Hello Reader,
“Let’s see what the girls want to discuss with us today.” I still remember this sentence clearly.
And no—it wasn’t something from my school days. It was what I heard at the very start of a meeting I attended with two of my female employees.
The setup: 3 women and 3 men.
I remember:
1️⃣ Taking a deep breath
2️⃣ Stepping into my mental warrior mindset
3️⃣ Saying calmly: “𝘐 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺, ‘𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺?’”
4️⃣ My voice not raised—but lowered at the end. It was not a question.
Silence. A short pause. The atmosphere shifted.
Then came the reply: “𝘖𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺.”
And the meeting continued—better than the last one.
When I was younger, I would have shied away from potential conflict, taken the remark home with me, and replayed it in my mind.
But around the age of 28, I began to openly stand up for myself—and for others—when I saw the need.
Now, I teach others to step into the mindset they need to stand up for their needs and for anyone else who deserves it.
Because we need to support each other. We need a world built on equality, fairness, and being taken seriously.
Yes, humour has its place—but so does respect.
You can do it! 🙋♀️💪
Mareike
I am very excited to host a free online live Masterclass: “𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠”
How to Make Your Next Move Count
Do you know a woman in STEM who is told to wait? To simply do her existing job. Keep your head down. And wait. Again.
You don’t feel seen for your contributions. No one seems to understand what you want. You don’t have an internal sponsor.
The last development meeting with your boss was just like the one before: You expressed what you want, you highlighted your achievements — and still, there was no support, no encouragement, no development plan. No discussion of what you can do to get there.
If this has been going on for a while, it will drain your energy and motivation. In fact, it kills motivation.
“When the most passionate employees become quiet, it’s a signal that something is very wrong.”
Don’t let this be you. And if it already is, know that you 𝘤𝘢𝘯 do something about it.
I know how frustrating it feels to be stuck in a waiting position. I’ve spoken with many amazing women going through the same.
You’re labelled as a 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 — and then expected to sit and wait. But wait for what? That’s still a mystery to me.
Yes, we all need to gain experience. But there’s nothing wrong with having a development plan in place and actually seeing progress. Or with wanting greater responsibilities and leadership positions.
👉 I didn’t know I could write my own development and career plan — until I did just that.
👉 I didn’t know how important it was to have an internal sponsor and regular check-ins. – until I did.
👉 I didn’t know what a difference it makes to work in an environment with supportive role models — female 𝘢𝘯𝘥 male — all the way to the top – until I did.
So, what made the difference?
👉 Having a safe, uplifting space to voice what I wanted for myself.
👉 Taking the time to reflect and create a clear, actionable career plan.
What helped me design my own career path — and approach it with confidence — is exactly what I’ll share with you in this free Masterclass:
“𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠”
How to Make Your Next Move Count
📅 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻: 9th Sep. 2025 – 12:00–13:30 CET (bring your lunch)
💰 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁: Free
⏰ 𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 90 min (plus extra time for your questions)
📍 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Online (Zoom)
🌐 Register here
𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻:
✅ How to focus on what you can control and influence in your career — and take action.
✅ How to discover which career path excites you the most.
✅ How to move from waiting for opportunities to making confident decisions and achieving promotions.
✅ We will go through three exercises together in a safe and uplifting environment.
You don’t need to wait years for your next promotion. You need just two things: a confident mindset coupled with a clear and motivating career plan that you can actually execute.
Sign up now, if you are interested.
I look forward to meeting you there.
