About me
Curious. Compassionate. Creative.
To be honest, over the years there have been many versions of what I thought people wanted to know about me. But what I really want to say is this: I’m me. Sometimes joyful and lighthearted, sometimes messy and full of doubt. Like any human.
My path in a few lines
I grew up in a country that no longer exists. So I know what it feels like when everything around you changes, with your own doing and without it. When the Berlin Wall came down, the world opened up. What had seemed completely impossible became real: traveling, even living in countries that had been out of reach. And at the same time, valuable things were lost, and much of it felt like being sold out. Both are part of my story.
I made use of that new freedom: Rotterdam, a year of studies in the USA, Ecuador. I studied American Studies, Romance Studies and Psychology, and worked for international companies, including a large software corporation.
And at some point came the moment many of my clients know. I was a single mother, often working late into the night because my colleagues were in the US, and much of what I worked on was obsolete a few weeks later. My job was good for my bank account. But not for my soul account.
When I asked for fewer hours, my boss asked me: “Can you no longer work, or do you no longer want to?” He meant the hours. I heard the real question. And the answer was: No. Not like this anymore.
My daughter was in kindergarten at the time, and it was a hard time for both of us. I wanted to show her something different: that work isn’t something you dread and just have to get through, but something that brings joy and gives your life meaning.
I didn’t know what I wanted to do instead. Or how. But I knew why. So I quit.
Looking back, one thing runs through my life: self-determination. I didn’t always have a choice. But where I did, I made it, even when the outcome was completely hidden. Each time, I was guided by an inner knowing.
Then I went looking for my old dreams and found the red thread: as a young girl, I gave my family and friends little handmade pieces of jewelry, meant to bring a sparkle to their eyes. And one thing always mattered most to me: truly seeing people.
Everything else grew from that thread: my own concept store with a café and studio, and today my coaching practice and my jewelry studio. Along the way, I helped build brands, most recently Lady Medal. So I also know how much heart goes into a logo.
I know what it’s like
… to be stuck in a job that doesn’t fit you (anymore).
… to put your own wishes aside because it feels safer.
… and how freeing it is when you finally allow yourself.
I’ve been through a divorce, goodbyes and many new beginnings. And each time, I saw a little more.
That’s also why I know: I’m not the expert in the room. You are.
People often tell me they feel truly seen with me, sometimes for the first time in a long time. That’s where the work begins. I listen for what’s already there: the clarity, the creativity, the wisdom that’s always been yours. Sometimes just buried under too much noise and too much “that’s not possible.” The inner knowing that guided me is in you, too. Sometimes it just takes someone to help you hear it again.
How it all fits together
Today I’m a coach and a jewelry designer. That sounds like two things. For me, it’s one: I help people see what’s precious in them, and make it visible.
- In coaching, we look together at what’s really true for you.
- With Wind at Your Back: On the Road, I’m by your side on your big day.
- In my studio, jewelry comes to life that carries your story, sometimes even your logo.
My work is grounded in the inside-out understanding: all human experience is created from the inside out, moment to moment. We look at what’s underneath your experience. Not to fix it, but to see it clearly. You don’t need to change. You get to see how you’re already made.
Sometimes I feel like a kaleidoscope: one small turn, and people see themselves in new, wondrous colors.
And otherwise?
I’m down-to-earth and high-flying, an emotional believer and a practical skeptic, a teacher and a learner. A mother, daughter, sister, friend. I love singing in a choir and dancing, freestyle as well as ballroom and Latin, and my acrylic paintings have been shown in exhibitions in Mannheim and Dresden.
And I love spinning ideas: fresh, beyond the obvious, until they take form.
One of my favorite quotes is from Dolly Parton:
“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”
You can be you. Fully.
And if you don’t know right now who that is, I’m here to help you find yourself again. I coach in English and German, in person and online.
For jewelry:
Professional path (selection)
- Since 2026: partner at Lady Medal (handmade jewelry medals)
- Since 2016: my own coaching practice and jewelry studio, Mannheim, Germany
- Since 2012: freelance consultant and project manager in brand and product development
- 2011–2016: founder and owner of Giseladen (concept store with café, 2012-2013) and Giselatelier (studio with jewelry), Mannheim
- 2005–2010: strategic marketing and content management, SAP AG, Walldorf
- 2002–2006: qualitative and quantitative market research for international clients
Education and training (selection)
- Denkzeuge® ProCoach (2023), PSI self-management consultant (2023)
- EmTrace® Master Coach, emotion coaching levels 1–4 (2019–2022)
- Self-development training: Feldenkrais Method and Ericksonian hypnotherapy (since 2007)
- ArtClay® certification, levels I, II and Gold (2011–2012)
- Master of Arts in American Studies, Romance Studies and Psychology; state teaching examination in English and Spanish (TU Dresden, incl. a year at the University of Pennsylvania, 2001)
You can also find me here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giselabacke/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giselabacke/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@giselabacke