Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Nadja Hirsch, Founder and CEO of Institute for Climate Psychology, located in Munich, Germany.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I founded the Institute for Climate Psychology. We consult and advise our customers on how they can make use of psychology in order to succeed with their climate projects. Climate psychology deals with the perception and behavior of people in the context of the climate crisis and their commitment to climate protection. What keeps people from climate protection, and how can they be motivated to act? Imagine you have a great innovation, but none of your employees or customers use it because they have to change their daily routines.
We support our clients in successfully mastering the green transformation with psychological knowledge. Often it is obvious what needs to be done, but the "old rut" is simply stubborn. This happens when there is still a discrepancy between "want to" (attitude) and "actually doing" (behavior).
👉 This is where we come in and support our clients in making sure that their offers are actually used. In this way, our customers successfully achieve their sustainability goals.
Tell us about yourself
I have three great passions in my life: politics, psychology, and sustainability. I wanted to work in a job that combines all three topics and where I can really make a difference. And so, after many years as a member of parliament and a psychologist, I took the step of founding the Institute for Climate Psychology. It is a very specific topic, but one that can change a lot. Technology will help us deal with the climate crisis, but it won't work without taking human behavior into account.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
A great achievement is to see the nods of approval turning into shining eyes when my clients begin to understand what is possible when human behavior is taken into account in their projects. So I am happy when I can create a win-win situation: my client is happy, and we contribute to saving the climate.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The most challenging part about being an entrepreneur is that you have to make decisions even if you don't have enough information. So overthinking could become a real burden, and it will get you stuck. First, you have to learn to make decisions and then find a mode for yourself to implement review processes. This way, you can make decisions and still stay in focus.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Focus - Take time to strategize and get clarity and focus. There are so many good (and bad) possibilities outside of how to grow your business. Choose one and implement it. For sure, if it doesn't work, you have to go for a new strategy, but be patient. There is no way to fix everything in one month!
- Stop chasing the shiny objects and focus on the revenue-generating work in your business!
- Passion! Being an entrepreneur means that you struggle a lot at the beginning. If you don't love what you do, you will give up.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://institut-klimapsychologie.de/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nadja.hirsch
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nadja.hirsch/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nadjahirsch
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadjahirsch/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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