What would you do if money did not matter?

This morning I accidentally came across this brilliant video on Youtube. It asks the same question as I have asked myself, my friends and others the past year: What would you do if money did not matter ?

By asking yourself this question and not thinking about your own limitations or skills, you will be surprised over how much fun it is and how much energy it gives you to think in this limitless way. 

When I ask myself this question I know the answer: I want to live of writing music from the heart; working with great producers; performing my music so it touches an audience. I want to to travel the world and get renewed inspiration for my music. Alongside it all I want to write about my life in the hope that it inspires more people to dare to follow a passion - big or small. One day I would also like to meet Mr Right and have someone to share it all with.  

The best thing is that I have begun my adventure. I quit online marketing after 5 years in the bizz and devoted all my time to music. When I write music I dont think; " how can I make a hit so I get rich and famous". I go into a quiet mode and often a little melancholy too and then I write from my heart. If my music is authentic I believe it will touch the right people and then I may be able to live from it one day. If I turn my focus around and let it be on money then I will loose the magic. I would rather live a minimalistic / scarce lifestyle as long as I can do what I love and wake up every morning and look forward to a new day. 

I know this is more easy for me to do than for some of you, as I am alone and have no children, but getting to this point took a lot of sacrifices for me too. I don't regret any of them. They made me into who I am and would never go back to my former lifestyle now that I have tasted the nectar of this sweet new and passionate life I live. 

So, back to why I decided to write all this... I saw this video and I so want to share it with you as I am sure it will inspire you too. Watch it, remember it, share it, live it and enjoy it.

Love from Berlin

Nina

How's it been going since I released Better off Alone?

It has been 3 days since I released my single Better off Alone and my homemade musicvideo and what a ride it has been!

Charbase.dk the 09.04.13

As I wrote in my last blogpost I almost did not post my video and make my single release official, cause I was so afraid my video was not good enough. Boy am I happy I did not let this hold me back, cause the response and support I have received from people is overwhelming. 

So, apart from people sharing my video and liking it, I have received a fantastic review of my song on a Danish website called Chartbase. They said my song had the potential to get lots of airplay on radios and be a top10 hit. It all depends on me knowing the right people! So, there you have it. A good song is only 50% and the other 50% is knowing the right and influencial people. Let's hope I do that! Knowing this does not put me off, I see the PR side of it as a challenge I can overcome through skill, determination and dedication.

I guess most importantly the biggest success feeling I have right now is that I dared to do it; I quit my job, did a video and released my music alone. This is in itself a huge accomplishment for me and one I must never forget the value and symbolism of. 

If you want to see the Danish review then here is the link:
http://www.chartbase.dk/soegning.php?soeg=nina+hall&hitliste=1&artikler=1 


I'll keep ya posted as soon as something new happens!

Nina x

This is it ! - My first single and video are online!

“Cold feet” wont get me anywhere!

What a ride the last 24 hours have been. Since I finished editing my video yesterday I have not dared to share it. I posted on facebook that I was finished and would upload it within 24 hours. This is 30 hours ago and I still have not uploaded it. I did not sleep much in the night and I felt sick all day today! 

Honestly, I went into complete panic mode and it did not help when a good friend of mine saw the video and said it was way too poor quality to use. For a second I felt like deleting it all and then immediately I felt this surge of energy taking over and saying NO, you will not give up! Not now when you have come this far! I love my song and that is key.

How am I gonna manage if I have to go through this every time I upload a song or video being an artist? I actually sit an laugh as I write this, cause I can see how silly it is. I am so afraid of not making my music dream that I think it all depends on this one thing! I really have made this thing into something so huge I almost don't even dare do it and just how far is that gonna get me? 

My sisters husband saw the video today and said that I had to put it out there and stand by it. Then he wrote, and I love this: Perfection is not the goal, but movement is! 

That hit the spot. If I chose not to take action and keep on waiting then nothing will happen. 

This is when I woke up from my trail of fear thoughts! If I have to wait with getting my music out there until I have made another more pro. video I can easily wait another month or two or three and my song has been finished since… hold on… October 2012! And, I would probably still doubt a new video knowing me.

The challenge for me today has been to overcome my fear and keep the ball rolling. I am doing this now. So, in all its imperfection, authenticity and glory I present to you my own video and my first Single: Better off Alone. 

The video is my life here in Berlin. It is shot in my hood and the bar Acud (or Max Fish as it is also called) is the first place where I performed Better off Alone at an Open Mike. I wanted it to be real and 100% me. I feel this is accomplished.

If you feel like supporting me feel free to buy my song Better off Alone on iTunes, CDbaby, Amazon, Google or listen for free on Spotify. I would be so happy if you would share my video and my story!

Lets keep moving even if it means being imperfect and vulnerable. This is the real life!

Love Nina xx

Learning by DOING!

I decided to write about this powerful phrase: learning by doing. Why? Because, that is where I am right now! 

 

I must say that I am learning to embrace this phrase in all its glory and challenges.

As you may have read in my previous blogpost I decided to release my first single alone, or as you would call it in business terms; as an independent artist. 
 

Editing my video - waffles and coffee aid in the process!

This also means that I have to read a lot about which aggregator (cdbaby, tunecore etc) to use to get my music online on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon. I would lie if I said I found it fun to read my way through all the info about each one, but it won't get done if I don’t get my hands in the "dirty"!

Asking for help! 
Next step has been shooting and editing my music video and asking friends to help. I have a history of being very bad at asking for help. I always felt that if I did ask anyone, then they would probably expect a lot back from me and I would let them down. Even worse, what if I did not like what they had done and had to tell them? Yes, a blessing from my past. So, now you see why I often have chosen to work alone. 

Now that I am trying to change this, I am realizing that many people are just happy to help and do not expect anything in return. I am actually that kind of person too, which makes it even more funky, I gladly help people when I can and all I ask for in return is a "thank you". But, flipping the coin and being the one asking for help is so different. SO, overcoming this fear is also a part of the process. 

Lasse - chillin in between shooting my video

Having a “team” of good people around you, who help out as much as they want because they think it is fun is truly inspiring. This is what carries me through it all and keeps me focused and motivated. Of course there are other things than "asking for help" that affect my focus and determination, but this is a major one.

Lasse, my Danish Berlin friend, and I are editing my music video together. He took most of the shots of me here in my fave places in Berlin. All we used is my iPhone, an App called Super 8 (used to shoot most of the famous movie Searching for Sugarman), iMovie for the editing and our creativity (lattes, chocolates, cakes and laughs).

So, on that note I just encourage all of you out there to ask for help (preferably before you get stuck) and enjoy the ride with more people around you. It makes it so much more pleasurable to share the achievements and be in the creative process. Learning to listen to other people’s views on things and following your gut-feeling are key ingredients in taking things to greater levels.

Soon I will share my music video with you and I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did while making it.

Peace and love and keep your dreams alive!

Nina x

Shooting my music video

The cover for my first Single

Video shoot tomorrow and soon my song will be released! 

I am so excited and I must admit it feels like it has been a long drawn out birth of my music. I have been waiting for this moment for such a long time and I constantly found things I needed to do before I could release my song.

I could not make up my mind on anything as I wanted it to be perfect, so I came to a halt (again).

A few months ago I sent my song to Universal in Germany and an AR for Sony and both said no to releasing it for various reasons. This just made me want this even more, yet I knew I had to do it alone. I did not really know where to begin at first, but no good sitting around doing nothing, cause that won't get my song out !

So I made up my mind and now I am gonna release it myself through CDbaby. It is a ”one stop” aggregator (same as Tunecore) that ensures your music gets on iTunes, spotify, Amazon and a ton of other places. Also, the artist gets 91% of the money from a sale. There are many pros and cons of the different aggregators out there and I suggest you read this thread below before you make up your mind - it made me go from Tunecore to CDbaby instead!

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/songwriting/346983-cd-baby-vs-tunecore-vs-songcast-vs-others.html

I asked a friend of mine today if he would help me make a cover for my song and 15 minutes later I got what I asked for. I went for simplicity. I love it and you can see it here on my page.

I wrote and asked another friend of mine here in Berlin if he would use some hours with me tomorrow filming me. I did a lot of filming alone today and I use a Super 8 app for iPhone and just hope for the best. The next few days it will be made into a video for my song. How cool is that! I got the inspiration for the App when I watched the film Searching for Sugar Man. Most of that was shot with this app on an iPhone!

No need to go all fancy when things can be done in a very simple way and they need not cost an arm and a leg. All it takes is asking for help (!) and being creative and… once again I remind myself that beauty is in the imperfection and authenticity. Sometimes we need to take action and not plan it all to death, cause otherwise you risk that the magic from the whole project vanishes in a pile of "to dos" - and you risk never getting it done!

So, I cant wait to present it all to you very soon.

Nina x

So, HOW does it feel to follow a dream?

How does it feel to throw yourself into the unknown and follow a dream?

I decided to write about this because some of you may be thinking it can't all be rosy and red or can it?

The first two weeks after I had stopped my full-time job at Zalando in Berlin I was high. I was gonna follow my dream and do everything to make a living of my music and I was gonna make it or break it! It is always easy to talk about what you dream about but a whole other ballgame to go after it, embrace it and live it.

I wanted to wake up every morning and feel good about what I do. If not 100% of the time than at least 95%! That is why I love Steve Jobs and his quotes. He was his passion and he lived his dream. He said that if he woke up too many days in a row feeling unhappy about work he knew he had to make a change and he did.

The first 10 days of my new life were great. I was in Denmark visiting friends, having meetings with music people and a photographer I have worked with. I came back to Berlin full of energy and with a detailed plan with big goals. After a few days I hit the wall!

How was I gonna pull this off? I could not see the road ahead. I had no real structure or guarantee of success. No safety net. I had moved passed my comfort zone and was freaking out. For a while it felt like complete chaos would swallow me up.

I had so many ideas but I did not know where to begin. I needed a website, a video for my song, a whole bunch of people who could spread my music and tons of other things. I had saved up some money so I could stay floating for a while without an income, but then what? How would I make money again soon?

Then a close friend said to me; "Nina, why do you need all this? Why do you need a video before you can release your song (that has been finished since Oktober 2012 !).  Why do you need to blog about it all before it is even begun? It is moving your focus from your music. Is the key to it all not just getting up on that stage and singing?" 

I fell silent. He was right and it annoyed me. I could not write about following my dream until I had performed my songs live for an audience. I needed to break all my big goals into smaller ones and start with the most important; performing my music.

I felt that my product (my music) needed all this fancy wrapping for people to be interested in it. I needed a blog, a website, a music video, interviews... you name it! The next few days I was confused. I set my website on a halt. Stopped blogging. I put a post on facebook where I searched for musicians in Berlin and one hour later I was lucky.

This was one month ago and since then I have performed my songs 3 times and have set a goal to keep doing this every week and test my material. When I am on stage I feel like I am in my right element and it clears my mind and reminds me of what I love the most and why I quit my job and "old" life. Trough my music I can express the real authentic me and doing what I love gives me such a boost. It makes me feel that anything is possible! I know there is still quite a way to live of my music, but I made the first moves towards it and that is key!

I have teamed up with so many artistic and creative people here in Berlin the past few weeks and this gives me courage and inspiration and possibilities to perform even more places! It feels so good to be around like minded people - we lift and help each other!

All it took to get me "moving" again after hitting the wall (and in the right direction too) was some honest advice from a friend and one single post on facebook (ahh ok, and pusing myself past my comfort zone as well).

It may not be rosy and red to follow my biggest dream, but I would rather have my ups and downs and get bruised along the way than keep playing it safe and never daring to do it. I feel more alive now than ever before and that in itself is worth every bit of it!

In case you want to read Steve Jobs great quotes - here is a link: http://www.freemake.com/blog/steve-jobs-quotes/

Love Nina
 

I did it again - Open stage in Berlin

Yes, I did it again. 

Last night I performed my two songs "Better off Alone" and "Heaven is a place on earth" at an open stage night at club Sally Bowls here in Berlin. It was so much fun. I had had no time to practice at all, as I have been on Gran Canaria all week, so I came in 1 hour before the show began and played my songs through a few times. Thank God I could do that. I also sang a few cover songs last night and fortunately they went well.

I am so happy I finally dare to get onto that stage and perform my own songs. The cover songs are a total different and more easy ball game for me as they are not written by me. So, they are not so emotional for me to sing AND I don't play the piano while I sing - I only have to do one thing. Yes, when it comes to music and multitasking I am still challenged!

It was such a thrill to perform again and it went even better this time. There were so many fantastic acts and the crowd was so supportive and responsive. I love it. I will be performing there again in one month.

Here is a video of my Cover of Lana Del Reys fabulous song Video Games, from last night. Dimitris Grydakis and I managed to practice it one time before we did it live. Great to work with such talented people!

Bye for now ;)

My first live performance - all alone!

I did it!

I performed two of my own songs live at an open mike night here in Berlin a few days ago. I was so nervous. I have never performed any of my own songs live and never played the piano and sung for anyone before.

I knew that performing my songs live on a stage was the key to opening Pandoras box and facing my all time fear of failure; what if I was not good enough; what if I made mistakes; what if people did not like my music. It would kill my dream! To sing and write music is my biggest passion and the only thing I feel like doing. I was so wrapped up in this trail of fear that I was not realizing that I myself was killing my dream by not daring to get on that stage and do it! It was all in my head. Only my thoughts were my enemy. So, once I realized this I found an open mike night here in Berlin and decided to do it! No more talk and thinking. Now it was time for action. I had to make it or break it.
I invited friends to come and see me perform, so I would not bail out in the last minute.

I was so nervous on the day yet determined to do this no matter what. The one thing that made me relax, face my fear and be ok about most likely making mistakes during my first performace was a brilliant video by Brene Brown. It is on TEDtalk and it is about daring to be Imperfect and Authentic. That hit the spot for me - so true and so inspiring! The link for the video is posted at the end of this blog post.

HOW did the big night go?

After a big glass of redwine I pulled myself together and got up on stage. I think there were about 15 people there. Not more (that is including my friends!). I was a little nervous, but the good type where you are focused and not controlled by it. I sat alone behind a lovely old out-of-tune piano and gently touched the keys and took a deep breath. This is it, I thought to myself! Lets make it or break it!

As I performed I felt such peace inside. It actually marveled me as I had expected to be so nervous. I felt every word I sang came from my heart; I felt the piano under my fingers; I was in the moment; I sang my soul out. After the first song was over I realized I had done it! I had even made a few mistakes and survived it. I did not even care about that I had made mistakes. I just felt so incredibly happy and high. I played my 2nd song and the funny thing was that my focus was not so much on what people thought about my performance, but more a feeling of personal achievement. I had done it! It is the most amazing feeling I have had in a very long time. I kept saying to myself; is this really what I have been so afraid of all this time!?

I was so ready for more performances that I got up and played Better off alone at a bar in Berlin 3 days later and was asked to come and perform there the following week. Hurray! I am on my way. I love it and I cant wait to perform again.

Here is the link for the TEDtalk video I wrote about above:

http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html

Here is a video of my first ever liveperformance of my two songs here in Berlin at Maxi Fish.

The lyrics are below the video clip ;)

Better off alone

I am living my life like I want it to be
For the first time in life I am feeling free
Living my life like I want it to be
There ain't gonna be more of you and me

I'm better off alone
Your love is best when I'm gone
Don't change to bring me home
cause I'm better off alone

You broke my heart don't break more of me
I'll be loving you for eternity
I take with me a happy memory
and leave behind all the misery

Chorus.

"Heaven is a place on earth"

I'm hungry - I don't eat
I'm tired - I don't sleep
I can't see - when I am lost
I can't hear - if I'm too loud
I can't move - so I pray
I can't love - when I do
I don't believe - so I pray

Do I live when I die,
Or do I die when I try

Heaven is a place on earth
I hope to see before I die ....

No more talk - Just action!

What is going on? 

Until I have sung my own music live for people I have not done anything close to realizing my dream and my words on this blog are of little meaning.

I have only been spending time preparing the stage but not entered it.

I'll be back when I've got some real achievements to blog about.

Peace n love,

Nina

I quit my job - A new adventure begins!

Yes, I decided to quit my job after 3 months and if you read below, you'll find out why. I have recapped what has happened in my life the past year so you know where "I'm at", so here we go:

On March 2012 I left my boyfriend through 7 ½ years and suffered a huge break down. Little did I know that I would be spending the next 8 months living with my friends and family as I could not afford my own place. My economy was a mess. After 3 months in the darkest of dark I had regained some strength and found a waitress job I did in the evenings while I ran my consultancy business in the day. I knew this could not go on for long and more big changes were on the way. I wanted to let passion back into my life. Not passion for another person but for life and for what I do for a living. I decided to sell my 2-year-old business.

On the 1^st of October I sold my company and a few days later I booked a one-way ticket for Berlin – a city in which I had wanted to live for many years and it felt like the right time. I had decided I was going to focus more on my Music, which was my passion. It was time to follow my dreams. I had been working on my own songs and been in bands alongside running my company for a few years, so I knew I could sing. A producer helped me produce my song “Better off alone” and with that and a single suitcase with my favorite items I left Denmark.

On the 22^nd of October I arrived in Berlin. I had money for one month, so I had to get a job. I had one interview booked for the 25^th so I was hopeful. On the 1^st of November I began working with Online Marketing (Google Adwords) for a successful German company called Zalando. I was very excited about it. A week later I had a flat. Perfect! I was happy.

I am off on my new adventure!

Two months later on the 1^st of January 2013, I read my old diary to see how life was one year ago. I felt shocked. In spite of all the changes I had undergone to let passion and happiness back into my life, I felt stuck and as if I had fallen asleep again. I had not had any time for my music during my time in Berlin. I knew that in order to change this and “pull it off” I had to go “all in”. 

On the 31^st of January I left my job and fantastic and understanding bosses and colleagues, who wished me luck. I was slightly nervous, yet determined to make it. It feels right and my gut-feeling tells me I have to do this and I am so excited! I feel passion and joy for life again!

I have decided to let you all in on my story as it unfolds, in the hope that it will inspire you to follow your dreams and passions in life be it small or big things. Don’t let fear of the unknown hold you back. Your life is now and it is short, so make the very most of it.

I don't know what the result of this adventure will be, but I feel alive again in every sense of the word. I have money to keep me going for 3 months, so there is only one thing to do now and that is to work, focus on reaching my goals and most important of all - enjoy the ride as I move forward.

Peace n love 

Nina xx 

More than a month in Berlin

1 month and 6 days in Berlin!
I don't know where time has gone! I have already been here for more than a month and so much has happened. I have not had internet access the past 2 weeks (after work), so I have not been so good at updating you on my adventures. It may seem like I am trying to fit a whole lot of info into one blog... and I am!

Finansamt - the picture says it all!

Last time I wrote I had been to the Bürgeramt to register in Berlin. Then I went to the Finansamt (to get tax no.) and my gosh that place was taken out of the 70s movie (but actually so was the Bürgeramt)! The lady was so sweet but it was as if time had been standing still and she had old red retro vases on her worn down dark wood cabinets fillet with paper files. The wallpaper was old and looked more yellow than white and on her desk stood a teddy cup for pens, a teddy figure and a lot of other almost antique items ;). Only took 15mins there and then I could go to the bank to get myself a bank account afterwards, so I can get my pay check and also get my internet!

Living without... INTERNET!
It is funny how isolated I felt the first few days without internet at my home. It stressed me that I could not write this blog and emails etc. Suddenly I began feeling it was a bit of a relief, cause I could not spend hours on facebook, surfing the web. Instead I enjoyed hot baths in my new bathtub, read a book, meditated or went to bed early! I could feel how my mind actually benefited from this! I was more calm and slept better too.

My name on MY door!

Miss Hall's Cave
I moved into my fantastic and cozy little flat (35m2) last week and I love it. I have a huge bathroom with bathtub and washing mashine (!) and big modern kitchen with dishwasher (!). Have a balcony overlooking a beautiful park and I feel so at home there. I love coming home after a long day at work and knowing that this is my place and I can do exactly what I want and have things the way I want them to be. I have a huge closet with room for all my things and more, so i don't have to cramp it all into a tiny space anymore. To me this is magic! My first night there I had no cutlery only a gold spoon which the previous owner had left. I ate my dinner with this while looking at the only picture in the flat he had left: a picture of $ sign! This was a little funky and I had to laugh. Gold spoons and pictures of dollars are not items I have had in my flats before. I dare say the $ picture has been taken down and will be replaced by something less materialistic ;)

How's Work?

A history of MAC's - pass this on my way to work!

I so enjoy walking to work in the mornings with all the other Berliners, knowing that I am also going to work. I am not just a tourist here anymore! It makes me smile every time I think about it. I love my team and bosses at work. I work from 9.30 - 18.30 (which is normal here) and have one hours lunch. Most people go out for lunch at one of the many cafe's offering delicious lunch for only 3-4 euros. I found a Vegan place the other day and this has become my fave! Homemade soup (filling too) for only 3,5 euros! I still have to get used to sitting down for so many hours per day... and I need to enroll in a gym to get my exercise and avoid gravity kicking in all of a sudden because I have been to lazy and not taken good enough care of that precious body of mine ;) Just think how important your body is - it carries you for miles and miles and we often forget to treat it with proper food, exercise or even a relaxing massage! Also, it actually gives me extra energy to work out. I do my 5 tibethan yoga exercises every morning along with a quick meditation (at the moment Deepak Chopras 21 day meditation) but it is not quite enough for me. Note to self: remember to take excellent care of your body!

What about my music!?
I have not had time to do anymore music since I got here as I have to admit all the practical things and starting a new job have used all my energy. Once I am off from work I have almost collapsed on the bed. I am looking forward to coming home and not having something practical to think of and being able to just relax or write some music! I hope to get to this point next weekend ;) I guess I have not really had time to actually grasp the fact the I have moved to another country and live and work here now. It all went so fast and I have been so busy.

Das ist so Berlin!

Today I was sent a song and asked to do vocals for it and I could feel how I long to sing and write lyrics. I am so happy I was reminded of this today as I know this will recharge my batteries. I need to get my music up and running again here in Berlin as this is such a huge part of me. Note to self; don't neglect doing the things you are passionate about that GIVE you such an energy boost!

Before I left DK I had one of my songs produced and as soon as I have time for it I will make a video for it and share it all with you! Been talking to some creative minds here in Berlin and I am sure we'll come up with some magic together. I love the song and I am sure you'll enjoy it too.

Natascha (Bat for Lashes) performing in Berlin

Bat for Lashes Concert here in Berlin. 
Ah, I almost forgot to mention I went to Bat for Lashes concert here in Berlin a few weeks ago. It is by far one of the best concerts I have ever been to. I almost cried twice as Natascha (the singer) sang so beautifully and passionately and she just was her music 100%. It was especially the song Laura that got to me - man she sang that well! You must check out her new album - it is super! I felt so inspired and also a huge admiration for her talent. She looked like an angel as she performed with such ease grasping the entire crowd and holding us in her hand the entire 2 hours. Note to self; Go to more concerts and get inspired!

Xmas Party time!
On Friday I am going to a huge xmas bash at my company. I cant wait. It will be massive and in spite of the theme being Golden and James Bond I am gonna go in my little black dress, very high black pumps, black bag and I may just paint my nails gold! So, no Golden outfit for Miss Hall this time... I have a heart of Gold and that must be enough ;)

I wish you all a fantastic day, night and evening.

Peace and Love to you all from me and Berlin,

Nina xxx

Ich bin ein Berl-ina

Day 14 in Berlin.

Got there 40mins before they opened and already 7 before me!

Today it is Monday the 5^th of November and I have been in Berlin for exactly 2 weeks. I should go to bed right now, but I just have to share this with you first. I can’t believe it. Time has gone so fast and so much has happened in this short space of time. I have begun a great job with fantastic colleagues and I learn a lot every day.

Today I went to the Bürgeramt here in Berlin and got my official paper stating that I live here in Berlin. No, it ain't a certificate stating I can eat all the burgers I want! It means that I can stay here in Berlin forever if I like. It is entirely up to me. It feels so good! I still can't quite grasp that I live and work here! I quite often find myself smiling about it all - my own little secretive smile.

Everything has just gone so smooth for me since I began following my heart and just doing what feels right. I know it may sound “airy-fairy” and “naive” or whatever to some, but to me it is the right way of living life. Life was not meant to be hard and we were not meant to be unhappy or feeling “lost”. We are meant to be happy and feel love and give love. I love life and the more I love what I do the more love I can give to those around me. To me this completes the circle. To me life is about feeling good and once your own battery is charged you have extra energy to help others. If you don’t remember to charge your own battery first, you run flat and then you are not gonna get yourself or anyone anywhere. Then you stagnate and stay put in whatever situation you stranded in. To remember to focus on YOU instead of everyone else is not selfish – it is self-preservation and in the end it benefits everyone ;)

Do you chose to take the stairs or jump on the train?

Yesterday I walked home from Alexander Plats and passed one of my fave places in Mitte. I looked up at a building by the park and thought to myself, as I have many times before, that I would love to live there. It is close to nature, my sister, my job and a great area. I imagined what the flats looked like inside and that I lived there. It felt good. I like to imagine myself already living the life I desire and you know what … it is all coming true!

When I got home from work today my sisters husband got a phone call. It was from a lady who knows I am looking for a flat, as we told her the 2^nd day I was here. She called to say a flat was vacant in that very building I had been looking at yesterday! I have told no one I wanted to live there! I was SO amazed and bewildered. My heart jumped and I felt like crying.

I am going to see the flat on Thursday and I am so excited and grateful.

I hope my adventure will inspire you to let go of some (or all) of your worries and fear of the unknown and start believing that you too can attract what you desire in life and that your life can be happy and rewarding – if you just let it. I am the living proof of this!

Love from Berlin

I have a job!

Day 7 in Berlin
As I write this I have been here for 7 days and gosh things are working out fast for me. Faster than I had ever imagined. So, let me just brief you on my latest few weeks so you understand how great this is. Sorry for spelling errors - to me the content is more important.

The dilemma! 

My website - a screenshot taken on the last day I had it.

On the 1st of October I had closed my Google Adwords Consultancy Company and handed over all my clients to a bright young man. I felt free for the first time in years. It has been such a great experience and challenge to run my own business, but I was ready to try something new. I missed colleagues and being a part of a team. Also, I could feel how I would like to have a more stable income again, as I never knew what I earned from month to month. I felt I needed a change. I had no boyfriend, no home, no furniture - I had let go of it all, so why not let go of my company, too? why hang onto something that no longer seems right?

I have been dreaming about moving to Berlin for a long time and figured that this was the perfect time to move past my comfort zone and go all in and move to a new country and find a job there. I decided to use my unemployment insurance (in Denmark we call it A-kasse) and close my company. I had learned from friends that you can take 3 months unemployment benefit with you to another EU country while you apply for jobs there - now that was perfect! Dadaaaa, and then the surprise came at my meeting with the A-kasse!

Help! What should I do - Call 112!

I knew they would take 3 weeks pay from me the first month I was without a job, which they do if you leave your job or close your company (not if you get fired). Little did I know that I had to be in DK an additional 4 weeks after the 3 weeks "punishment period", before I could go abroad. So, this meant that I was forced to apply for jobs in Denmark for at least 7 weeks to get my money. I said I thought it was a total waste for both me and the companies that would be receiving my applications, as I was not staying in DK. The A-kasse agreed and said these were the rules.

"Punished" for being creative!
They also know I write music, as I have released some songs, so they said that I was only allowed to spend max 15 hours per week on writing music and singing and this would be deducted from my monthly pay! I would have to inform them every month of how much time I had used on this. I cannot stop writing music and singing because I am on A-kasse and applying for jobs. I love to sing and play music and often do this at night - in my free time! But, in the A-kasse they don't care if it is in your free time. It still counts and you are paid a lot less in your benefit. I would not be able to live of this amount at all! I asked if it also counted if I sang in the bath and she said - theoretically yes! So, this meant that if I played by the rules I could not afford to write music OR sing in my free time.

I felt totally misplaced and punished for being creative. I get so much energy from writing music - energy which I can use on applying for a job and being a valuable asset for an employer during working hours.

I felt my new found freedom vanishing through my fingers faster than I could blink. I felt trapped! I felt all energy get drained from my body and I felt that for me this unemployment benefit insurance I had been paying for for the past two years was a total waste. I thought, and thought, and thought some more and talked to many people. Almost everyone told me to wait in Denmark until the end of November and take my benefit with me ... it was the beginning of October and I was aching to get on with my life! 7 weeks of waiting was unbearable!

The Battle
Now comes the battle between the brain and the heart. I felt so strongly that I should quit the A-kasse, as it held me back. To some of you this may sound crazy, but I have always had this deep belief that I would manage no matter what situation I was put in. I am a fighter and I do not give up. I have taken charge of my life and I am not too "this or that" to take on any form of job (yes, I have done cleaning, too), so I felt confident I would get a job one way or the other. I would keep searching 'till I had one. My heart (intuition or gut-feeling) was telling me to "dive right in" and quit the A-kasse. The thought made me so full of energy and so free and I felt this bubbly feeling in my stomach every time I thought about it. I thought about this for at least 2 week before I made my decision!

Like most of you, my mind has been coded to expect that the very worst may happen to us if we don't do this and that prevent it. A quick risk analysis said: "Damn, there is a lot of unemployment around and you have been paying your insurance for so long. Don't throw all that money down the drain. Don't throw this safety net away. Hang on to it and stay here in Denmark and apply for jobs that you don't want for the next 7 weeks and just wait. Some people told me to just go to Germany and f.. the system, but I cannot do it! I am a very honest and ethical person and it would go against every bone in my body to pretend I was in Denmark when I was in fact in Germany. I would not be able to enjoy it. Damn... it would bring about a lot of bad karma! ;)

The big decision was made!

This was what I got out of my unemployment insurance - a pen!

Hmm.... so what seems more attractive? To me there was only one right thing to do based on who I am and what I feel and that was to quit the A-kasse! When I sent them the email, I confirmed to myself once and for all that I will manage and the most important thing: I believe I can. If you don't believe it... then don't do it! If you don't have this faith in your abilities... then don't do it! Wait for the feeling of strength to manifest inside of you and then do it! Go all in! I am telling you it feels great. I feel so alive! Another important measure here is that for me, not having this safety net, makes me fight even more to get where I want to be. But hey, that is just me. I guess you can say I have a little safety net as I have moved to Berlin where my sister also lives, so I am not totally on my own and left to wonder about Berlin if I don't find a job or flat easily. But, it is more the actions and feelings inside of me that are important when you are realizing a dream!

Just do it!
On the 12th of October I booked my ticket for Berlin for the 22nd of October. I knew I had to do it or else I could keep on waiting for "the right" moment to come.... and when is the right moment?
I had heard about the German company Zalando and happened to coincidentally met up with a friend from Germany back in Copenhagen who worked there. I had no idea she did! I asked her how it was and she loved it. I got an email to HR and decided to send them and application within the next week.

My first (and only) job application is sent
On the 16th of October I sent my application to Zalando and three hours later they called me for an interview. That was fast! I was so fortunate that I had already booked my ticket for Berlin, so we could have the interview face-to-face and not online over Skype. How lucky was that! Then I could also feel the vibe of the place.

Off to Berlin
On the 22nd of October I was on my way to Berlin with a job interview but no flat. You can read more about how that felt in my first blog post. I just felt I had to be here to sort things out. It is so much more easy to find jobs and flats when you are in the country. Also you meet people who often have tips for you or happen to know the right person.

The job interview

The road sign next to Zalando HQ

On the 24th at 10am I had my interview with 4 people from Zalando. My strategy was to be 100% me and so I was during the entire interview. You can read about this in my 2nd post on this blog. I was told I they would get back to me within a week.
I have to tell you something I find rather funky! Zalando lies next to Kopenhagener Strasse here in Berlin ;) I laughed at that. I leave Copenhagen to start a new life in Berlin and end up next to that street for my first interview!

Am I in or am I out?
On Friday the 26th (only two days after my interview) I felt that I was stuck again and that made me feel down. Without a job I could not find a flat and I had to wait another 5 days for an answer from Zalando! Gosh, I am not good at waiting that long when I am ready for action!
Zalando called me back already at 3pm on Friday the 26th and offered me the job! Wohoo, I was so so so SO happy. I jumped up with my hands in the air and felt so ecstatic. Then the most amazing calm feeling washed in over my body just to be replaced with a huge amount of energy again and so it went on! I am really looking forward to working there from the 1st of November.

Zalando HQ in Berlin - a huge old Electrical factory.

In the evening I had been invited to the Danish Popstar Medinas concert in Berlin with some of my new friends. I come all the way to Berlin (actually not that far away from Denmark) and end up seeing a Danish star perform the first week I am here - also a bit funny. I had such a great time and Medina (and her great live band) rocked the place!
We went to Due Forni (Prenzlauer Berg) after and man they serve a good Italian Pizza. It had such a great atmosphere and was packed with people. Go check it out if you get here. I was told it is one of the best places for Italian nosh!


What's next?

Caught my reflection in Hackesher Markt

Finding a flat is next. I have looked at so many online and continue the search tomorrow where I will go and see two of them. I would love two rooms (and a bathtub, which is normal here) and a balcony. A funny thing is that quite a few flats have no kitchen! You have to put that in yourself and people take their kitchens with them when they move. I find this rather strange. In DK you would rarely see this with a rental flat. As I have written on my last blog I have never lived alone, so this is something I am looking very much forward to. I really like my own company ;) Yes, I actually do. I love being with family and friends but I also love to chill at home and just read a book or write music or do absolutely nada! Life is good and never have I felt more ALIVE and kicking.

Enjoy your day and I'll keep ya posted!