Calls From The Road

Was, wenn die Umwege deines Lebens genau der Weg sind, den du gehen musst?

Wir wachsen mit der Vorstellung auf, dass Erfolg einem klaren Plan folgt. Ausbildung, Karriere, Sicherheit und irgendwann das Gefühl, endlich angekommen zu sein.

Aber was passiert, wenn dein Leben ganz anders verläuft?

Für diesen Pitstop habe ich mich in Lissabon mit Julia Haupenthal, besser bekannt als Jules, getroffen. Kennengelernt haben wir uns letztes Jahr auf Bali und seitdem ist sie für mich eines der schönsten Beispiele dafür, dass ein außergewöhnlicher Lebensweg nicht immer geradlinig sein muss.

Jules wuchs auf einem Bauernhof im Saarland auf, verlor früh ihren Vater und musste schon in jungen Jahren lernen, mit Veränderungen umzugehen, die sie sich niemals ausgesucht hätte.

Was folgte, waren unzählige Neuanfänge: Australien, abgebrochene Ausbildungswege, Network Marketing, Online-Business, finanzielle Erfolge und schließlich die Entscheidung, mit gerade einmal 500 Euro nach Bali zu ziehen.

Heute arbeitet sie im Bereich 9D Breathwork, begleitet Menschen auf ihrem eigenen Entwicklungsweg und hat eine neue Perspektive darauf gewonnen, was Erfolg und Erfüllung für sie persönlich bedeuten.

Wir sprechen über die verschiedenen Versionen unserer selbst, die Erwartungen anderer Menschen, finanzielle Freiheit, den Mut zum Neuanfang und die Frage, wann es Zeit ist, einen Weg zu verlassen, der sich nicht mehr richtig anfühlt.

Und darüber, warum manche Entscheidungen erst Jahre später ihren Sinn offenbaren.

Ein Pitstop für alle, die große Träume haben, ihren eigenen Weg gehen möchten und manchmal daran zweifeln, ob sie überhaupt in die richtige Richtung unterwegs sind.

#P21 with Julia Haupenthal on starting over, trusting your journey and finding your own definition of success.

See you on the road. 🏁❤️‍🔥

Join the road @callsfromtheroad – für die Geschichten, Entscheidungen und Umwege, die passieren, bevor ein Traum Realität wird. Kapitel:

0:29 Intro: Jules und unsere gemeinsame Geschichte auf Bali

2:26 Eine Kindheit auf dem Bauernhof

3:49 Der Verlust ihres Vaters und die erste große Veränderung

7:41 Australien: Endlich wieder frei sein

14:52 Warum ein abgebrochener Weg kein Scheitern ist

17:55 Network Marketing: Der Einstieg in die Selbstständigkeit

24:30 Als finanzieller Erfolg nicht mehr ausreichte

28:16 Mit 500 Euro und einem One-Way-Ticket nach Bali

31:06 Wie aus Dog Sitting ein neues Leben wurde

33:55 Als auf Bali plötzlich alles zusammenbrach

35:54 9D Breathwork: Eine unerwartete Entdeckung

41:59 Wie aus vergangenen Erfahrungen neue Chancen wurden

43:37 Warum dein Weg erst im Rückblick Sinn ergibt

46:08 Jules' wichtigste Botschaft: Vertrau deinem eigenen Kapitel

Socials:

Instagram Jules: @julesthal

Instagram Mila: @milakaethe

Instagram CFTR: @callsfromtheroad

TikTok CFTR: @callsfromtheroad

#CallsFromTheRoad #Julesthal #Neuanfang #Selbstfindung #Persönlichkeitsentwicklung #Identitätskrise #Schicksalsschlag #Trauerbewältigung #Auswandern #Bali #NetworkMarketing #HustleCulture #FinanzielleFreiheit #Selbstständigkeit #Erfolgsdefinition #Spiritualität #Intuition #Breathwork #9DBreathwork #Lebensveränderung

What if you've been asking yourself the wrong question all along?

We're constantly told to find ourselves, discover our purpose, figure out our passion and become the best version of who we are. But who decided that we need to have it all figured out in the first place?

In Off Route 7, I'm questioning our obsession with self-discovery and the pressure to know exactly who we are, where we're going and what we're supposed to do with our lives.

From my own unexpected road into building Calls From The Road to the many different lives and careers of people I've met along the way, this Off Route is about something we often forget when we're busy searching for answers.

And it's also the perfect introduction to next week's Pitstop with Jules, a dear friend whose unconventional journey has challenged everything we think we know about finding our path. An Off Route about identity, purpose, new beginnings and the beauty of not having it all figured out.

#OffRoute7 | What If You Don't Need to Find Yourself?

See you on the road. 🏁❤️‍🔥

Join the road @callsfromtheroad for the stories, decisions and detours that happen before a dream becomes reality.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

00:30 Why Are We So Obsessed With Finding Ourselves?

02:30 What If We're Not Lost, Just Becoming?

04:00 Jules: The Beauty of a Non-Linear Journey

06:00 How My Own Detours Led to CFTR

07:45 Confidence Comes From Doing, Not Knowing

09:00 Why Changing Direction Isn't Failure

10:15 Stop Waiting for Clarity

11:30 Give Yourself Permission to Be a Beginner

13:15 You're Not Behind. You're on the Road.

14:45 Three Questions to Ask Yourself

Socials:

Instagram CFTR: @callsfromtheroad

TikTok CFTR: @callsfromtheroad

Instagram Mila: @milakaethe

#CallsFromTheRoad #FindYourself #FindYourPurpose #SelfDiscovery #LifePurpose #FeelingLost #StartingOver #NewBeginnings #JustStart #KeepExploring

Was, wenn dich ausgerechnet dein Ehrgeiz davon abhält, das Leben zu führen, auf das du hinarbeitest?

Wir wollen mehr erreichen, unsere Träume verwirklichen und das Beste aus uns herausholen. Aber wann wird aus gesunder Ambition ein Druck, der uns mehr nimmt, als er uns gibt?

Für diesen Pitstop bin ich in Lissabon mit Cimberley Groß zusammengekommen. Vor acht Jahren haben wir genau hier gemeinsam studiert und sogar eine Zeit lang zusammengewohnt.

Seitdem hat Cimberley in der Climate-Tech- und Venture-Capital-Welt gearbeitet, war am Aufbau von Vangarde beteiligt und hat aus nächster Nähe erlebt, welchen Preis Menschen für ihre beruflichen Ambitionen manchmal zahlen.

Heute ist sie Geschäftsführerin von Accelerate Health, einem Unternehmen, das Gesundheit und Leadership neu zusammendenkt. Mit einem wissenschaftlich orientierten Ansatz aus Gesundheitsdaten, individuellen Programmen und Coaching unterstützt Accelerate Health Gründer und Führungskräfte dabei, langfristig leistungsfähig zu bleiben, ohne ihre Gesundheit dafür aufs Spiel zu setzen.

Doch die Frage dahinter betrifft uns alle: Wie können wir Großes erreichen, ohne uns selbst auf dem Weg dorthin zu verlieren?

Wir sprechen über die Schattenseiten von Ambition, den Einfluss unseres Nervensystems auf unsere Leistungsfähigkeit und eine lebensbedrohliche Erfahrung beim Surfen in Portugal, die Cimberleys Sicht auf Stress und Atmung geprägt hat.

Außerdem hinterfragen wir gesellschaftliche Erwartungen, die Art, wie wir Produktivität definieren, und warum es manchmal so schwer ist, auf die eigenen Bedürfnisse zu hören.

Ein Pitstop für alle, die große Träume haben und sich nicht zwischen Erfolg und einem erfüllten Leben entscheiden möchten.

#P20 with Cimberley Groß on ambition, health and redefining success.

See you on the road. 🏁❤️‍🔥

Join the road @callsfromtheroad – für die Geschichten, Entscheidungen und Umwege, die passieren, bevor ein Traum Realität wird. Kapitel: 00:00 Intro 00:56 Cimberleys Weg: Von Lissabon über Indonesien zur Unternehmerin 19:25 Burnout: Die ersten Warnzeichen 29:27 Social Media und der Druck, erfolgreich zu sein 41:20 Warum Hustle Culture nicht automatisch Erfolg bedeutet 45:29 Was chronischer Stress mit deinem Nervensystem macht 49:56 Die Atemtechnik, die Cimberley beim Surfen half 57:52 Accelerate Health: Performance trifft Gesundheit 1:01:52 Warum ambitionierte Menschen ihre Grenzen ignorieren 1:12:10 Schlaf, Regeneration und HRV 1:18:16 Von der Geschäftsidee zur Millionenförderung 1:23:38 Leadership, People Pleasing und Kontrolle abgeben 1:28:33 Cimberleys wichtigste Learnings

Socials: Instagram Accelerate Health: @acceleratehealth_ Instagram Cimberley Groß: @radiantmind.health Instagram Mila: @milakaethe

Instagram CFTR: @callsfromtheroad

TikTok CFTR: @callsfromtheroad

#callsfromtheroad #cimberleygross #acceleratehealth #hustleculture #burnout #nervensystem #stressmanagement #mentalhealth #highperformance #personaldevelopment #selbstverwirklichung #erfolg

You started your business for freedom. So why does it feel like you've become your own worst boss?

There's something deeply ironic about entrepreneurship. We leave behind the rules, expectations and working hours of someone else's company, only to create a workplace for ourselves that we might have quit a long time ago.

And the strangest part? We often don't even question it.

While building Calls From The Road, I've caught myself doing exactly that. And after talking to so many founders about their journeys, I've started noticing a pattern that I think deserves a much bigger conversation.

In this OFF Route, we're getting into the uncomfortable relationship between ambition, success and the way we treat ourselves along the road.

I'm also making a little confession about my previous Off Routes. Something is changing around here, and I'm curious to see where it takes us.

Next week, we'll take this conversation even further with Cimberley Groß, CEO of Accelerate Health, for a Pitstop on founder health, stress and the nervous system.

But for now, I want to leave you with one question:

Would you work for yourself?

Chapters:

0:00 Intro

2:13 I have a Confession to make

8:35 Would You Work For Yourself?

11:41 Problem #1: Hustle Addiction

13:12 Problem #2: Your Body Didn't Sign the Business Plan

16:10 Problem #3: The Successful Founder Paradox

21:09 Treat Yourself Like an Investment

25:51 Burnout, Stress & Next Week's Pitstop with Cimberley Groß from Accelerate Health

30:38 Would You Call Yourself Successful?

Socials: Instagram Mila: @milakaethe Instagram CFTR: @callsfromtheroad TikTok CFTR: @callsfromtheroad

#callsfromtheroad #founderburnout #hustleculture #founderhealth #chronicstress #entrepreneurlife #mentalhealth #worklifebalance #solofounder #burnoutprevention #selfleadership #foundermindset

„Ich hatte überhaupt gar keine Ahnung, was ich mache."

2019 kommt Jens Kegelmann als Student zu FINN. Das Unternehmen steht noch ganz am Anfang, das Team ist klein und an seinem ersten Arbeitstag bekommt er einen Laptop mit der Aufgabe, die erste Website zu bauen.

Sieben Jahre später ist FINN Unicorn, macht über 300 Mio. Euro ARR und Jens ist VP.

Was passiert zwischen diesen beiden Punkten?

Für den ersten Pitstop der dritten Staffel treffen wir Jens live im Podcast Hub der Bits & Pretzels in München und schauen genau auf die Entscheidungen, Learnings und Probleme hinter diesem Wachstum.

Was passiert, wenn Scale plötzlich bedeutet, selbst loszulassen? Wann wird Expansion zur Ablenkung vom Kerngeschäft? Was lernt man, wenn tausende E-Autos plötzlich nicht mehr die Restwerte haben, mit denen man gerechnet hat? Und wenn AI das Bauen von Produkten immer einfacher macht wird die Entscheidung, was überhaupt gebaut werden sollte, zur eigentlichen Herausforderung?

Jens erzählt, warum FINN die USA wieder verlassen hat, wie sich seine eigene Rolle vom Machen zum Führen verändert hat und warum er nach sieben Jahren Unternehmensaufbau vor allem eines gelernt hat:

Große Probleme werden lösbar, wenn man sie klein genug macht.

Eine Folge über die Entscheidungen hinter dem Scale, die Learnings, die nicht im ARR stehen und darüber, wie aus einem weißen Blatt Papier Schritt für Schritt ein Milliardenunternehmen entsteht. 🏁

🎙️ Pitstop #P19 — Season 3📍 Recorded live at Bits & Pretzels, Munich

Join the road @callsfromtheroad für die Geschichten, Entscheidungen und Umwege, die passieren, bevor ein Traum Realität wird.

See you on the road. ❤️‍🔥

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro: Live von der Bits & Pretzels

02:39 Von Day Zero zum FINN Unicorn

07:00 Vom Selbermachen zum Führen

10:30 Warum Jens seit 7 Jahren bei FINN ist

14:00 Wie das FINN Geschäftsmodell funktioniert

19:00 Das schmerzhafte E-Auto-Learning

23:30 Warum FINN die USA verlassen hat

28:30 Vom Rückzug zum Unicorn: Was kommt als Nächstes?

32:30 Wie AI Product Management verändert

36:30 Was Jens in 7 Jahren Aufbau gelernt hat

Socials: Instagram FINN: @finn.auto Instagram Mila: @milakaetheInstagram CFTR: @callsfromtheroadTikTok CFTR: @callsfromtheroad #callsfromtheroad #bitsandpretzels #finn #startupgrowth #companybuilding #scaling #productmanagement #productstrategy #productleadership #leadership #problemsolving #businessfocus #startupmistakes #businessgrowth #aiProduct #mobility #autosubscription #unicornstartup

What if imposter syndrome isn't actually a bad thing? And what if "never give up" is some of the worst advice you've ever received?

I came back from Bits & Pretzels with about 47 notes on my phone. Most of them I'll probably never look at again. But a few completely changed the way I think about building something of my own.

In this Off Route, I'm sharing seven lessons from Bits & Pretzels, including some unexpected perspectives from Trevor Noah and Steven Bartlett.

But there's also a side of Bits & Pretzels you probably didn't see.

I've attended countless conferences and networking events throughout my career. But this time was different. For the first time, I wasn't representing someone else's company. I was there for something I'd built myself.

And suddenly, walking into a familiar room felt completely different.

This episode is about the lessons worth taking home, the uncomfortable parts of building your own thing and three questions I think you should ask yourself.

🎙️ Off Route Solo | Calls From The Road

📍 Bits & Pretzels, Munich

See you on the road❤️‍🔥

Chapters:

00:00 – What I Really Took Away From Bits & Pretzels

01:30 – Trevor Noah: Maybe Imposter Syndrome Is a Good Thing

04:00 – Your Greatest Gift Is Also Your Curse

06:30 – Why Failure Doesn't Mean You're Failing

09:00 – Steven Bartlett: Question Everything

11:30 – Too Many Good Ideas Can Kill Your Focus

13:30 – Why "Never Give Up" Is Terrible Advice

16:30 – Networking Isn't About Collecting Contacts

19:00 – The Part of Bits & Pretzels You Didn't See

Socials:

Instagram Mila: @milakaethe

Instagram CFTR: @callsfromtheroad

TikTok CFTR: @callsfromtheroad

#callsfromtheroad #bitsandpretzels #stevenbartlett #trevornoah #impostersyndrome #foundermindset #startupadvice #failure #selfawareness #decisionmaking #businessfocus #networking

I want to be successful" doesn't actually mean anything until you know what you want your life to look like.

For the final episode of the Lisbon Series, I'm looking forward.

Over the last three episodes, we've talked about starting before you're ready, building something on your own and everything life keeps throwing at you while you're trying to make it work.

But all of that raises a bigger question: What are you actually building towards?

Because your dream life isn't made up of the big milestones people see. It's mostly made up of normal Tuesdays.

In this final Pitstop, I'm questioning how much of what we're chasing is actually ours, what success looks like beyond achievements, and why designing the life you want might be just as much about what you leave out as what you add.

Because maybe the goal isn't to perfectly design your life once.

It's to keep paying enough attention to notice when the life you're building no longer matches the person you've become.

Lisbon Series — Part 4 of 4

See you on the road. ❤️‍🔥

Chapters:

00:00 – What Does Success Actually Mean?

02:00 – What Does Your Normal Tuesday Look Like?

04:20 – Is the Dream You're Chasing Actually Yours?

06:15 – Stop Adding More to Your Life

08:15 – The 6 Questions That Define Your Dream Life

11:15 – What I Actually Want My Life to Look Like

13:15 – Your Dream Life Is Allowed to Change

15:30 – What Are You Building All of This For?

Socials:

Instagram Mila: @milakaethe

Instagram CFTR: @callsfromtheroad

TikTok CFTR: @callsfromtheroad

#callsfromtheroad #lisbonseries #dreamlife #lifedesign #definesuccess #lifechoices #careergoals #successmindset #intentionality #priorities #worklifebalance #lifeplanning #personalvalues #normalTuesday #dreamcareer #futurelife #careerdesign #successgoals

Nobody tells you that while you're trying to create the life of your dreams, life keeps happening.

For Part 3 of the Lisbon Series, I'm sitting in a hidden library in the neighborhood where I used to live — talking about the chapters of our lives that usually stay unseen.

Six months into building Calls From The Road, I've realized that some of the hardest parts of entrepreneurship have nothing to do with business at all.

What happens when your ambition and your private life collide? When you're building your future while your present still needs you? And how do you measure progress when everyone around you seems to be moving on a completely different timeline?

This episode is about the hidden side of chasing a dream: life, relationships, responsibility, comparison, different timelines and the cost of constantly telling yourself "after this."

Because the road isn't just your career. It's everything that happens while you're on the way there.

📍 Filmed in a hidden library in Lisbon, Portugal.

Lisbon Series — Part 3 of 4

See you on the road. ❤️‍🔥 Chapters:

00:00 – Lisbon Series Part 3: When Life Keeps Happening

02:05 – The Side of Entrepreneurship Nobody Talks About

04:20 – What You Don't See Behind Someone's Success

06:50 – The Danger of Saying "After This"

09:10 – Feeling Behind on Your Own Timeline

11:35 – Are You Measuring Progress the Wrong Way?

14:10 – Your Life Is More Than Your Career

Socials:

Instagram Mila: @milakaethe

Instagram CFTR: @callsfromtheroad

TikTok CFTR: @callsfromtheroad

#callsfromtheroad #lisbonseries #chasingdreams #reallife #lifechoices #differenttimelines #feelingbehind #comparison #lifepressure #growingup #adulting #ambition #worklifebalance #personalgrowth #lifechanges #yourtimeline #founderlife #entrepreneurlife

Building your dream alone sounds freeing. Until you realize that every decision, every problem, every task and every bad day lands on you.

Six months into building CFTR - Calls From The Road as a solopreneur, I've learned that independence and isolation are two very different things.

For Part 2 of the Lisbon Series, I'm back at Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics, where I studied in 2018 and constantly switched between working alone and working in groups. Eight years later, that same tension has become one of the biggest questions in my business: How much should you actually build alone?

In this episode, I break down the real pros and cons of being a solopreneur versus building with a co-founder or team — from speed and creative control to loneliness, burnout, blind spots, accountability and finding people with complementary skills.

But more importantly, I'm sharing the 10 rules that are currently keeping me sane while building alone.

How to trust yourself without ignoring feedback. Why the thing you're avoiding is probably the thing you need to do. How to protect your focus, redefine hustle, deal with sacrifice, change course when something isn't working and manage the voice in your own head.

Because I'm learning that building solo doesn't mean figuring everything out alone.

You can own your vision and still surround yourself with people who challenge you, support you and are better than you at things.

Maybe that's what independence actually is: not doing everything yourself, but being intentional about what stays yours and who you let build beside you.

📍 Filmed at Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics in Lisbon, Portugal, where I studied in 2018.

Lisbon Series — Part 2 of 4

See you on the road. ❤️‍🔥

Chapters:

0:00 Intro / Back at University in Lisbon

3:14 Episode Setup: Solo vs. Co-Founder

4:24 Pros of Being a Solopreneur

5:59 Cons of Being a Solopreneur

13:22 Pros of Having Co-Founders

14:55 Cons of Having Co-Founders

17:15 Truth 1: Trust Yourself, Not the Committee

18:36 Truth 2: Do the Thing You're Avoiding

19:57 Truth 3: Don't Take Advice From the Wrong People

20:38 Truth 4: Redefine Hustle

21:45 Truth 5: Protect Your Focus

22:39 Truth 6: Reframe the Sacrifice

23:47 Truth 7: Give Yourself Permission to Change Course

24:28 Truth 8: Own Your Identity

25:06 Truth 9: Be Prepared for Delayed Gratification

25:41 Truth 10: Manage the Voice in Your Head

28:46 Closing Thoughts & What's Next

Socials:

Instagram Mila: @milakaethe

Instagram CFTR: @callsfromtheroad

TikTok CFTR: @callsfromtheroad

#solopreneurship #founderlife #callsfromtheroad#lisbonseries #solopreneurship #cofounders #founderlife #founderloneliness #founderburnout #creativecontrol #businesspartners #teamdynamics #decisionmaking #selfleadership #mentalresilience #businessfocus #workload #delegation #procrastination #selftrust #delayedgratification #foundermentalhealth #clsbe #catolicalisbon #catolica #catolicalisbonschoolofbusinessandeconomics #businessschool #lisbon

"I'm not sitting here because I've made it. I'm sitting here because I've started."

Welcome to the first English Solo Pitstop and the beginning of the Lisbon Series.

Six months ago, I had no idea how to build Calls From The Road. I didn't know how to produce a podcast, how people would react, which decisions would turn out to be right or whether any of this would actually work.

I still don't have all the answers.

But I started.

In this episode, I'm taking you back to Lisbon a city that has been part of many different versions of my life to talk about what the first six months of building something from scratch have actually taught me.

From starting before you feel ready and allowing your first version to be embarrassing, to dealing with rejection, choosing the right people, protecting your vision and realizing that attention and revenue are two very different things.

These are the 10 lessons I wish someone had told me when I started.

Not from someone who has already made it but from someone who is still figuring it out, building, failing, learning and documenting the road while she's on it.

Because you don't become ready and then start.

You start, and eventually become ready.

📍 Filmed in Lisbon, Portugal.

See you on the road. ❤️‍🔥 Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to the Lisbon Series 04:00 Why CFTR Is Going International 09:00 Why Lisbon Is Part of My Road 15:00 Leaving a Career That Looked Good on Paper 21:00 Starting Over & Finding My Way Back 27:00 The Reality of My First Six Months 31:00 #1 Start Before You're Ready 36:00 #2 Your First Version Is Allowed to Be Embarrassing 40:00 #3 Use Being Small to Your Advantage 44:00 #4 Don't Reject Yourself Before They Can 48:00 #5 Rejection Is Data, Not a Verdict 52:00 #6 Vision vs. Perfectionism 56:00 #7 Be Careful Who You Build With 01:00:00 #8 Attention Is Not a Business 01:04:00 #9 Dreams Are Built in the Boring Moments 01:08:00 #10 You Don't Need Proof: Keep Going 01:13:00 Make Today Day One Socials: Instagram Mila: @milakaethe

Instagram CFTR: @callsfromtheroad

TikTok CFTR: @callsfromtheroad #callsfromtheroad #startbeforeyouready #doitscared #progressoverperfection #buildingfromscratch #earlystagefounder #bootstrappedbusiness #founderreality #attentionvsrevenue #businessreality #learningbydoing #documentingthejourney #lisbonseries #callsfromtheroad #startbeforeyouready #entrepreneurship #founderjourney #buildinginpublic #solopreneur #businesslessons #startups #founderstory #entrepreneurmindset #buildyourdream #progressoverperfection #personalgrowth #businesspodcast #lisbon #creatoreconomy #dreambig #selfemployment