Founder Katja Thiede: "I like the idea that it always goes on and on."
Some have already met her during the "Founders Speed Talk" at our big ChroniquesDuVasteMonde Academy Job Symposium in Berlin - Katja Thiede is the founder of the first coworking space with childcare in Berlin: juggleHUB. We talked to her about changes in the direction of job life and what impulses they have motivated:
ChroniquesDuVasteMonde Academy: Why did you start? What moved you to this?
Katja Thiede: I think self-employment is in my blood. However, it took a few trips into the employment relationship to land on the right track. It was always hard for others to ask for permission when it came to implementing my ideas. It was even worse when I had to complete tasks that were totally reluctant. Also, I always felt like I needed to play a role. When I got pregnant, I knew I did not want that anymore. In addition, I had a start-up idea in the time after the birth of my daughter, which I then wanted to implement.
What has made you particularly successful in your job life?
Maybe it was the mix of ambition, creativity and withdrawal in the right place. I was always introverted. Some may interpret that as a weakness - for me, it has meant that I've usually had very good, authentic relationships with the people I've worked with. The important ones have remained. I learned a lot from these people.
Was there a phase in your (job) life when you made a change of direction?
Yes, during parental leave, I decided not to go back to work and start my own business.
Which impulses were particularly important to you?
It was above all the exchange with other women in my life and mood, who pushed me. Although I was a mother, I did not want to be reduced to this role. Working and studying other things besides baby themes was very important to me. That's why I preferred to go to network meetings with my little ones instead of the toddler group. There were many women on the road who were similar and who encouraged me in their decision to found the juggleHUB. During this time, I also met my co-founder Silvia.
Were there phases of doubt or setbacks? What helped you in those moments?
Sure, doubts are part of it. Self-employment is not necessarily the easier way. It takes time and energy, which are missing elsewhere. Our biggest setback as founders was the bank's first refusal. But we got up quickly and at the second attempt it worked. Helped me in these moments, that I had with Silvia a great teammate at the side, with whom I could share ups and downs - that's still the case today.
What was the most encouraging sentence in your (job) life and why would you like to share it? // Is there a motto from you?
In my bathroom hangs a saying from John Lennon: "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end." He accompanies me every morning in the day. I like the idea that it always goes on and on - giving up and giving up is not an option. That does not mean that you can not have days where nothing works. That's part of it. But I think it's important to realize that to a large extent I have it in my own hands how I shape my (working) life. If I do nothing, nothing good will happen. So get up, squat buttocks and carry on. Apart from these great life wisdom, it is the feedback from our coworkers that motivates me and unleashes new ideas almost every day. A great feeling!
