In an interview, presenter Carola Ferstl talks about the hurdles in the male-dominated financial world, how you can be married for 20 years without stress and why her children were always worth the “career kink”.
What is going through your head on the 30th anniversary of your career?
So I have to honestly say that it’s a crazy feeling. The time went by insanely fast.
Can you remember the first day?
Yes, I started in August 1992. Hundreds of kilometers of cable were laid and we took autograph card photos on the roof next to the large satellite dish.
You moderated a travel program at the time …
That’s right, and I’ve been away a lot and often very far, and once I flew to the Caribbean with such a small rattle machine.
… where a wonderful love story awaited you …
I arrived at this lovely hotel in the evening and met a young man who said he lived on the island with a dolphin. I lost my heart straight to the man, not the dolphin. Of the however, later, whenever we went swimming together, she became very jealous. The dolphin kept pinching me and got really beastly.
What became of the love affair?
Well, he lived between the Caribbean and Hawaii and I was in Berlin and Hamburg. We are no longer in contact today, but I did actually help him get his memoirs published in Germany ten years later.
Today you write books about the stock market, stocks and finance yourself. How did that happen?
In the beginning I had to assert myself quite a bit. There were many voices that said they don’t even know what it’s about. And then all the gibberish listed on the stock exchange, today one would call it bullshit bingo, that is, all these technical terms. Back then I made a virtue out of necessity and said I’d explain it to the station now, just as I would explain it to myself. Away from technical jargon. That gave me a lot of security.
And suddenly you had your first own show – until today. Was there a headwind back then?
Oh yeah!
By women or men?
At that time it came from men, quite clearly. There were only men in the business. They thought there was a woman who would take our job away from us. I really had to fight my way through it, it was awful. But I also had great supporters who helped me get through this time.
And what did that do to you? Such experiences can be painful…
Since then, I’ve known that I can trust myself to do anything. I think it was like a kind of resilience – that period of being unwell. Women tend not to do things because they think they can’t. But I always say go ahead and figure it out how you do it And then you have to manage to overcome this phase of discomfort – and then at some point it will be over! Whether you want to be a football reporter, an astronaut or a racing driver. While you’re studying, you don’t feel safe. But if you can, you’re safe!
What has changed after you married your husband Anton, a lawyer, and had three children, Leonard, Lilly and Georg?
For a job like the one I have, you have to have the right man and the right help. I had both: the man who supported me so that I could continue working and a nanny who helped me when shift work came. But of course I also reduced my working hours and had to cut corners. After a child you say okay, now she has a child. After the second child, the environment says two children, really? And with the third child you say okay, she wants children, not a career, that’s out.
Nevertheless, child and career worked for you…
Yes, but we still have to change the mindset of society. What about the women who continued to work, about their careers, about their knowledge? What about the women who are then around 50, who are fully involved again and in some cases are even better educated than before they had children?
child and career? Or child and career break?
In my case, I didn’t move to Cologne when the broadcaster moved and stayed here in Berlin with a reduced contract, and then you were left behind a little. So – children and career break! But – now after 20 years I would say – children are the best career killers.
And today? Thanks to triple kids coaching, you are now also successful on all social media. Your kids introduced you to YouTube…
Yes, at some point my daughter said that her fellow students saw me on TV and said why I don’t have a YouTube channel. I have one today and it works. I also got help and support and I’m totally grateful that my children haven’t left me in touch with the digital world – quite the opposite.
Is that why your children learn how to handle money?
All three children have had depots for a long time and my daughter had the Best Performance Depot and was able to buy a nice watch when she was 18. And otherwise I just teach the children that you have to be creative and should always try something new.
How do you manage your own money?
I don’t like to spend money that much, and certainly not on clothes or luxury things. But I like to earn money, like to save and like to invest money. What I treat myself to are nice vacations, I still love to travel. (laughs)
Do you and your husband have separate accounts?
We have and have always had separate accounts and then of course the common money for everything that we need as a family.
They have been married for almost 20 years. How Does Your Marriage Look As A Stock Price?
Ups and downs and lots of learnings. Today we both know that it is important to give yourself freedom and that in a long marriage everyone has their freedom. This is a recipe for success for us, to stay together for a long time and to live together as equals.
How do you tick as a couple?
It’s like that with us, I’m a lot funnier than my husband is. (laughs). He is very happy to be here in Berlin, where our base is. And I can’t imagine staying in one place for more than four weeks. And if you allow yourself this openness, even in a long relationship, then that is exactly the secret to being successful over the years.
What is your vision?
My vision is to become a digital nomad and, for example, to drive through Europe in a camper van. I just want to be able to go to the places I like and do my business and social media from there. Anything is possible today with technology.