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Ep: 81 The Courage to Chase Dreams at Any Age Daniela Baumann

• Sophia Delavari • Season 1 • Episode 81

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What happens when you leave behind familiar surroundings in search of a place that feels like home? On this episode of the Detached Podcast, we welcome the inspiring Daniela Bowman, an accomplished entrepreneur and author, who shares her transformative journey from feeling disconnected in Germany and Switzerland to discovering a vibrant community in Dubai that sparked both personal and professional fulfillment. Through Daniela's story, listeners will gain insight into how her European background provided a unique advantage in Dubai's dynamic business environment, allowing her to thrive in ways she never imagined. It's a testament to the powerful impact of finding the right place where you can truly belong and balance the demands of work with personal happiness.

But the journey doesn't stop there. You'll also hear compelling narratives of overcoming adversity and pursuing passion against all odds. Personal stories highlight the challenges of navigating toxic relationships and financial hardship while finding the courage to chase a dream—like starting a career in pole dancing at the age of 40. Doubts and skepticism fade away in light of unwavering belief and support, proving that intuition and self-discovery can lead to extraordinary transformations. With emotional honesty, this episode invites listeners to embrace risk-taking and faith in their instincts to unlock their true potential, illustrating the resilience and determination that can redefine one's path in life.

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Speaker 1:

Welcome back to another episode of the Detached Podcast. I have a warm welcome for Daniela Bowman. I feel like the Detached Podcast is all about detaching yourself away from your limitations and stepping into your true potential self, and Daniela is a walking example of this. She's a successful entrepreneur, she's been featured on Forbes magazine New York and she's also a successful author. So I just want to say thank you for coming on today.

Speaker 2:

Thank you so much for the invitation. I'm so excited to be here. My dear.

Speaker 1:

How are you feeling today?

Speaker 2:

Amazing. Every day it's for me like a gift. So every day when I wake up, I feel like, wow, I have a healthy body. I'd be thankful for all the people around me. I'd be thankful for my life. I think it comes with age.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

When was the first time that you felt like you know, when you wake up in the morning, that you're super grateful for all these things?

Speaker 2:

I think it starts with Dubai. Yeah, yeah, when I take the decision three years ago to emigrate to Dubai, I feel like, wow, this is really the place to be. I feel like this is my home place. I never feel at home in Germany. I was born in Germany. I never feel at home in Germany. I was born in Germany. I never feel at home in Switzerland when the people are telling, oh, I'm so happy to live in this place. I was always feeling but this is not my place.

Speaker 2:

And when I came to Dubai, I feel like, wow, I feel home. I feel this is the right energy, the right people feel home. I feel this is the right energy, the right people. And you know, some people say, okay, you know, when you live in a place, you're not happy. You can make your happy thoughts, you know what I mean. But for me was always in my heart, was always or my soul was always screaming, or I feel it was always screaming that this is not the right place where I lived before. And today I'm so happy. And I think when you live in the right place and when you have the right energy around you, you automatically feel more grateful.

Speaker 1:

It's easier to live a happier life.

Speaker 2:

It's much easier and also people say say oh, when the weather is bad. Okay, you know, you can think about other things, but for me it was very important. You know, in Switzerland, like five, six months uh, dark, rainy, I don't know I had another feeling when I stand up Today. When I stand up, I have sunshine every day and I'm so thankful for this.

Speaker 1:

So, when you felt like you were grateful when you came to Dubai, how did that have a ripple effect on the rest of your life in terms of success when it comes to business?

Speaker 2:

When, I be sure, when I was living in Switzerland I concentrate only on business, you know what I mean there was not a lot of private life, there was not so many things to do. And when I came to Dubai, of course private life you go out. You have so many different beautiful places that you sometimes I think with my husband okay, what we're doing tonight, okay, there are so many restaurants, so many offers that sometimes not easy to choose. But in Switzerland I feel always also when I was in holiday and I come back, I feel more in this working modus. I think when you live in Zurich or I think also in New York, it's like working, working, working. And every time when I come to Switzerland I see or I look at the people and I see, oh my god, everyone is always living for working. And here in Dubai it's different. You work but you enjoy both sides of life.

Speaker 1:

Do you not feel like Dubai can sometimes be a bit of a rat race also?

Speaker 2:

You mean too much things going on or too much competition.

Speaker 1:

There's a lot of competition here in terms of business and entrepreneurship. Do you feel like it's still difficult to enjoy life here?

Speaker 2:

When, I be true, I found it's more difficult in Switzerland. Yeah. Yeah, I found of course the Swiss people or the German people. They are first of all on time, then I feel like a professional.

Speaker 1:

I was five minutes late guys.

Speaker 2:

No no, here, when I come to Dubai and I had my first meetings people are coming too late 30 minutes and I think for myself how you can work this way. I don't trust people who come every time too late and also they don't trust people who comes every time too late and also they don't respect you. And come back to to uh, switzerland, they are on time, they are professional. Also the germans I was born in germany, you know I grow with this professional and dubai. It's a little bit like, I think, when you are here professional, when you come from europe, you know and you know how it is to work every day eight, nine or more hours. You stand out. It's like you can build up more. That's why I don't see a lot of competition in Dubai. Of course, a lot of nationalities are coming together, but not everyone is this professional like in Switzerland or Germany. This is what I found out.

Speaker 1:

So I want you to take me back on a little bit of a journey, back to your younger years, when you were a kid. What was life like back then?

Speaker 2:

Wow, when I was a kid. Oh, my god, as we start, 1966, I was born. Wow, 96 congratulations, thank you so? Much. I was thinking you know my age you know what I didn't google?

Speaker 1:

I didn't google your, but yeah, I wasn't sure whether you were going to tell me or not.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, of course I don't have any problems. I think it's beautiful when a woman can say her age. She can inspire so much others. Okay, I start 1966, I was born in Erlangen. It was a little place, little town in Germany. Erlangen, it was a little place, little town in Germany, and as a kid I feel from the beginning that people are, or as a young child, that other children are, jealous when you look different. And I was really looking different as a child Black hair, not this typical German-like, more like that. I came from another country and I feel like kids start to judging me about my looking, why I look different.

Speaker 2:

I look like a doll. You know, when I was looking pictures from the back, I was looking really like a doll. You know, when I was looking pictures from the back, I was looking really like a doll. And then I feel like, oh my God, I'm what I can say, I'm so positive to everyone why they touch me. And this was really in my young age. I feel like I feel like. Or, you know, when you are young, you feel like, okay, maybe you are wrong. You know, when you are young, you feel like, okay, maybe you are wrong, you know what I mean yeah.

Speaker 2:

But there later on I realized of course they judge me why I look different, you know. And kids they're really hard. You know what I mean. I think this is, in the young age, not easy.

Speaker 1:

When you feel like kids have been pushing you back a little bit because you looked a little bit different.

Speaker 2:

Of course it pushed you back. It pushed you back. You feel like, okay, you have to be more quiet. Automatically, you know, it was also later on, I think, when I remember, also in Switzerland. You know, I feel always I was too much.

Speaker 1:

Did you struggle to express yourself?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, no, I was feeling like when you feel like you are too much, automatically you go a step back. You know what I mean. While people are, there was more introvert, you know, and I was more like open. You know, I was positive to everyone. I accept everyone who they are, and I feel like, okay, sometimes this was too much energy.

Speaker 2:

I feel like I had too much energy in this moment, like I am, and when I came to Dubai, I feel like, oh my God. And when I came to Dubai, I feel like, oh my God, what is this so beautiful place? And then more of my energy comes out and the people start to talk about my energy and say, oh my God, daniela, your energy is amazing. And I was thinking, oh my God. I was living 30 years in Switzerland and not one person speaks about my energy Switzerland and not one person speaks about my energy. And that's why is. Is it so important the place you live and what I can say to the audience when you are not happy on the place you live? Search for the place who really makes you happy. And this was my childhood. Yeah, I was always like feeling I have to go a step back you know what I mean.

Speaker 1:

Do you feel like you ever missed opportunities?

Speaker 2:

not miss opportunities, but thinking too much what other think as what other, about other people. I think this was a big problem, why you know when people are judging you and you don't understand why you think about what is the problem, why they are judging me, why they don't respect me, why also later, when I grow up, as a teenager or like a young woman, when people are doing something where I feel why she, she doing this to me I be fair, I don't criticize anyone I feel like I treat everyone the same way I like to be treated, and then you start to think about too much what other people think and later on I learn a lot of things have nothing to do with you. You know a lot of things. When someone else, like, judge you unfair, then this is not your problem, this is the problem of this person. But this I learned very late. I think it becomes when I start to work on my mindset, when I start to love myself, not only attract love from outside.

Speaker 2:

Many, many years I was thinking okay, but I think you learn this as a child when you are good to other people, automatically you think the love is coming back. And this is also when you grow up, you think the love is coming back. You know, and this is also when you grow up. You think always like okay, I'll be happy to everyone, I please everyone. And then you feel like, but this person on the other side treats you so bad. And then you start to think why Do you think too much? And many times this other person don't know it. How you can know it? Do you know what I mean?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, what was your mother and father like growing up?

Speaker 2:

My mother and my father was Germans, typical Germans. My father was alcoholic. Yeah, he, I think he had so many problems. You know, when I see the world today that people get healed, this is so beautiful, but in this time there was no YouTube, there was no possibility for healing, and I think my father had a lot of problems from his childhood, but he never speak about he drink alcohol. And for my mother this was very hard. I saw her always struggling. I saw her always like that she have less money and she have to ask for every. In this time we had a day mark and she have to ask for every day mark. She was really struggling and as a child, I feel always I had to be quiet. My mother was always telling me oh, your father is coming home now. You have to be quiet, go in your room. And I always was thinking oh, my God, you know, you was always in this, in this shock mod, shock modus. You know he's coming now and maybe he's grieving and this was.

Speaker 1:

I remember this was, yeah, this was most of my childhood do you think that impacted your ability to express yourself or to no, I think more the positive thing I was becoming more.

Speaker 2:

When I look back and I saw my mother struggling and how hard was her life, also with my father, I was thinking for myself I will never be in this situation. You know, I will be independent, I will make my own money. I will never be in the situation of my life like, like my mother, it hurts me so much. Yes, you know the interesting thing is, or what is beautiful for my mother, when my father died, she was, um, she get also sick after and everyone was saying, oh my God, she had a problem with her heart and everyone was thinking, okay, now it's over. But then she come back and then she fall in love again and I think this was the biggest love of her life, yes, and then she live five years longer with her new love and then she, yeah, then she died, yes, yeah, and I was so happy for my mother that she have the last years of her life. You know that she really found the love of her life, but it's this wasn't easy with my father.

Speaker 1:

How has alcohol impacted your current lifestyle, now with your previous past, with your father?

Speaker 2:

No, no. But you know what is interesting you make the same mistakes, you know, when you see, of course, as a child there was a father, he was very like, dominant. And then you grow up you think, okay, I need a dominant husband or I need a dominant boyfriend, I don't know why. But then you make the same mistake and then you start you think, oh my God, you feel like, oh, I'm in the same situation now. He tried to put me down. You know, I think, oh my God, you feel like, oh, I'm in the same situation now. He tried to put me down.

Speaker 2:

You know, I was in a toxic relationship and it was horrible. And then I remember, oh my God, now I'd be in the same situation, like my mother. And then I think, oh my God, I have to change something. But you know, I think this is normal. You know, as a child you see so many things and then you start the same mistakes. But then you have to overcome this and this is not so easy.

Speaker 2:

You have to realize, come on, did I want this relationship or did I like to be free? And I think this is your intuition. Your intuition tells you he is not the right man. He treats you bad. You know what I mean. He don't treat you well and I learn from these mistakes. When I look back today, I think, oh my God, how I can stay so long in these relationships. But it's a process, you know, you learn and I think the whole life is a learning, and today, what I can say. Of course, I'd be also thankful for this experience in my life, or for these relationships. When I look back, I think, oh, I grow. I grow in these relationships, I grow when I fall down. You know, this is the life is a learning. You don't come to life to have always a paradise. This is boring. You know what I mean. You need to fall down. You need to have your experience, also the bad experience in your life.

Speaker 1:

When you're talking about bad experiences, what has been the most monumental time in your life that has changed your outlook?

Speaker 2:

today, now, there was, uh, two times. Um, I really really struggle. I remember it was 2007. Um, I was single mother in this time. You know two childs, two and twelve years old, two boys and and I remember I had two toxic relationships and always I come out from the relationship without fighting for money. I never fight for money, you know. I know sometimes it's easy when you fight and you have money on the side. As a mother, I never fight. I go out from the relationships without money. The only thing, what I want in my life was peace. I fight for my peace, but not for the money.

Speaker 2:

And then I come in this situation. I was a single mother. I was a dancer at this time, choreograph and then the finance crisis comes over. It was really, really crazy. I lose all my dancing jobs, I don't know how I can feed my child and I don't have anyone to ask for money and at the end, I had 30,000 debts.

Speaker 2:

And then you have to ask yourself every time when you go out or when you like to buy something. Then you have to ask yourself every time when you go out or when you like to buy something and think, oh my God, I don't can buy this, I don't can afford this for my kids. This was really hard for me, but I always, when I come in this crisis, I look for solutions. I think I get this. Wow, I get this energy, you know, to don't give up. You know, of course you are in this.

Speaker 2:

Some people there are tell themselves I'm a victim. Now, oh my god, the world is so bad to me. But then I get always in when I, when I be in this crisis, this energy, the more energy that I don't know where the energy is coming of course, from the universe, but I get more energy. And it comes this moment in my life where I was saying, oh my God, I have to do something else, I have to do something. I don't can sit down and crying and feel, oh my God, I'm a victim, I have to do something. And then I was at home in my little apartment Saturday night. What single mothers are doing when the kids are sleeping at home? And I was, yeah. And then a movie comes up and this movie changed my life and I saw which movie was it?

Speaker 2:

It was Demi Moore's Swifties. I saw Demi Moore with brown long hairs, with a glitter bikini, moving on the pole, on a pole, and I was thinking, oh my God, this looks so grateful, I feel like, and also so much power. And I was thinking I'm a dancer, maybe I can learn. It calls pole dance. At this time today we called pole fitness to get more the fitness aspect out of this. But it is something. Oh my god, this looks so, so feminine and I'm a dancer. Maybe I can learn it by myself and bring it to Switzerland to give women more the feminine back. You know that they also feel more confident in their body.

Speaker 2:

And when the movie was over, I was saying I have to learn this. But the problem at this time it wasn't possible in Switzerland or it wasn't possible in Europe. It was very new in the US. It means like I had to fly to the US to learn it, to learn pole dance, but I had 30,000 debts and I was saying, oh my God, this is what I'm doing, it's not possible. And then I was searching for investors. I was saying, oh my God, this is what I'm doing, it's not possible. And then I was searching for investors. I was saying, oh my God, this is such a beautiful sport. Maybe I found investors who believe in this idea. And I remember the first investor I met. He was telling me Daniela, swiss women will never, ever dance on a pole. And then he goes to what I can say. He goes to this, how it's called, like flip chart.

Speaker 1:

Oh yeah.

Speaker 2:

And he was writing zero and said writing zero and say this you will get or you will make money out of pole dance in switzerland zero. And also, my friends don't believe in my idea. They was telling me, daniela, do it. But we don't believe in it. And something in my mind was telling me this is the right sport for Switzerland. You have to take this risk. There was a voice in my mind who tells me you have to take this risk.

Speaker 2:

And the interesting thing, I get an offer at this time from a fitness studio and they offer me they're looking for someone who organized the whole fitness studio, you know. And I get this option on the table and I was thinking I had to fly to the US. I need to learn this, I have to try it. And the only way, what I can do is to take a credit. And this was also hard as a single mother. You don't get a credit from a bank. And then I was searching a newspaper and everything. Ok, you get a credit and there was a bank in Switzerland bank. Now you get a credit in 24 hours and I was calling them and after 24 hours, the repayment of of that.

Speaker 1:

I can imagine it was probably high. Yes, and then.

Speaker 2:

I get 7,500 Swiss francs and I buy my ticket. I fly to Miami. I had a budget per day for eight dollars for food. It means like the only thing what I can buy. Or at this time I go to Burger King and I buy a Whopper menu. This was my budget per day. The other money goes for the expensive classes and also for the. At this time I live with a friend. You know I don't have a lot of costings with a hotel.

Speaker 2:

I fly to Miami and then the studio was outside as a studio. What I found online was outside from Miami and I don't think about you know, I take a cab. I was really scary to go with a train or something. You never know when you come to a place you don't know. And then the taxi drive me to the studio and I was in front and he said here we are. And I look outside and say where is your studio? And there was an old building and there was like rusty chair steps up in the first floor, a black door, and my feeling was like, oh my God, this is the wrong place. But I stand out from the taxi, I go to the studio, I open the door and I was like, oh my God, what is this? I expect a beautiful studio, you know a beautiful dance studio, but this was a studio like, with wardrobe curtains, black floor, it smells like horrible.

Speaker 2:

And then I come, I walk in in the studio and there was some women that looks like table dancers, you know, like more striptease things. And in the first second I was like, oh my God, I have such a bad feeling. But then I think I drive all the way long from Switzerland to Miami to learn pole dance. And then the teachers was was walking in front of me with this high heels and telling me, put them on, and I was really like shocked. But then I was doing what she tells me. I put the heels on and then, oh my god, the experience was horrible. My whole body was full of bruises. I it was so hurting. Why? The problem is there was no concept in this time. I jump on the pole. You know, when nobody shows you exactly how you have to swing around the pole, you jump on the pole. And then I was like, oh my god, I can't, my body is hurting. And then that was telling me, okay, you have to, uh, put medicaments in, you know, to that you don't feel so much the bruises. And then, after three days, I run out from the studio and I was crying. I think I don't can do it anymore, I give up. I give up, I can't was so. It was so hard.

Speaker 2:

I was at the age of 40 at this time, you know, and all the women in the studio there was around 20, 25, you know, and this was really, really and really I was crying. I was saying, oh my god, it's not possible, but really I was crying. I was saying, oh my God, it's not possible. But also I was crying that I leave my kids in Switzerland, that I fly to the US. And then all the people who were speaking negative in the beginning comes in my mind and I was saying, maybe they are true, maybe they're right, maybe it's not possible for me to learn it, it's not possible to make any income in Switzerland. I was really like, maybe they're right and what changed it was so interesting.

Speaker 2:

And then a voice in my head comes and say, oh my God, daniela, are you sure? Are you really like to give up now? And then the movie Swifties comes back. How I feel. When I saw a first time Demi Moore on the pole, I was saying, oh my God, I was so motivated and I was feeling, okay, you can give up now, you can fly back and then you work in a fitness studio 9 to 5. Is this what you want? Or go into the pain or into the fear. And I stand up, take my iPhone from the bag and I say, okay, I need another solution. I go on my phone and I Google other pole teachers. You know it was not easy to find pole teacher. And then one woman comes on my phone blonde hair, with training top, with sport shoes, no, high heels, really sporty look. But she was living in Las Vegas. And it means like I had to fly to Las Vegas to try her studio and my money is gone. I don't have more money.

Speaker 2:

And a friend of mine, she was visiting me in Miami and she was telling me Daniela, you don't can give up now, you have to. You know, I know you. You are a power woman, you know. They saw me all my life dancing, follow my dreams, you know. And she said you can give up. I give you the money, what you need, that you can fly to Las Vegas to try the studio out. And then I booked my flight to Las Vegas. I visit this woman. Her name was Fania. And then I booked my flight to Las Vegas. I visit this woman. Her name was Fania. She opened a studio and I was like, oh my God, it looks much better, much better than in Miami. The studio was a little bit more light in and everything. And then she teach me the first moves, but very slow. She have. She had really a concept how she can teach me, how I can. It caused like pole tricks, the different figures, how I can move on a pole. It was not perfect, but it was better. I feel like, oh, my energy is coming back. I feel like, okay, now I understand the sport better. And then I come back to Switzerland. In the flight I start to write concept on the table and when I was landing in Switzerland, in Zurich, I connect with a metal company.

Speaker 2:

While I need poles, there was also not poles available at this time. It means like I had to create my own pole that I can give lessons. You know what I mean and that's why I was calling the metal company. We drive, I drive there. And then I was testing the, the bodice, as it means like you need to have a bodice in the middle, you need to have the pole. But I didn't know how heavy needs to be the bodice, I didn't know the size of the pole. I was telling, okay, please try 4.5 centimeter, please try five centimeter, that I, that I feel the grip. And then we had the first four poles that I can start with my workshop. And this was so interesting. I promote the first workshop and the workshop was sold out in two days.

Speaker 2:

The women was waiting, they was really waiting for this sport and at this time I rent a studio, like for one hour. You know, this was a normal fitness studio. I rent the studios. I had the four poles and then the room was full with 20 women and the women were so fascinated, you know, and I saw the eyes and I think, oh my God, they fall in love with the sport. And I was thinking for myself, oh my God, now 20 women have to share four poles. This is not possible. I need my own studio with enough poles that every woman have her own pole. And this was so interesting. And then I think, oh my God, I need to open my own studio.

Speaker 2:

But I had still 30,000 apps, I had still 7,500 credit. But you know what? The energy or the believing in the sport was so big. I was so, so big, believing that every woman need to first of all to try it and they will fall in love with the sport. This was so in my mind.

Speaker 2:

But I never think about money. I never think about to become an entrepreneur, never, ever. I go with my passion and when I opened the first studio in Zurich, I never think about and this helps me for my future I never think about how I pay the rent at the end of the month. When you start to think too much how I pay this, how I pay that then you stop. I don't think about it, I do it.

Speaker 2:

It means like I signed a contract. I signed a contract it was like this time around $3,500 per month and I met two guys and they helped me with the interior, with the lamps, with the floors, with the music. They were believing in me and they helped me in what they can. And then we opened the studio and the women are coming from everywhere. They drive like two hours to learn pole fitness. We call it pole fitness and also they come from outside, from Switzerland. They came from Germany to learn pole fitness in our studio and after six months I paid off my credit, I paid off the debts and I opened studio number second.

Speaker 2:

Wow in another city and what motivates me or why I go forward to open every six months a studio, I had in my mind I want that women in every city have the possibility to learn pole fitness, to feel more confident. This was my biggest motivation. When students or when women get in contact with me and tell me Daniela, please open a studio in my city, I was so motivated, this motivates me. I was so motivated yes, yes, let's do it. And when I saw a location from outside, who looks beautiful, the first in my mind comes I need to open a pole studio there.

Speaker 1:

And after 10 years, I opened already 15 studios wow, what was your relationship like with your kids during this time, because obviously you must have been so busy.

Speaker 2:

Yes, of course yeah.

Speaker 2:

It means, like you know, I think, when you had to do it, it means like there was no money. I had to fight for my job. I had to fight for my life. I had to fight. That money comes in.

Speaker 2:

Of course you feel like sometimes guilty, I think, every mother inside, very inside of her heart when she's on work and her kid is at home with a babysitter. But you know, you had to see also the situation. You know what I mean. I don't had any chance to stay home. I try, but there was no possibility for me. You know I for me, I need to to make money. But the good thing is I make money with my passion. I don't make money that I have to do a job for someone else who I don't feel passionate about it, and I think at the end, of course it wasn't.

Speaker 2:

No, I don't want to say it wasn't easy. I think kids learn a lot why for me it was always like when I come home, this is the situation. Like a work mom, you like to make everyone happy. You know what I mean. I think there are also moments or situation of moms they stay all, all the time at home with the kids and feel also depressed and can't give the love. But for me it was like okay, I be out, I work, I do what I love, I come back, I give all my love to my kids.

Speaker 1:

How important do you think it is for children to see parents work hard?

Speaker 2:

I don't know how important. Yes, I think it's a good question how important it is. No, it wasn't. Not the hard work, it was more like I do what I love. I think my kids saw her mother that she was doing, that she was excited what she's doing. I never feel a moment in my life that my kids I have to think about. I never was really depressed. When I was struggling, I tried to look for solutions. I was not at home depressed. And I think when I remember one day I saw my mother struggling and crying and I remember this was a moment where she didn't find a babysitting place at this time for me and she had to work and she had to find a place where I can stay. And I never forget this. I never and this remembers me when I speak about it now with you I never forget this moment when I saw my mother cry and when I look back my child's, never saw me cry.

Speaker 2:

Wow no.

Speaker 1:

Do you think it's a positive thing though for kids, maybe, maybe, um this can be also I don't know.

Speaker 2:

There are two sides. One, one of my child are more sensitive. The other child are more like me. You know, like me in the childhood, when people are treating me not correct or unfair, you put everything in you. You get more strong and I think I come in this, or I was in this time very strong. I was when, I be true, I had a lot of this man or male energy in me, not the feminine, you know, there was this point when I opened the studios in Switzerland. I feel like, okay, I feel like for myself alone and I get stronger and stronger to open it. And later on I asked myself why I don't get the support from outside, you know. Then I feel like, ok, I understand why I was so in this energy that no one asked me Daniela, did you need my help?

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

You know what I mean think this is uh often a problem when you come in this business women, entrepreneurship and you think, okay, no one supports me, I do it by myself. And this is what I felt in switzerland, while I don't get the support, when I built up my studios, there was no one. There was no one here. There was no one I can ask. I was around employers. You know what I mean, and it was really a situation for me. It was really hard and also I felt that people are also judging, you are jealousing, when you build something up and then you come in this mode something up and then you come in this modus and maybe at this time no, I don't show my kids emotions at this time why I learn to put the emotions down, so don't show it.

Speaker 1:

there was no place do you think it's difficult for children then to communicate with their parents if they feel like their parents can't express emotion?

Speaker 2:

Maybe sometimes, yeah, maybe sometimes yeah. But I think what is important is that you take time for your child, but I think also, of course, when you don't show emotions, that the kids also learn a part of this, I think. But this is, I think, life.

Speaker 1:

Do you think, if you were to go back now as Daniela today, would you do anything different?

Speaker 2:

Yes, what would that be? Don't I never, ever will waste my time to think what other people think about me, never, ever who impacted you the most, that worried you the most.

Speaker 2:

No, it's not worried me. It was like what I shared before. It was like I'm a positive person and you know, like a sample, when someone comes in my studio, you know for the first time, and always I do a step in front. I go to this person hello, how are you? I'm so happy that you'll be here.

Speaker 2:

And sometimes this was also sometimes too much energy. You know what I mean, but it's me. It's me, and I think I had a lot of situations in my life where I think for myself I treat everyone fair. You know everyone is a human. You know everyone deserves that you be fair, or that you treat this person fair, fair. And when people react to you um, or what I can say, treat you bad, then you start to think about, you know, and that's why I think a lot, of, a lot of times, why she, or in the, in the, you know in the past, or when I have employers or ladies who are working for my company and they do things where I think why is she doing this? Why is she doing this? I want to make everyone happy, but I think a lot of people don't speak about, they don't communicate when they have a problem, and I think this impacts me a lot of time, that I lose time to think about why this person react like this why do you always want to make people happy?

Speaker 2:

um, why it's a good question. I want, I like to see them happy. I like to see them happy. I like to see them happy. You know, this was also a point when I look back. I had some friends and I visit them and there was always like, oh, this is not good, complaining and this feels not good for me. You know, later I learned I don't want to be around people who are always complaining. You know, I think it comes to this point I was in the age of 30 that I put all these people away who are complaining all the day. I want to see people smiling, positive, maybe why I feel like this is good for me too. When I have people around me, they are positive.

Speaker 1:

Since you came to Dubai, do you feel like it's a lot easier for you to design your friendship, a lot easier?

Speaker 2:

A lot easier. Oh my God, I have a beautiful community and I open also the Women Leaders Club and when we meet each other, it's so positive. I love this. Of course, you know there comes a situation Of course everyone has this moment who are struggling, and then you are around women who supports you you know what I mean. I think this is so important or you who help you to overcome these obstacles. It's much easier when you have a problem and you have people around you who are always complaining and saying, yes, this is so bad, yes, you are so right. You know you like to have people around you who say you know what? Look this with a different eyes or go these steps, this will help you. You like people around you who supports you and I feel like that women here support each other. I feel like when you come to a networking event I see it all the time in our events the women come together, they are so excited and after weeks they send me messages. Oh my God, daniela, I met a woman and I collaborate with her and now we become so successful and I think, oh my God, this is so beautiful.

Speaker 2:

And in the past I remember when I need contact for someone, people. What my experience was? They don't like to give you a contact to someone else. They're saying that you can make a business out of this, and here it feels different for me. You know, I maybe there are also some situation that people may be jealous or well, you are more successful than them. But the most women support each other, or I attract only these women who support each other. I feel like in our community women really support each other. They are here when you have a problem. You know, I had situations in my life. When I look back, I was in my bed. I was crying 12 o'clock, midnight, one o'clock, two o'clock and I was singing for myself. Who is here now when I pick up the phone? Who is here? Who I can call now in this moment?

Speaker 1:

there was no one no one.

Speaker 2:

no, and that's why it's so important and I think this was my motivation to come to Dubai to bring women together, to give them a place where they feel home. Nobody, you know, all people here are experts. You know what I mean. There is no home base. The home base for the most is outside of the country, and this was my inspiration to give women a place that they feel home. But I never had this.

Speaker 2:

When I built up my business as an entrepreneur, there was no one where I could call when I had questions. You know I make so many mistakes in the beginning about interior of the studios. I pay so much for the mirrors, for the floors. There was no one who I can ask, you know. Later on, you know, after I opened so many studios, I learned, okay, I can, what I can say, negotiate the price. But in the beginning I didn't know. I was a dancer, I was a choreographer. I don't have any idea about a business plan. I don't have any idea how I write an invoice when I open the first studio.

Speaker 2:

And this is so much more helpful when you can ask other women. This is so beautiful when you ask. You know I have this situation and I tell always to my members when you have questions, write it in a WhatsApp group. We have a private group, write it in. You know we are here to support each other and I think this is so important. You know well a lot of women, when they start their business, they give up while they feel they don't have support. There is no one who supports them do you find?

Speaker 1:

when you were going through a bit of a financial crisis, though, was it difficult for you to be a good person, as a friend to anyone when you're in that situation?

Speaker 2:

yes, but I feel shame to ask someone for money. I never ask someone, you know um I I feel like a little bit, maybe a little bit shame to ask for money.

Speaker 1:

Where does the shame come from around money?

Speaker 2:

I don't know. I think maybe from the childhood you know that I think, oh my God, I don't can ask anyone else. Or I feel like, oh my God, they look me with different eyes after you know, it's like of course you have situations in your life where you have a mask on. You know, and I think this mask felt, felt with the age, felt with the place you live, you become. I think the older you get, you become more authentic. You know you don't have to show up, you don't have to show other people how successful you become, it doesn't care.

Speaker 1:

So, when you mentioned intuition earlier, what are things that help you listen to your intuition?

Speaker 2:

Passion, passion that help you listen to your intuition, passion. I think I grow with passion when I start in the young age to follow my dream. My vision was always to become a dancer, but at this time it was like it was 60 85, where I was a teenager and I think, oh my god, I like to become a dancer. I was so inspired by Michael Jackson when I saw him the first time and I was learning all his moves from the video. You know what I mean. I record front and back and learn all these moves and I was so inspired. And when my mother asked me at the age of 16, daniela, what is your dream in life? I was telling her I love to become a dancer. And my mother was telling me yeah, but this is not a job. You don't get make money. You have to do a regular job. And then I become a hairdresser. But I broke up after three years as I finished, and then I broke up with this job and then I was working in a travel agency to travel around the world, always looking for my passion. I was always saying, oh my god, there is something, there was something who makes me happy. I never, I never think about money. I never. I'm so thankful for this today. I never think about how I make money. I think about how I found my passion and I think this is a big mistake. Today, people like to make money. You know what I mean. It's all about money. For me, it was all about passion. When I opened the first studio, it was about passion. I never think about to become a successful entrepreneur. I don't have any idea about entrepreneurship. I become an entrepreneur, of course. After 15 studios. I know exactly how it works. I don't have the education I broke up the school. I don't. I wasn't good at school at this time. I was only looking for the boys. You know, I remember in the young age I was looking for the love of my life. I was searching for my passion. I never think about money, but I don't have any problem with money. No money comes and I was so thankful and I was very thankful to become successful with my studios and the good thing. At this time, it's not like when I get the money that I put it out. I put it on the side and I don't have any idea about real estate or something, but my passion and my intuition was telling me Daniela, my dream is to have an apartment in Miami, south Beach. And this dream comes up in a very young, not young age, but when I was struggling in my life, when I was a mother with two childs, I was thinking, oh my God, I love to have an apartment in Miami. But normally you think, oh my God, I'm so struggling. You know how I can think about an apartment in Miami, but normally you think, oh my God, I'm so struggling. You know how I can think about an apartment in Miami. And every day when I go to sleep in the evening, I was visualization the apartment. I was visualization myself how I walk in this apartment and I saw in front, on the balcony, saw only ocean. I love to have few. Until today, few is so important.

Speaker 2:

And after five years I opened the door of my first studio. I was not first studio, first apartment. This is where I put my money in and this was nobody learn, nobody showed me about education, nobody showed me how you buy an apartment or invest. My intuition was telling me it's time to invest the money, what you get in, and this I invest in the first apartment in Miami. This was very interesting. Today you get so many informations from everywhere. I think the problem is there is too much information that you don't know. Okay, where can I see real estate in bitcoin or what you know people?

Speaker 1:

they are overwhelmed with everything do you think it's social media or is it a situation where maybe it's location like dubai, um can encourage people to chase money rather than passion? Yes yeah, yeah. Do you think it's a dubai thing, or do you think it's a social media thing, or what do you think?

Speaker 2:

no, I think the people dream to live in dubai and they know they need money and I what I can. It's also not easy to build up something here. You have to be really strong. You know, I see also women that are coming here. They're struggling and then they try to get money somewhere else or try to get Sugar Daddy or something like this, and this is the wrong way. I think it's not from outside everything looks like bling bling, but from inside you have to. I feel like you have to work hard here. There is nothing who comes automatically.

Speaker 2:

Do you think that's anywhere in life, though you need to work hard, yeah, I think, also in my situation, to bring pole fitness to Switzerland was also very hard, why the country is more conservative, you know, and that's why the people at the beginning say this is not possible, not in Switzerland, in every other country. And I think, yeah, of course it's hard, but I think that people think maybe it's easier in Dubai while they see so much money and there comes people out who are saying, oh, I come to Dubai with hundred dollars and now they live on the palm, and you see a lot of these stories and people think, okay, I go to Dubai, I want to become rich. You know they don't think about oh, I follow my passion. They Dubai, I want to become rich. You know they don't think about oh, I follow my passion. They're saying I want to become rich and saying I think this is uh, yeah, this is a problem. Yeah, maybe they become rich.

Speaker 1:

You never know, but it's not so easy what kind of advice would you give an entrepreneur who's chased money but they haven't succeeded with that? What kind of advice would you give them?

Speaker 2:

As an advice. What I can give is stay focused. What helps me? First of all, you need an idea. You have to think about what makes me happy in life. It can be sport, it can be dancing, it can be I don't know. There is a lot of things. You can fly around the world, but first of all, find your passion. Step second, and this is the good thing today you can search for your passion everywhere. You can go on youtube. You can find everything out about your passion. You know, when you like to be a dancer in a different, maybe a hip-hop dancer, you can search on YouTube okay, hip-hop dancing and you can learn everything. When I remember my time, when I opened the first studio, I had so many questions but there was not a lot of information. Today, you get every information out of this.

Speaker 2:

And what I think what is most important stay focused. Stay focused. Don't give up. You have to. You need to have your dream every day in front of your eyes and, of course, when you fall down, see this as a lesson. Be thankful and say thank you that you show me that I can make it better. Be around like-minded women or like-minded men. This is most important. You always will have people around you who tells you this is not possible, or family members who will tell you no, there are so many in front before you, it doesn't work. Be around people who believe in you, and I think this is most important. Find an idea. Search everything what you find out about this idea. Be around people and never give up.

Speaker 1:

I love that advice. So, because this is called the Detach podcast all about detaching yourself away from your limitations, what would you detach yourself away from that's limiting you today?

Speaker 2:

I never think too much what other people say. Don't limit yourself. Don't limit yourself in life about other people.

Speaker 1:

Follow your dream is that still a challenge for you?

Speaker 2:

no, I follow my dream. It's's not today. No, it was in the past. No, no today. Um, what is a challenge for me? Um, I get a lot of opportunities and I had to say a lot of times no, I can't do it. And of course, I remember in the past you like to make everyone happy and then you don't say no. But today I can say no, it's not possible, I don't can make it, I don't have time so you detach yourself away from being a yes woman too much yes, yes, yeah, to be a yes woman, to say also no.

Speaker 2:

Or you know what I'm? Also, I answer when I get messages. I answer so quick. You know all the messages. But today I say, okay, I don't have time. You know you really choose time. Time is flying. You know you really have to. Um, I choose really what I spend, or in what I spend my time. I think it's also with the age, when you become older, you don't want to waste your time yeah, so, with 2025 now here, what's the big goals for this year?

Speaker 2:

wow, you know, this year I was thinking for myself. I go a little bit with the flow. I remember last year at this time I organized three women leaders events in three different country in one month. I start the year like this, you know, like full motivation, full energy, but there was no space for something else. And today I feel like I come now end of January, I feel like, okay, my year have to look this, and then I attract the opportunities. The problem is, when you plan too much in the future, there is no space for new opportunities, and that's why sometimes it's good to stay relaxed, to go a little bit back and say, okay and look what is good for you. Of course, what for? I think, for myself. Okay, what I can do for the world. You know what I mean what I can do for others.

Speaker 1:

Is that your purpose in life?

Speaker 2:

Yes, my purpose in life. I reach my goals. Of course, I have still goals, but I want to see other people grow. I want to show them. Is it possible? Is it possible? You are your own creator. You have it in your own hand. Thank, you so much. When I can do it in my situation, I think everyone else can do it.

Speaker 1:

That's amazing. I want to say thank you so much for being on the Detached podcast.

Speaker 2:

Thank you. Thank you so much for the invitation. It's a real pleasure.

Speaker 1:

I need to read your book as well. I haven't had a chance to read your book.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, thank you so much.