In this episode of Mentor Up, I’m sharing the recording of a live talk I gave at the SIBB Female Founder Event in Berlin.

It’s not a how-to guide or a glorified success story. It’s real talk about what it actually means to be a nomadic founder: 9 years of bootstrapping my company ZALOA Languages — until forming a strategic partnership with one of our biggest clients who later became our investor.

I also reflect on my own path — from being born in Germany to living in different countries since 2007 — and what it feels like to come full circle, speaking as a founder in my home country again.

📝 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review — it really helps others discover Mentor Up.

LINKS

Follow me on Instagram and LinkedIn for more Real Talk about Life as an entrepreneur.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/anja_from_alemania/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anja-from-alemania/

Come to a Female Founder Talk in Berlin at the SIBB:

https://sibb.de/en/sibb-eventseries/

What does it take to scale a business to $100 million — and what if the biggest thing holding you back is you?

In this episode, I sit down with Dan Roitman, the entrepreneur who turned Pimsleur into a $100 million product and the #2 language learning brand in the U.S.

We talk about the mindset shifts needed to grow past $1M, why most founders never manage to scale, and what it really takes to build a business in the era of AI. Dan shares practical insights, bold decisions, and the unfiltered truth about what drives companies to high growth.

And at the end of the episode, in the Real Talk segment, I open up about why I believe I’m currently the bottleneck in my own company — and why I’ve decided to take time this summer to go deep and work on that.

LINKS

Follow me on Instagram and LinkedIn for more Real Talk about Life as an entrepreneur.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/anja_from_alemania/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anja-from-alemania/

More about Dan:

Follow Dan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danroitman/

Dan's company to empower human innovation creating a brighter future for kids: https://mindfinity.com/

Launching something new is never easy — but launching a completely new product while running an already successful business? That’s a whole different game.

In this solo episode, I’m sharing the honest, behind-the-scenes story of the launch of our new technology last week. From rebuilding our platform while still supporting thousands of users, to navigating shifting timelines, stretched teams, and tough decisions — I take you inside the chaos, the clarity, and the lessons.

You’ll hear:

• What made this launch so uniquely challenging

• The biggest mistakes and turning points along the way

• Why staying the same became riskier than starting over

• And 5 practical tips for founders preparing to launch (or relaunch) their own product

If you're building something new — or thinking about it — this episode is for you. No filters. Just real talk.

LINKS

Follow me on Instagram and LinkedIn for more Real Talk about Life as an entrepreneur.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/anja_from_alemania/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anja-from-alemania/