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From Corporate to Entrepreneur: Barbara's Journey of Transformation and Leadership
I believe strongly that to grow, you have to be brave and willing to step out of your comfort zone.
Navigating uncertain terrain between established corporate roles and entrepreneurial ventures requires courage, vision, and calculated risk-taking. Barbara’s remarkable journey—from her European roots to building multiple successful businesses in the United States—exemplifies the power of embracing transition rather than fearing it. Her story offers valuable insights for professionals seeking to redefine their career paths beyond conventional boundaries.
The Beginning of a Transformative Journey
Born and raised in a small town in northern Bavaria, Germany, Barbara’s story starts with her family background. Her parents were immigrants from Czechoslovakia who had to start over after World War II. They taught her values that would influence her approach to work: diligence, reliability, and practicality.
“I have been raised based on the values of working hard, showing up, and dedicating yourself,” Barbara explains. These principles guided her early professional path, which began at a small insurance company in Germany before moving to marketing roles in publishing and technology.
Her career eventually led her to positions with Dell Computer and IBM. What began as a typical corporate path took an unexpected turn when a professional assignment brought her to Atlanta, Georgia, instead of the European headquarters in Paris that she had anticipated.
Finding Purpose Beyond Corporate Success
Barbara’s move from corporate work to entrepreneurship didn’t happen overnight. While working in corporate roles, she maintained side projects that gave her different experiences.
“In addition to my corporate work, I always had a couple of things I did on the side, non-competitive to my main role,” she explains. After the Berlin Wall fell, she volunteered with the Chamber of Commerce, traveling to Eastern Germany to provide basic business education to new entrepreneurs. This volunteer work showed her she enjoyed teaching others.
A turning point came after Barbara took time off when her son was born. When she returned to her corporate job, despite receiving a promotion, something felt off: “I didn’t feel that was my place. I’m such a doer, and I wanted to see the impact.”
This led her to accept a severance package and try something different, starting with real estate investment. She then moved into renovation and property flipping, and later started “Design to Sell,” an interior and home staging company that’s now run by her team.
The Courage to Change: Lessons from Barbara's Transformation
Barbara notes that changing from corporate work to entrepreneurship takes some courage. “You don’t know what comes next,” she acknowledges, describing her approach as taking “calculated risks.”
For others thinking about similar changes, she points out that transitions can be gradual: “It does not always have to be that you stop and quit and jump. It can be done in a smoother transitional way.”
From her experience growing businesses, she shares several observations:
Her approach to business growth reveals key insights about entrepreneurial success:
Financial understanding matters: “The knowledge of financials plays a major role. There’s a lot of creativity and passion moving the needle, but it’s also important to understand how the numbers work.”
Business growth happens in stages: “The hardest part is hiring your first employee. Then you’re coming to that next growth level. You’re often hitting another ceiling when you reach around one to one and a half million in revenue.”
Take action despite uncertainty: “You may not always have everything planned out before you do something. There has to be a point of action”
Breaking the Perfectionism Barrier
Barbara addresses perfectionism as a common obstacle, particularly for women entrepreneurs. “You don’t have to know 100%. It’s OK if you just know 65 to 70% of what is expected… perfectionism is really hindering us to grow and expand.”
This perspective is relevant in a professional environment where imposter syndrome and self-doubt can create barriers. Barbara puts it simply: “It has to be good enough and go.”
She believes in learning through experience, suggesting that skills can be developed along the way rather than mastered beforehand—an approach she’s had to practice herself.
Building Meaningful Connections for Business Growth
When it comes to networking, Barbara focuses on finding meaningful connections. She tries to identify potential partners who share similar goals rather than just pursuing transactional relationships.
“I feel it is important to see where you align in your vision and mission, and where it is a partnership versus just a transactional ‘this is the price, you’re getting the service, and we’re moving on,'” she explains.
If you want to grow find partnerships where others also like to grow and those partners will see value in a relationship. That is powerful.
Her approach to building professional relationships includes:
- Being specific about who she wants to connect with
- Looking for less competitive market spaces
- Providing value first and understanding others' needs
- Building relationships where both parties desire growth
She notes that quality often matters more than quantity with business relationships: “In a lot of businesses, you might not need hundreds or thousands of clients. It’s that hundred or 250 who will make you very, very successful.”
The Discipline of Growth: Habits That Drive Success
When asked about the habits that help her maintain productivity across multiple ventures, Barbara’s answer is refreshingly straightforward: “Consistency and a schedule of repetitive tasks that drive results.”
She acknowledges the challenge of avoiding “shiny object syndrome” and maintains discipline through:
- Regular exercise and mindful nutrition
- Using down time and travel time to consistently be learning by listening to audiobooks
- Finding creative ways to achieve goals within budget limits
- Consistently keeping track of results
She also challenges herself to learn new skills regularly, even when it feels uncomfortable.
Beyond Business: Vision for the Future
As her career has developed, Barbara has become involved in speaking, writing, and advisory work. She has contributed to five books, including collaborative projects like “Real Women in Real Estate” and “Powerful Female Immigrants.”
Writing about her experiences wasn’t initially comfortable for her: “For the longest time I did not want to tell my story… But it was actually very healing and allowed me to overcome some of these mind blocks.”
Looking ahead, Barbara hopes to serve on paid advisory boards where she can help other businesses while using her experience. She’s interested in team-building and making positive impacts on communities through her work.
The Power of Discomfort and Continuous Learning
One habit Barbara has developed is deliberately trying things outside her comfort zone. “One of my routines is to be uncomfortable—do something I never have done before and consistently stay in the learning path,” she explains.
She tries to learn at least one new skill each year. She shares an example of taking singing lessons to perform at her mother’s birthday celebration, despite being nervous and finding it challenging: “I couldn’t eat. I was not really enjoying the whole celebration because I was so nervous. Because singing is not really in my wheelhouse.”
Last year, she created her “60 for 60” project – sixty new experiences to mark her sixtieth birthday. She methodically challenged herself, tackling activities she had previously never tried.
“It’s not only an experience, I’m learning a new skillset”
Barbara tries to focus on the present rather than dwelling on the past or worrying too much about the future: “We spend so much time either in the past or what maybe could be somewhere in the future, but I want to live in the now.”
Embracing Freedom and Possibility
In her current phase of life, Barbara has chosen “freedom” as her guiding word for the year. It influences her choices and professional direction.
“My word of the year is freedom,” she mentions. “Freedom to think outside of the box, be comfortable to be very uncomfortable… and challenge yourself.”
Her transition from corporate work to entrepreneurship shows how career changes, while sometimes challenging, can open new possibilities. Barbara’s experiences suggest that being willing to learn and adapt are important skills in today’s changing work environment.
For those interested in connecting with Barbara or learning more about her work, she can be found on LinkedIn or through her website at barbarahers.com.
Barbara’s career path demonstrates how professional transitions, while not always straightforward, can lead to new opportunities and personal growth for those willing to step outside their comfort zones.
Barbara (Bosslady) Heil-Sonneck
Let’s Collaborate for Impact and Growth” Opportunity Architect and Connector – Real Estate & Investments – Nonprofit Focus for Social Impact – CEO and World Traveler.
With over two decades of management experience and a focus on real estate investments, I am dedicated to driving community impact in all my endeavors. This commitment has led me to my current roles as a General Partner in multifamily real estate syndication and an Advisory Board Member in 2 companies.
At the heart of my professional journey is a commitment to strategic wealth building and empowering others through my expertise in organizational setup, fostering growth, and innovative thinking.
In my advisory roles, I leverage my knowledge to tackle operational challenges, teambuilding, collaboration and focus on investor relations.
If you would like to connect with Barbara you can find her at www.BarbaraHS.com or on LinkedIn: Barbara Heil-Sonneck
Her books are available on Amazon at:
Watch some of the clips from Barbara’s interview:
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