The Freedom Of A Fresh Start
Former publishing executive Cornelia Schulze switched countries and increased her appetite for risk before launching a new career.
My big move came in two stages. For starters, I literally packed up my life and my career and moved to Australia. Then I left corporate publishing and started a new career as an entrepreneur running my own business.
I was in my late 40s, working for a German medical publisher, managing their global English-language portfolio. Posh perks like monthly business-class flights to New York aside, my professional trajectory was all mapped out: I was going to succeed my boss as head of the international division, continue jetting around the globe and eventually sail into the sunset of comfortable retirement.
Then came a Friday night phone call with the offer to work as a publisher for what was then Bauer Media in Sydney. With publishing not exactly being a stable industry, it could be considered a pretty dumb move to leave a job that was safe and fun (at least it was when I didn’t have to consider the pros and cons of the craniovertebral approach to the temporal bone, or try to hire a new author while watching a dissection in the anatomy lab).
So why did my hubby and I do it? Despite many discussions about everything, from cost of living and job security to the impact on our German pensions, in the end it boiled down to, “why the hell not?” If ever you want a way to decide a tricky life or career situation, try using that one! I found it works best when you say it out loud, both feet firmly on the ground with a broad grin on your face and a G&T as an optional accessory.
In my heart of hearts, I’m a numbers person, I love a good spreadsheet and while I completely suck at chess, planning at least five steps ahead is my approach to managing the risk of being alive. But the excitement that came with taking this plunge was just irresistible.
While the job turned out to be more of a rollercoaster than I could have imagined in my wildest dreams, building a new life Down Under was utter bliss. Beyond the beaches, the weather and falling in love with a barista-made flat white, there is a mind-blowing degree of freedom and empowerment that comes with a fresh start at the opposite end of the planet.
There were so many firsts, so many decisions to make, it was impossible to analyse even a fraction. Going on gut became the go-to MO, not giving a damn about doing anything out of character was exhilarating – so much so, that both stayed with me well beyond the first months in Australia.
““It took me months to get my head around accepting that leaving the role did not mean that I had somehow failed.””
Yet after about three years, it became impossible to ignore that professionally, I kept butting my head against various brick walls. I loved working with my editors, I loved the brands in my portfolio, my numbers were kicking goals, but I kept pushing a strategy that was at odds with the company’s vision at the time.
It took me months to get my head around accepting that I was never going to implement that strategy and that leaving the role did not mean that I had somehow failed. Rather, it was my best career move ever.
In a trade newsletter, I learnt Hunter & Coastal Lifestyle, a premium lifestyle magazine for Newcastle, the Hunter Valley and the Central Coast, was for sale. At first, I pitched the acquisition to an investor but when he pulled out, the “why the hell not?” question raised its head again and I ended up buying the business together with two partners and the wholehearted support of the best husband ever.
We publish quality long-form journalism. We invest in great photography, lovely paper stock and spend considerable time providing tailor-made solutions for our advertising partners, while pushing back on selling our souls. Depending on who you are talking to in the industry, most, if not all of this is considered antiquated, dumb or unprofessional.
Yet our revenue and distribution continue to grow, and we have launched a digital venture buyhunter.com.au, an online marketplace for boutique, artisan producers in the region. From handcrafted jewellery, honey and sustainable timber toys to locally designed slow fashion pieces and organic dog gelato, buyhunter is a treasure trove of hidden local gems.
This journey has often pushed me well beyond the limits of my comfort zone. And I had never considered how utterly personal business becomes when you are running your own show. It is so much harder to draw, and stick with, boundaries. But none of that compares to the ultimate satisfaction of being able to call the shots, take risks and frankly, not give a damn about making your way in the corporate world.
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