November 01, 2020

#1 WILD WOMEN STUDIOS

1. Dear Helen, I am very pleased to be able to introduce you and your company Wild Women Studios as part of our Female Founder Community. Feel free to tell us a little about yourself and your agency.

I am very happy that I can be part of your Female Founder Community.

I just recently started Wild Women Studios. For the last four years I have worked as Creative Director at Refinery29. I already had the idea of being self-employed while I was doing my master's degree at the London College of Fashion. However, I was missing something essential in the fashion industry.

After graduating from high school, I had the idea of becoming a teacher and I think a part of me still longed for the meaning of teaching, to be able to convey something and make a difference. So I started looking for what is really important to me and what this “essential” could be. This is how I managed to attend a coaching seminar in Central London.

That was in 2015 and since then the topic of personal development has become an integral part of my life. A year ago I trained to become a systemic coach. A process that has strengthened me absolutely profoundly and sustainably. I took further training such as a coaching spiral seminar “The Art of Being a Woman” to further deepen my focus on women. The new mindset and the “old”/lost knowledge about femininity that I developed in the training and seminars and the resulting self-confidence finally encouraged me to take the step into self-employment.

"With Wild Women Studios, I want to combine coaching and creativity and create new synergies. I show companies/brands and women what is possible if we dare to go deeper and have the courage to change. Because this creates enormous things creative potential."

I support women through personal branding and creative business coaching. In both cases, three pillars are always addressed: personality, soul and branding. It's about creating inner and outer harmony. By exploring our values and desires, we ultimately achieve professional clarity and an inspiring vision.

It is very important to me that in my sessions and workshops the women learn more about their cycle, their cyclical nature, about the power of their feminine energy and how they can use these four cycle phases specifically for their business.

2. Wild Women - what does this mean to you?

Wild means maintaining your connection to instinctive, creative nature. There is a part of us women that is endowed with timeless knowledge. This is not about factual knowledge, but rather about intuitive knowledge. We can and should definitely use the knowledge in a business context.

Wild also means knowing and allowing the entire spectrum of one's nature. The strong sides and the dark sides that we wish no one would ever know about. This is often a big key. In our society, emotions such as anger, jealousy or rage are often negatively associated, especially in a professional context and especially in relation to women.

Wild means letting all emotions be there and also knowing when “nice and adjusted” just doesn’t work anymore. We can then learn to set loving boundaries. Personally and professionally, it often has fatal consequences if we lose the connection to “wild nature”. We find ourselves in jobs, relationships, social circles and situations that drain us energetically and are simply not good for us. The body is often the mediator, which is why it is so important that women listen to it and always include it in important decisions.

In the context of brands, the word “wild” means to me that brands think holistically and that they develop the necessary foresight. The foresight about what decisions today mean for our future. That companies/management positions dare to bring their feelings more into the lead, approach things more imaginatively and playfully and thus create more space for creative self-expression.

I was inspired to create wild women, among other things, by the book “Women who run with the wolves”, in German: “The Wolf Woman” (which I warmly recommend to every woman). It's a game changer.

3. Your focus is on conscious brands & soulful branding. Where do you see the difference to “classic brands”?

Conscious brands want more than “quick beauty”, “viral campaigns” or “millionaire influencers”. Soulful brands understand the power of storytelling, they know that authenticity and integrity are key players on the path to sustainable success. You know the word love brand, are one yourself, or would like to become one. Wild Women Studios accompanies, advises and initiates this creative process and designs the resulting content and campaigns.

4. Why is personal branding important for women?

Personal branding is important for women so that they can be seen with confidence and authenticity with their work. This is about much more than just marketing or PR. It's about developing self-confidence in your own talents and strengths. It's about what each woman brings to the table in an absolutely unique combination.

I experience again and again that women who are incredibly talented and reflective tend to hold back, true to the motto “play it safe”. That's such a shame because so much talent and potential is suppressed here. In my sessions I therefore like to examine the belief about “self-promotion”. So what does each woman think about herself in terms of marketing, sales and branding? Is it an uncomfortable offer and imposition for her, or an honest connection with potential customers, clients, employers who she can help through her talents? Context is often key. Basically it's about taking up space.

5. What 3 top tips would you give to young founders who want to build their brand sustainably?

1) A strong foundation. Build a strong foundation and take your time doing it. Because if you have a strong foundation that includes your values, needs and natural strengths, then your framework will still stand in stormy times. A strong why, a strong vision and mission are independent of trends. Also, look at what really suits you and your nature and not based on “what you just do”, because that will burn you out in the long run. Here I recommend (as one element of many other things) taking a look at his Human Design Chart. This gave me an incredible amount of insight into why certain things work great for me and others don't. This means I know how to use my energy better.

2) Get support. Also make yourself mentally, emotionally strong. In addition to all the technical knowledge, it is also a constant, emotional balancing act. I also have coaches at my side for various areas who support me along the way. Nobody can do everything alone, we shouldn't even try and your family, your partner and friends can't handle everything either.

3) Secure yourself financially. Make sure you have a long-term financial buffer that allows you not to make decisions out of necessity and to remain creative. But don't save in the wrong places. For example, it is worth investing in consultants, coaches, further training or high-quality equipment. Don't be afraid to spend money. Money is basically nothing more than energy.