About me
we all have a story...
... I was already convinced of that as a young woman and that's why I became a journalist. I wanted to seek out and tell these stories, promoting tolerance, humanity and helpfulness and giving a voice to those who desperately needed it.
During my ten years as a reporter as a news and politics editor for well-known major German media, I encountered pretty much every story that life can produce. The most beautiful as well as the most terrible. I was right in the middle of everyday events instead of just there and looked behind the scenes. People of all stripes have entrusted me with their personal stories. Well-known personalities, such as the Dalai Lama or Roman Polanski, spoke to me outside of their biographies.
By the time I was in my early 30s, I had titles, a good salary, and a more than presentable resume. Nice to have. Extremely thankful for everything. … But with each career step, I became more of an administrator than a creator. In the end, I became more and more distant from myself and my basic intention of having made a lasting contribution to more understanding, courage, humanity and positive change. And I gradually burned myself out. So out of the corporate mill. Quit without a net and a double bottom. Into owner-managed companies. Among other things, as a manager and head of copywriting at a nationally successful PR agency.
In 2010 I finally founded my own agency and developed tailor-made communication concepts for companies of all sizes and industries. I told their stories, made brands visible and tangible and thus made a significant contribution to their success. I was able to accompany a wide variety of entrepreneurial characters and their employees, experience their stories and coach and strengthen them for new fields of activity or in the personal development process, and I learned a lot myself in the process. In addition, I never stopped developing and educating myself to finally go "all in" with coaching and awareness work and founding a new company.
Well, and then came the corona pandemic. Like so many other people and companies, it put me in a tight grip. Professionally and personally. In the end, my crisis strategy was that I gave up my apartment in the middle of the lockdown, sold a large part of my belongings and set out as a digital nomad in order to be able to deal with the pandemic more freely, more flexibly and at lower costs. What started as an experiment without a master plan has meanwhile become a kind of emigrant adventure in Dalmatia, my heart home (no, I'm not Croatian) - and the fulfillment of my dream of life by the sea. Life happens while you're making plans...
These are a few excerpts from my personal history. And the journey is (hopefully) far from over. But my basic intention is still the same: I want to inspire people to more understanding, courage to change, personal growth and humanity. I would like to motivate them to discover their own story, to live it authentically and powerfully and to shape it in a self-determined, joyful and meaningful way. Over the years, I have experienced the oomph that a clear vision and changes bring with them in all facets and areas of life. And what incredible game changers meditation & mindfulness are. This life experience, paired with broad professional competence, a lot of passion, the necessary portion of humor, deep empathy, pronounced knowledge of human nature and great clarity characterize my work. I look forward to you and your story.
Short vita of Vanessa Ast
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Vanessa Ast has more than 25 years of experience working for and with people.
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She is a communication professional, mindfulness and wellbeing expert, mentor and podcaster.
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She has built up her expertise over the years through her diverse fields of activity and responsible positions as a journalist for well-known press houses, a manager in the PR industry, an entrepreneur as well as through her well-founded training and intensive coaching work in the field of mindfulness-based personality development.
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With her inspiring, profound and at the same time humorous and wonderfully down-to-earth contributions and "Holistic Health & Happiness" programs, she touches and accompanies people in all walks of life throughout Europe.
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Vanessa Ast works online as well as in person and teaches in German and English.