What were you doing before you joined the Nomad Academy program?
Before the program I was kind of lost in life. I didn't really know what to do, but I always knew I wanted to work on things that have meaning to me. As a little boy I remember thinking "this can't be it", just following the status quo. I didn't feel like I was on someone else's path. I didn't ask myself the right questions and didn't know how to listen to myself, which led me to feeling depressed. So I went on a personal journey and decided to quit my job when I found Nomad Academy. I realised that I could go left, stick to my path and do the things that everybody else was doing or go right, doing something different, jumping off the cliff and just trust the process. So I chose the right path.
How has your career changed since graduating from Nomad Academy?
I wouldn't have thought that I would make it this far in marketing. Before the program I didn't have a clue what digital marketing was and today I am surrounded by Germany's greatest marketers.
Eventually I want to become a coach, the current job I have fits into this bigger picture. I'm surrounded by people I never would have dreamed of being around. I'm allowed to work fully remote, working towards my bigger goal. It all started on the program, building a network and finding my first freelance work.
What was the thing that surprised you most after joining Nomad Academy?
As soon as I went on the program, things fell into place. My biggest learning was that I needed to take responsibility for my own life.
Before the program I was in a victim mindset, hoping that the program would solve something for me. But during the program I discovered that regardless of what the program might facilitate, I'm in charge of what might happen. I realised early on that I couldn't lean back, I had to take control. Going on the program was one of the best decisions of my life, it helped me take ownership of everything going on in my life.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about applying for the program?
You probably have a lot of concerns about how it all will work out in the end. You probably have concerns, is this the right program? Is it worth the money? Will it deliver value?
But the fact that you are looking at this means this program probably has some meaning to you. So if that's what you feel, go for it and take full ownership. But... it was just the beginning of something that is bigger than I‘ve ever imagined before!