From coaching buddhist monks in Africa to senior business leaders in San Francisco, our guest today Bettina Hausmann has seen it all.  Bettina is a good friend of the show and has been advising high-level corporate and public clients in communications for 20 years now. Today on episode 13 of Speak like a CEO, she tells us all about what it takes to go from good to great, what executives can learn from start ups and how life sometimes ends up taking you places you don’t always expect. But in the end, Bettina says it best: if you don’t try anything new, nothing new is going to happen.  Stay tuned for some great stories about coaching in different cultures, how to manage your energy how to avoid the salami tactic when faced with a crisis….  Enjoy! 

On this week's bonus episode we answer your Instagram questions about space after recording our latest episode with BDLI managing director Volker Thum! We even wore our NASA shirts for the occasion! Enjoy! 

The year, 2019. It's been 50 years since man landed on the moon, and today the universe seems full of possibilities.  From science done on the International Space Station to travelling to Mars, our guest today, Volker Thum, knows everything there is to know about space. He's the CEO of the German Aerospace Industries Association. In his role, he has to talk about some very technical and complicated topics. But not only does he love space, but he loves talking about it in ways everyone can understand. He lets us in on everything from negotiation tactics to dealing with contentious opinions on drones, as well as how technology can and does affect our daily lives as well as in the skies.  On today's episode we ask ourselves: Why space? Why does it fascinate us? Why do we love it so much? And our guest says it best: it all comes down to our curious nature as well as our desire to explore what's out there. Enjoy! 

What do you get when you talk numbers over drinks? Drumbers! Today we are talking to Doreen Huber, CEO of LemonCat, the company with the mission to radically change the way businesses think about catering by bringing better food to your office. With LemonCat being her fourth startup Doreen tells us about the secret, or rather the science behind sales, her attitude towards founding the right company as well as her experience with angel investing.  Doreen is positive that catering is not about the product, it’s about the experience, an attitude she seems to apply to all parts of her life.  Plus, she lets us into her and her team’s favourite Friday activity…an evening of "Drumbers" where talking numbers can also be a fun and social event! Enjoy!

Ever wonder what George Clooney and gentrification have in common? They both love Berlin.  Today we talk to the man behind Berlin’s personal branding, Burkhard Kieker, CEO of Visit Berlin, the city’s very own cultural sector marketing agency. He tells us all about Berlin’s history, how it’s grown to allow it’s citizens the freedom to chose and develop their own lifestyles. But Berlin has its own challenges, from the debate surrounding over-tourism to gentrification. But despite all that, from booming start-ups to a thriving art scene and much more, Berlin surely has branded itself as the place to be. After all, despite WWII, contrasting ideologies and a 140 kilometre wall, the internet search word most associated with Berlin remains the same: freedom. 

Meet no-bullshit CEO Sophie Chung.  She’s the founder behind Qunomedical and this week, she tells us all about journey into making healthcare digital and more accessible for all.  Besides being an avid climber and black-belt martial artist, Sophie is passionate about spreading and gaining knowledge about digitalization and how it can better our lives, both on and offline. She tells us all about her decision to be open on social media, the emotional side of healthcare, and the difficulties of being a CEO and much more. Enjoy!  Learn more about Qunomedical at https://qunomedical.com

Wouldn’t we all love to have a virtual concierge? Olga Heuser, CEO and founder of DialogShift, started her company to fill the communication gap between hotels and their customers. We talk to her about customer experience, AI, bots and the future of communications. Although Olga herself doesn’t keep much of an online presence (she tells us why she made the choice), she talks us through the shift towards text messaging over phone calls, emails or even face to face communications…but also what challenges text message based communications can face. Olga makes the case for using messaging as a key business feature, although she isn’t convinced it will completely replace human interaction…yet! Enjoy!

Can you be a CEO while working 9 to 5? Georgiana Ghiciuc, CEO of both blockchain magazine Occurency and digital marketing agency Beaglecat, shows us that it can be done! Georgiana gives us a deep dive into the Berlin blockchain scene and the difficulties behind communicating what can be perceived as such a complicated topic. We talk to Georgiana on how to create “WOW content”, how to stand out in a sea of online articles, juggling both motherhood and a career and much more. Enjoy!

Today we talk to jack-of-all-trades Christoph Raethke, a Berlin start-up original, on the genesis of the culture, the power a good pitch, how to found the “right thing” and much more. Christoph is the CEO of Berlin Startup Academy, and has been a startup founder, investor, writer, speaker, and mentor for almost 20 years. Tune in to hear about his latest sobering experience in California and why he thinks San Francisco might no longer the place to be…Enjoy!

What if flat hierarchies could ruin your company...? Welcome to Episode #4. Our guest today is Raffaela Rein, co-founder of online course platform CareerFoundry. She has been named amongst the Top Women in Tech by Forbes as well as European Innovator of the Year by StartupEurope. On the show, we speak about using Instagram to build your personal brand, the potential disadvantages of flat hierarchies, public speaking as well as who we look up to for inspiration. Enjoy!