Make History yourself

So Renée, usually people move from Europe to America, to the land of unlimited opportunities where you can carry out big plans. But you did just the opposite, right?

Renée: First I earned a doctorate in neurobiology in Texas, and then I worked in the pharmaceutical industry. I was headhunted by one of our competitors to come to Germany, where I was supposed to develop the business here for the other company, to establish contacts, and so on. So I quit my good job in America. A few months later, I came to Germany. But the job was a total catastrophe! So eighteen months later, I quit that job and was unemployed! An “illegal alien” who didn’t speak one word of German.

And how did you manage to get out of this situation?

I had two different options: Either I had to take another job in Germany where I would make considerably less money – or I could go back to Texas. I love Germany, so I said, whatever happens, I will stay here. Or I could also marry someone, but I had just gone through a divorce and I didn’t want to get married just to stay here. Or I could start my own limited company (GmbH) in the pharmaceutical industry. So I chose the latter option and established my GmbH when I was 34 years old. As you know, it was a huge success! I had ten different companies in nine different countries: Hong Kong, India, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Panama. And two in Switzerland. It was fantastic! And then I sold these companies at a good profit. My goal was always to build up my business, let it grow, and then sell it.

And you accomplished that! As a woman who didn’t speak one word of German and for whom Germany, at first, was a completely foreign place. But that couldn’t have been your original plan though.

No, developing a company here wasn’t my plan; instead, it was the result of my “successful” failure.

That way a person can maybe see what failure can bring about in the end, right?

Yes, exactly! In America we don’t have this kind of negative attitude toward failure at all. In Silicon Valley, failure is part of success. Through my problems and challenges, I was given a great opportunity.

Intrinsic motivation is important. But sometimes you just have the feeling that you’re not allowed to take even one wrong step in your life, and then even intrinsic motivation doesn’t always help.

Do you know what my main message is in this world? That message is Imperfect Action! That means you just have to take small steps toward your goal. And when you notice that maybe one step you took wasn’t exactly the right one, you can always just take another step to the left or right. Break up your goals into smaller pieces! And here’s another tip from the world of neuroscience: What is going on in our brains? This is very important: when you take a small step toward your goals, you get a “dopamine reward.” And this reward makes it easier to take the second small step. This is not simply a thought, but is instead part of physical and chemical processes in your brain.