Thorsten Löffler
Thorsten Löffler tells us that, “I’m a dedicated career consultant and life coach based in Berlin. In addition, I’m a facilitator in education projects focusing on Namibia and South Africa. I believe in life-long learning and love to leave my comfort zone occasionally. I love to inspire people and get inspired by others. My passion is to accompany people on their change journey – whether in their professional or their private lives. Early in my life, I already realized that I would like to work with people. At the beginning of my career, I focused on career consulting and business-related topics. Throughout my career path in HR Management and as an Integration Manager, I realized that I would like to expand my scope to coaching and include private-related topics. That’s why I decided to attend an ICF-accredited coaching training.”
What were your early years like? Could you share a bit about your life before you began your coaching journey?
Before beginning my coaching journey I worked in the public sector at the National Unemployment Agency in Germany as a career consultant and in the private sector in different roles such as recruiting, HR Management, and Integration Management. I specifically loved my job as an Integration Manager for a big company in the field of Facility Management (Gegenbauer) as I could make an impact. One of the things that I’m most proud of is that more than 100 refugees found a job at Gegenbauer within 2 years. After that, I lived in South Africa for a couple of years. This time was important for me because I learned a lot about intercultural communication and I went back to university 10 years after my first degree.
Was there any turning point in your life that changed your journey? If so, what was it? Please tell us the backstory behind it.
I think I don’t have a real turning point. Over the years I realized more and more that having an impact through my work is crucial to me and that I would like to include social aspects in my work.
Everyone faces unique challenges when starting an entrepreneurial journey. The most valuable lessons often come from understanding how these challenges are managed. Could you share the difficulties you’ve encountered and the strategies you’ve used to cope with them?
I believe that one of the challenging things as a solo entrepreneur is to build your brand and get your own clients. This needs time and that’s why I looked for institutional partners (e.g. bigger coaching institutions) to get started. But I’m not forgetting about my own projects and building my own brand through content marketing on LinkedIn and workshops. Recommendations from former clients are also important in this context.
What impact do you feel you have been able to create with your work so far and how would you want to grow in the next few years?
I helped a lot of (migrant) job seekers to find a job in Germany that they really like. I also supported a few coaches on their individual change journey related to private topics. I would like to expand this part in the next few years and get a certification from the National Unemployment Agency so that I can help even more (migrant) job seekers and hire freelance coaches.
Would you like to share with our aspiring young women entrepreneurs the changes you would like to see in the world if given the opportunity?
If given the opportunity each society and government should see the potential in women entrepreneurs and support them in growing their business.
Women are increasingly becoming a powerful presence in workplaces worldwide, breaking through glass ceilings and reaching top leadership positions. What are your thoughts on women’s leadership today?
In the last few years, a lot of things have been improved when it comes to women’s leadership. Women are getting more and more present in important leadership positions. But there is still room for improvement. Speaking from the perspective of Germany, women are still underrepresented in the top 30 DAX companies in Germany and there is still a pay gay between women and men in the country.
Your grit and determination are making a significant impact, serving as an inspiration for many aspiring entrepreneurs. What message would you like to share with our young women leaders and audience reading this?
First of all, I would like to tell them that they can be proud of themselves that they started this interesting and rewarding journey. Secondly, networking is the key and finding like-minded people to connect and work with. Thirdly, always have an awareness of their own strengths. This is especially important at challenging times and to prevent self-doubt.