303. From Personal Experience She Encourages Women: Never Give Up!

“I started on an unconventional path. My passion was drawing, but I did not live for my career at first. In school I always loved drawing and being creative and was really good at it, but when I tried to get into art school in Switzerland right after high school, they didn’t accept me. I decided I needed to take a normal job, so I did an additional office education just so I could get a nine to five job. I landed at an insurance company and stayed there for four and a half years, doing something that I pretty much did not like. I think it’s a good story for people to not give up on their dream, even if you get rejected at first. Don’t bury your dream!”

Along with desire to work in a creative field, Astrid had known she wanted to live in the United States ever since her first visit on vacation. Finding a way to make that happen was serendipitous. At home in Switzerland, she went to meet her mother for lunch. Arriving an hour early—which in itself was unusual—she landed in a book store. “I was staring at a wall of books. In the middle a book was beaming at me like the Holy Grail. Its title was something like, ‘Get a Summer Job in the USA.’ So, I bought the book and found out about the J-1 student visa, which would allow me to work in the U.S. That’s what I did! I enrolled in university to start on that path and then ended up working one summer on Hidden Creek Ranch in Idaho as a housekeeper and waitress, just for the adventure. That was a first step, following my heart, leaving everything behind and just going for it.”

Astrid’s path toward her passion was circuitous, but her desire to follow her heart remained strong. She combined some formal education with internships and a variety of entrepreneurial attempts, learning with each step. “I found a different strategy. In January 2015, I discovered a book by Jeff Walker, Product Launch Formula, about growing a business online by doing trainings online, then offering online training to more and more students as you grow your email list. I thought, ‘this is awesome! I have to do this!’”

1. Take a moment for yourself first thing in the morning to do mindset work: breathing, sitting and noticing how you’re feeling, meditating a little bit.

2. Create a vision board of your ideal future, including images of things you would love to have.

3. Write a gratitude journal.

4. Write down your goals and review them regularly.

5. Do something every day, no matter how small, toward accomplishing your goals.

Product Launch Formula (kit), Jeff Walker

Launch: An Internet Millionaire’s Secret Formula to Sell Almost Anything Online, Build A Business You Love, And Live the Life of Your Dreams, by Jeff Walker

The Fire Starter Sessions: A Soulful + Practical Guide to Creating Success on Your Own Terms, by Danielle LaPorte

Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average and Do Work that Matters, by Jon Acuff