#BEYOUROWN MEETS SUSI KAEUFER

Susi Kaeufer is a visibility and mindset coach for female entrepreneurs who desire the freedom and flexibility to travel with an online business. Susi’s on her second tour around the world and has been a nomad for four years now. In the last year, she’s moved 78 times. Susi creates multiple five figure months from her laptop while she’s at the beach, living in luxury accommodation, or adventuring. She’s helped her clients create high-ticket offers that allow them the freedom lifestyle they crave, create consistent income in their soul-based business, take their offline business online to be fully location independent, and get fully booked in their service-based business.

Can you share a typical 24 hours with us, Susi?

Absolutely! Welcome to my world! I usually get up when my body wakes me naturally around 6am. I start with a mindset work session: Journaling out my big vision and goals for my life and my business, giving myself a pep talk with positive affirmations and empowering beliefs, and diving into the next level version of myself. 

I’m currently writing this on Bali, so a typical day continues with a tropical breakfast, yoga and then enjoying the island. I usually work for a couple of hours in the morning on my laptop, if possible at a pool, a lovely cafe or at the beach. I catch up with my clients, create new offers or can be found on a coaching call with one of my VIP clients. 

In the afternoon I always try to take time off and have some FUN.

I neglected this when I was starting my business and was very focused on “working hard” to make it work. Today I believe FLOW and FUN are my main contributors to my success. So you will find me shopping, having a massage or around animals. 

Work-wise I make sure to stick to my daily non-negotiables by checking in with my clients, creating fresh content, being visible, growing my community and promoting something. In the evenings I love to relax with a good book or whilst having a bath.

I’m off to bed at around 9 o’clock.

You worked as a media planner for ten years, what made you suddenly realise that you wanted to start your own venture?

All I knew was that I’m not meant to live in one place all the time. I’m obsessed with traveling around the world and living in different countries, and the yearly annual leave I had was absolutely not enough to fulfill this craving.

I quit my job as a media planner just after my 30th birthday and decided to go for my dreams. I bought a one-way ticket to South Africa and traveled around the world for a full year before settling in Sydney, Australia for a while.

As amazing as living in Sydney felt, I was still craving more independence and wanted to have “my own thing”. I became a certified Transformational Coach simply because I love coaching and mentoring people. 7 months later I quit my day job in Sydney and went fully location independent.

What were the first steps you took to launching and finding paying clients?

After finishing my coaching certificate I started sharing my journey and my story on Social Media. I remember the day when I felt like sharing something really vulnerable for the first time, wondering if anyone would even care. This post went viral and blew up with almost 5,000 reactions, which was huge for me at that time! I started my own Facebook group to unite all the like-minded soul connections and started promoting my offers on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. 

That’s how I found clients before I even had my website ready. There are many things people will tell you “should” have in place, but I think all it takes is to start sharing from your heart and find a platform that you love to spread your message. 

How much research did you undertake prior becoming a self-employed mindset coach to understand the market as best as you could?

I don’t think I’ve based my decision to become a self-employed coach on lots of market research. I just knew I was great at coaching people and that I love to connect with people and had no idea how HUGE the Online Coaching world actually is, before stepping into it. 

There is plenty of coaches out there and there’s a huge market for personal development and business coaching. When I became aware of this I found it a bit intimidating. But I kept my focus on understanding my own soulmate clients, by interviewing them and giving free coaching sessions until I felt I really knew how to serve them best. 

You have visited continents such as Asia, Africa, and Australia, but what is your most sentimental place visited so far?

I’ve been dreaming of going to Bali since I read “Eat Pray Love” for the first time, which was probably 15 years ago. It’s currently my third long stay on the island and I’ve grown so much every time I came.

Traveling to find myself and to grow as a person has been a consistent pattern during the last 4 years of my life. Bali has played a significant role during my journey towards inner peace, ease, and abundance and how to apply these concepts in my online business as well. 

Congratulations on hitting 5 figure months! Can you identify the pros and cons as an entrepreneur that is currently living the laptop lifestyle?

I can’t think of any cons about traveling around the world whilst doing what I love and making 5-figures each month! The only ongoing worry traveling with me is “Will there be good wifi?” 

My top pros are the independence and freedom to work from anywhere as well as the fact I can make money simply by being me and doing what I love most. No office job, no fixed work hours, no limits on my income and no boss, telling me what to do. 

I am blessed and only need a laptop and a wifi connection to actually HELP people, which is amazing. Being my own boss helps me to be creative when it comes to new ideas, programs, and tools to help my clients and I love the juggling of several business areas at the same time. 

You encourage women how to build businesses that allow them the freedom to live the laptop lifestyle. However, why do you personally think so many people lack the courage to embark on a new venture and explore a new professional avenue?

I guess most people don’t like to step out of their comfort zone too much. We are driven by a need for certainty and for many people the conventional lifestyle is actually what they truly desire.

For me, the classic conventional concept never felt right. I love new ventures and to reinvent myself again and again. It took me 10 years to finally allow myself to be brave and follow my dreams – but everything that has happened afterward just felt right, amazing and like it’s meant to happen. Life is always happening to me. Once you can learn to trust this, you are ready to let go and live up to your fullest potential. 

Any challenging times you have had to overcome? When were they and how did you learn to overcome them?

After working with my first business coach I had all the strategic parts of my online business in place: Tools, systems and my services. And still, I felt a bit like a fraud. Can I really charge this much? Will people pay me this? Do I have enough experience? 

I’ve never done any mindset work at this point and my personality was doubtful, pessimistic and I was constantly second guessing myself. Even when things worked out well I fell into “imposter syndrome” and thought I am just lucky. 

Working with a Mindset Coach and starting a daily Mindset routine has brought the REAL breakthroughs in my business. All the strategies in the world didn’t help as long as I didn’t 100% believe in myself and my services. 

Today I share my mindset journaling with my community on a regular basis (Yes, actual snippets of my private journal) to show how you can “practise” thinking in a more empowering way and how you can leave your old beliefs behind and turn into the self-confident and inspired business owner you want to be. 

Have you ever had a coach or mentor, and if so what have you learned in this business so far?

I work with coaches and mentors all the time and personally have no idea how other people drive their personal and business growth without mentors.When I started my business I hired a Business Coach and a Mindset Coach. Today I am both for my clients, as I truly believe these are the top two pillars of your business. 

I’ve been to Tony Robbins’ Unleash the Power this year as well as the Manifestation Babe retreat on Bali. On top of this I’m always upleveling with at least one 1:1 coach at the same time, currently I’m working with two mentors.

Consistent growths and upleveling in my life and business are what has allowed me to have FAST results by taking fast paced actions. Scaling my business and smashing through mindset blocks are ongoing processes, which are so powerful and easy to achieve with the right type of mentorship. 

What outlets do use to market your coaching services?

I love to use social media to share my life and business ventures and connect with clients. You can follow my daily life on Instagram and I share a lot on Facebook, in Facebook groups and on my blog, which is connected to my Pinterest account. Only recently have I discovered Podcast interviews and Online summits as well to grow my visibility. 

What is the best piece of advice you have received to date?

“You can DECIDE to let it be easy!”

I come from a classic “You have to work hard” mentality, being raised in Germany.

This was a massive part of my business as I’m an overachiever, used to hard work to make ends meet.

Learning that it doesn’t HAVE to be this way and recognising that I don’t have to make things hard if they are actually easy was a massive breakthrough for me.

Building a successful 6-figure business requires ambition and consistency and persistence, but I disagree with the common belief that it has to be “lots of hard work and tears”. 

You started out with zero plan, so what is the best advice you could give to others?

I would say “Trust your guts” and “Don’t hesitate!”. Many people spend weeks and months second-guessing their ideas and instead of trying them out they stay stuck and don’t move forward.

When I started my business it didn’t look like it does today. I didn’t have all the clarity and everything figured out on day one. You grow as you go. Start by taking the first step! 

What is a good article or book you have read recently?

I’m obsessed with Mindset books and anything that helps you to reach your next level. My most recent recommendation would be “You are a badass at making money” from Jen Sincero. 

What does success look like in your eyes?

For me success equals Freedom. The freedom to live and work wherever I want whilst feeling fulfilled and on purpose and inspiring others to aim high. 

What does #BEYOUROWN mean to you?

For me, #BEYOUROWN means to be true to yourself. What do YOU really desire to create? It’s unconventional? Great! Go for it! Whatever it is that makes you happy is what you are meant to do in this world.

Lastly, what is next for you throughout 2018?

I’m going to launch my first Mindset Journal on Amazon in 2018 as well as more mind-blowing programs for entrepreneurs to develop their 6-figure Mindset. After a year of fast-paced traveling, we’re going to housesit for 5 months in Australia with 3 cats and then will probably be on the road again at the end of the year.

www.beyourown.org