☕️ A Coffee With My Younger Self
And everything I wish I’d known about careers, confidence, and feeling ready (spoiler: you never do).
I went for a coffee with my younger self.
She was early, of course. Overprepared. Nervous I’d tell her she was off track.
She didn’t have to worry.
What she really wanted to know was:
“When do you finally feel like you know what you’re doing?”
Look, I know you love a good plan.
I know you feel like one more round of prep will make you feel ready.
But it won’t.
Doers beat dreamers. Every time.
Not because they’re smarter. Just because they move.
🥇 First isn’t flawless — it’s just first.
And first gets the feedback, the lessons, the opportunities — while second is still taking notes.
Confidence doesn’t come first. Action does.
Also: perfect is boring.
It slows you down. It hides your actual strengths.
⚡️ Speed, honesty, and messy progress will get you further every time.
She asked about those internships she never applied for because she thought she wasn’t good enough.
I smiled. 😊 You were always good enough. You just didn’t know it yet.
And when they tried to put you in a box — “more of a marketing girlie than a finance type” — I told her:
Let them underestimate you. It makes winning even more fun. 😌
She asked about the "successful" people — the founders, the consultants, the ones who look so confident from the outside.
I told her my favourite truth:
They’re still guessing, too. They’re just doing it in public.
And the funny thing is:
They’re way too busy doubting themselves to doubt you.
She laughed, the way you do when you realise everyone’s faking it a little. 😉
She thought she had to pick the perfect company, the perfect job, the perfect path.
"Which one is the right one?" she asked.
I told her:
Forget the logos — chase people, not brands.
The best decisions you’ll ever make won’t be about tasks or companies.
"It’s about the people who make you think bigger and laugh louder. Choose them, every time."
Before she could ask, I told her about the time abroad.🇧🇷
"Will it be worth it?" she wondered.
I was honest:
"It’ll test you more than you expect."
There will be moments when you’ll feel lost, overwhelmed, like you left too much behind.
But I promised her:
"In the middle of that mess, you’ll meet people who’ll make it all worth it."
And when it’s over?
"Nothing will shake you anymore.”
And then she asked, "What should I do next?"
🗓️ I didn’t have a five-year plan for her.
I just said:
Do what excites you. Always.
Follow the energy. Build what you can’t stop thinking about.
And then — because we’re the same person — I paid for her coffee.
Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s:
Always back the person who bet on you first. 💪
— Constanze
P.S.: I’d also tell her to take off this stick-in-the-ass black blazer since she’s not going to end up in corporate anyways.
Lieblings-Post so far!
Bis jetzt mein liebstes Constidential🫶🏼