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Growing up

Once there was a little girl, who grew up in a family of five just outside of Munich, Germany. Her father was a self-starter after the war and worked his way up from a salesperson to being a CEO and traveled the world on business. He brought back stories from far away places and occasionally one of the children got to go along. The travels exposed them to different countries and cultures. Her mother, even though she had a business degree herself, devoted her life to her two boys and the little girl. Besides managing the house and supporting her husband, she spent countless hours listening to her children. Being listened to so attentively had a great impact on the little girl and her brothers growing up. Her brothers were teasing her but deep down they were actually quite protective of her. Respect and understanding were values deeply rooted in this family.

Being very athletic, the girl and her brothers grew up playing tennis in the summer and skiing in the Alps in the winter. To keep the children out of trouble during the teenage years, the parents decided to open a tennis shop located at their home. The girl and her brothers earned money stringing tennis rackets, but also learned much about sales, customer service, distribution and bookkeeping - tools that would prove vital for all three children later on in life.

College Years

When the little girl graduated from high school, she didn’t just swim with the crowd and get a business degree, like many of her peers. Influenced by her dad, she wanted to become fluent in English and see the world. Much to her surprise, she was accepted to study at an American university and so she moved to Los Angeles at the tender age of 19. To this day, she gives her parents a lot of credit for letting her go half way across the world all by herself. Excited about this new adventure, she wanted to make the most of it. Learning was the key. Not just about Public Relations, her chosen field of study, but learning about the people, the country, the language. Like a sponge, she immersed herself in this sea of culture. Communicating with peers from all over the world had a profound impact on her. She also met a man during this time with whom she fell in love. A gentle, handsome, young man, who shared her interest in seeing the world, who ended up being her teacher, her friend, her protector, her husband and later on the father of her children. They got married and moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where she continued her studies of cross cultural communication and added the missing business knowledge. Then her husband urged them to move to Germany so he could immerse himself into a foreign culture and also learn a foreign language. Reentry back into Germany was a challenge for her, since all her friends and family had also moved on with their lives.

Career

She started a career in sales with Kodak. Working in a corporation in Germany taught her organization, planning, attention to detail and punctuality. She quickly moved up, until she was chosen to go on an overseas assignment to Rochester, New York. Working in upstate New York proved to be quite different then studying on the west coast or working in Germany. She found a strong work ethic and family values. Having a diverse background, she was asked to move to London, UK to work in Kodak’s European Headquarter. Her dream had come true. She got to work in a team of devoted expatriates all with very varied backgrounds, but with many common interests. All of her colleagues were transplanted there and were dealing with the same issues of getting acquainted to the new culture. She enjoyed working with executives from all over Europe, in fact all over the world. She also got to travel to many fascinating places with the added benefit of meeting with local business people who taught her more about diversity and understanding. She particularly enjoyed working with them in her management trainings. Skills in conflict resolution, cross cultural communication, negotiation were fine-tuned.

Parenting

Learning about different countries, cultures and ways of doing business were fun, but the traveling and the long hours made her burn out. She decided to end her assignment and move back to Germany to be with her husband and have children. She got pregnant and a few weeks after her daughter was born, her mother passed away after a short 3-month battle with cancer. Losing her mother and adding the responsibility to care for a child at the same time was emotionally draining and forced her to center herself. Within 2 years, her son was born and she and her husband decided to return to California to follow her husband’s career. Transplanted again into a new environment, busy with two little children, the focus was clearly on the family and not the career. The children taught her patience and understanding, the necessity for balance and a reflection for what’s important in life. She learned an appreciation for the wonders of childhood and encountered a new love that only mothers can relate to.

Change and Growth

She began to reflect on all the changes in her life that had made her grow.

Her mother passing away within only 3 months taught her how precious time is and living in the moment is more important than striving for that next career move. The fact that her daughter was born just as her mother was passing away made her acutely aware of the cycle of life. We are born, we live, we die. Some come into this world, just as others are leaving. A fact of life. She also learned about the process of grieving and how differently people deal with it. And that there is light after the fog of grieving.

She watched the closure of a family business and how with the closure family relations were restored and renewed. Unresolved business takes a toll on health and relations. The closure opened new possibilities and returned the energy to everybody involved.

There are coincidences, like her father coming down with the same illness as her mother. A combination of luck, good physicians, good care and love from everyone around him, made him survive his illness though. She watched in awe, how he picked himself up and how he appreciated the next years of his life with the understanding that he has been given a gift. The gift of life to enjoy with his partner, his children and grandchildren.

She also learned about authenticity. Her husband, having done a lot of growth work himself, realized that he wasn’t living the life he was meant to live, and he decided to make some major life changes. In the process, he taught her all there is to know about swimming up against the stream and the courage it takes to change the course. Even though she is now divorced, she still has a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for his integrity and love.

She emerged with renewed confidence that she can determine her destiny in life and live her dream life. She has since started her own business as a personal and professional coach where she helps others be the best they can be, fulfilling their dreams and having fun in life.

You will have probably guessed by now: Her name is Daniela Bryan.

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