to know more about that and I want to be able to do it professionally. And during the following year, I did then exactly that. And that's what convinced me doing that course with other coaches.

Wow, yes, this is really what I want to do moving forward because I'm not bound to a corporate overlord who tells me what to do and where my priorities are. And all my efforts basically go towards making rich people even richer, right?

Wow, yes, this is really what I want to do moving forward because I'm not bound to a corporate overlord who tells me what to do and where my priorities are. And all my efforts basically go towards making rich people even richer, right?

In a sense, and now I have the freedom to work with people that share the same values, that are geeks like me, which to me just means they embrace what they love without reservation and they're not afraid of showing it. So people who do that, they don't need to be gamers, they don't need to be nerds or anything, but they're just unapologetically passionate about what they're doing.

In a sense, and now I have the freedom to work with people that share the same values, that are geeks like me, which to me just means they embrace what they love without reservation and they're not afraid of showing it. So people who do that, they don't need to be gamers, they don't need to be nerds or anything, but they're just unapologetically passionate about what they're doing.

And those are the people I love working with because that is my background and that's the life that I lived at Blizzard and I will forever be thankful for having had that time and the opportunities that Blizzard afforded me to grow into that person that I am today who is...

And those are the people I love working with because that is my background and that's the life that I lived at Blizzard and I will forever be thankful for having had that time and the opportunities that Blizzard afforded me to grow into that person that I am today who is...

a lot more safe in his own abilities and okay not having a normal nine to five job but being my own boss and having my own company and and living a little bit outside my comfort zone and pushing against it steadily so yeah i'll forever be grateful for that and it's it led me to where i am today and it's a really exciting space so yeah

a lot more safe in his own abilities and okay not having a normal nine to five job but being my own boss and having my own company and and living a little bit outside my comfort zone and pushing against it steadily so yeah i'll forever be grateful for that and it's it led me to where i am today and it's a really exciting space so yeah

So to me, it comes down to your point of view and how you choose to engage with that event in your life. That event being your parting ways with your former employer, either by your own choice or you're being forced to because you have been laid off or the company is no more. And we can choose to look at that and say, oh my God, this is the worst thing that ever happened to me.

So to me, it comes down to your point of view and how you choose to engage with that event in your life. That event being your parting ways with your former employer, either by your own choice or you're being forced to because you have been laid off or the company is no more. And we can choose to look at that and say, oh my God, this is the worst thing that ever happened to me.

What am I going to do now? This is the most scary thing that ever happened to me in my life. I'm being thrown out of my comfort zone. I had this nice little place where I was good at what I was doing and it was comfortable and I made money and that allowed me to survive and live my life. And that's when people, if you look at it like that, then yes, it's very scary.

What am I going to do now? This is the most scary thing that ever happened to me in my life. I'm being thrown out of my comfort zone. I had this nice little place where I was good at what I was doing and it was comfortable and I made money and that allowed me to survive and live my life. And that's when people, if you look at it like that, then yes, it's very scary.

But you can also choose to look at this energy in your body that you feel this being stirred as, oh, there's energy in my body. I'm kingly all over. I'm excited for what lies ahead. So instead of looking at what you lost, it's, oh, wow. So I'm not bound to this company anymore. What other opportunities are there for me? What is it actually that I'm passionate about? What is it that fulfills me?

But you can also choose to look at this energy in your body that you feel this being stirred as, oh, there's energy in my body. I'm kingly all over. I'm excited for what lies ahead. So instead of looking at what you lost, it's, oh, wow. So I'm not bound to this company anymore. What other opportunities are there for me? What is it actually that I'm passionate about? What is it that fulfills me?

And is there maybe a better fit for me out there than what I have been doing previously? And if you look at it from that perspective, then change is exciting because now you enter this world of opportunity and the five stages of grief, you get through them a lot more quickly and rapidly. than when you look at it from the other side of being scarce and having that anxiety.

And is there maybe a better fit for me out there than what I have been doing previously? And if you look at it from that perspective, then change is exciting because now you enter this world of opportunity and the five stages of grief, you get through them a lot more quickly and rapidly. than when you look at it from the other side of being scarce and having that anxiety.

And if you have that for the first time, yes, it's completely normal to be scared because you lose your safety net. And that will always be scary, especially if you have to provide for your family and for your children. The more you get exposed to it, right, the more you are... Getting used to nothing in this world is 100% safe. Nothing is being granted or forever.

And if you have that for the first time, yes, it's completely normal to be scared because you lose your safety net. And that will always be scary, especially if you have to provide for your family and for your children. The more you get exposed to it, right, the more you are... Getting used to nothing in this world is 100% safe. Nothing is being granted or forever.

Then you get into the practice of building that resilience and asking yourself, Hey, what if tomorrow my workplace changes or my position at work or my responsibilities or I don't have a job anymore? What can I do right now to prepare myself for that eventuality and the change that is very likely to come in the future at some point?

Then you get into the practice of building that resilience and asking yourself, Hey, what if tomorrow my workplace changes or my position at work or my responsibilities or I don't have a job anymore? What can I do right now to prepare myself for that eventuality and the change that is very likely to come in the future at some point?

and if you look at it like that then you can prepare your yourself each day a little bit with stuff that makes sense for you in the future and that may start with looking at what am i actually passionate about what is it that i want to do with my life and how does it overlap with stuff i can get paid for and then you can start building accreditation and you can do research and you can develop yourself into that

and if you look at it like that then you can prepare your yourself each day a little bit with stuff that makes sense for you in the future and that may start with looking at what am i actually passionate about what is it that i want to do with my life and how does it overlap with stuff i can get paid for and then you can start building accreditation and you can do research and you can develop yourself into that

direction that when the moment comes and you're all and you're suddenly thrown out you have a system in place you're already on the road to something new just like okay cool that was great i'm very thankful for the experiences i'm taking all the good things i can from it that helped me learn and grow and become the person that i am today and with that set of skills and experiences let's move forward to the next thing

direction that when the moment comes and you're all and you're suddenly thrown out you have a system in place you're already on the road to something new just like okay cool that was great i'm very thankful for the experiences i'm taking all the good things i can from it that helped me learn and grow and become the person that i am today and with that set of skills and experiences let's move forward to the next thing

So the big three is really something I discovered during my last stages at Blizzard and then the year after when I was getting my coaching certifications and I was writing the book. And they're all about being kind, present and open. And for me, it's a framework that when we just stick to those three simple things, everything else falls into place.

So the big three is really something I discovered during my last stages at Blizzard and then the year after when I was getting my coaching certifications and I was writing the book. And they're all about being kind, present and open. And for me, it's a framework that when we just stick to those three simple things, everything else falls into place.

So being kind to me is all about self-acceptance, embracing the good things in our life and not looking at what we think we are missing. So let's... What we talked about previously is this point of view, right? It helps shape this point of view to a place where we have possibility instead of restrictions. And then being present is all about enabling that self-motivated and self-driven behavior.

So being kind to me is all about self-acceptance, embracing the good things in our life and not looking at what we think we are missing. So let's... What we talked about previously is this point of view, right? It helps shape this point of view to a place where we have possibility instead of restrictions. And then being present is all about enabling that self-motivated and self-driven behavior.

Because we look at where are we right now? Where is it actually that I want to go in the future? What are the challenges in between? And who do I have to become to, as a consequence of being that person, I will overcome these challenges in my way. And that's then where being open comes in.

Because we look at where are we right now? Where is it actually that I want to go in the future? What are the challenges in between? And who do I have to become to, as a consequence of being that person, I will overcome these challenges in my way. And that's then where being open comes in.

And we put systems and habits into place to become that person, our future selves that will overcome all these challenges that we currently face one step at a time. And the beautiful thing here is it's a different road for everybody, but it's always the same framework.

And we put systems and habits into place to become that person, our future selves that will overcome all these challenges that we currently face one step at a time. And the beautiful thing here is it's a different road for everybody, but it's always the same framework.

And for me, I saw it really work in my work with my former team and colleagues, being kind to them and myself saying, hey, this is a difficult position we are finding ourselves in. It's okay to take time to process it. Once you're in a good position to talk about it, let's be present and see where you are right now, where do you want to go and what can we do right now to help you get you there?

And for me, I saw it really work in my work with my former team and colleagues, being kind to them and myself saying, hey, this is a difficult position we are finding ourselves in. It's okay to take time to process it. Once you're in a good position to talk about it, let's be present and see where you are right now, where do you want to go and what can we do right now to help you get you there?

And then in the being open part, we put specific trainings and certifications and actions into place that you can do little by little to build towards that goal. And it's not that overwhelming anymore. And you'll find a new job simply as a consequence of putting that behavior into place. So that is what the big three are all about and how they work for me in a professional life.

And then in the being open part, we put specific trainings and certifications and actions into place that you can do little by little to build towards that goal. And it's not that overwhelming anymore. And you'll find a new job simply as a consequence of putting that behavior into place. So that is what the big three are all about and how they work for me in a professional life.

It's also then how I build my business. Hey, being kind to myself, it's the first time creating a business. I'm going to make a lot of mistakes and that is okay. Mistakes are just mistakes. learning in disguise in the end. So looking forward to making them because I will learn a lot from them.

It's also then how I build my business. Hey, being kind to myself, it's the first time creating a business. I'm going to make a lot of mistakes and that is okay. Mistakes are just mistakes. learning in disguise in the end. So looking forward to making them because I will learn a lot from them.

And then looking at if I want to be at that space and have a successful company for myself and a successful business, What does that look like and what are the steps that will get me there? And right here, right now, what are the first steps I can start taking?

And then looking at if I want to be at that space and have a successful company for myself and a successful business, What does that look like and what are the steps that will get me there? And right here, right now, what are the first steps I can start taking?

And then being open to putting systems into place for myself to do a little bit every day to become that person who then has that successful business. Talking about the book that how I tested my thesis saying, hey, I've never written a book before. I always wanted to, but it was always too scary. I just discovered the big three. Let's try it with this book.

And then being open to putting systems into place for myself to do a little bit every day to become that person who then has that successful business. Talking about the book that how I tested my thesis saying, hey, I've never written a book before. I always wanted to, but it was always too scary. I just discovered the big three. Let's try it with this book.

Hello. Thanks so much for having me. I'm feeling very honored among all your distinguished guests to be here.

Hello. Thanks so much for having me. I'm feeling very honored among all your distinguished guests to be here.

And what happened is I reframed I want to write a book into I want to become an author. And an author is just somebody who writes a little bit every day. So I started with five minutes. Five minutes became 10, 15, two hours, three hours a day. And after three months, the book was done. The first proper draft was done. And it was like realizing, wow, it really works.

And what happened is I reframed I want to write a book into I want to become an author. And an author is just somebody who writes a little bit every day. So I started with five minutes. Five minutes became 10, 15, two hours, three hours a day. And after three months, the book was done. The first proper draft was done. And it was like realizing, wow, it really works.

Like I broke down this super demanding and challenging and threatening goal. Like it was still there, the end goal of writing a book. But since I reframed it to I'm becoming an author now and I'm doing a little bit every day, it just accumulated with time and developed as a consequence. And there I saw success.

Like I broke down this super demanding and challenging and threatening goal. Like it was still there, the end goal of writing a book. But since I reframed it to I'm becoming an author now and I'm doing a little bit every day, it just accumulated with time and developed as a consequence. And there I saw success.

I'm onto something because the big three did not only work for myself at work and creating my company, but also creating this big milestone achievement of actually writing a book. And that's where I then doubled down and said, this is awesome.

I'm onto something because the big three did not only work for myself at work and creating my company, but also creating this big milestone achievement of actually writing a book. And that's where I then doubled down and said, this is awesome.

This is what I want to bring to the world and help people overcome their own challenges and achieve their own goals using this framework that not only works for your career development, but also for your personal development and other goals you may have in your life.

This is what I want to bring to the world and help people overcome their own challenges and achieve their own goals using this framework that not only works for your career development, but also for your personal development and other goals you may have in your life.

Okay, sure. Sounds great. So I'm born in Germany, close to Cologne and Dusseldorf, so in the western part of Germany. In 2001, I moved to Heidelberg to study physics. And did my bachelor's degree there in physics and asked myself, what do I actually want to do with this? Once like in real life.

Okay, sure. Sounds great. So I'm born in Germany, close to Cologne and Dusseldorf, so in the western part of Germany. In 2001, I moved to Heidelberg to study physics. And did my bachelor's degree there in physics and asked myself, what do I actually want to do with this? Once like in real life.

And my brother made me aware that Blizzard, which was one of my favorite gaming companies or Z, my favorite company of all times when it comes to games at the time and still is. He said, hey, they're looking for support staff for the Game Master, for the in-game customer support. That's all.

And my brother made me aware that Blizzard, which was one of my favorite gaming companies or Z, my favorite company of all times when it comes to games at the time and still is. He said, hey, they're looking for support staff for the Game Master, for the in-game customer support. That's all.

Let's take a semester off of physics and see how the real world looks like working for a real company in France, close to Paris. And so I sent my CV, I had an interview and said, awesome, when can you come? And then basically took the semester off, started at Blizzard. I loved it so much that from the half year I was taking off originally, that quickly became one year.

Let's take a semester off of physics and see how the real world looks like working for a real company in France, close to Paris. And so I sent my CV, I had an interview and said, awesome, when can you come? And then basically took the semester off, started at Blizzard. I loved it so much that from the half year I was taking off originally, that quickly became one year.

Then I changed from customer support to community management and communications. And then I stayed for 17 years total instead of a quick semester and then going back.

Then I changed from customer support to community management and communications. And then I stayed for 17 years total instead of a quick semester and then going back.

Okay, so I started in customer support, so basically helping players in our premier game at that point, World of Warcraft, if they had any issues in-game. Then I quickly transitioned into community and communications, where the team that I worked in is the linchpin between the community and the game developers in the States. It's like they're communicating back and forth.

Okay, so I started in customer support, so basically helping players in our premier game at that point, World of Warcraft, if they had any issues in-game. Then I quickly transitioned into community and communications, where the team that I worked in is the linchpin between the community and the game developers in the States. It's like they're communicating back and forth.

We try to get the game closer to the players, but also understand the players' needs better to feed that back to the developers, especially for the European market and the seven languages that we were looking after. I really loved that part because for me, succeeding together, that's where my heart beats.

We try to get the game closer to the players, but also understand the players' needs better to feed that back to the developers, especially for the European market and the seven languages that we were looking after. I really loved that part because for me, succeeding together, that's where my heart beats.

And it was in this position we were responsible for making sure that together with the community, we were creating the most awesome gaming experiences for all players. And that really fascinated me. I loved it. And that's why I gravitated to it so strongly. As I stayed in the team, I became more and more experienced with the subject matter.

And it was in this position we were responsible for making sure that together with the community, we were creating the most awesome gaming experiences for all players. And that really fascinated me. I loved it. And that's why I gravitated to it so strongly. As I stayed in the team, I became more and more experienced with the subject matter.

I started training other new community managers that joined us for different games and different languages. So I naturally grew into a managerial position, whereas then later on, I had my own team of seven people for the seven different languages that we were looking after and I helped them do the jobs that I did in the past but for their specific language communities.

I started training other new community managers that joined us for different games and different languages. So I naturally grew into a managerial position, whereas then later on, I had my own team of seven people for the seven different languages that we were looking after and I helped them do the jobs that I did in the past but for their specific language communities.

It was really a magical time like we couldn't believe we got so lucky to be working at the single best company in gaming and having this for a job making money with it and basically having this second family away from home. We all felt like we found a second family in Blizzard because everybody was excited and passionate about the same things.

It was really a magical time like we couldn't believe we got so lucky to be working at the single best company in gaming and having this for a job making money with it and basically having this second family away from home. We all felt like we found a second family in Blizzard because everybody was excited and passionate about the same things.

And we spent time together during work and then we played together after work and we saw each other on the weekends for drinks and parties and other things. So it was really our entire world together. where the people at Blizzard had the jobs that we were there for doing. And that changed somewhat over the years as Blizzard emerged with Activision, which was a big publisher in the gaming industry.

And we spent time together during work and then we played together after work and we saw each other on the weekends for drinks and parties and other things. So it was really our entire world together. where the people at Blizzard had the jobs that we were there for doing. And that changed somewhat over the years as Blizzard emerged with Activision, which was a big publisher in the gaming industry.

And the priorities for Blizzard, to our eyes, started to shift. going from how can we make this the best most engaging experience for our players to how can we make more money with this and how can we make this graph go up more quickly and money is after a couple of years everything that we heard in discussions which

And the priorities for Blizzard, to our eyes, started to shift. going from how can we make this the best most engaging experience for our players to how can we make more money with this and how can we make this graph go up more quickly and money is after a couple of years everything that we heard in discussions which

was a strong departure from the original values that brought me to blizzard making the most epic experiences with gamers for gamers then it came in 2018 so a long way so i started in 2005 so 2018 was then 13 years in There was an announcement saying, hey, we need to save money globally and in our office here in Versailles specifically, we need to reduce our overall amount of people by 30%.

was a strong departure from the original values that brought me to blizzard making the most epic experiences with gamers for gamers then it came in 2018 so a long way so i started in 2005 so 2018 was then 13 years in There was an announcement saying, hey, we need to save money globally and in our office here in Versailles specifically, we need to reduce our overall amount of people by 30%.

And that was a shock to us because many of us, we started with Blizzard as our first company. And as I said, it really felt like a family. And all of a sudden we were to say goodbye to a third of that family. And we didn't know if we were impacted ourselves. So a lot of different and difficult emotions came up for everybody. We felt shocked. Oh, how can that be?

And that was a shock to us because many of us, we started with Blizzard as our first company. And as I said, it really felt like a family. And all of a sudden we were to say goodbye to a third of that family. And we didn't know if we were impacted ourselves. So a lot of different and difficult emotions came up for everybody. We felt shocked. Oh, how can that be?

Like we've been doing so well and I thought we are still doing well. And yeah, it was a really hard time for everybody involved and people had many different reactions because in France, after the announcement, it took about a year. before that reduction actually took place.

Like we've been doing so well and I thought we are still doing well. And yeah, it was a really hard time for everybody involved and people had many different reactions because in France, after the announcement, it took about a year. before that reduction actually took place.

So there was a phase for about half a year, three quarters of a year, where people could volunteer to leave so that the 30% would be filled up with volunteers as much as possible.

So there was a phase for about half a year, three quarters of a year, where people could volunteer to leave so that the 30% would be filled up with volunteers as much as possible.

and during that time frame it was getting increasingly difficult because few people a couple of people said there's too much pressure i i don't want to deal with this anymore i just want to get out and they left ahead of time i for myself decided i wanted to stay around to help my team through this process

and during that time frame it was getting increasingly difficult because few people a couple of people said there's too much pressure i i don't want to deal with this anymore i just want to get out and they left ahead of time i for myself decided i wanted to stay around to help my team through this process

And it turned out my team was completely gone at the end of the process because they reduced the entire community team to one person instead of around 10. which was, of course, a big change. For me, I took it as an opportunity to say, okay, good, this part of my career is done. Let's transition to somewhere else in the company.

And it turned out my team was completely gone at the end of the process because they reduced the entire community team to one person instead of around 10. which was, of course, a big change. For me, I took it as an opportunity to say, okay, good, this part of my career is done. Let's transition to somewhere else in the company.

And I went from a publishing to a production environment and localization, so the translation of our games, and started there as a manager, helping the team over there, the German and Italian team in particular,

And I went from a publishing to a production environment and localization, so the translation of our games, and started there as a manager, helping the team over there, the German and Italian team in particular,

to transition through what we were going through because now they also lost about half to a third of their co-workers and now they needed to do more with less resources so there was a lot of change management to be done somewhere where I thought great I can make a positive difference here for the people to actually remove roadblocks make their lives easier so they can get

to transition through what we were going through because now they also lost about half to a third of their co-workers and now they needed to do more with less resources so there was a lot of change management to be done somewhere where I thought great I can make a positive difference here for the people to actually remove roadblocks make their lives easier so they can get

the stuff that do best, they can get that done with as little interruption as possible. And that actually worked quite well. But then in 2020, the second shoe dropped and they announced, hey, we are going to close the Versailles office completely. It was super tough and everybody that remained in the hopes of being able to keep on with Blizzard, then those hopes shattered.

the stuff that do best, they can get that done with as little interruption as possible. And that actually worked quite well. But then in 2020, the second shoe dropped and they announced, hey, we are going to close the Versailles office completely. It was super tough and everybody that remained in the hopes of being able to keep on with Blizzard, then those hopes shattered.

Now everybody was faced with, okay, what am I going to do now? And in that environment, I sat down with my team and said, okay, it is what it is. We all have to go through these five stages of grief again that we just passed through the year before with many of our friends leaving. but we'll come out of it on the other side.

Now everybody was faced with, okay, what am I going to do now? And in that environment, I sat down with my team and said, okay, it is what it is. We all have to go through these five stages of grief again that we just passed through the year before with many of our friends leaving. but we'll come out of it on the other side.

And once you're in a good space to think about it, I want to have a discussion with each and every one of you, what you want to do moving forward after Blizzard and what we can do right now to get you started on that journey towards a prosperous future where you feel fulfilled and happy and have a good job even after Blizzard. And that, in a nutshell, were my 17 years at Blizzard.

And once you're in a good space to think about it, I want to have a discussion with each and every one of you, what you want to do moving forward after Blizzard and what we can do right now to get you started on that journey towards a prosperous future where you feel fulfilled and happy and have a good job even after Blizzard. And that, in a nutshell, were my 17 years at Blizzard.

Yeah, so that was definitely towards the end of my time at Blizzard when I was exploring more and more coaching techniques and more and more workshops with my team to really empower them to take charge of their own destiny and do so with hopefully a more positive outlook on their own abilities and their own future. it really starting to make a difference for them, but also for me.

Yeah, so that was definitely towards the end of my time at Blizzard when I was exploring more and more coaching techniques and more and more workshops with my team to really empower them to take charge of their own destiny and do so with hopefully a more positive outlook on their own abilities and their own future. it really starting to make a difference for them, but also for me.

In that moment, I realized, wow, like coaching, I really resonate with that. Not telling people what to do, but listening to them where they are right now, where they want or need to be in the future. And then together, explore that possibility space of what they can start doing right now with a long term view, but very small and iterative steps right now to get to where they need to be.

In that moment, I realized, wow, like coaching, I really resonate with that. Not telling people what to do, but listening to them where they are right now, where they want or need to be in the future. And then together, explore that possibility space of what they can start doing right now with a long term view, but very small and iterative steps right now to get to where they need to be.

And that's when I discovered for me and said, hey, after the time at Blizzard, I'll have some time and I have some resources. I'll get certified in coaching. I want to know more about that and I want to be able to do it professionally. And during the following year, I did then exactly that. And that's what convinced me doing that course with other coaches.

And that's when I discovered for me and said, hey, after the time at Blizzard, I'll have some time and I have some resources. I'll get certified in coaching. I want to know more about that and I want to be able to do it professionally. And during the following year, I did then exactly that. And that's what convinced me doing that course with other coaches.

Wow, yes, this is really what I want to do moving forward because I'm not bound to a corporate overlord who tells me what to do and where my priorities are. And all my efforts basically go towards making rich people even richer, right?

Wow, yes, this is really what I want to do moving forward because I'm not bound to a corporate overlord who tells me what to do and where my priorities are. And all my efforts basically go towards making rich people even richer, right?

In a sense, and now I have the freedom to work with people that share the same values, that are geeks like me, which to me just means they embrace what they love without reservation and they're not afraid of showing it. So people who do that, they don't need to be gamers, they don't need to be nerds or anything, but they're just unapologetically passionate about what they're doing.

In a sense, and now I have the freedom to work with people that share the same values, that are geeks like me, which to me just means they embrace what they love without reservation and they're not afraid of showing it. So people who do that, they don't need to be gamers, they don't need to be nerds or anything, but they're just unapologetically passionate about what they're doing.

And those are the people I love working with because that is my background and that's the life that I lived at Blizzard and I will forever be thankful for having had that time and the opportunities that Blizzard afforded me to grow into that person that I am today who is...

And those are the people I love working with because that is my background and that's the life that I lived at Blizzard and I will forever be thankful for having had that time and the opportunities that Blizzard afforded me to grow into that person that I am today who is...

a lot more safe in his own abilities and okay not having a normal nine to five job but being my own boss and having my own company and and living a little bit outside my comfort zone and pushing against it steadily so yeah i'll forever be grateful for that and it's it led me to where i am today and it's a really exciting space so yeah

a lot more safe in his own abilities and okay not having a normal nine to five job but being my own boss and having my own company and and living a little bit outside my comfort zone and pushing against it steadily so yeah i'll forever be grateful for that and it's it led me to where i am today and it's a really exciting space so yeah

So to me, it comes down to your point of view and how you choose to engage with that event in your life. That event being your parting ways with your former employer, either by your own choice or you're being forced to because you have been laid off or the company is no more. And we can choose to look at that and say, oh my God, this is the worst thing that ever happened to me.

So to me, it comes down to your point of view and how you choose to engage with that event in your life. That event being your parting ways with your former employer, either by your own choice or you're being forced to because you have been laid off or the company is no more. And we can choose to look at that and say, oh my God, this is the worst thing that ever happened to me.

What am I going to do now? This is the most scary thing that ever happened to me in my life. I'm being thrown out of my comfort zone. I had this nice little place where I was good at what I was doing and it was comfortable and I made money and that allowed me to survive and live my life. And that's when people, if you look at it like that, then yes, it's very scary.

What am I going to do now? This is the most scary thing that ever happened to me in my life. I'm being thrown out of my comfort zone. I had this nice little place where I was good at what I was doing and it was comfortable and I made money and that allowed me to survive and live my life. And that's when people, if you look at it like that, then yes, it's very scary.

But you can also choose to look at this energy in your body that you feel this being stirred as, oh, there's energy in my body. I'm kingly all over. I'm excited for what lies ahead. So instead of looking at what you lost, it's, oh, wow. So I'm not bound to this company anymore. What other opportunities are there for me? What is it actually that I'm passionate about? What is it that fulfills me?

But you can also choose to look at this energy in your body that you feel this being stirred as, oh, there's energy in my body. I'm kingly all over. I'm excited for what lies ahead. So instead of looking at what you lost, it's, oh, wow. So I'm not bound to this company anymore. What other opportunities are there for me? What is it actually that I'm passionate about? What is it that fulfills me?

And is there maybe a better fit for me out there than what I have been doing previously? And if you look at it from that perspective, then change is exciting because now you enter this world of opportunity and the five stages of grief, you get through them a lot more quickly and rapidly. than when you look at it from the other side of being scarce and having that anxiety.

And is there maybe a better fit for me out there than what I have been doing previously? And if you look at it from that perspective, then change is exciting because now you enter this world of opportunity and the five stages of grief, you get through them a lot more quickly and rapidly. than when you look at it from the other side of being scarce and having that anxiety.

And if you have that for the first time, yes, it's completely normal to be scared because you lose your safety net. And that will always be scary, especially if you have to provide for your family and for your children. The more you get exposed to it, right, the more you are... Getting used to nothing in this world is 100% safe. Nothing is being granted or forever.

And if you have that for the first time, yes, it's completely normal to be scared because you lose your safety net. And that will always be scary, especially if you have to provide for your family and for your children. The more you get exposed to it, right, the more you are... Getting used to nothing in this world is 100% safe. Nothing is being granted or forever.

Then you get into the practice of building that resilience and asking yourself, Hey, what if tomorrow my workplace changes or my position at work or my responsibilities or I don't have a job anymore? What can I do right now to prepare myself for that eventuality and the change that is very likely to come in the future at some point?

Then you get into the practice of building that resilience and asking yourself, Hey, what if tomorrow my workplace changes or my position at work or my responsibilities or I don't have a job anymore? What can I do right now to prepare myself for that eventuality and the change that is very likely to come in the future at some point?

and if you look at it like that then you can prepare your yourself each day a little bit with stuff that makes sense for you in the future and that may start with looking at what am i actually passionate about what is it that i want to do with my life and how does it overlap with stuff i can get paid for and then you can start building accreditation and you can do research and you can develop yourself into that

and if you look at it like that then you can prepare your yourself each day a little bit with stuff that makes sense for you in the future and that may start with looking at what am i actually passionate about what is it that i want to do with my life and how does it overlap with stuff i can get paid for and then you can start building accreditation and you can do research and you can develop yourself into that

direction that when the moment comes and you're all and you're suddenly thrown out you have a system in place you're already on the road to something new just like okay cool that was great i'm very thankful for the experiences i'm taking all the good things i can from it that helped me learn and grow and become the person that i am today and with that set of skills and experiences let's move forward to the next thing

direction that when the moment comes and you're all and you're suddenly thrown out you have a system in place you're already on the road to something new just like okay cool that was great i'm very thankful for the experiences i'm taking all the good things i can from it that helped me learn and grow and become the person that i am today and with that set of skills and experiences let's move forward to the next thing

So the big three is really something I discovered during my last stages at Blizzard and then the year after when I was getting my coaching certifications and I was writing the book. And they're all about being kind, present and open. And for me, it's a framework that when we just stick to those three simple things, everything else falls into place.

So the big three is really something I discovered during my last stages at Blizzard and then the year after when I was getting my coaching certifications and I was writing the book. And they're all about being kind, present and open. And for me, it's a framework that when we just stick to those three simple things, everything else falls into place.

So being kind to me is all about self-acceptance, embracing the good things in our life and not looking at what we think we are missing. So let's... What we talked about previously is this point of view, right? It helps shape this point of view to a place where we have possibility instead of restrictions. And then being present is all about enabling that self-motivated and self-driven behavior.

So being kind to me is all about self-acceptance, embracing the good things in our life and not looking at what we think we are missing. So let's... What we talked about previously is this point of view, right? It helps shape this point of view to a place where we have possibility instead of restrictions. And then being present is all about enabling that self-motivated and self-driven behavior.

Because we look at where are we right now? Where is it actually that I want to go in the future? What are the challenges in between? And who do I have to become to, as a consequence of being that person, I will overcome these challenges in my way. And that's then where being open comes in.

Because we look at where are we right now? Where is it actually that I want to go in the future? What are the challenges in between? And who do I have to become to, as a consequence of being that person, I will overcome these challenges in my way. And that's then where being open comes in.

And we put systems and habits into place to become that person, our future selves that will overcome all these challenges that we currently face one step at a time. And the beautiful thing here is it's a different road for everybody, but it's always the same framework.

And we put systems and habits into place to become that person, our future selves that will overcome all these challenges that we currently face one step at a time. And the beautiful thing here is it's a different road for everybody, but it's always the same framework.

And for me, I saw it really work in my work with my former team and colleagues, being kind to them and myself saying, hey, this is a difficult position we are finding ourselves in. It's okay to take time to process it. Once you're in a good position to talk about it, let's be present and see where you are right now, where do you want to go and what can we do right now to help you get you there?

And for me, I saw it really work in my work with my former team and colleagues, being kind to them and myself saying, hey, this is a difficult position we are finding ourselves in. It's okay to take time to process it. Once you're in a good position to talk about it, let's be present and see where you are right now, where do you want to go and what can we do right now to help you get you there?

And then in the being open part, we put specific trainings and certifications and actions into place that you can do little by little to build towards that goal. And it's not that overwhelming anymore. And you'll find a new job simply as a consequence of putting that behavior into place. So that is what the big three are all about and how they work for me in a professional life.

And then in the being open part, we put specific trainings and certifications and actions into place that you can do little by little to build towards that goal. And it's not that overwhelming anymore. And you'll find a new job simply as a consequence of putting that behavior into place. So that is what the big three are all about and how they work for me in a professional life.

It's also then how I build my business. Hey, being kind to myself, it's the first time creating a business. I'm going to make a lot of mistakes and that is okay. Mistakes are just mistakes. learning in disguise in the end. So looking forward to making them because I will learn a lot from them.

It's also then how I build my business. Hey, being kind to myself, it's the first time creating a business. I'm going to make a lot of mistakes and that is okay. Mistakes are just mistakes. learning in disguise in the end. So looking forward to making them because I will learn a lot from them.

And then looking at if I want to be at that space and have a successful company for myself and a successful business, What does that look like and what are the steps that will get me there? And right here, right now, what are the first steps I can start taking?

And then looking at if I want to be at that space and have a successful company for myself and a successful business, What does that look like and what are the steps that will get me there? And right here, right now, what are the first steps I can start taking?

And then being open to putting systems into place for myself to do a little bit every day to become that person who then has that successful business. Talking about the book that how I tested my thesis saying, hey, I've never written a book before. I always wanted to, but it was always too scary. I just discovered the big three. Let's try it with this book.

And then being open to putting systems into place for myself to do a little bit every day to become that person who then has that successful business. Talking about the book that how I tested my thesis saying, hey, I've never written a book before. I always wanted to, but it was always too scary. I just discovered the big three. Let's try it with this book.

Hello. Thanks so much for having me. I'm feeling very honored among all your distinguished guests to be here.

Hello. Thanks so much for having me. I'm feeling very honored among all your distinguished guests to be here.

And what happened is I reframed I want to write a book into I want to become an author. And an author is just somebody who writes a little bit every day. So I started with five minutes. Five minutes became 10, 15, two hours, three hours a day. And after three months, the book was done. The first proper draft was done. And it was like realizing, wow, it really works.

And what happened is I reframed I want to write a book into I want to become an author. And an author is just somebody who writes a little bit every day. So I started with five minutes. Five minutes became 10, 15, two hours, three hours a day. And after three months, the book was done. The first proper draft was done. And it was like realizing, wow, it really works.

Like I broke down this super demanding and challenging and threatening goal. Like it was still there, the end goal of writing a book. But since I reframed it to I'm becoming an author now and I'm doing a little bit every day, it just accumulated with time and developed as a consequence. And there I saw success.

Like I broke down this super demanding and challenging and threatening goal. Like it was still there, the end goal of writing a book. But since I reframed it to I'm becoming an author now and I'm doing a little bit every day, it just accumulated with time and developed as a consequence. And there I saw success.

I'm onto something because the big three did not only work for myself at work and creating my company, but also creating this big milestone achievement of actually writing a book. And that's where I then doubled down and said, this is awesome.

I'm onto something because the big three did not only work for myself at work and creating my company, but also creating this big milestone achievement of actually writing a book. And that's where I then doubled down and said, this is awesome.

This is what I want to bring to the world and help people overcome their own challenges and achieve their own goals using this framework that not only works for your career development, but also for your personal development and other goals you may have in your life.

This is what I want to bring to the world and help people overcome their own challenges and achieve their own goals using this framework that not only works for your career development, but also for your personal development and other goals you may have in your life.

Okay, sure. Sounds great. So I'm born in Germany, close to Cologne and Dusseldorf, so in the western part of Germany. In 2001, I moved to Heidelberg to study physics. And did my bachelor's degree there in physics and asked myself, what do I actually want to do with this? Once like in real life.

Okay, sure. Sounds great. So I'm born in Germany, close to Cologne and Dusseldorf, so in the western part of Germany. In 2001, I moved to Heidelberg to study physics. And did my bachelor's degree there in physics and asked myself, what do I actually want to do with this? Once like in real life.

And my brother made me aware that Blizzard, which was one of my favorite gaming companies or Z, my favorite company of all times when it comes to games at the time and still is. He said, hey, they're looking for support staff for the Game Master, for the in-game customer support. That's all.

And my brother made me aware that Blizzard, which was one of my favorite gaming companies or Z, my favorite company of all times when it comes to games at the time and still is. He said, hey, they're looking for support staff for the Game Master, for the in-game customer support. That's all.

Let's take a semester off of physics and see how the real world looks like working for a real company in France, close to Paris. And so I sent my CV, I had an interview and said, awesome, when can you come? And then basically took the semester off, started at Blizzard. I loved it so much that from the half year I was taking off originally, that quickly became one year.

Let's take a semester off of physics and see how the real world looks like working for a real company in France, close to Paris. And so I sent my CV, I had an interview and said, awesome, when can you come? And then basically took the semester off, started at Blizzard. I loved it so much that from the half year I was taking off originally, that quickly became one year.

Then I changed from customer support to community management and communications. And then I stayed for 17 years total instead of a quick semester and then going back.

Then I changed from customer support to community management and communications. And then I stayed for 17 years total instead of a quick semester and then going back.

Okay, so I started in customer support, so basically helping players in our premier game at that point, World of Warcraft, if they had any issues in-game. Then I quickly transitioned into community and communications, where the team that I worked in is the linchpin between the community and the game developers in the States. It's like they're communicating back and forth.

Okay, so I started in customer support, so basically helping players in our premier game at that point, World of Warcraft, if they had any issues in-game. Then I quickly transitioned into community and communications, where the team that I worked in is the linchpin between the community and the game developers in the States. It's like they're communicating back and forth.

We try to get the game closer to the players, but also understand the players' needs better to feed that back to the developers, especially for the European market and the seven languages that we were looking after. I really loved that part because for me, succeeding together, that's where my heart beats.

We try to get the game closer to the players, but also understand the players' needs better to feed that back to the developers, especially for the European market and the seven languages that we were looking after. I really loved that part because for me, succeeding together, that's where my heart beats.

And it was in this position we were responsible for making sure that together with the community, we were creating the most awesome gaming experiences for all players. And that really fascinated me. I loved it. And that's why I gravitated to it so strongly. As I stayed in the team, I became more and more experienced with the subject matter.

And it was in this position we were responsible for making sure that together with the community, we were creating the most awesome gaming experiences for all players. And that really fascinated me. I loved it. And that's why I gravitated to it so strongly. As I stayed in the team, I became more and more experienced with the subject matter.

I started training other new community managers that joined us for different games and different languages. So I naturally grew into a managerial position, whereas then later on, I had my own team of seven people for the seven different languages that we were looking after and I helped them do the jobs that I did in the past but for their specific language communities.

I started training other new community managers that joined us for different games and different languages. So I naturally grew into a managerial position, whereas then later on, I had my own team of seven people for the seven different languages that we were looking after and I helped them do the jobs that I did in the past but for their specific language communities.

It was really a magical time like we couldn't believe we got so lucky to be working at the single best company in gaming and having this for a job making money with it and basically having this second family away from home. We all felt like we found a second family in Blizzard because everybody was excited and passionate about the same things.

It was really a magical time like we couldn't believe we got so lucky to be working at the single best company in gaming and having this for a job making money with it and basically having this second family away from home. We all felt like we found a second family in Blizzard because everybody was excited and passionate about the same things.

And we spent time together during work and then we played together after work and we saw each other on the weekends for drinks and parties and other things. So it was really our entire world together. where the people at Blizzard had the jobs that we were there for doing. And that changed somewhat over the years as Blizzard emerged with Activision, which was a big publisher in the gaming industry.

And we spent time together during work and then we played together after work and we saw each other on the weekends for drinks and parties and other things. So it was really our entire world together. where the people at Blizzard had the jobs that we were there for doing. And that changed somewhat over the years as Blizzard emerged with Activision, which was a big publisher in the gaming industry.

And the priorities for Blizzard, to our eyes, started to shift. Going from how can we make this the best, most engaging experience for our players to how can we make more money with this? And how can we make this graph go up more quickly? And money is, after a couple of years, everything that we heard in discussions, which...

And the priorities for Blizzard, to our eyes, started to shift. Going from how can we make this the best, most engaging experience for our players to how can we make more money with this? And how can we make this graph go up more quickly? And money is, after a couple of years, everything that we heard in discussions, which...

was a strong departure from the original values that brought me to blizzard making the most epic experiences with gamers for gamers then it came in 2018 so a long way so i started in 2005 so 2018 was then 13 years in There was an announcement saying, hey, we need to save money globally and in our office here in Versailles specifically, we need to reduce our overall amount of people by 30%.

was a strong departure from the original values that brought me to blizzard making the most epic experiences with gamers for gamers then it came in 2018 so a long way so i started in 2005 so 2018 was then 13 years in There was an announcement saying, hey, we need to save money globally and in our office here in Versailles specifically, we need to reduce our overall amount of people by 30%.

And that was a shock to us because many of us, we started with Blizzard as our first company. And as I said, it really felt like a family. And all of a sudden we were to say goodbye to a third of that family. And we didn't know if we were impacted ourselves. So a lot of different and difficult emotions came up for everybody. We felt shocked. Oh, how can that be?

And that was a shock to us because many of us, we started with Blizzard as our first company. And as I said, it really felt like a family. And all of a sudden we were to say goodbye to a third of that family. And we didn't know if we were impacted ourselves. So a lot of different and difficult emotions came up for everybody. We felt shocked. Oh, how can that be?

Like we've been doing so well and I thought we are still doing well. And yeah, it was a really hard time for everybody involved and people had many different reactions because in France, after the announcement, it took about a year. before that reduction actually took place.

Like we've been doing so well and I thought we are still doing well. And yeah, it was a really hard time for everybody involved and people had many different reactions because in France, after the announcement, it took about a year. before that reduction actually took place.

So there was a phase for about half a year, three quarters of a year, where people could volunteer to leave so that the 30% would be filled up with volunteers as much as possible.

So there was a phase for about half a year, three quarters of a year, where people could volunteer to leave so that the 30% would be filled up with volunteers as much as possible.

and during that time frame it was getting increasingly difficult because few people a couple of people said there's too much pressure i i don't want to deal with this anymore i just want to get out and they left ahead of time i for myself decided i wanted to stay around to help my team through this process

and during that time frame it was getting increasingly difficult because few people a couple of people said there's too much pressure i i don't want to deal with this anymore i just want to get out and they left ahead of time i for myself decided i wanted to stay around to help my team through this process

And it turned out my team was completely gone at the end of the process because they reduced the entire community team to one person instead of around 10. which was, of course, a big change. For me, I took it as an opportunity to say, okay, good, this part of my career is done. Let's transition to somewhere else in the company.

And it turned out my team was completely gone at the end of the process because they reduced the entire community team to one person instead of around 10. which was, of course, a big change. For me, I took it as an opportunity to say, okay, good, this part of my career is done. Let's transition to somewhere else in the company.

And I went from a publishing to a production environment and localization, so the translation of our games, and started there as a manager, helping the team over there, the German and Italian team in particular,

And I went from a publishing to a production environment and localization, so the translation of our games, and started there as a manager, helping the team over there, the German and Italian team in particular,

to transition through what we were going through because now they also lost about half to a third of their co-workers and now they needed to do more with less resources so there was a lot of change management to be done somewhere where I thought great I can make a positive difference here for the people to actually remove roadblocks make their lives easier so they can get

to transition through what we were going through because now they also lost about half to a third of their co-workers and now they needed to do more with less resources so there was a lot of change management to be done somewhere where I thought great I can make a positive difference here for the people to actually remove roadblocks make their lives easier so they can get

the stuff that do best, they can get that done with as little interruption as possible. And that actually worked quite well. But then in 2020, the second shoe dropped and they announced, hey, we are going to close the Versailles office completely. It was super tough and everybody that remained in the hopes of being able to keep on with Blizzard, then those hopes shattered.

the stuff that do best, they can get that done with as little interruption as possible. And that actually worked quite well. But then in 2020, the second shoe dropped and they announced, hey, we are going to close the Versailles office completely. It was super tough and everybody that remained in the hopes of being able to keep on with Blizzard, then those hopes shattered.

Now everybody was faced with, okay, what am I going to do now? And in that environment, I sat down with my team and said, okay, it is what it is. We all have to go through these five stages of grief again that we just passed through the year before with many of our friends leaving. but we'll come out of it on the other side.

Now everybody was faced with, okay, what am I going to do now? And in that environment, I sat down with my team and said, okay, it is what it is. We all have to go through these five stages of grief again that we just passed through the year before with many of our friends leaving. but we'll come out of it on the other side.

And once you're in a good space to think about it, I want to have a discussion with each and every one of you, what you want to do moving forward after Blizzard and what we can do right now to get you started on that journey towards a prosperous future where you feel fulfilled and happy and have a good job even after Blizzard. And that, in a nutshell, were my 17 years at Blizzard.

And once you're in a good space to think about it, I want to have a discussion with each and every one of you, what you want to do moving forward after Blizzard and what we can do right now to get you started on that journey towards a prosperous future where you feel fulfilled and happy and have a good job even after Blizzard. And that, in a nutshell, were my 17 years at Blizzard.

Yeah, so that was definitely towards the end of my time at Blizzard when I was exploring more and more coaching techniques and more and more workshops with my team to really empower them to take charge of their own destiny and do so with hopefully a more positive outlook on their own abilities and their own future. it really starting to make a difference for them, but also for me.

Yeah, so that was definitely towards the end of my time at Blizzard when I was exploring more and more coaching techniques and more and more workshops with my team to really empower them to take charge of their own destiny and do so with hopefully a more positive outlook on their own abilities and their own future. it really starting to make a difference for them, but also for me.

explore that possibility space of what they can start doing right now with a long-term view but very small and iterative steps right now to get to where they need to be and that's when I discovered for me and said hey After the time at Blizzard, I'll have some time and I have some resources. I'll get certified in coaching.

explore that possibility space of what they can start doing right now with a long-term view but very small and iterative steps right now to get to where they need to be and that's when I discovered for me and said hey After the time at Blizzard, I'll have some time and I have some resources. I'll get certified in coaching.

I want to know more about that and I want to be able to do it professionally. And during the following year, I did then exactly that. And that's what convinced me doing that course with other coaches. Wow, yes, this is really what I want to do moving forward because I'm not bound to a corporate overlord who says, tells me what to do and where my priorities are.

I want to know more about that and I want to be able to do it professionally. And during the following year, I did then exactly that. And that's what convinced me doing that course with other coaches. Wow, yes, this is really what I want to do moving forward because I'm not bound to a corporate overlord who says, tells me what to do and where my priorities are.

And all my efforts basically go towards making rich people even richer in a sense. And now I have the freedom to work with people that share the same values, that are geeks like me, which to me just means they embrace what they love without reservation and they're not afraid of showing it.

And all my efforts basically go towards making rich people even richer in a sense. And now I have the freedom to work with people that share the same values, that are geeks like me, which to me just means they embrace what they love without reservation and they're not afraid of showing it.

So people who do that, they don't need to be gamers, they don't need to be nerds or anything, but they're just unapologetically passionate about what they're doing.

So people who do that, they don't need to be gamers, they don't need to be nerds or anything, but they're just unapologetically passionate about what they're doing.

And those are the people I love working with because that is my background and that's the life that I lived at Blizzard and I will forever be thankful for having had that time and the opportunities that Blizzard afforded me to grow into that person that I am today who is...

And those are the people I love working with because that is my background and that's the life that I lived at Blizzard and I will forever be thankful for having had that time and the opportunities that Blizzard afforded me to grow into that person that I am today who is...

a lot more safe in his own abilities and okay, not having a normal nine to five job, but being my own boss and having my own company and living a little bit outside my comfort zone and pushing against it steadily. So yeah, I'll forever be grateful for that. And it led me to where I am today and it's a really exciting space. So yeah.

a lot more safe in his own abilities and okay, not having a normal nine to five job, but being my own boss and having my own company and living a little bit outside my comfort zone and pushing against it steadily. So yeah, I'll forever be grateful for that. And it led me to where I am today and it's a really exciting space. So yeah.

So to me, it comes down to your point of view and how you choose to engage with that event in your life. That event being your parting ways with your former employer, either by your own choice or you're being forced to because you have been laid off or the company is no more. And we can choose to look at that and say, oh my God, this is the worst thing that ever happened to me.

So to me, it comes down to your point of view and how you choose to engage with that event in your life. That event being your parting ways with your former employer, either by your own choice or you're being forced to because you have been laid off or the company is no more. And we can choose to look at that and say, oh my God, this is the worst thing that ever happened to me.

What am I going to do now? This is the most scary thing that ever happened to me in my life. I'm being thrown out of my comfort zone. I had this nice little place where I was good at what I was doing and it was comfortable and I made money and that allowed me to survive and live my life. And that's when people, if you look at it like that, then yes, it's very scary.

What am I going to do now? This is the most scary thing that ever happened to me in my life. I'm being thrown out of my comfort zone. I had this nice little place where I was good at what I was doing and it was comfortable and I made money and that allowed me to survive and live my life. And that's when people, if you look at it like that, then yes, it's very scary.

But you can also choose to look at this energy in your body that you feel, this being scared as, oh, there's energy in my body. I'm kingly all over. I'm excited for what lies ahead. So instead of looking at what you lost, it's, oh, wow. So I'm not bound to this company anymore. What other opportunities are there for me? What is it actually that I'm passionate about? What is it that fulfills me?

But you can also choose to look at this energy in your body that you feel, this being scared as, oh, there's energy in my body. I'm kingly all over. I'm excited for what lies ahead. So instead of looking at what you lost, it's, oh, wow. So I'm not bound to this company anymore. What other opportunities are there for me? What is it actually that I'm passionate about? What is it that fulfills me?

and is there maybe a better fit for me out there than what i have been doing previously and if you look at it from that perspective then change is exciting because now you enter this world of opportunity and the five stages of grief you get through them a lot more quickly and rapidly than when you look at it from the other side of being scarce and having that anxiety.

and is there maybe a better fit for me out there than what i have been doing previously and if you look at it from that perspective then change is exciting because now you enter this world of opportunity and the five stages of grief you get through them a lot more quickly and rapidly than when you look at it from the other side of being scarce and having that anxiety.

And if you have that for the first time, yes, it's completely normal to be scared because you lose your safety net. And that will always be scary, especially if you have to provide for your family and for your children. The more you get exposed to it, right, the more you are... getting used to nothing in this world is 100% safe. Nothing is being granted or forever.

And if you have that for the first time, yes, it's completely normal to be scared because you lose your safety net. And that will always be scary, especially if you have to provide for your family and for your children. The more you get exposed to it, right, the more you are... getting used to nothing in this world is 100% safe. Nothing is being granted or forever.

Then you get into the practice of building that resilience and asking yourself, Hey, what if tomorrow my workplace changes or my position at work or my responsibilities or I don't have a job anymore? What can I do right now to prepare myself for that eventuality and the change that is very likely to come in the future at some point?

Then you get into the practice of building that resilience and asking yourself, Hey, what if tomorrow my workplace changes or my position at work or my responsibilities or I don't have a job anymore? What can I do right now to prepare myself for that eventuality and the change that is very likely to come in the future at some point?

And if you look at it like that, then you can prepare yourself each day a little bit with stuff that makes sense for you in the future. And that may start with looking at what am I actually passionate about? What is it that I want to do with my life? And how does it overlap with stuff I can get paid for?

And if you look at it like that, then you can prepare yourself each day a little bit with stuff that makes sense for you in the future. And that may start with looking at what am I actually passionate about? What is it that I want to do with my life? And how does it overlap with stuff I can get paid for?

And then you can start building accreditation and you can do research and you can develop yourself into that person. direction that when the moment comes and you're suddenly thrown out, you have a system in place. You're already on the road to something new. It's like, okay, cool. That was great. I'm very thankful for the experiences.

And then you can start building accreditation and you can do research and you can develop yourself into that person. direction that when the moment comes and you're suddenly thrown out, you have a system in place. You're already on the road to something new. It's like, okay, cool. That was great. I'm very thankful for the experiences.

I'm taking all the good things I can from it that helped me learn and grow and become the person that I am today. And with that set of skills and experiences, let's move forward to the next thing.

I'm taking all the good things I can from it that helped me learn and grow and become the person that I am today. And with that set of skills and experiences, let's move forward to the next thing.

So the big three is really something I discovered during my last stages at Blizzard and then the year after when I was getting my coaching certifications and I was writing the book. And they're all about being kind, present and open. And for me, it's a framework that when we just stick to those three simple things, everything else falls into place.

So the big three is really something I discovered during my last stages at Blizzard and then the year after when I was getting my coaching certifications and I was writing the book. And they're all about being kind, present and open. And for me, it's a framework that when we just stick to those three simple things, everything else falls into place.

So being kind to me is all about self-acceptance, embracing the good things in our life and not looking at what we think we are missing. So let's... What we talked about previously is this point of view, right? It helps shape this point of view to a place where we have possibility instead of restrictions. And then being present is all about enabling that self-motivated and self-driven behavior.

So being kind to me is all about self-acceptance, embracing the good things in our life and not looking at what we think we are missing. So let's... What we talked about previously is this point of view, right? It helps shape this point of view to a place where we have possibility instead of restrictions. And then being present is all about enabling that self-motivated and self-driven behavior.

Because we look at where are we right now? Where is it actually that I want to go in the future? What are the challenges in between? And who do I have to become to, as a consequence of being that person, I will overcome these challenges in my way. And that's then where being open comes in.

Because we look at where are we right now? Where is it actually that I want to go in the future? What are the challenges in between? And who do I have to become to, as a consequence of being that person, I will overcome these challenges in my way. And that's then where being open comes in.

And we put systems and habits into place to become that person, our future self that will overcome all these challenges that we currently face one step at a time.

And we put systems and habits into place to become that person, our future self that will overcome all these challenges that we currently face one step at a time.

and the beautiful thing here is it's a different road for everybody but it's always the same framework and for me i thought i saw it really work in my work with my my former team and colleagues being kind to them and myself saying hey this is a difficult position we are finding ourselves in it's okay to take time to process it

and the beautiful thing here is it's a different road for everybody but it's always the same framework and for me i thought i saw it really work in my work with my my former team and colleagues being kind to them and myself saying hey this is a difficult position we are finding ourselves in it's okay to take time to process it

once you're in a good position to talk about it let's be present and see where you are right now where do you want to go and what can we do right now to help you get you there and then in the being open part we put specific trainings and certifications and actions into place that you can do little by little to build towards that goal and it's not that overwhelming anymore

once you're in a good position to talk about it let's be present and see where you are right now where do you want to go and what can we do right now to help you get you there and then in the being open part we put specific trainings and certifications and actions into place that you can do little by little to build towards that goal and it's not that overwhelming anymore

and you'll find a new job simply as a consequence of putting that behavior into place so that is what's a big three all about and how they work for me in a professional life it's also then how i build my business saying hey being kind to myself it's the first time creating a business i'm going to make a lot of mistakes and that is okay mistakes are just

and you'll find a new job simply as a consequence of putting that behavior into place so that is what's a big three all about and how they work for me in a professional life it's also then how i build my business saying hey being kind to myself it's the first time creating a business i'm going to make a lot of mistakes and that is okay mistakes are just

Hello. Thanks so much for having me. I'm feeling very honored among all your distinguished guests to be here.

Hello. Thanks so much for having me. I'm feeling very honored among all your distinguished guests to be here.

learning in disguise in the end so looking forward to making them because i will learn a lot of from them and then looking at if i want to be at that space and have a successful company of for myself and a successful business What does that look like and what are the steps that will get me there? And right here, right now, what are the first steps I can start taking?

learning in disguise in the end so looking forward to making them because i will learn a lot of from them and then looking at if i want to be at that space and have a successful company of for myself and a successful business What does that look like and what are the steps that will get me there? And right here, right now, what are the first steps I can start taking?

And then being open to putting systems into place for myself to do a little bit every day to become that person who then has that successful business.

And then being open to putting systems into place for myself to do a little bit every day to become that person who then has that successful business.

talking about the book that how i tested my thesis saying hey i've never written a book before i always wanted to but it was always too scary i just discovered the big three let's try it with this book and what happened is i reframed i want to write a book into i want to become an author And an author is just somebody who writes a little bit every day. So I started with five minutes.

talking about the book that how i tested my thesis saying hey i've never written a book before i always wanted to but it was always too scary i just discovered the big three let's try it with this book and what happened is i reframed i want to write a book into i want to become an author And an author is just somebody who writes a little bit every day. So I started with five minutes.

Five minutes became 10, 15, two hours, three hours a day. And after three months, the book was done. The first proper draft was done.

Five minutes became 10, 15, two hours, three hours a day. And after three months, the book was done. The first proper draft was done.

and was like realizing wow it really works like i broke down this super demanding and challenging and threatening goal like it was still there the end goal of writing a book but since i reframed it to i'm becoming an author now and i'm doing a little bit every day it just accumulated with time and developed as a consequence and there i saw

and was like realizing wow it really works like i broke down this super demanding and challenging and threatening goal like it was still there the end goal of writing a book but since i reframed it to i'm becoming an author now and i'm doing a little bit every day it just accumulated with time and developed as a consequence and there i saw

I'm onto something because the big three did not only work for myself at work and creating my company, but also creating this big milestone achievement of actually writing a book. And that's where I then doubled down and said, this is awesome.

I'm onto something because the big three did not only work for myself at work and creating my company, but also creating this big milestone achievement of actually writing a book. And that's where I then doubled down and said, this is awesome.

This is what I want to bring to the world and help people overcome their own challenges and achieve their own goals using this framework that not only works for your career development, but also for your personal development and other goals you may have in your life.

This is what I want to bring to the world and help people overcome their own challenges and achieve their own goals using this framework that not only works for your career development, but also for your personal development and other goals you may have in your life.

Okay, sure. Sounds great. So I'm born in Germany, close to Cologne and Dusseldorf, so in the western part of Germany. In 2001, I moved to Heidelberg to study physics. And did my bachelor's degree there in physics and asked myself, what do I actually want to do with this? Once like in real life.

Okay, sure. Sounds great. So I'm born in Germany, close to Cologne and Dusseldorf, so in the western part of Germany. In 2001, I moved to Heidelberg to study physics. And did my bachelor's degree there in physics and asked myself, what do I actually want to do with this? Once like in real life.

And my brother made me aware that Blizzard, which was one of my favorite gaming companies or Z, my favorite company of all times when it comes to games at the time and still is. He said, hey, they're looking for support staff for the Game Master, for the in-game customer support. That's all.

And my brother made me aware that Blizzard, which was one of my favorite gaming companies or Z, my favorite company of all times when it comes to games at the time and still is. He said, hey, they're looking for support staff for the Game Master, for the in-game customer support. That's all.

Let's take a semester off of physics and see how the real world looks like working for a real company in France, close to Paris. And so I sent my CV, I had an interview and said, awesome, when can you come? And then basically took the semester off, started at Blizzard. I loved it so much that from the half year I was taking off originally, that quickly became one year.

Let's take a semester off of physics and see how the real world looks like working for a real company in France, close to Paris. And so I sent my CV, I had an interview and said, awesome, when can you come? And then basically took the semester off, started at Blizzard. I loved it so much that from the half year I was taking off originally, that quickly became one year.

Then I changed from customer support to community management and communications. And then I stayed for 17 years total, instead of a quick semester and then going back.

Then I changed from customer support to community management and communications. And then I stayed for 17 years total, instead of a quick semester and then going back.

Okay, so I started in customer support, so basically helping players in our premier game at that point, World of Warcraft, if they had any issues in game. Then I quickly transitioned into community and communications, where the team that I worked in is the linchpin between the community and the game developers in the States. It's like they're communicating back and forth

Okay, so I started in customer support, so basically helping players in our premier game at that point, World of Warcraft, if they had any issues in game. Then I quickly transitioned into community and communications, where the team that I worked in is the linchpin between the community and the game developers in the States. It's like they're communicating back and forth

We try to get the game closer to the players, but also understand the players' needs better to feed that back to the developers, especially for the European market and the seven languages that we were looking after. I really loved that part because for me, succeeding together, that's where my heart beats.

We try to get the game closer to the players, but also understand the players' needs better to feed that back to the developers, especially for the European market and the seven languages that we were looking after. I really loved that part because for me, succeeding together, that's where my heart beats.

And it was in this position we were responsible for making sure that together with the community, we were creating the most awesome gaming experiences for all players. And that really fascinated me. I loved it. And that's why I gravitated to it so strongly. As I stayed in the team, I became more and more experienced with the subject matter.

And it was in this position we were responsible for making sure that together with the community, we were creating the most awesome gaming experiences for all players. And that really fascinated me. I loved it. And that's why I gravitated to it so strongly. As I stayed in the team, I became more and more experienced with the subject matter.

I started training other new community managers that joined us for different games and different languages. So I naturally grew into a managerial position.

I started training other new community managers that joined us for different games and different languages. So I naturally grew into a managerial position.

where then later on i had my own team of seven people for the seven different languages that we were looking after and i helped them do the jobs that i did in the past but for their specific language communities it was really a magical time like we couldn't believe we got so lucky to be working at the single best company in gaming and having this for a job making money with it and

where then later on i had my own team of seven people for the seven different languages that we were looking after and i helped them do the jobs that i did in the past but for their specific language communities it was really a magical time like we couldn't believe we got so lucky to be working at the single best company in gaming and having this for a job making money with it and

basically having this second family away from home. We all felt like we found a second family in Blizzard because everybody was excited and passionate about the same things. And we spent time together doing work and then we played together after work and we saw each other on the weekends for drinks and parties and other things. So it was really our entire world together.

basically having this second family away from home. We all felt like we found a second family in Blizzard because everybody was excited and passionate about the same things. And we spent time together doing work and then we played together after work and we saw each other on the weekends for drinks and parties and other things. So it was really our entire world together.

where the people at blizzard and the jobs that we were there there for doing and that changed somewhat over the years as blizzard emerged with activision which is a big publisher in the gaming industry and the priorities for blizzard to our eyes started to shift

where the people at blizzard and the jobs that we were there there for doing and that changed somewhat over the years as blizzard emerged with activision which is a big publisher in the gaming industry and the priorities for blizzard to our eyes started to shift

going from how can we make this the best most engaging experience for our players to how can we make more money with this and how can we make this graph go up more quickly and money is after a couple of years everything that we heard in discussions which

going from how can we make this the best most engaging experience for our players to how can we make more money with this and how can we make this graph go up more quickly and money is after a couple of years everything that we heard in discussions which

was a strong departure from the original values that brought me to blizzard making the most epic experiences with gamers for gamers then it came in 2018 so a long way so i started in 2005 so 2018 was then 13 years in There was an announcement saying, hey, we need to save money globally and in our office here in Versailles specifically, we need to reduce our overall amount of people by 30%.

was a strong departure from the original values that brought me to blizzard making the most epic experiences with gamers for gamers then it came in 2018 so a long way so i started in 2005 so 2018 was then 13 years in There was an announcement saying, hey, we need to save money globally and in our office here in Versailles specifically, we need to reduce our overall amount of people by 30%.

And that was a shock to us because many of us, we started with Blizzard as our first company. And as I said, it really felt like a family. And all of a sudden we were to say goodbye to a third of that family. And we didn't know if we were impacted ourselves. So a lot of different and difficult emotions came up for everybody. We felt shocked. Oh, how can that be?

And that was a shock to us because many of us, we started with Blizzard as our first company. And as I said, it really felt like a family. And all of a sudden we were to say goodbye to a third of that family. And we didn't know if we were impacted ourselves. So a lot of different and difficult emotions came up for everybody. We felt shocked. Oh, how can that be?

Like we've been doing so well and I thought we are still doing well. And yeah, it was a really hard time for everybody involved and people had many different reactions because in France, after the announcement, it took about a year. before that reduction actually took place.

Like we've been doing so well and I thought we are still doing well. And yeah, it was a really hard time for everybody involved and people had many different reactions because in France, after the announcement, it took about a year. before that reduction actually took place.

So there was a phase for about half a year, three quarters of a year, where people could volunteer to leave so that the 30% would be filled up with volunteers as much as possible. And during that timeframe, it was getting increasingly difficult because a couple of people said, there's too much pressure. I don't want to deal with this anymore. I just want to get out. And they left ahead of time.

So there was a phase for about half a year, three quarters of a year, where people could volunteer to leave so that the 30% would be filled up with volunteers as much as possible. And during that timeframe, it was getting increasingly difficult because a couple of people said, there's too much pressure. I don't want to deal with this anymore. I just want to get out. And they left ahead of time.

I, for myself, decided I wanted to stay around to help my team through this process. And it turned out my team was completely gone at the end of the process because they reduced the entire community team to one person instead of around 10.

I, for myself, decided I wanted to stay around to help my team through this process. And it turned out my team was completely gone at the end of the process because they reduced the entire community team to one person instead of around 10.

which was of course a big change for me i i took it as an opportunity to say okay good this part of my career is done let's transition to somewhere else in the company and i went from a publishing to a production environment and localization so the translation of our games and started there as a manager helping the team over there the german and italian team in particular

which was of course a big change for me i i took it as an opportunity to say okay good this part of my career is done let's transition to somewhere else in the company and i went from a publishing to a production environment and localization so the translation of our games and started there as a manager helping the team over there the german and italian team in particular

to transition through what we were going through because now they also lost about half to a third of their co-workers and now they needed to do more with less resources so there was a lot of change management to be done somewhere where I thought great I can make a positive difference here for the people to actually remove roadblocks make their lives easier so they can get

to transition through what we were going through because now they also lost about half to a third of their co-workers and now they needed to do more with less resources so there was a lot of change management to be done somewhere where I thought great I can make a positive difference here for the people to actually remove roadblocks make their lives easier so they can get

the staff that do best, they can get that done with as little interruption as possible. And that actually worked quite well. But then in 2020, the second shoe dropped and they announced, hey, we are going to close the Versailles office completely. It was super tough and everybody that remained in the hopes of being able to keep on with Blizzard, then those hopes shattered.

the staff that do best, they can get that done with as little interruption as possible. And that actually worked quite well. But then in 2020, the second shoe dropped and they announced, hey, we are going to close the Versailles office completely. It was super tough and everybody that remained in the hopes of being able to keep on with Blizzard, then those hopes shattered.

Now everybody was faced with, okay, what am I going to do now? And in that environment, I sat down with my team and said, okay, it is what it is. We all have to go through these five stages of grief again that we just passed through the year before with many of our friends leaving. but we'll come out of it on the other side.

Now everybody was faced with, okay, what am I going to do now? And in that environment, I sat down with my team and said, okay, it is what it is. We all have to go through these five stages of grief again that we just passed through the year before with many of our friends leaving. but we'll come out of it on the other side.

And once you're in a good space to think about it, I want to have a discussion with each and every one of you, what you want to do moving forward after Blizzard and what we can do right now to get you started on that journey towards a prosperous future where you feel fulfilled and happy and have a good job even after Blizzard. And that, in a nutshell, were my 17 years at Blizzard.

And once you're in a good space to think about it, I want to have a discussion with each and every one of you, what you want to do moving forward after Blizzard and what we can do right now to get you started on that journey towards a prosperous future where you feel fulfilled and happy and have a good job even after Blizzard. And that, in a nutshell, were my 17 years at Blizzard.

Yeah, so that was definitely towards the end of my time at Blizzard when I was exploring more and more coaching techniques and more and more workshops with my team to really empower them to take charge of their own destiny and do so with hopefully a more positive outlook on their own abilities and their own future. And It's really starting to make a difference for them, but also for me.

Yeah, so that was definitely towards the end of my time at Blizzard when I was exploring more and more coaching techniques and more and more workshops with my team to really empower them to take charge of their own destiny and do so with hopefully a more positive outlook on their own abilities and their own future. And It's really starting to make a difference for them, but also for me.

In that moment, I realized, wow, like coaching, I really resonate with that. Not telling people what to do, but listening to them where they are right now, where they want or need to be in the future. And then together...

In that moment, I realized, wow, like coaching, I really resonate with that. Not telling people what to do, but listening to them where they are right now, where they want or need to be in the future. And then together...