The Real Deal - Inside Entrepreneurship

A podcast and a platform for those of us in the middle of it, who build, decide, doubt, try again and keep going. Founders talk openly about how they start, how ideas become products or services, how they find people, structure work and deal with pressure when things do not go as planned. It is about everyday reality, about choices that hurt, small wins that keep a company alive and moments that change the direction of a business and those when  “polishing your crown” simply means managing to get out of bed.

The conversations give room for stories that normally stay offstage: long nights, strange turns, unexpected help, wrong turns that later turn out to be useful. In short: Inside entrepreneurship.
The Real Deal is a place to listen, to recognise parts of our own path in others, and to take ideas and courage back into our own work.

Episode 1 with Karin Lorez: Strength is built in the moments nobody applauds

I am beyond thrilled: Episode One of The Real Deal – Inside Entrepreneurship is live.

And I have the great pleasure of opening this podcast together with Karin Lorez – Senior Legal Advisor, CEO and Co-Founder of Scale Compliance, entrepreneur and builder of multiple ventures.

In this conversation, we explore a reality many founders experience but rarely articulate:

There is a difference between being on your own and being alone.

Building means taking responsibility when decisions are yours to make.
It means carrying a vision before it becomes visible to others.
It means accepting that not everyone will understand it, support it or follow it.

We speak about female entrepreneurship.
About the different vocabulary applied to women and men.
About the necessity of developing thick skin.
And about building, growing, following your dreams and believing in yourself anyway.

We also speak about protection: reputation, credibility and people.
About choosing long-term credibility over short-term revenue. That decision requires courage.
About showing up day after day, even when it looks uneventful from the outside.

Entrepreneurship tests who you are before it rewards what you build.

This episode is especially important to me.
The week I recorded it was personally challenging.
I now literally understand what the expression means: hitting rock bottom.
It reminded me that strength is built exactly in these situations, when you are on your own, making your own experiences, taking your own decisions and facing harsh realities by yourself.

You build strength in the moments nobody applauds.

My favourite part of the conversation was when I asked Karin:
What would you tell the founder you were at the beginning?

But what should I say? It is best to hear it for yourself.
Thank you for the amazing conversation, Karin. It is an honour to open this series with you.

Listen on Spotify
Watch on Youtube

Episode 2 with Fiorella Larissa Erni: Suit up - walk the talk - and just keep going.
Oder: Afach macha. Ötschis isch immer.
Talking with a professional negotiator.

For the second episode of my podcast, I had the honour of speaking with none other than Fiorella Larissa Erni, professional negotiator and founder of Cheetah Stories.

Well, I can say, I was a bit nervous.
A little like when you spot a cheetah in the wild, I guess.
Perhaps not quite that dramatic, but still.

For the second episode of my podcast, I had the honour of speaking with none other than Fiorella Larissa Erni, professional negotiator and founder of Cheetah Stories.

And you feel very quickly that she knows exactly what she is talking about.
Fiorella shared how important it is to find what gives you that bit of extra confidence when you walk into rooms where it really matters. Coming from a negotiator who has worked in high-pressure conflict settings such as South Sudan, the Congo and Palestine, that carries a different weight.

We spoke about standing tall.
About high heels as a power suit.
About how you stand differently, enter a room differently and carry a different confidence.
Physically, emotionally and psychologically.
And for founders, this matters - big time!

Because when you build, every detail matters. How you dress, how you speak to yourself. Suddenly, you realise that those sayings on refrigerator magnets actually do make a lot of sense.
It is decisive:
How you show up.
How you speak to yourself and to others.
How you keep showing up when everyone has an opinion.
And how you keep your eyes on your own goal.

We also spoke about what happens behind the scenes of building a fashion brand.
About patience.
About how it feels when things shift suddenly or do not work out as planned at all. Because: Ötschis isch immer.
About those times when you negotiate with yourself and decide to continue no matter what.
About moments when you find yourself starting again, and still moving forward.
And of course about how important it is for us to support each other and share such stories. As always, when I speak with Fiorella, I leave the conversation in full spirits.

But hear and see for yourself.
🎧 Listen on Spotify
📽️ Watch on YouTube

Stand tall.
Walk the talk.

Und: Afach macha. Ötschis isch immer.
Keep your crown on. Build anyway. 👑