Photo Credit: Lisa Maria Pippus

What’s your current occupation? 
Pushing public speaking skills beyond and above with word magic as a speechwriter and coach in my own Meisterklasse. 

Where are you currently living (city & country)?
I am living in fabulous Berlin, Germany 

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am an ex-politician, former swimmer, and rhetoric champion. Curiosity is my biggest fail and asset. Fairness is my guiding light. If I had to choose between a great conversation and a 1000 Euro note, I’d choose the first.

How would you define a bold choice? 
It is easy to spot people facing bold choices: Lots of them bite their nails. A bold choice will make you suffer if things go wrong. But it offers possibilities to grow, to experience both life, and joy with heightened senses.

What is the best part of being a coach at TEDx Frankfurt?
I love how professional, empathetic and appreciative you have always been. How much you value the art of rhetoric and how open you’ve always been to any suggestions. You have formed a great team! The other thing I love is experiencing the audience’s reactions to the speeches. 

What is the boldest choice you’ve ever made in your life? And why was this your boldest choice?
My boldest choice was to conquer a damaging body image by working as a nude model. Until then only family and swimming buddies had seen me naked. 

What is your favorite TED talk?
That is a very tough question but I’ll go with Brené Brown‘s second talk. Her vulnerability is outrageously funny, enticing and encouraging. An absolute must.

Friederike Galland has coached following ideas for TEDxFrankfurt:

Rediscovery sex after a dry spell – Lisa Opel

What’s next? How empathy, compassion and goals make good leadership – Lunia Hara