How I've been following my curiosity in life - and where it's led me

Having turned 35, I’ve been reflecting on my life and the twists and turns I’ve taken to get where I am today. Personally and professionally, it’s been one heck of a journey. 

A decade ago, I'd never have imagined doing what I do now and working with such a purposeful company – but more on that a bit later. Grateful for the luck I’ve had, I’m also glad I’ve forged my own path and taken advantage of the opportunities that came my way.

Steve Jobs hit the nail on the head when he said: “You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.”

Looking back, I’m now starting to understand how the dots connect. And while I hope to live many more decades so I can understand how all the dots connect, my entire adult life I’ve just been exploring my interests and following my curiosity.

A failure for quitting graphic design?

My journey begins half a lifetime ago at 17, when I felt pressured to go straight to uni from high school. I knew that art was my favorite subject, but I was unsure what to study. Still, I went ahead and enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree program in Graphic Design.

Two years into my course at OCAD U, I knew I wasn’t meant to be a graphic designer. But since dropping out wasn’t an option, I decided to finish the remaining two years (or die trying).

When I graduated in 2009, I half-heartedly applied for design jobs in Toronto. After a stint as a junior designer at a small firm, however, I couldn’t bring myself to continue doing something I simply didn’t enjoy. 

As all my peers around me got design jobs, I felt like a failure. Deep down though I knew there was something else out there for me; I just had to find it.

When I went abroad, my life actually started

2010 is the year my adult life actually started. It was then that I broke free from my bubble, having lived in Toronto my entire life, and flew on a one-way ticket to Melbourne. 

I did it because I longed for a change and to experience the world! But mostly, I did it because the little voice inside my head wouldn’t let it go.

In Australia, my experience serving tables during my undergrad came in handy. To fund my travels, I got gigs at cafes and restaurants, the most memorable of which was a bakery assistant role in a small town in the rural Northern Territory.

As what happens when you’re in your element, I met someone special. Long story short, we are now married. So while the original idea after my working holiday visa in Oz ran out was to teach English in South Korea or Japan, I joined him in Germany instead.

A new feeling to find my work fulfilling

Curious about what it was like to teach my native language to others, I arrived in a northern German city called Braunschweig in 2012 with the goal in mind to do exactly that.

Boy, was it a relief to find out that my design degree was worth something! A Bachelor’s degree was a prerequisite to teach English with private language schools in Germany.

So, while simultaneously teaching myself to speak German and trying to integrate into society, I embarked on a career as a communications consultant. I led Business English courses at large companies to groups of up to 12 adults (see photo on the right of one of my classrooms at Volkswagen Financial Services). I even tried my hand at teaching kids, but quickly realized I didn’t have the patience for it.

It was priceless to see with my own eyes the positive impact I made as my students gained confidence and improved their English. But after almost four years of this, in my bones I could feel I needed a new, big challenge.

#JournoLife

Had I not lived and worked in Deutschland, I never would’ve gotten the idea of doing a Master’s degree. By 2014, I found myself longing to tell stories about my lived experience as a foreigner in my adopted country. I yearned to lift the lid on issues I felt strongly about.

Everyone thought I was nuts for pursuing a Master’s in Journalism. Heck, even I was skeptical I’d find a journalism job! When I graduated from Cardiff University in 2016, I was a 29-year-old intent on ensuring the huge investment I’d just made into my education would pay off.

After that, it took me nine long months to find a job in the field; I cried when I nailed my first reporter role. It was exactly what I was looking for. It also meant I'd be moving to the German capital.

Once I settled in Berlin, I became intrigued by its startup scene. My newfound interest in entrepreneurship grew and grew, and I realized it was no longer my dream to become a BBC broadcast journalist. I needed to discover what it was like to work at a startup.

From #StartupLife to #SiemensLife

By 2019, I’d learned loads from working at different startups. Drawn to impact entrepreneurship, by this time I’d relocated to Munich to join a medtech startup.

After experiencing the full range of pros and cons of #startuplife at this point, from dealing with redundancies to the lack of structure and processes which impacted my mental health, I realized I wanted more stability and considered joining a scale-up or even a corporate.

Fast forward to 2022. Still in the medtech industry, today I'm a happy Healthineer. My role involves managing executive leadership communications within a business area of over 15,000 colleagues! I consider it a big responsibility and I’m proud of what I do. Best of all, each day I can apply my journalism skills and passion for storytelling.

Reflecting back on the odd jobs I had in my 20s (yep, I was once a face painter) and all the ups and downs and uncertainties (did I mention I was once kicked out of Germany?), my story is proof that you can achieve anything you put your mind to. If you want it, go for it!

Connecting the dots looking backward

Investing in my Master’s degree was probably the best career decision I've made thus far, as it opened up all kinds of doors for me. But it’s only because I churned out article after article in a busy newsroom that I learned I wasn’t meant to be a roving reporter.

I also probably wouldn’t be a Healthineer today had I not experienced the chaos of working at startups. If I’m honest, I do miss the energy, agility and ‘just do it’ mindset of startups, but I know I can always go back to them someday if I really want to (or found one myself).

By constantly seeking ways to improve and develop yourself, you’re actually being entrepreneurial. Even though I haven't started my own business or a company inside a company (yet), in 2019 I was invited to speak at the TUM to share personal insights from my entrepreneurial journey (see photo on the left).

I told the Master's students in the lecture hall the same thing I tell others today: To figure out what your next move might be, you’ll need to be active. Talk to people, network, do a course, do research… simply put yourself out there! It will no doubt require courage and risk-taking.

But you have to "trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future." This approach has been a beacon for me and surely for many others too. By going wherever my curiosity pulled me, so far I haven’t been let down.