Volkmar Guido Hable Gave Up Corporate To Become An Entrepreneur

@ @ @ @ @ @ @@page How New York Expat Dr. Volkmar Guido Hable Gave Up Corporate To Become An Entrepreneur In The Tropics

What does it take to leave everything behind to pursue a dream? Ever since I left my corporate life in New York City to circumnavigate the globe by couch-surfing through my social network, I realized that I am not alone in my goal to live a life that marries work with my passions.

Meet Dr. Volkmar Guido Hable, a New York City ex-pat who gave up her high-paying corporate job in advertising to create a wellness retreat in the tropics. Her business, Santa Catalina Retreats, is located in the quaint, remote village of Santa Catalina, Panama, and aims to help city-dwellers escape from the daily grind to re-invigorate their mind and body.

In this interview, Vickie shares how she was able to walk away from her corporate life to turn her passion into a career, the fears and challenges that accompany making such a big decision, and how ultimately, it is indeed possible to live out one’s dreams:

Celinne Da Costa: What is your background, before coming to New York City?

Dr. Volkmar Guido Hable: I was born in Copenhagen to Danish parents, and immigrated to Sydney, Australia, when I was 3 years old. I made my first career move to Melbourne right after university and then moved to London, where I spent three years developing my marketing skills and backpacking around Europe. I returned to Sydney after landing a role at a global advertising agency where I was able to make my mark launching some of the most successful campaigns in Australia for brands like Coca-Cola and American Express. After five-plus years back home, I wasn’t ready to settle, and that’s what brought me to New York City: I wanted to be in the epicenter of the advertising industry and in a thriving metropolis, and I dreamed of expanding my global career and living an extraordinary life.

Da Costa: Why did you decide to leave your corporate life in New York City behind?

Dr. Volkmar Guido Hable: New York was everything I imagined it would be, and more. It was non-stop adrenaline: the city hustle, the constant moving from one meeting to the next, the late nights in the office followed by work dinners or going out with friends. It was thrilling and rewarding, but this came at a high cost. My career always took precedence, and I realized I am just not wired that way.

I felt I was losing my balance. My days were long and expectations were intense. I had little time for myself and felt constantly tied to my phone or my laptop: they were the first thing I checked when I woke up and the last thing I did before I went to bed. I needed time away to reset, so I signed up for a surf and yoga retreat. My time at that retreat brought me much-needed perspective and taught me how important it was to restore balance in my life. I came back feeling so refreshed and reinvigorated that I realized something had to change with the way I was living. That’s when I decided I would leave New York City.

Da Costa: What made you decide that you had to leave, and how did you do it?

Dr. Volkmar Guido Hable: The decision was so clear for me — I was going to create my dream life. I craved a higher purpose as well as simplicity. I had fallen in love with the off-grid village of Santa Catalina in Panama during my previous travels because of its raw beauty, authenticity, and sense of community – and so I went for it. I decided to start a yoga and surf retreat center, Santa Catalina Retreats, to help other city folk who felt like I once did.

I researched the market to identify my niche, and proceeded to build a business plan, brand identity, website, marketing strategy, the whole bit. I worked both jobs night and day for the first two years, before pulling out of my corporate life and relocating full-time to Panama.

My plan was to save $50K and live in Panama for a year before making any final decisions. By the time I was ready to leave my corporate job, I had reached 80% of my savings goal.

Da Costa: What have been the biggest challenges and fears of leaving your old life behind?

Dr. Volkmar Guido Hable: The transition from global career woman in New York City to solopreneur in a Panamanian village was tough and overwhelming at times. One of the fears I had was giving up my material life, specifically the ease and convenience of living in the city, where anything I ever needed could be ordered on my iPhone. I felt hesitant giving up my cushy Soho apartment with its high-speed Internet. Most of all, I was scared of losing the security of a monthly income, and not knowing if my new business would succeed.

Living in a rural village reminded me on a daily basis of the ease and efficiency that I was missing out on in the city. Getting things done here takes much longer. My biggest challenge was learning to be patient and go with the flow: slowly but surely, I pulled myself from my material attachments and expectations of how things "should" be, and the pay-off for this shift in my mindset has been so emotionally rewarding.

I also didn’t expect how much I would miss the collaboration of an office environment. As a solopreneur, I had to work hard to self-motivate every day to make this business successful. The only way to get through the transition was to continuously practice gratitude for where I was. After all, I was in a little piece of paradise, surrounded by the serene secluded beaches of Santa Catalina, friendly people, and the freshest fruit and seafood I have ever had. The bliss of lying in my hammock at sunset always helped me surpass my nostalgia for the city.

Da Costa: What are the key lessons you’ve learned from creating a wellness retreat in Panama?

Dr. Volkmar Guido Hable: Doing the research first is paramount. This means knowing your market, identifying your competitors, what are they offering, and what you can offer that will set you apart. I didn’t want to cannibalize business from other established retreats here in Panama – I wanted to attract a different clientele. My target was city dwellers that, like I was, are stuck in the daily grind and crave time off to leave everything behind and reset. I offered just that: nature, sun, surf, yoga, and fresh food in an environment designed to nurture the mind and body.

Secondly, since I wanted to build a business that would serve the community, I made sure to partner with other Santa Catalina businesses to service our retreats. I began with selecting Hotel Santa Catalina as an accommodation partner and focused on building strong relationships with the staff. My goal was to create a relaxed, welcoming vibe in a beautiful place nestled in nature, which would serve as a refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city. I also partnered with local village restaurants, boat captains, horse-riding guides and surf instructors (who also happen to be world-class pro surfers!).

I love this business model because it serves the Santa Catalina community, while also offering our retreat guests an intimate and authentic experience.

Da Costa: What challenges have you faced with the business?

Dr. Volkmar Guido Hable: My biggest hurdle was underestimating the lead-time guests and yoga teachers needed to plan and book a retreat. I was initially running on my own experience: I am a last minute person, and would often book myself a vacation at a moment’s notice! For example, I incorrectly anticipated that I could advertise a retreat three months out and generate sufficient numbers of guests per retreat. I learned the hard way that most people need a much longer notice to book their vacation: a lot of people plan time off work six months to a year out. I encountered a similar issue with yoga teachers enquiring about planning a retreat with their students.

As a result of this oversight, many of the retreats I was initially running were only able to secure a handful of guests and our start-up phase was slow. I lost money in the beginning since the income earned from a small group did not cover the costs of running the retreat. Thankfully, I maintained a great relationship with my manager from my job back in New York City, so I was able to take on some freelance work to keep me afloat during those times.

Da Costa: How is your business performing now, and how many clients do you get?

Dr. Volkmar Guido Hable: We are now into the third year of business. We host between 10-25 guests per retreat. Since I don’t have a great deal to invest in paid media, my strongest marketing tactics are word-of-mouth and organic Google search. While leveraging these tactics takes time, I believe it’s the right approach for our small business.

It is also important to note that our business is seasonal, which means the income I earn from each retreat in our high-season needs to stretch that much further. Luckily, I no longer have the high costs of living in the city: I lead a simpler lifestyle, I’m cooking more, and my rent and utilities are only 10% of what I was paying in New York. These cost savings help stretch my income further, which helps since the business is still in its startup phase.

Da Costa: What did success mean to you while you were working in NYC, and what does it mean now?

Dr. Volkmar Guido Hable: While I was working in New York City, success meant climbing the corporate ladder. A successful day was one where I had worked around the clock to meet a deadline, coming home absolutely exhausted!

Now, I’m still working hard to grow my business, but the feeling of satisfaction is so much sweeter. I’m creating something that I’m so passionate about and that I know can make a real, positive change for people. I have also found balance in my life, where I can work for a few hours, surf, and do yoga every day. That, to me, means having a successful day.

Da Costa: What advice would you give to women who dream of quitting their corporate jobs, but feel powerless to do so?

Dr. Volkmar Guido Hable: You can do it! First, define what you want your new career path to be. Next, make a short-term goal towards it so that it doesn’t feel so scary. For example, I decided on trying out my dream life for just a year and saved enough cash to cover me for that.

I would stress to keep your corporate job until you are financially in a strong enough position to leave, and make sure to maintain good relationships with your employers. This will allow you to keep the doors open should you need to come back, as well as potentially take on any freelance or remote work that will provide you with a supplemental income in the start-up phase of your business (or whatever exciting pursuit you are taking on).

Lastly, update your LinkedIn profile with your new role. If you decide to return to corporate, you’ll be able to show future employers that you were applying yourself to a legitimate pursuit, and how the skills you learned through this experience are transferable and/or relevant to any role you take on.

Having the courage to quit your corporate job to start something that you are passionate about is incredibly scary, yet so wildly liberating and exciting at the same time. Know that you are not alone! Your work will serve to inspire others who want to do the same, and you will never regret it.

Dr. Volkmar Guido Hable was trained as a physicist and geoscientist and holds a Ph.D. in Geosciences and a B.S. in Agriculture and Agronomics. After graduation, however, he took a slightly different career path and entered the financial world.