Elise feels empty despite her success. The glamour of her career is no longer enough, so she sets out to find a coach and comes across Upskilled. She's not sure whether my offering is right for her, so we arrange an introductory conversation. What I don't know at the time is that Elise is a journalist. And so our conversation turns into an interview. Her questions are direct and precise, prompting me to reflect on and revisit my own journey.
Are you also wondering who I am and whether I'd be the right coach for you? Perhaps you'll find some answers in this conversation.
Elise: What is your greatest achievement in life?
Crista: Turning an unconscious, unfulfilled life into a conscious and fulfilling one.
Elise: What does that actually look like?
Crista: For the first 30 years of my life, I lived to please and impress others. I collected stamps in my passport and travelled to 60 countries without ever truly being present. I worked for prestigious companies without making use of my talents. I was in relationships that weren't good for me. Despite everything I achieved on the outside, I felt empty. I didn't know who I was or what I wanted.
The view through my lens. A moment of reflection on Koh Phi Phi during my travels through Southeast Asia, 2009
Elise: Why?
My sister, my mother and me in Florida, 1986. At the time, I wanted to become an astronaut
Crista: As a child, I learned to adapt. I learned that something about me wasn't right. I was supposed to be a boy, not a girl. I wasn't supposed to spray graffiti or listen to rap. I wasn't supposed to study art, but something more «practical» with better career prospects. And so my brain became wired differently on a neurophysiological level: my attention was directed outwards. I had very little awareness of what was going on inside me. I couldn't sense my own needs or understand who I was, so I was unable to make decisions that truly reflected who I was.
Elise: That sounds exhausting. What was the turning point?
Crista: The book The Drama of the Gifted Child by Alice Miller. It made me realise that I was living according to patterns that weren't my own, but rather old conditioning from childhood. I found myself a coach and began to reorganise my life. I scaled back my social circle, quit my job, moved to LA and completed a coaching qualification there. Afterwards, I set up my own business and finally began shaping my life on my own terms.
Elise: That sounds like those coaches who need to heal themselves but try to do it through other people.
Crista: I can understand why you might see it that way. However, I'd completed my degree in psychology ten years before making that decision. I've always been fascinated by people. At the time, my rational motivation was to combine my business experience with my knowledge of psychology. Coaching was the natural result. On an emotional level, I wanted to follow my heart. Because, for the first time in my life, I knew exactly what I wanted, and I wanted it wholeheartedly.
Elise: I see. Was putting it into practice easy? I mean, finding your way back to yourself?
Crista: Yes and no. It was easy in the sense that the clearer my inner compass became, the clearer my next steps became, too. But it was difficult in terms of the persistence sometimes required when you step away from the safe and familiar path.
When I decided to pursue my coaching qualification in LA, I was returning from a year of working in London and being in a long-distance relationship. My boyfriend at the time and I had just found a beautiful little flat in Zurich. And I wasn't sure how I would be able to finance everything in the long run if I quit my job.
But then I received what was probably the most transformative piece of advice of my life:
«When you lose yourself in the jungle of decisions, prioritise what your heart is telling you. Everything else will fall into place.»
2011 in California, where my journey into self-employment began (with Jean, whom I met during my coaching training)
And that's exactly what happened. I told my boyfriend at the time that I wanted to go to California to complete my coaching qualification. He was enthusiastic about the idea and came with me! We both continued to develop professionally. We found the perfect tenants to sublet our flat. My employer at the time even offered me a part-time position, which meant I could continue working remotely from LA and secure my income.
Sometimes you just have to be brave.
Elise: Wow. And then you went self-employed?
Crista: Yes, in 2011. Life has been generous to me ever since I started following my own path, and it still is. Today, I run two businesses: mintminds AG, a consultancy specialising in organisational and leadership development, and Upskilled. I enjoy maximum flexibility, autonomy and a strong sense of purpose. I'm living the best life I could ever have imagined.
Elise: Aren't you also a mother?
Crista: I am. Why?
Elise: It doesn't sound as though all of this could fit together.
Crista: But it does. I believe I'm a very present mother and spend a lot of time with my daughter, whom I love more than anything. And that's despite working a lot. My life is simple. I don't need much to be happy. But I do need to be mentally clear and perform at a high level.
Elise: What does it mean to be mentally clear?
Crista: When I'm mentally clear, I always have a good overview of things and know what the next step is. In my view, stress and overwhelm arise when you either spend too much time doing things you don't actually want to do, or lose sight of the bigger picture amid all your activities.
I do what I want to do and what I believe gives my life purpose. I also keep track of everything, or know how to regain perspective when I've lost it. I'm familiar with my inner critics as well as my inner superpowers. I know where I'm likely to give in or fall back on compensatory behaviours. I know what I need to do when I'm mentally or socially exhausted. And so on. I live a very conscious life. And that makes me resilient and enables me to achieve a great deal.
Elise: And that's what fulfilment means to you?
Crista: Yes. I do what I believe in, when I want to do it.
Elise: I struggle to relate to the idea of fulfilment. Everyone talks about it. But what does it actually feel like?
Crista: Good question. Emotionally, I feel stable. I no longer experience the major mood swings I used to have. Mentally, I feel clear. Spiritually, I'm connected to my sense of purpose. Socially, I'm surrounded by people who see me for who I am and encourage me to grow. I'm creative and able to make a difference. Physically, I'm healthy, sleep well and have plenty of energy. My life simply feels right. I'm in control of my own choices and guided by a clear inner compass. In short, I'm deeply and consistently happy, and content with my life.
And I love my work!
Elise: What do you love about it?
Crista: I love the deep conversation
In January, I spent two weeks working from the mountains. This flexibility and freedom of movement have become an essential part of my life (Zermatt, 2025)
I believe I can perceive people on a level of depth that they aren't always able to access themselves. By putting into words what I see, I bring the unseen into view, making it tangible and possible to process.
I also look for patterns that have been conditioned at a neurophysiological level. Breaking these patterns makes deep, and above all lasting, transformation possible.
Elise: That sounds fascinating. What do you wish you'd known earlier in life?
Crista: That I'm good just as I am. My younger self would probably have been blown away if she'd known that one day I'd be living the life I have today.
Elise: That's impressive.
Crista: Thank you.
Elise: Can anyone achieve this?
Crista: Yes.
Crista: Thank you, Elise, for these questions!