Lena Berghaus
Lena Berghaus tells us that, “Throughout my professional career, I always worked closely with people and their teams from all walks of life: World’s biggest rock & pop artists, high net-worth individuals, CXOs of Fortune 500 corporations, technology startup founders, investors & innovators…
Now I use these 20 years of human interaction experience and apply them to assisting individuals to feel better. To identify and break through challenges to lead a fulfilled life.
I do this as a hypnotherapist, coach and mentor.
After having lived in Germany, India, the Netherlands, the UK, Macau and Portugal, I now live in a small Andalusian village in Spain.
I spend a lot of my time in nature with our dogs, cooking for our tribe, dabbling with fermentation, listening to podcasts and learning by renovating houses.
Making music and recording a video podcast are current creative adventures.”
Before you became self-employed, enlighten us about the thrilling adventures of your pre-business life.
I always enjoyed working in small teams in proprietor-run businesses.
2020 – 2021, Germany
Entrepreneur First, the pioneer of investing in talented individuals before they have a business idea, co-founder or company, has a portfolio of 300+ companies worth over $10bn+. Here I was responsible for attracting & selecting 50+ founders for each bi-annual Berlin program (~5% acceptance rate) via multiple channels and initiatives. I identified deep tech founder potential by assessing founder ability & behaviour. When I joined I took on an underperforming function, turned it around to meet quantity & quality KPIs within 3 months. Introduced processes to improve customer experience, reduced admin & operational overhead while increasing brand image & awareness via events, press & partnerships. Key wins over 6 months: increased applications overall by 28%, from women by 54%; raised the bar by setting founder & conversion records for our location, Berlin
2019 – 2020, Portugal
Techstars, is an early stage VC with a portfolio of 4000+ graduate companies, 14 unicorns and an all-time graduate market cap of $115.7bn
Here I developed Techstars Talent; the first founder-facing ‘Techstars for Life’ initiative, providing portfolio companies with tools & resources to build & manage highly successful teams. Focused on a diversified revenue stream experiment: ‘outsourcing for startups done right’ through flexible tech staffing; while also enabling startups to work effectively in distributed teams. I was responsible for product, branding, service delivery, revenue, profitability, team management & creating internal buy-in.
2014 – 2019, India
At ANSR, I advised Fortune 500 CXOs on accelerating tech transformation at scale through design & build of Global Capability Centers (GCCs). I was responsible for strategy consulting, GCC setup, up-/cross-selling for 12 clients ($8-78bn revenue) in 3+ year projects. I was accountable for profitability of $3-40 million projects, responsible for Real Estate, IT Infra, HR, Finance, Legal & Procurement and led and managed corporate-startup innovation engagements, set up Techstars India and enabled the BD pipeline of GCCs for the Techstars Corporate Innovation offering.
2009 – 2014, India
At DNA Entertainment Networks, I planned & executed large-scale multi-million USD international events & concerts for India’s biggest sport associations, corporates & HNIs. I was a team lead of 10 people and frequently selected & managed up to 50 freelancers.
2005 – 2006, India
During a project at Robert Bosch India, I did a root-cause analysis of cross-cultural challenges between India and Germany, developed associate information sessions & material. Additionally I was part of a task force resolving communicative & structural challenges after the first Robert Bosch Shared Service Centre go-live.
Could you elaborate on the nature of your current business, highlighting its purpose and the ways it benefits people?
I support people on their individual healing journey by helping them identify, acknowledge, accept and then release and/or reframe challenges and limiting beliefs. Usually in a matter of 4 sessions spread out over 4 weeks. I do this through a combination of cognitive counselling and hypnosis sessions. This helps engage body, mind and spirit and this holistic approach accelerates the time to resolution and with that feeling better. I remain fascinated and grateful by how quickly change is possible with this modality.
Additionally I work with founders as their mentor in the early stages of their ventures. Usually focused on idea-founder fit and the early steps of team-building.
As a coach I work with individuals to help them define and refine the next steps they want to take in their life. Often this includes brainstorming and being a positive, supportive and trusted sounding board.
Apart from these roles that I almost exclusively carry out online, we also offer a retreat in the place where I live. The 5-day retreat for 1 (max. 2) people is for those that are looking for a deeper understanding and meaning of who they are, for those who want to find out about their purpose or mission in this life-time and who are looking for a deeper connection to spirituality.
Currently one of my dearest friends and I are conceptualising a retreat for women that will take place in March 2025. The focus elements are: Health, Inspiration & Transformation.
What has been the response of the users/consumers towards your business?
Overall the response is very positive. Most people are curious and supportive. And recommend me to people in need of my offerings. This certainly also is related to my life having changed a lot over the last 2 years. People perceive the positive change and are attracted by it. Some even state that it seems that my daily life seems to be a continued holiday now. And I agree that it feels that way – calm, peaceful, content, in the flow state, occupied with clean, healthy and meaningful things.
Some are initially hesitant about the modality of hypnosis. Movies and stage shows have created certain myths about hypnosis and the related fear of losing control to another person raises doubts within some individuals. Once I clarify that they never lose control and explain that hypnosis, also called trance or the passive state, is a very natural, relaxed state that every single person on this planet experiences daily – for example before falling asleep, when we daydream or are completely absorbed in a book or movie – they relax and then become curious to try it out. The impact of this deeply relaxed state is very therapeutic for mind, body and spirit and allows us to make positive and lasting changes.
Having a strong support system is essential for your well-being. We would love to know who your biggest supporter is. Share with us and let’s celebrate the amazing people in our lives who make a positive impact.
My spiritual teacher – Efendi. He is guiding me to come closer to Creation (…God, the Universe… whatever you like to call it).
My mom. Has always and continues to support me in all the ‘black sheep’ ways I live my life.
Very close female friends. Always there for me, for whatever I may need. A sounding board, a shoulder to cry on, sharing advice, learning and growing together.
As a woman entrepreneur, what changes do you hope to see in the world and what opportunities are you seeking?
I feel that a healthy ratio of consumption to creation has been lost.
In this world, we keep consuming and receive so much input – like what you’re reading right now, everything you see on your various screens or listen to… and for too many people it has become utterly out of balance with the process of creating or at least creating with awareness.
Because we all do create… I cook, ferment, garden, paint things that need painting, seed inspiration and transformation in people, make music, record a video podcast, create #dailysliceofmagic posts to share and inspire others to observe life and its stunning and miraculous beauty.
I feel it’s important to realise this, to spend more time in the moment and to remember that we should strive for authenticity and excellence, not perfection. As Rumi said “Appear as you are, be as you appear”.
Women now stand shoulder-to-shoulder with men in the workplace, breaking through glass ceilings to reach the top. What are your thoughts on women’s leadership today?
I’m a firm believer in equal opportunity. In my opinion that is what we should focus on. For everyone. Everywhere.
Get in touch with her.
https://www.lenaberghaus.com/
https://www.instagram.com/lena
https://www.linkedin.com/in/le
https://www.youtube.com/@TheWi