Hi, I'm Hedi,

Work-Life Innovation Expert since 2010,

Coach, Speaker, Author, Healer,

Visionary, Mom and Lover of Life!

My Mission

I’m here to help you unlock your full potential and create a life and business that truly fulfills you. This is change_licious creating: bold, intentional, and exciting. Together, we’ll unleash what's really inside of you and turn this into a thriving new reality.

Clarity: Define your purpose, values, and visions.

Cleansing: Release fears, limiting beliefs, and patterns holding you back.

Creation: Build boldly and limitlessly in our ever-changing world.

Let’s make your transformation unstoppable!

My Approach: Expertise + Life Experience

I’ve earned degrees and certifications from over 15 institutions worldwide—from resilience training to hypnocoaching, from being Germany’s first generation of design thinkers to specializing in female leadership.

But my greatest teacher has been life itself.

Through navigating challenges, overcoming personal struggles, and reimagining my work-life balance, I’ve created a version of myself, my life, and my soul-aligned business that once felt impossible.

Today, I bring this unique blend of formal expertise and real-world experience to help others unlock their full potential.

I’ve distilled the most powerful success factors into a holistic approach that supports transformation on every level:

Strategic and Psychological: Gain clarity and direction for your goals.
Mental and Spiritual: Break through inner blocks and reconnect with your purpose.

Together, we’ll work from the inside out, tapping into your full potential and mastering self-leadership for a life and business that align with your true self.

Ready to level up? Let's get to work.

Free 1:1 Strategy Call

Violet and Peach Brushstroke Artists Inf

My Journey of Innovation and Transformation

When I look back at my life, it feels like I’ve lived four distinct chapters, each one essential in shaping who I am today and the expertise I now bring to others. Here’s how it unfolded:

Anker 1

1983–2002: The Curious Explorer

Born and raised in Berlin, I was a curious and adventurous soul, always drawn to the unknown. Music was my first love, followed by food and daily creative experiments. My curiosity for shifting perspectives began during my high school year abroad in South Africa, which opened my eyes to new ways of thinking and living.

"Life is a journey, and if you fall in love with the journey, you will be in love forever."

- Peter Hagerty

2002–2009: The Artist and Achiever

I "threw" myself into every art form imaginable:

Assisting visionary artists like Christoph Schlingensief on productions like "Kunst und Gemüse"
Contributing to large-scale productions like The Mozart Trilogy at the Salzburg Festival and Fidelio on Robben Island by the Cape Town Opera House in South Africa.
Collaborating on campaigns like Live 8 with Germany’s pop icon, Herbert Grönemeyer.

While pursuing musicology and media studies in Berlin and Seoul, I launched my first company, RITA (Resonance in the Arts)—and failed. I also unsuccessfully pushed for a Ph.D. based on creative, not quantitative, research methods.

This chapter was exciting, but I was living in constant fight-or-flight mode: high energy, high stress, and little sleep. While my career and projects appeared flawless from the outside, my health was crumbling, and I was running away from myself.

Eventually, I reached a breaking point and realized that something had to change.

AND: These experiences weren’t just chapters. They were stepping stones toward transformation, shaping the foundation for my innovative, holistic approach today.

© Kay Herschelmann

2009–2018: The High-Performer’s Decade

This was the chapter where I became part of the first Design Thinking generation in Germany and helped pave the way for innovation in ways I never imagined.

Making the Impossible, Possible

I spent this decade working with hundreds of brilliant minds to turn innovation projects—from the wildly ambitious to the seemingly impossible—into reality. Across industries as diverse as tech, finance, automotive, arts, and media, I collaborated with organizations like SAP, Deutsche Bank, Henkel, Danfoss, Volkswagen, the magazine DIE ZEIT, and even the Icelandic Opera House.

Educating the Innovators

As a lecturer at the HPI School of Design Thinking, I trained students and executives to strengthen their innovation skills. I also taught at leading institutions like the Zurich University of the Arts, the University of Anhalt Dessau, and the Shiftschool Nuremberg.

Together with some incredible collaborators, I co-created programs like the Professional Track at HPI and helped establish Schools of Design Thinking in Malaysia, China, and South Africa. And published the HAUFE Design Thinking Pocket Guide in 2017.

Keeping Music Alive

My passion for music never left me. I co-organized the award-winning Piano City Festival, a magical event featuring 100 intimate living room concerts in a single weekend.

The High-Performer Trap

From the outside, my life looked like a dream: a successful career, creative achievements, and even a happy marriage. But in reality, I was running faster than ever, thinking, "The more I do, the better and happier I’ll be."

The truth couldn’t have been further away.

Despite being married, I saw my husband only one day a week—usually spent doing laundry before rushing off to my next project. My life was a whirlwind of constant movement, far removed from true quality of life, connection, or ease.

I was escaping myself, believing that productivity equaled worth, unaware of how far I’d drifted from the balance and joy I desperately needed.

This chapter, though challenging, taught me one of my most important lessons: success means nothing without alignment and balance.

Companies who enjoyed my expertise.

2018–Present: The BIG Transformation – From High-Performer to High-Achiever in Flow and Ease

A New Beginning: Motherhood and Meaning

Becoming a mother in 2018 was the catalyst for my most profound transformation yet. It brought my fast-paced world to a halt and forced me to confront the big questions:

Who am I really?
What kind of life do I want to lead?
What do I want to leave behind for this world?

This was my moment to redesign—not just my life but my very identity. Using the most effective strategies in personal development, healing, and innovation, I began crafting a life far beyond what I’d ever imagined: a life of fulfillment, meaning, and ease.

Designing the Self: A Radical Realization

I realized something groundbreaking: We can design anything.
Not just products, services, or team cultures—as I had done for years in Design Thinking—but also ourselves, in a way that is truly sustainable.

For me, this meant:

Breaking free from the hamster wheel of endless productivity.
Letting go of external expectations.
Embracing a life that felt deeply fulfilling, purposeful, and aligned.

Bit by bit, the principles of true transformation and innovation became clear.

Sharing the Vision with the World

When I shared my journey and these principles with others, the response was overwhelming. It became clear that many high-performers were ready to embrace change but lacked the tools to make it happen.

So I decided to make it my mission to share everything I’d learned about identity work and future skills:

Writing books.
Hosting workshops and creating signature programs.
Launching a YouTube channel.
Offering VIP coaching and masterminds.

The result? A community of incredible people transforming their lives, discovering their light, and stepping into their power.

Living in Flow and Ease

By transforming my own blocks and unlocking fresh energy, I achieved a life I once thought impossible:

Working just 4 hours a day.
Spending quality time with my family and friends.
Traveling the world.
Truly living.

The journey from a high-performing, overworked existence to a high-achieving, joyful flow wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. Now, I teach others the shortcuts and the most effective methods to make this shift for themselves.

Why Now Is the Time

We are living in a time of massive transformation—a time to wake up to our true potential and step into the leaders we are meant to be.

Lasting, positive change starts with ourselves. When we transform from within, we create ripples that touch every part of our lives and the lives of those around us.