Most people struggle with change because they believe the story they’re telling about themselves.
In coaching, I often hear sentences like “I can’t say no,” “I’m a perfectionist,” “I’m very emotional”, “I’m an introvert”, “I can’t deal with numbers”, or “I’m not creative.” Often, these statements come with a backstory – family, upbringing, history – and end with “I’ve always been like that.”
Can you see the pattern?
They all point to the same underlying belief: This is just how I am. As if personality were fixed – instead of something that can grow and evolve through learning, reflection, and practice. Carol Dweck’s work on mindset gave us language for this: fixed versus growth mindset.
That’s what my keynote for Schwarzkopf Professional Austria was about. It was a dedicated Business Club Event in Vienna with around 200 hairdressers – a powerful room full of curiosity and openness. I had an absolute blast, both behind the scenes and on stage, and the Q&A was 🔥
Here's a quick recap:
In coaching, we go deeper. We explore the stories you tell yourself and give you the space to rewrite them.
And we don’t stop there. You also build the mental-emotional, social, and neuro-physical skills that allow you to act differently in real situations: in leadership, teamwork, health, and everyday decision-making.
So, where do you tell yourself the story: “That’s just how I am”?
Back to the keynote in Vienna: Thank you, Matthias Gruber, for the invitation and for yet another energetic and smooth collaboration – “gerne wieder”, as we say! A special shout-out to Sonja Knautz, Bianka Kroupa, and Verena Hengge for your guidance and trust throughout the process. And a huge thank you to my dear friends and partners at &Qfive for continuously creating these opportunities.
This short interview was posted on Schwarzkopf Professional‘s socials, clips shot by the wonderful Renata Ipacs – I simply put them together 🍿
Christine Paulus
ENGLISH | DEUTSCH
