Ketchup or Mayonnaise?

That simple question has been one of the hardest in my life.

And somehow, it became a symbol for facing my fears.

It’s the question my husband always brings up when I’m standing at the edge of something new and scary in my business.

I was 19 when we met. We worked together in a small Imbiss, selling French fries. And of course, fries need ketchup, mayonnaise—or both.

I remember feeling insecure, too afraid to ask customers what they wanted. I’d freeze, and it often caused stress behind the counter. But the more I pushed myself to ask, the more confident I became.

Little by little, I turned into a mini entertainer at the front desk—asking questions, making jokes (usually about myself), and chatting with strangers.

When I think back to that girl, I feel incredibly proud.

She didn’t give up. She stretched her comfort zone—one small step at a time.

That girl helped shape the woman I am today.

Of course, life and business still throw challenges at me. But I’ve learned to face them differently.

This week, I made a bold move. At least, it felt bold to me:

I decided to relaunch my German Substack publication.

You might not know this, but I had already built a German newsletter over the course of a year. Then I deleted it when I launched my new English Substack, thinking I couldn’t manage both.

But over the past few weeks, something kept calling me back.

I had all the usual doubts:

– What will my readers think?
– Will they still trust me?
– Am I being flaky?

Then I took some quiet time to reflect. And I had a breakthrough.

I realized: these were just thoughts—not facts. Just stories my brain was telling me.

And I reminded myself:

I’ve learned so much since then.

Substack has also evolved, with better tools to build a true community.

I finally had a real concept (thanks to Veronica’s amazing course—I highly recommend it!).

And I felt ready.

So I got to work. Within two days, I had my new German publication up and running.

I sent an announcement to my old German subscribers through my Kit account. I simply explained what I was doing, why I was coming back, and how this will help them move closer to their dream of financial freedom.

Guess what?

Even though they didn’t have to re-subscribe, ten people did—right after that email.

So often, we build worst-case stories in our heads before we even begin. We convince ourselves it’ll go badly—without ever testing reality.

And what actually happens?

Most of the time, not what we feared.

Some people might unsubscribe. And that’s okay. I’m not for everyone.

I can only offer my version of "French fries with ketchup or mayo."

But I’ll never know how people will respond if I don’t offer it at all.

So why not try?

I’m not perfect.

Yes, I once deleted my German Substack.

And now, I’m starting it again.

That’s not failure. That’s growth.

Cheers,

Katja

P.S. Want to see what I’m building now?

​Read my latest post​
​Check out my new German publication​
​Take the course I recommend — it’s a game-changer.

​
​