How to Playfully CEO: Recent Episodes
Mirjam Sögner
If you are an entrepreneur wondering if there is a way to do business without the white knuckling, the pretending to have it all together when you don´t, the overworking and the self-doubt, then this podcast is for you.
Join your host Mirjam Sögner, certified Life Coach, systemic organizational consultant, Design Thinking trainer and dance artist to learn strategies and mind-set tools that will take you from overwhelm to clarity, from burn out to empowered productivity and help you get on top of your business while having fun! Mirjam is on a mission to support courageous people turn their visions into reality and inspire others with their creations by being inspired first. Listen on to find out how.
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Es gibt so Menschen mit denen beginnt und endet ein jedes Gespräch immer mittendrin - wie ein Sprung in einen nicht versiegen wollenden Fluss an Gedanken, Erkenntnissen und Inspirationen.
Genau so geht es mir mit Nicola!
Und diesmal haben wir finally aufgenommen! Voilá.
Es hätte dafür auch keinen besseren Zeitpunkt gegeben können. Nicola hat zusammen mit Jakob Carl Sauer den Dokumentarfilm „to Close Your Eyes and See Fire“, der die unterschiedlichsten Realitäten von Menschen NACH der katastrophalen Explosion im Beiruter Hafen erzählt, Ende 2025 in die Kinos gebracht.
Ein Jahr später tut sich nun wieder diese besondere Raum auf - wohin als Nächstes? Warum und vor allem Wie? Und genau dieses wundervoll ungemütliche Dazwischen, in dem wir Schaffenden uns ständig freiwillig wie unfreiwillig wiederfinden, beleuchten wir von den unterschiedlichsten Seiten.
Wir sprechen darüber wie am Anfang, wenn man sich ins künstlerische Schaffen stürzt, scheinbar immer diese intensive Lieben steht. Dieses Nicht-genug-bekommen-können.
Über die Kräfte, die einem am Anfang einer kreativen Laufbahn tragen - yes, auch Naivität und es sich selbst und allen anderen beweisen wollen, gehören dazu.
Und über die Frage von welchem Ort man Motivation & Schaffenslust ziehen kann, wenn Sturm und Drang vorbei sind? Geht Film überhaupt nachhaltig? Nicht zu letzt auch als Frau?
Nicola verrät uns außerdem, warum Filme machen grandios ist für Leute, die sich A) nicht für eine Kunstrichtung entscheiden wollen und B) gerne die Kontrolle über jedes kleine Detail haben :D
In dieser Episode wird klar, wie köstlich emotionale Katharsis im Kinosessel sein kann und dass es wohl keine anderes Medium gibt, in dem man dem Reinschlüpfen in Körper, Leben, Perspektiven anderer Menschen näher kommt.
Delight yourself.
Follow Nicolas Work on IG: @nicolavonleffern
HIER kann man "To Close Your Eyes and See Fire" streamen.
Believing in one’s own work is like paying rent.
Only if you hold space for it, do you give it a chance to grow.
Only if you think it’s worthwhile to invest in it, you will.
In this episode, I zoom in on HOW to actually practice this powerful skill on purpose.
I talk about how believing in your work looks and feels differently depending on where you are in the creative process.
I dive into doubling down on what sparks your interest, love, and joy while making. Into how creating requires a rare mix of bravery, naivety, and willingness to dive in, get messy, and take risks.
I also discuss how receiving NOs, rejections, or misunderstandings in response to your work can be crushing, no matter how long you’ve been in the game, and that it’s not something to brush over lightly.
And I make a plea for finding your tribe / community (hate that word though! It hardly means anything anymore) – people you share a mission and purpose with, which is more than a bunch of friends.
I also share a lot of stories that have carried me through, stories that help me make sense of it all.
I hope this episode can do the same for you <3
Ein offen freudiger Blick unter die Oberfläche und ins Herz der Schaffenswelt der Wiener Modedesignerin Jana Wieland mit eigener, gleichnamiger Brand; Sprach-Schmankerl inklusive: Interview in oberösterreichischem Dialekt. You are welcome :D
Mindestens so wichtig aber - das Gespräch ist ein schlüssellochgroßes Guckloch in 20 Jahre tiefe Freundschaft, die uns seit zart-ungestümen Teenage Jahren verbindet.
Und eine großartige Gelegenheit von der Alltagsnähe auszuzoomen und die großen Fragen mal wieder zu stellen:
Warum Mode? Was treibt dich an?
Was inspiriert dich?
Was bedeutet Erfolg für dich?
Was macht dir Angst und wie gehst du damit um?
Jana spricht vom guten Leben, von Kleidungsstücken als Gefühls-Formen, die man sich überstülpen kann. Von intrinsischer Schönheit, die nicht performen muss und dem Algorithmus nicht gefällt und von der Form von Erfolg, die sie nährt.
Tune in and feel the warmth.
Wie ihr Janas Arbeit findet:
Jana auf IG: @jana_wieland
Janas Shop in Wien: Zollergasse 25 / 1070 Wien
Jana Wieland Online Shop
EMBODIMENT.
It’s one of those big, ominous terms that’s being thrown around a lot these days—creating just as much confusion about what the heck it actually is, and discomfort about what it might mean to practice it.
Good News: we all got a body - so getting started is as simple (and equally complex :)) as sitting, walking, talking, breathing. And I will walk, talk, breath you through it!
Here’s what we’ll cover in this episode:
- Why embodiment actually matters. It’s not a trend—it’s about accessing the deep wisdom your body already holds, so you can make aligned choices and live in a way that feels true to you.
- How your body acts like a live feedback system, helping you track where you’re at—so you can make decisions that are rooted in your actual experience, not just your thoughts.
- Concrete, non-cringey ways to start connecting with your body (no dance degree or spandex required)
- Simple, practical exercises to access your own inner compass—so you can move forward with integrity and self-trust.
This is about becoming the expert of your own life. And your body? It’s ready to help.
I also mention two of my biggest teachers in this episode:
🌀 Melissa Tiers – Your go-to for anything hypnotherapy. She’s an absolute institution.
❤️ David Bedrick – His method of “UnShaming” is one of the most radically loving therapeutic approaches I know. His work is deeply healing and profoundly human.
In dieser Folge bin ich On the Mics mit der fabelhaften Anna Riess: einer Wiener Künstlerin, die Kunst, Handwerk und Design auf einzigartige Weise verbindet. Ihre Arbeiten aus Keramik, Textil und Metall sind nicht nur Objekte – sie erzählen Geschichten.
Wir sprechen über:
- Wie Architektur, Poesie und Mutterschaft Annas künstlerische Stimme prägen
- Die Spannung zwischen Funktionalität und Kunst – kann ein Objekt beides erfüllen?
- Wie schöpferische Tätigkeit eine Form des Sense-Making und sich Verortens in der Welt sein kann
- Selbstständigkeit, kreative Routinen und das „Lustprinzip“ (aka: Schaffen, was dich wirklich begeistert)
- Wie man mit Kritik umgeht und seiner Intuition vertraut
Mehr zu Anna: → Website: www.annariess.com → Instagram: @riessannariess → Clayground Retreat
You’re creating, you’re sharing, you’re putting yourself out there—so why does it sometimes feel like the attention you get just bounces off? Why do we crave being seen but struggle to feel it when it actually happens?
This episode is NOT about how to be seen (spoiler: you’re already doing that). It’s about the deeper, trickier part—letting it in.
🌀 Do you allow the love and recognition you receive to really sink in?
⚡ What happens when people react to your work? (For REAL, though.)
🪞 Are you too busy shaping your impact to actually experience it?
🌊 What if being seen isn’t just about you—but about the ripples you create?
I’m diving into all the messy, human emotions that come with being witnessed, and sharing what I’m learning (in real-time) about receiving, listening, and trusting the power we already have.
If you want to get in touch: mirjam@soegner.com
Welcome to the Grit & Wonder Podcast, where we explore the alchemy of creation. Whether you’re an artist or working in the corporate world, we all share the same desire: to create something meaningful, impactful, touching. Something that reminds us of our humanity. Hosted by artist and business consultant Mirjam Sögner, this show delves into the magic that happens when spark and vision are paired with discipline and strucutre.
In each episode, we dive into ways of how to master the powerful balance between grit— the resilience to follow through —and wonder—the spark of creativity and intuition that breath life into any project. Through intimate conversations with leaders, artists, and innovators from both creative and corporate worlds, we uncover the mindset, strategies, and personal journeys behind making something truly extraordinary come to life.
For all of us it is a different one.
That most feared, unwanted, gut-wrenching emotion.
To be clear - there is a huge variety of feelings that no one would consider pleasurable. And most of us would rather not feel any of them.
I even like to think that its a 50/50 cake: and half of our human experience is constituted by countless shades of "uncomfortable".
But there is this ONE feeling that you try to avoid at ALL COST! Most of the time we are not even aware of our utter disgust of that particular emotion coz our unconscious mind makes a huge effort to push its mere existence to the edge of perceptibility!
That could be anything from boredom, to loneliness, to anger or anxiety… For me it is disappointment actually. And in this weeks episode I will let you in on all the tricky methods our brains apply so we never EVER have to it! And that is exactly how our most unwanted feeling is in fact, indirectly running the show.
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam, questions and comments reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact
Or book a consult HERE.
I am sure you have also already hit your head at one of the million metaphorical, flashing billboards that yell at you how important it is to carve out YOUR space, corner or niche as an entrepreneur or freelancer.
Endless claims are made about what is the best way to set yourself apart from the masses.
In this weeks episode I wanna real-talk to you though about how leaning into your uniqueness (which you already effortlessly possess) is the very thing your reptile brain is trying to avoid at all costs.
For the simple reason that standing even for good, equals separation from the tribe, which goes completely against our survival instincts! So, ja. No matter how yummy doing your thing can potentially be…it’s very likely gonna feel awful too.
Now - one could say that I am one of those billboard yelling people myself since all I am doing is supporting people become MORE of their bizarre, wonderful, quirky, magical self. No worries - I have not changed sides. (Although I hope I am not yelling :D)
I just wanna bring attention to the fact that ticking that Unique Selling Point box will bring up TENSION and tons of cognitive dissonance.
And that is ok… but after listening to this episode I just don’t want you to think that something is wrong with you for not being absolutely delighted about walking a walk that seems to be different from everybody else’s.
I will also point out particular ways in which that tension might show up, so you can spot it and apply the tools I will teach you to work your way THROUGH the discomfort! Because you can’t shame yourself into free expression!
So let’s be unique anyways.
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam, questions and comments reach out to:
mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact
Or book a consult HERE.
Whenever you got a lot on your plate - a very normal reaction would be to increase SPEED when trying to shove the stuff off your table.
I mean - you are stressed because there are too many things, right?
So, it’s just basic math that DOING MORE will get you faster to the end of that seemingly unsurmountable list. Which would finally cause that much needed relieve to kick in.
And - YES. If you were a machine without a nervous system, instincts and deeply wired survival mechanisms: basic math would totally do it.
Luckily there is so much more yummy complexity and meandering story-telling involved when it comes to the human condition and the fabulous ways how our mind and body work together.
In this week´s episode I will talk about the nervous system and in particular the state of fight or flight to explain why DOING more to escape a perceived emotional threat will usually just produce MORE of the shit you already got and not actually get you an inch closer to the sweet spot on the other side you so frantically try to get to.
We will dive deep into how our feelings are the embodiment of the stories we weave and the thoughts we have about what’s going on and how we can use actively and purposefully BEING what we want to achieve in order to move the needle instead of trying to ACT our way out of the unwanted state.
Coz you can’t outrun them feelings - you heard that right.
If this sounds abstract - it’s really not.
Listen on. It’s not rocket science - rather a love declaration to process, to physical sensations, to feeling safe around one another and in one’s own body.
If you want to go deeper into Polyvagal-Theory - these are your people:
Deb Dana: www.rhythmofregulation.com
Stephen Porges: www.stephenporges.com
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam, questions and comments reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact
Or book a consult HERE.
You know that you have entered the incredibly vast, intricate and devious realm of psychological games when PLAYING is anything else but FUN.
We all have been there.
That moment when you realize that you have been sucked into someone else’s malicious plot.
You feel tricked, betrayed… and stuck AF. Coz no matter in which direction you might move - someone will get hurt, something will break.
You have been set up to FAIL.
According to Eric Berne, founder of Transactional Analysis, we play games in order to get a core need of ours met. Games enter the arena when just SAYING what you want seems to be off the menu and we are convinced our desires can only be fulfilled through INDIRECT manipulation.
And, yes - you guessed it. Those (clearly subconscious) behavioral patterns are one of those ghosts haunting us from our early days on the planet.
In this weeks episode I will thus use the perspective of Transactional Analysis to talk you through what PSYCHOLOGICAL GAMES are, what makes them so painful for everybody involved, why we play them in the first place and most importantly - HOW TO GET OUT of such dynamics!!
Get your needs met baby. Stop the games!
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam, questions and comments reach out to:
mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact
Or book a consult HERE.
Encountering a … PROBLEM - involuntarily sets off the urge to get rid of it. ASAP. We want to have it solved - NOW. Not actually because the problem is a problem - but because we usually feel a tremendous amount of tension when considering something an ISSUE. Their existence inflicts pain - and our reptile brain wants to get out at any cost.
Thanks to this perceived threat our brain is lightning-fast in judging whether we have a square or round shaped problem and will try to find a fitting peg from our archive of proven solutions - to get the job DONE. YES - Our brains are problem solving miracles… And this saves a tremendous amount of time! HOWEVER, this strategy does not work when a problem is NEW to you, or society at large. It especially does not work in complex environments, where how A leads to B is not longer obvious. Which is the case more often than not lately, to put it mildly.
In this week’s episode I want to share with you how to FIRST get rid of problems that are not yours to solve - saving you shit ton of time and energy. And SECOND how to apply principles from Agile Innovation Methods to actually withstand the urge to soooollvve the problem and begin with exploring the issue as if it were a fascinating SPACE.
If you have not listened to #27 HOW TO LISTEN, I highly recommend you do that - as this is the base for any meaningful innovation!
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam, questions and comments reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact
Or book a consult HERE.
Whenever we take on a bigger project, lead larger teams or move into more complex work-territories it very often puts us in a „everything-is-a-life-threatening-calamity! If I don´t act NOW we will all sink and die“-state. Leading to exhaustion, self-doubt and a lot of bad decisions.
Let’s say you are a really good sailor in the Mediterranean Sea and have decide to now embark on a new journey out into the Atlantic Ocean. You will probably struggle at first! Its not the nature of the beast though that is out of control here. The Atlantic just is what it is - a body of water with way wilder and bigger waves than the Mediterranean Sea. You just haven’t gathered the skills and nervous system capacity yet to ride those new amplitudes with as much grandeur as the calmer seas. And it’s the absent of skill / capacity what makes everything seem urgent! In this episodes I will talk you through how to switch off some of the alarm bells without actually going out there fixing problems. How to discern between urgent and important, how to keep the long term vision in mind and what it means to expect the unexpected.
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam, questions and comments reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact Or book a consult HERE.
We all know that there are galaxies between the involuntary perception of those hissing sounds bubbling out of someones mouth in the form of words and actually extracting MEANING from this noise. MEANING that when woven in the service of wanting to understand someone or something deeply can lead you through the labyrinth of chatter to the core of a matter. The underlying cause, drive, motivation, need, desire…
And this is crucial if you are leading a team, if you want to connect to a partner or are creating a solution for a real human problem.
You don’t wanna act on or solve for WHAT somebody says. But on what actually drives them. You want to get to the underlying need - which might be hidden to the person you are dealing with themself! And for that you gotta learn HOW. TO. LISTEN. DEEPLY. …You need to find that read thread first to release Ariadne.
It has everything to do with from which SPACE and with which MOTIVATION you are listening. Our brain is a powerful filtering machine, that when gone unchecked will discard any bit of information that does not have to do with our own survival… So yes - you can easily hear gazillions of brilliant people speak without ever learning anything NEW (That’s how powerful our mind is).
Listen on to this weeks episode to hear more on how to break the SPELL and on how to find the loose end of, following and weaving MEANING with the red thread.
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam, questions and comments reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact
Or book a consult HERE.
In this episode I wondered - what if those GO-TO solutions that our brain comes up with when facing a difficult situation are the exact reason for our stuck-ness?
The source of what creates MORE OF THE SAME. And Probably more of the current problems as well?
The strategies that have served us well, the stories we tell about ourselves (like… I am not disciplined enough) - they totally work sometimes.
But they tend to take up lots of space until they seem to be the ONLY solution or way to see yourself.
Or let me put it this way:
Whenever you direct your light of attention onto ONE (or even a couple of) thing(s) - ALL THE OTHER things now lie in the shadow!!
And the longer you stay with that one focal point - the more sure you can be that there is MUCH ELSE to explore.
I will introduce you to a technique I call TUNING to spot those habits and use them as a point of orientation to explore the OPPOSITE! Which is usually a BLIND spot :D
Not because it’s better to have less blind spots.. but because it will set you on a journey to acquire more TOOLS and different patterns to use consciously when you see them fitting.
So that you won’t try to mend your cloths with a hammer…
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam, questions and comments reach out to:
mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact
Or book a FREE mini coaching Sessio HERE.
Remember as a kid when you really wanted some candy before dinner?
And your mom would not let you have some because… it does not make sense. And you don’t NEED it.
As grown ups - many of us still relate to our WANTS as if there was a mom telling us off for desiring what we don’t actually NEED.
How this is playin out then in our inner emotional landscape is us today looks like spending lots and lots of brain power guilt tripping about WANTING something in the first place and secondly finding seemingly logical (let me tell you they are never logical!) reasons for why we actually really NEED the thing we want so bad.
So wer are squeezing your dreams and wishes into the very very small „I believe I NEED this“ box in the hope that THEN it will feel SAFE to go after what we most DESIRE.
But…NEEDING and WANTING /DESIRE have very little in common.
The neat Venn diagram we so desperately try to produce in our minds does not exist.
Simply because NEEDING something implies a purpose or a goal.
I need a match if I want to light a candle.
I need a computer to write an email.
When it comes to our lives - what do we really NEED?
… to survive?
A bit of grain and a tent…?
If you are reading this email - you most likely got that covered (which is amazing btw! And something not to take for granted!)
There IS REALLY NO OVERLAP with your desires though - and its ok.
In this episode I want to clean up those mind-contortions disguised as „voice-of-reason“ and give your full permission to OWN what you WANT.
Viel Spaß
Bussi
Mirjam
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam, questions and comments reach out to:
mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact
Or book a consult HERE.
WISH DAY is a practice I developed for everybody who wants to re-calibrate their relationship with their own DESIRES, WISHES and WANTS by feeling safe around having them in the first place!
WHY? Coz the reality of how most of us think about our desires stems from a deep distrust in our ability to be with them and / or fulfill them in a way that does get us in trouble and sounds something like: „Its a bottom less pit! I am greedy AF! I will never have enough! I am def. not to be trusted with any of it - so lets just not even get started!! This way no one gets hurt!“
Let’s change this! Tune in for all the juicy details on the practice and start wishing away today :DI cannot wait for you to open the floodgates of goodness!
We keep To Do Lists in the hope that one day we will be DONE. It’s a tool we often religiously use in the hope to finally be on TOP of things not noticing that our list have long taken the seat at the steering wheel ruling US.
In this weeks episode we will explore what your subconscious mind is convinced you will FEEL like once you have completed all your tasks (it is one of our favorite places for escape fantasies! Let me assure you!) instead of RUSHING to this imaginary finish line (which btw… would probably mean you were DEAD!).
And since we are at it - why do we call it TO DO lists??Who cares about people DOING things, being busy? Has this ever really got you somewhere in the first place? And who decided that thing was a thing that NEEEEEDED to be done?
Time to get in charge.
Tune into this weeks episode to tag along as I walk you through many different ways of how to approach da lists and how I use them for MY purposes.
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam, questions and comments reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact Or book a consult HERE.
No - this is not a manual on how to be LESS insecure! If this is what I were offering here - I would agree with your story, that insecurity is a problem.
And this is where we will begin in this weeks episode:Wiggling a little at that deeply rooted believe that insecurity is UNPROFESSIONAL. If this is you I would love to offer you following questions (for the sake of the wiggling):What is YOUR definition of professionality? How would you love others to show up in the work context? What behaviors would open up a business situation? What would allow for more REAL you to express?
Wonderful.
Then comes a plot twist…Coz when we are insecure - we are usually dying for one thing in particular: EXTERNAL VALIDATION!In the form of hoping that other people will take us seriously, will agree with us, love our content etc…Which usually sounds very innocent and like you really CARE FOR THE OTHER.Something like…„I really want them to have a transformative experience during my workshop“
However what is really going on when you are looking for relieve of your insecurity in the reaction of the other:The whole interaction actually becomes about YOU!Yes - you read that correctly. You scan what’s going on in that moment for signs that they ARE taking you seriously, that they in fact DO approve of your content… You are not actually present, as in listening, feeling out the room… for the good of your client. Which would then allow you to really show up with care for who you want to serve (if that is what you want!).
Listen on for more intricate side effects of NOT owning our insecurities!
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam, questions and comments reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact Or book a consult HERE.
This is an invitation to meander with me and ponder about the non-linearity of timelines (or then… time waves, vortexes and spirals) that the magic act of CREATION holds for us. And - yes I am also talking to YOU, with the so-called non-creative, practical business! (If you need to continuously adapt and change to shifts in the market - you are also CREATING!)
What is mostly talked about is the CONTAINER aspect of projects.How much money, time, how many people when and where… So Important. So necessary. Without cash, time and skill allocated NOTHING is going to happen.
However - the kind of project-management side of things is already getting lots of airtime.No wonder - it is so easily accessible with our devices, logical mind and spreadsheet obsession.
But what about the CREATING itself? I mean - without the actual JUICE the stuff around it renders itself obsolete. And the big problem I see is that the creation process is often approached and conducted with the same mindset with which we set up the framework.
NO!!! Please! That literally sucks out the joy and life of what could be a wondrous adventure and f*** it just does not work this way. I mean - you will still squeeze out SOMETHING. But it will have the flavor of the white knuckling it costed you to push it out. It won’t carry your oh so special scent and glimpses of your genius.
In this episode we will talk about how you can OPEN space for co-creating with and learning THROUGH your project, wondering and surprises. How to get messy and endulge in non-linear timelines.
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam, questions and comments reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact Or book a consult HERE.
„I don´t know!“Such a common placeAnd oh! how I love this phrase - for the mere fact that, depending on how you use it, it can mean a lifetime of agony or the doorway to the most unexpected findings emerging from the unknown.
What makes the difference is the story you tell yourself about YOU, when you don’t know. Do you think you should?
It´s definitely not comfortable to lean into the space that we did not know we did not know. But met with curiosity, delicious qualities like clarity, surprises, beauty, novelty… will come inevitably your way.
If you wanna learn more about how to use Not Knowing as a potent doorway to the unexpected and life-altering… tune into this weeks episode.
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam, questions and comments reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact Or book a consult HERE.
We love to fantasize. You have been imagining that moment a million times. And its gonna be perfect. That moment - when it will feel RIGHT to get started, or take that next big step. And right meaning … you finally believe you can actually make it.
Ironically - that waiting… for the moment when you are fully sure of yourself and your future success is a guarantee for NOT EVER moving an inch towards it in real life.
And even if your fantasized sureness would start to be very real for just a second - the moment you actually got into the ring, things would get messy. Stuff would happen you did not anticipate.
And your confidence and believe would be CHALLENGED.
SO - kick perfect believe out the window. It’s too fragile and too high-maintenance to bet on it.
Half-assing it is good enough. It gets you moving. And KEEPS you moving.
In this weeks episode we will also speak about 3 BIG, COMMON objections your brain will 1000% offer you once you get started moving towards any achievement.SO - lets get specific and talk about how to pivot back into believing just enough when those really very ordinary brain farts hit the fan.
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam, questions and comments reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact Or book a consult HERE.
For those of you who want to learn how to coach yourself - the Podcast Miniseries is hereby continued! (Go to: #8 Facts versus story - PART 1#9 Feelings are Wealth - PART 2If you want to start at the beginning - they are building up on each other!)
And also - HELLO New Years Resolution that you set eagerly hoping that the midnight bell will randomly give you that damn WILLPOWER to finally turn your whole life around… which you already broke a week into the new year….
Totally NOT shaming you here!Just using this time of the year to make a point: if it was just a matter of WILLPOWER to do the things we said we would… I guess we would actually be much more like machines and human race would need a different name.Because - NO. You don’t have buttons that just need fixing. You are not broken - because there are NO BUTTONS.
So let´s talk about why we do what we do? Or don’t do what we wanted to?And how that can be applied in your self-coaching.I will say already this much - its all about your FEELINGS.Coz they drive our actions.
LISTEN ON for more!
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam, questions and comments reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact Or book a consult HERE.
Business relationships can feel like marriages oftentimes.I mean - you would not be the first one if you spent MORE TIME with your founding partner than with your spouse…. And one thing I hear A LOT when people consider starting or struggle to continue such a partnership: „I need to be able to trust them.“
Such a lovely, innocent sentence. YES - trust is crucial for any committed relationship. But it has way less to do with THE OTHER person than you think!
Here is another translation of this cute sentence: Please continue to do what you are doing today…. Don’t change, don’t surprise me. Be predictable. ONLEY THEN - can I trust you.
And if we know one thing for sure - people change. People do illogical things. Humans are unpredictable. That’s a fact.
And if you tie your ability to trust somebody to their NOT-CHANGING - you are building this important aspect of a fruitful relationships on a VERY wobbly fundament. Actually - NO fundament at all. Tune in to figure out how to tackle TRUST instead!
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam or questions and comments reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact Or book a consult HERE.
I am convinced that the obsessive pursuit of success can cast a spell on you that causes you to loose the ability to move your geniousness-muscles and that prohibits access to those yummy parts of your brain where the creative juices are flowing. This usually happens when success seems to be the only alternative to FAILING. And when failing equals DEATH to our nervous system - we are in fact fighting and flighting our way up that steep, steep lather like we were running away from a lion.
And… how long can you run away from a lion?
So - my suggestion is not to NOT CARE about success anymore. Or to miraculously start loving to fail.(Coz how well is that usually working when you tell yourself to just STOP doing something you have been doing or believing for most parts of your life?)And also - achieving and pursuing a goal can be so so FUN.
We just need to talk about the how!Therefore - in this weeks episode on the podcast I am offering ways how to define success YOURSELF. Because - why should you care about succeeding if what you are trying to succeed in you don´t care about???Although this might sound like a big face-palm moment - it’s a huge power move, and profound work to turn the „being-defined-from-the-outside“ into defining yourself!
We will also talk about why it can be fun to turn a desired achievement into measurable numbers and what it does if you view success as a FEELING!
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam or questions and comments reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact Or book a consult HERE.
So - if you are an artist, designer, entrepreneur in the creative sector… chances are REALLY hight, that you think you suck at networking.Like with a capital S.On top of that the mere thought of „SELLING, CONVINCING, ATTENTION-GRABBING“ gives you these gut-wrenching Uaghh-feels. However you are convinced that on the other side of networking lies success, so you MUST be doing it too! Leaving you with this fabulously draining guilt, self-loathing, tension, push-pull - cocktail resulting in > many many missed opportunities & award interactions at best. Sounds familiar?
Now - I am pretty sure though, that you are also that person that can’t stop nerding out about the details of the creation process, the peculiar findings you made during the research phase, the references and associations that make this work so meaningful to you to a genuinely interested friend. You are hungry for feedback and endless discussions with peers about context, process and stages of iteration. You LOVE what you do. You CARE about the impact it has on people. And WANT to connect to other humans through the work.
Well my friend - you actually have ALL IT NEEDS to become excellent at networking!What is tripping you up are only a couple of shitty thoughts - your IDEA of what it takes to network successfully. And this is costing you a ton of amazing connections, inspiring exchanges, so much more visibility and so much more CASH.
Tune into this weeks episode to figure out HOW to become that person who never wants to miss an opportunity to put yourself out there again!
In this weeks episode you will learn:
- Why you actually don’t have to SELL YOURSELF… like EVER
- Why creating CONNECTION is the number one GO TO, most effective and (almost) only thing you need to do when networking
- How you getting in your own way is also a big loss for the rest of us
- That networking MORE does not mean networking with EVERYBODY
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam or questions and comments reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact Or book a consult HERE.
I will cut right to the chase. There is a way to set boundaries that actually create a stage for MORE CONNECTION rather than a loss of love. And the fear of loosing love is the number one reason why people are not setting them in the first place. Why they say YES when they wanna say NO.
The believe that people will love you more when you let them have their way is what gets in the way for so many of us to actually communicate our needs, wishes and limits.
However - as we know by now… actions alone never solve the issue. If it would be as easy as telling you to „JUST say NO when you want to say NO… and stop saying YES when you don’t mean it“… we would not all be here, looking for answers! Without tackling the root cause of those (deeply human) people-pleasing tendencies I see people sway ALLLL the way to the other side. And turn from doormat into barbed-wire-high-security bunker.
As long as you still operate from a place of thinking that others create your feelings or that you could manipulate how others feel about you… (In order for YOU again to feel better about yourself. What!? How f** complicated are we making human relating… I know!!) …This whole saying NO and setting boundaries thing is gonna be messy, filled with entitlement, disappointment and hostility.
I am convinced that you actually DON´T have to deem anyone toxic, unhealthy or narcissistic in order to ask for what you need and draw consequences when your actual safety (physical, emotion, spiritual) is endangered. Tune into this weeks episode to learn how to overcome the fear of loosing connection with other in order to set clear boundaries form a loving place without the drama and the parent of high emotional tolls.
In this episode you will learn:
- How to set a boundary from a clean, loving, no-drama place
- Why people-pleasing dynamics need to be addressed FIRST
- What’s the difference between communicating wishes, needs and desires and setting a boundary
- How boundaries are NOT threats or a way to manipulate others
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam or questions and comments reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact
Or book a consult HERE.
Did you already jump on the lets-set-goals and hopefully get-our-shit-together-finally bandwagon?
I love goals - I truly do! They are such an amazing opportunity for growth. However - if you set goals in the hope that purpose, meaning and that sense of fulfillment, which you so deeply crave will enter the scenery… I am afraid you started at the wrong end of planning your trip!
If you are anything like me, your head is pounding you with finding ANSWERS TO THE BIG WHATS AND WHYS AND HOWS of life. And I really want you to be less at the mercy of these big gaping black wholes of wonder.
Therefore, in this weeks episode, I want to offer you some navigations tools when embarking into the muddy grounds and tumultuous waters of THE BIG QUESTIONS. As we all know - they can easily lead to year-long existential crisis (hello lock-downs). And nothing against crisis! Burning it all down has its own charm at times. However - I feel a lack of discernment when we talk about things like PURPOSE, CAUSE & GOALS adds lots of unnecessary confusion and hence suffering! These terms are being used interchangeably - and in my opinion they operate on very different levels and have DIFFERENT functions!
What you will learn from this episode:
- why goals are helpful but not the point
- how your purpose is nothing that can be found only uncovered
- why your cause is what will make other people join in on your project… or not
- that you start planning a journey according to which vehicle you have at your disposal!
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam or questions and comments reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact
Or book a consult HERE.
I mean - you can have a fake mustache An actually nonexistent, hence fake boyfriend A fake life on Social that is vastly different from your actual experience.
However - when it comes to you throwing yourself into something NEW, that you have not ever done before I would never call however you end up acting or performing FAKE but rather TAKING A BRAVE LEAP.
A brave leap of believing in your ability to learn and figure things out despite NOT having any evidence for your ability to DO THIS THING! Now - that is bold.
Speaking in front of 2000 people without having any comparable experience from your PAST to draw upon. Becoming an entrepreneur when you have been an employee all your life. Living into the the identity of being a piano player without ever having touched the instrument before.
Everything radically NEW in your life starts from a choice that is based on nothing else then BELIEVING. No evidence to back that up.
Will that maybe feel fake and inauthentic to yourself or people around you in the beginning? FOR SURE. But is it a sign that you are doing something morally despicable? NO. A sign for you to go back to the old known YOU and stop the UNFOLDING? NO!!!
In this weeks episode I will walk you through the discomfort of braking the mold of what you though was YOU! SO - yes! You can fake it till you make it - in fact I think you SHOULD! Just … that I would not call this faking - but rather being f*** courageous
What you will learn in this episode: - Why showing up authentically is no moral obligation and will potentially keep you stuck - the difference between pretending and learning to embody something new - How defining WHO YOU ARE based on your past experiences will limit your future options dramatically - Why I think you will never reach your potential (and that´s a good thing!)
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam or questions and comments reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact
Or book a consult HERE.
This week on the podcast we divorce from NICE. We ditch OK. We are not going along with the WHY NOT option anymore.
Why? If you say yes to NICE… The kind of sweet boyfriend The not-bad flat The could-be-worse project
… the whole system will be clogged with no space left for squeaky-colorful, juicy-bubbly, chewy-yummy, I-could-die-now AMAZING.
Is AMAZING morally superiors or „better“ than NICE? NO.
But do I wish you being in awe of the magic of life and being ecstatic in the face of your own existence more often? FUCK YESSS!
And FUCK YES is also what we gonna do! I will teach you in this weeks episode how to make space for FUCK YES choices and what it takes to create them.
What you will learn from this episode: - why saying NO to nice is way harder than declining stuff you already know you don´t want - how consent is a crucial part when coaching yourself (do I actually WANT to change my mind about this?) - how the FUCK YESS Paradigm requires an identity shift - why it is important to value, listen to and only then chose HOW to react to your first, unfiltered responses
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam or questions and comments reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact Or book a consult HERE.
I mean there are legit reasons for being full on addicted to Happiness. And to make its pursuit your all day purpose. Who would not want MORE of those yummy hormones coursing through your veins!! In fact we are evolutionary wired to SEEK pleasure as much as possible. We just can't help it.
And in a world where a hit of serotonin is literally a finger-click away the idea that one could STAY in this state of bliss ALL THE TIME makes sense.
However - there is big big catch to it.
WANTING to be happy 24/7, deeming it possible, and even worse - taking archiving it as a sign of superiority, of „having it all figured out“ stands in crass contrast to HOW WE ACTUALLY FEEL.
I am convinced that wanting to be happy 24/7 is one of the main reasons for being UNHAPPIER than necessary if anything!
WHY? Coz in any moment you are having a full human experience. Meaning ALL the colors showing up - and happiness being only one of the many. Also when you are on holidays. Also wenn you have that house And those wonderful people around…
And making ALWAYS-HAPPINESS a standard you try to life up to creates a lot of story and judgment about to the experience and the feelings you are ACTUALLY having right now! NOT NECCESSARY!
Tune in to this weeks episode to hear me rant about WHY I think the ALWAYS-HAPPINESS is so toxic and disempowering and the concepts I would love to offer instead. Let’s stop chasing happy and start being humans!
Thanks! And I talk to you over there 💕
What you will learn from this episode: - What’s the 50/50 concept by Brooke Castillo - that your feelings are what makes you human - what happens if you allow your feelings to just be there instead of taking them as sings for your brokenness! - why happy alone is f*** boring! WHY get stuck in happy? Like really… WHY??
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam or questions and comments reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact
Or book a consult HERE.
Oh dear! I am so fired up about this topic.
Coz let’s be honest - what have you learned about HOW TO FEEL? What has been modeled to you when you were little?
I assume something like - „we love you most when you are a little bit happy and friendly without the edges so you don’t confront us with our own emotional depths and wounds that we have absolutely no damn idea how to deal with. If you DO however escape this narrow window of expression that we deem appropriate for you, we will dismiss you, tell you off, ignore it …“
And then we grow up and internalize those voices! And have NO relationship to our feelings.
It is mind boggling to me how we humans are FEELING things ALL THE F*** TIME and have been taught to be ashamed of most of it. And shame always works like an electric fence of „don’t go there“!
***BTW! Please go check out ALL of David Bedrick´s work on Un-shaming our emotions. His work is a real paradigm shift of how we look at healing, therapy and trauma work as a way to meet yourself and your strengths instead of „healing“ you into a socially more acceptable version.
This is his homepage: https://www.davidbedrick.com/ And go find him on Instagram: @david.bedrick You won’t regret it! ****
What has started when we were little continues in our adult lifes - strong emotions are mostly seen an inconvenience, a problem, something to deal with neatly on your own. ESPECIALLY in a business context.
No wonder we are at war with our internal landscape. Trying to rid ourself of them completely or to control them at best.
And, let’s be honest - has that EVER actually worked?
Regardless the answer - I don’t even know why we would want to? Feelings are the most real thing we have - A SENSATION IN YOUR BODY. The stuff that LIFE is made of!
And in this weeks episode I will talk about why we are so afraid of FEELING. And offer you 2 powerful practices to befriend those magnetic waves that we so often are desperately avoiding.
What you will learn from this episode: - how to become your own compassionate witness - why we usually don’t even know how we really feel - how to process your feelings - what you can do to remove your stories ABOUT the feelings that create so much additional suffering
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact
Or book a free 30 min Coaching Session with me HERE.
How crazy ist ist that we all run around with a brain that is chirping and chatting and often unfortunately yelling at us all day long, determining the quality of our lives and NO ONE HAS ACTUALLY TAUGHT US HOW TO USE IT? Most of us are on autopilot! Believing every damn thing that our brain burps into our ears. It’s like driving without a license! It goes well if you are lucky… but mostly its very painful!
So lets get to work and learn how to freaking use our mind consciously! It’s THE ONE thing that drastically improved the quality of my life - and its for FREE!! You can work with your mind wherever you are, regardless of the digits on your bank account.
We will begin with learning how to distinguish between events, that happen in the world and the meaning that you give to them. Why that matters is because depending on the interpretation of your circumstance you will have a different emotional experience.
This means that life is not just happening to you - but that you are are a powerful creator and the one that writes your story.
But in order to use this insight to our benefits and actually start making purposeful choices we need to build the awareness muscle and become or own compassionate observer and witness.
Tune into this weeks episode to find out how!
In this episode you will learn: - how moving from blaming others for your misery to blaming yourself is not a step forward! - What is a thought download - why it is so important to approach our own minds from a place of curiosity and compassion - what are circumstances VS your interpretation of them - how to create SPACE between an event and your experience of it - how to become more granular in distinguishing and relating to our feelings
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact Or book a consult HERE.
When I started out as a freelance artist I just wanted my living costs to be covered so I could make art full-time. That meant I needed to make money WITH my art, right? But - f**k, I never wanted to sell myself! All things business and money felt a little yucky and meant for others - NOT for me. Convinced that in the altruistic spheres of expanded horizons money was a problematic burden I also felt entitle do being paid WELL for what I do… just because.
I was basically resisting a system that I simultaneously resented for not providing for me. And yes - it was as much of a confusing struggle as it sounds like. I was basically driving with the hand break still pulled. On top of that everything was personal. Every opportunity granted as well as every funding that did not come through meant something about ME and was a valid judgement wether I am good at what I do or not, wether I have a place in this industry or not. And the pressure of the idea that without me DOING shit, the whole thing would come to a halt altogether, was crushing!
OK! You get the picture.
Regardless if you are an artist - I know that lots of this sounds familiar to you if you are in self-employed land!
Tune in to this weeks episode to learn how to detect those masochistic dynamics in yourself and what you could create and focus on instead. I compiled a fine selection of the most powerful mind-set shifts that have completely changed my relationship to work and money and allow me to create from a much more spacious, graceful and purposeful place. I want to show you how you can BE IN CHARGE!
What you will learn in this episode: - how working from an employees mindset is hurting you - that you are never actually paid for your time - why linking up your worthiness with how successful you are is a f**g toxic combination - what’s the difference between a freelance attitude and an entrepreneurial mindset - how to co-create with your business
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam, questions and comments reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact
Or book a consult HERE.
Xoxo Mirjam
Our brain loves clarity and straightforwardness. Unfortunately this also means that sometimes it would rather tell you that „EVERYTHING sucks“ instead of allowing complexity, nuance or holding a variety of perspectives simultaneously. Literally for the sake of conserving energy.
The caveat to this is that what we believe to be true is what we will find evidence for in our surrounding. So our thoughts act like very powerful, self-amplifying filters. This is how we can easily get caught up in a grimm loop of doom and gloom and think we are just making an observation!
Therefore - in this weeks episode, I teach a very simple but effective self-coaching tool that helps you navigate those moments of black and white thinking. Not to gaslight you into chanting it away with positivity but to actually get you a more realistic perspective onto things - coz what in life ever is actually black OR white?
In this episode you will learn: - why all or nothing thinking is always a good reason to be suspicious of your brain - what it means to give equal air time to the other side of a story - how objective observations are usually an optional interpretations - why you will likely find a lot of evidence for your thoughts being TRUE
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact
Or book a consult HERE.
Xoxo Mirjam
Do you ever feel like everybody else but you got this work-life balance thing down? While I see people running behind it like it was the holy grail for a non-burnt out life I am here to tell you that I think its not even a thing. How we have started to use this idea against ourselves and what I suggest to do instead to create a life that feels fulfilling and „in balance“ is what awaits you in this weeks episode.
In this episode you will learn: - why I am not a fan of the work / life binary to begin with - how making out with the fantasy of an ideal life in the future is robbing you of your life today - why it is so hard to rest - how you cannot outact your feelings and what I mean by that - how to get crystal clear on your priorities in order to make powerful life choices - What new possibilities for creating your life will open up to you when you consider balance a movement instead of something static
To get access to the fee video on WHY RESTING IS SO HARD? And how to stop over-working today following THIS link.
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact Or book a consult HERE.
Creativity is this fabulous problem-solving superpower all humans possess. And yet many of us don’t dare to tap into this capacity. We’d rather self-censor or stay in the socially acceptable, meek realms with our ideas just to not risk being judged. To the determent our your business and the rest of us!
In this episode we will go on a deep dive into the part of our brain that is evolutionary wired for survival and that cannot distinguish between physical and emotional pain - it just wants to protect us from ANY pain. The key is to learn how to distinguish when the alarm bells of survival brain are appropriate and in service of our physical well-being, and when they are actually just in the way of tapping into our genius!
In this episode you will learn: - why trying to get it right is keeping you stuck - about the 2 part of our brains that are often in conflict with each other - what creativity and a dandelion have in common - how emotions are just sensations in your body that cannot harm you
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact Or book a consult HERE.
In this episode we will debunk the myth of iron discipline, self-imposed pressure, overworking and constant worry being essential motivators for building a business. Listen on to find out how daring to be playful and giving air time to positive emotions is not only benefiting your own well-being as a leader, but is a key quality that will allow you and your company to react to unexpected challenges creatively.
In this episode you will learn: - why emotions such as worry, self-doubt, pressure etc. are not what actually propels you to move forward - what is the „right“ kind of fuel instead - how playfulness makes you and your company fit for change - how to turn a problem into a question that will spark solutions
Sources mentioned during the show:
Taleb Nassim, Antifragile, Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2012.
Tom Kelley & David Kelley, Reclaim your creative confidence, Harvard business review 2012
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instagram @school_of_impact Or book a consult HERE.
Many entrepreneurs are the CEOs of their own company on paper but don’t actually embody the role and lead. In this episode we will use the metaphor of the chariot to shine light on what it means to become your own authority when making decisions and moving your projects forward and into the world.
In this episode you will learn: - how looking for the „right“ answer is keeping you stuck - Why leading is an act of service - how to distinguish between pulling the chariot forward versus steering it - What only you as the CEO can do for your company
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam reach out to: mirjam@soegner.com
Find me on instargram @school_of_impact Or book a consult HERE:
Welcome to the very first episode of How to Playfully CEO.
Everything created by humans was once an idea, a dream, a vision and solely existed in the minds.
In this episode we will discuss why so many of us don’t allow ourselves to dream and explore what we truly desire and how this keeps us stuck in reproducing what we already know – aka in the past.
Listen on to find out how to open up to believing in new possibilities for yourself despite without having tangible evidence (yet).
For any inquires to coach with Mirjam reach out to:
mirjam@soegner.com
Or book a consult HERE.
And find me on Instagram @school_of_impact