The three secrets of PhD Success

Create a Phd that fits your lifestyle and helps you build your dream career with our personalized programs!

Doing a PhD isn't rocket science. To finish it with ease and success you just need these three things :

A goal - so you know where you're going.
A plan - to accelerate your progress without exhausting yourself.
A support system - people who stick with you when things get tough and who cheer for you when you succeed.

No matter what it is that you need most - we've got you covered with our programs!

Get in Touch!

Have a question? Send us a message!

What's the story behind the name WiSible?

It's no secret that despite all the efforts towards equality and all the small and big wins, we - women in general and women in science in particular - are still facing obstacles and hurdles that make it way harder for us to succeed than it is for (white, cis-) men. And the system that maintains all these inequalities isn't gonna change anytime soon.So, if we want to thrive, we have to find our own way through it.One that focuses on collaboration rather than competition.
Mindfulness rather than hustle culture.
Balance rather than burnout.With WiSible I want to empower women to find their way to success, in academia and beyond.Because we have a right to be here, we have a right to succeed, we have a right to be seen, and we have a right to thrive as scientists and humans.

What exactly happens in the courses?

I'll give you a typical scientist's answer: It depends.The cohort courses address the needs of PhD candidates at different points in their journey."Become the CEO of your PhD" is for graduate students who are still at the beginning of their PhD and who want to make sure they set up the project so it brings them closer to their future career goals. To make sure that happens, we cover topics such as project management, goal setting, negotiation tactics (so you can convince your supervisor to let you do the things you want to do), habits for success, mindfulness and sustainability, and strategic networking."Ph*ing Do it!" is all about finishing the PhD. It’s a 90-day challenge that you do together with other PhD candidates with the aim to submit the thesis by the end of the program. Here, we have an intensive kick-off week with calls and exercises where everyone works out their personal finisher’s roadmap. After that, we get on weekly calls where we celebrate successes and solve issues that came up along the way. It’s a mix of hands-on course, group coaching, and peer support. Individual coaching is also available for issues that can’t be solved in the group setting
The courses are a mix of theoretical input and interactive exercises during and between live calls. Every now and then there will be live hot seat coaching for some of you and there will always be room to exchange with your fellow participants.
For every course you will be assigned a buddy or a support group. The women you are connected with are your accountability partners, rooting for you and making sure you stay on track.
Most people will thrive with the resources and support provided in the group programs. But sometimes, you may run into issues that cannot be solved in the group. For those cases I reserve a limited number of slots for individual coaching.

I’m interested in joining one of your programs but I can’t afford them. What can I do?

I get it.
Getting personal PhD support is not a small investment and it can feel crazy or impossible to spend so much money on coaching or a targeted course.But, I want you to consider this: Every month that you submit the PhD sooner, is a month where you will potentially earn more than you do now. Do the maths: How long would it take you to work in your dream job post graduation before the investment pays off? Probably it’s not that long.If you still feel, you cannot afford to work with me, please do have a close look at all the options I offer. If 1:1 coaching is not affordable for you right now, I’m convinced you’d still benefit a lot from one of the courses, and those are much more affordable. Plus, you get the added value of working in a peer group and connecting to likeminded PhDs.If you still feel, the investment is too big, get in touch with me. We can arrange monthly installments, we can discuss discounts if you convince a friend to join the course, too, and maybe there’s even the option that your university sponsors your participation. Let’s talk about it!

August 5, 2025

Issue 30: Plot like a novelist, write like a scientist!

““Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”- Stephen King

Last week I complained about how exhausted I was from my vacation. Although I wasn’t lying, I did have the time to read fiction for the first time in months.It was great!I love losing myself in stories and feeling with the characters. But even as I fully immerse myself into the story, my analytical brain can’t help but wonder how the writer manages to not get lost in their own story and tie together all the different plots, so they make sense in the end.When I was a kid, I used to think the story comes to the writer the same way it comes to the reader, that the author is on some kind of discovery journey and just writes down what happens in their imagination.And some do. Stephen King is a prominent example of authors who use this technique.But especially with the stories I enjoy the most - those that start with several seemingly disconnected plots but turn out to be highly intertwined as the story develops – “just letting your imagination take lead” and not get lost in the process seemed like an impossible thing to do.So, not surprisingly the so-called “pantsers” (because they write “off the seat of their pants”) are a minority.Most stories aren’t written in some continuous “stream-of-consciousness” process. They are in fact meticulously planned (“plotted”, in the virtual sense of the word) and only fleshed out after the author has a clear idea of the story they want to tell. This way, the author can develop the different characters and storylines and weave them together before they add the creative details that bring them to life and that make us readers feel like the story naturally developed itself.Now, chances are, you aren’t a fiction writer, and you might be wondering “what is she rambling on about again?!”. But as a researcher, you need to be a writer, too, and although you’re not primarily writing to entertain your readers, you do need to think about a way to keep them engaged if you want your science to have an impact. And the better you “plot” your writing the more effective (and easier to write) it will be.

This week’s spotlight: Why you should plot your scientific writing

Many scientists believe that “the science speaks for itself”. But that’s a lazy excuse for not trying to write for the reader. And it’s dangerous because it can seriously diminish the impact you have with your research!Yes, a paper is not a hero’s journey and not written for entertainment but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to try to please your reader.Even the most important idea needs to be told in a way that the reader stays interested and wants to learn more. Reading your paper needs to be pleasant, especially if the content is complex and difficult to understand.Experienced writers (of fiction or science) may be able to pull that off without a lot of preparation. But for most of us, planning what you want to say to make your argument interesting, and easy to follow makes the actual writing a whole lot easier and the final text way better.Here’s what I to write better research articles:I call this approach the sculpting method because like a sculptor I start with an undefined bulk of “raw material” and then refine step by step into a detailed and polished draft.1. Draft a basic outline.
I make a rough bullet point outline of what I want to say. In its first form, my outline almost always follows this sequence:
- What we knew before the research.
- What gap we identified.
- Why that gap is important to fill.
- What we did to fill it.
- What we found.
- How our findings change how we think about the topic now.2. Expand each point with supporting material.
Now, I collect points to make each of the above paragraphs stronger. This is typically the time where I spend a lot of time reading. But, and that is another huge advantage of this method, opposed to just reading until you “know enough to get started” (we all know this moment never comes), I narrow down my literature research to just the points I already outlined for my paper.
So, while I do read a lot and usually find additional relevant information I didn’t anticipate, my reading is targeted and the risk of drowning in literature gets significantly lower.3. Set up two working documents.
From this point onwards, I work in two separate docs (plus the reference manager). One contains just the outline with the bullets and will gradually evolve into the full draft.
The second one is a copy of the outline. Here, I collect relevant citations (and by that, I mean I copy the actual sentence(s) I want to refer to in my paper) for each of my bullet points. If something comes up that I didn’t have in the original outline but that I want to include, I add it as a bullet to both documents. I also add thoughts I want to use later in the manuscript.Importantly, I already work with a reference manager (I use Zotero) at this stage and link the copied sentence to their source! Trust me, it’s not a lot of extra work and it will save you a ton of time later!4. Review and revise the outline.
Time for a first internal review. With all the gathered info and new details, I have a critical second look at my outline:Does the argument still flow logically?
Is it clear and easy to follow?
Where am I repeating myself?
Am I opening new topics that might distract the reader from my main message(s)? If so, can I remove this information, and if not, where can I put it so it doesn’t destroy my flow (e.g., a box or even a figure)?I ask myself these questions and shuffle around the bullet points until I have an order that flows.5. Turn outline into prose.
Finally, it’s time to start writing. Which at this point doesn’t mean staring at a blank page but turning the raw material in your reference doc into continuous text, one bullet point at a time. Rewrite the points from the references you copied, so they become your language, and combine them with your own thoughts to make them original.You can work chronologically, or you can jump between sections. Just keep the outline as your “skeleton” and you’ll never get lost. Depending on the type of article you’re writing and the journal you’re going to submit to, you might even be able to turn some of your bullet points into subheadings – those will help the reader, too!6. Iterate.
Repeat steps 2-5, adding (or removing) details until you arrive at a draft you’re ready to share with your co-authors.What makes this method so useful:1. You can rearrange the story before you’ve written it – making changes easier than at a later stage when you’ve already invested in transitioning sentences etc.2. Each step in the process is an opportunity to get feedback. Discuss your outline with your supervisor or co-authors before you start reading and do another feedback round of the fleshed-out outline after the literature review.3. You’ll read way less! Reading up only on the topics you already know you want to cover saves you tons of time.4. You’ll write less. Because you’ll identify unnecessary detours before investing into them.5. You can work on different parts of the manuscript without losing orientation. If you don’t feel inspired to work on one section, just focus on another one. The outline will make sure you never get lost!6. If you take step 3 to heart, you will never waste time trying to find the obscure paper where you found a key reference for your argument (this alone should convince you!).7. Since you have the original refs next to your draft, it is easy to compare your writing to the wording in the refs and make sure you avoid plagiarism.

A quick exercise to try this week

Try this method on your current paper. Let me know how it goes 😊
Talk soon,Andrea

• Subscribe

July 30, 2025

Issue 29: I need a vacation to recover from my vacation!

“A walk in the park can be self-care but self-care isn't always a walk in the park.”

I just came back from our family vacation.Before we left, I was so looking forward to having two weeks to relax and recharge from a couple of intense months in my business. But as it turns out, a holiday with a toddler is much less about beach fun than about constantly searching for food, a quiet place to nap or a shaded playground, plus managing daily (and nightly...) tantrums.By the end of those two weeks, I was more depleted than before we left. I knew I had to hit pause.Unfortunately, that wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. Because in this case, hitting pause meant saying no to something and someone who means a lot to me.

This week’s spotlight: The uncomfortable sides of self-care nobody's talking about

I’ve always been someone who’s considered themselves resilient. I've been lucky to never struggle much with mental health, so self-care, in my mind, always sounded kind of fun.A day at a spa.
A coaching session where you get to envision for your perfect life.
A night out with friends.It never occurred to me that self-care can be hard.That it can be uncomfortable choosing to do something just for yourself even if it hurts others. That the measure you choose to take (or not take) might help relief your stress or overwhelm but at the same time trigger feelings like guilt, regret or even shame.In my case, I intuitively knew the decision I took was right for me.But it didn't make me feel better. Yes, I was relieved. But at the same time I was sad, had massive FOMO, felt bad I had let somebody down, and even was angry at myself for letting my exhaustion come so far I couldn't do the thing I cared about so much.What I’m realizing since is this: self-care isn’t always clean or comfortable. And it certainly doesn’t always feel “good.”We often think that if we make the right decision for ourselves, we should feel peaceful. Or confident. Or at the very least, better.But as it turns out sometimes the right decision still leaves you sitting with sadness, guilt, or regret. Those emotions don’t indicate you made the wrong choice; they just mean you’re human. You care. You’re complex. And that complexity is something I’m learning to make room for.Relief and regret can coexist. So can clarity and sadness. Saying no to something important doesn’t mean it wasn’t necessary. It just means it was important, and it hurt to walk away.I used to think emotional discomfort meant I’d made the wrong choice. Now I’m starting to understand that emotional discomfort can simply mean I’m growing.

A gentle prompt if you need one

Think back to a time you chose something for yourself - even though it was hard.
Can you let it be true that you did the right thing and that it felt uncomfortable?
Can you hold both?I realize this was more personal than what I usually share here, and only loosely connected to our usual PhD and work-life topics. But I decided to share it anyway because I think it matters that we talk about the messy, uncomfortable parts of life, too. Especially the ones we tend to hide.Talk soon,AndreaP.S. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or think you might be experiencing depression or other mental health challenges, please consider reaching out to a licensed psychotherapist or medical professional.

• Subscribe

July 22, 2025

Issue 28: You're working too much!

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction.”(E.F. Schumacher)

I'm currently working with an amazing coaching client. She's brilliant, curious, creative - and very hard-working. No wonder, she already has all the data she needs to write up her PhD papers. And she's only in her second year."Why does she need coaching then?", you may ask. And you're right. She doesn't need my support when it comes to organizing herself or to overcoming procrastination. She's struggling with the opposite problem."I think, I'm doing too much", she told me. "It doesn't feel healthy."I see it all around me. Brilliant minds, working their butts off, always chasing the feeling that they've finally done enough. Only that feeling never comes. So they hustle and grind, pull all-nighters and work through holidays. They intuitively feel that what they do isn't healthy. But they can't seem to stop.So, this week, I want to talk about a topic that may seem counterintuitive for a PhD career newsletter: How to do less. And maybe, hopefully, by the end of this read you'll feel that doing less isn't quite the opposite of progress.Let's dive in:

This week’s spotlight: Doing less is harder than it sounds

At first, it sounds easy, right?Just do less, what more is there to say about it?Sure, but if it really were that easy, how come everyone is always so stressed? In reality, there are tons of reasons, internally and externally that make us do more:FOMO
Lack of boundaries
Lack of focus
Expectations from ourselves or others
Notions of "success"
Competition and fear of "not making it"
(Biased) perceptions of effort and successes of others (grossly inflated by what we see on social media)
The list is endless.No wonder, so many of us hustle and grind even though they're already doing great and exceeding goals, and could well chill a little more. The consequences are well-known: Burnout, depression and other (mental-) health problems, abandoned relationships or "just" this nagging, unsatisfying feeling that this is not what we signed up for.So, how do we get out of this rut?First, it is important to understand the reasons why we feel that we always have to do more.
Probably not all of the reasons I listed above apply to you and for sure I'm still missing some but I'm sure that if you give it a little bit of reflection time you can find one or two that resonate with you.Second, those reasons are typically connected to certain feelings.
Whether you're worried about what other people think or you want to feel successful - what feelings do you hope to create (or avoid) by constantly overachieving? Maybe it's a longing for safety or being part of a group. Maybe it's your need to feel loved and the conscious or subconscious assumption that that requires you to perform in a certain way. Maybe it's good old FOMO and the fear that by not doing certain things you might miss out on stuff you might regret later on.
Take a close look at your reasons for hustling and ask yourself what feelings lie beneath them.Third, let's change direction:
All the feelings you might have come up with are valid. By making yourself aware of them, you can learn more about what you need. And once you've figured that out, you can start thinking about ways to satisfy those needs or feelings by doing only the things that are really important because they move you closer to an important goal and/or are aligned with your values.

A quick exercise to try this week

Step 1: Make a list of the tasks you feel you have to do.Step 2: Categorize them into two groups: tasks that truly move you forward (we'll call these "needle-movers") and tasks that satisfy the feelings you uncovered earlier (your "dopamine tasks").Step 3: Imagine for a moment that you'd stop doing the dopamine tasks: What positive feelings would you lose? What negative feelings would you be confronted with?Step 4: Look at the "needle-movers": How can you (re-)shape them so they make you feel better or less bad? In other words, what can you do so the needle-movers fulfill the purpose you currently get from doing the dopamine tasks?Here's an example:Let’s say your to-do list includes:Reading three new papers for your literature review
Rewriting a paragraph in your draft
Answering emails
Preparing a slide deck for a meeting next week
Checking Conference-Twitter for “what other PhDs are doing”
Here’s how you might categorize them:Needle-movers: Reading new papers, preparing the slide deck
Dopamine tasks: Rewriting the same paragraph, instant email replies, Twitter scrolling
Now you imagine cutting out the dopamine tasks. What feelings does that trigger? Maybe you feel anxious, like you're not hitting required quality standards or disconnected from your community, you or worry that others will think you’re slacking.
Next, you'd move to the needle movers and ask yourself: How can they help me meet my needs?Maybe the slide deck could be a space to feel creative and do my best?
Maybe instead of scrolling social media you could post one learning you took away from the paper you read (instantly connecting with your community AND showing that you've actually been working).I hope this helps and I really hope you're busy enjoying a summer of doing less to the fullest!Talk soon,Andrea

• Subscribe

July 14, 2025

Issue 27: Happy holidays!

I'm on holidays. For the next two weeks I plan on doing nothing other than exploring the beach and mountains of Northern Spain, maybe trying to surf (again), and spending lots of time with my partner, our little daughter and our friends.I will admit that it feels a bit scary.As a solopreneur there's always something you could/should be doing. It's a feeling that I know quite well from my PhD time.But as you know, I'm a huge believer that deep rest - not only the little break over lunch or the free weekend - is a key part of high performance. (Also, I just love time with friends, exploration and being outdoors too much to sacrifice it for work.)I really hope, you do the same!So, this week, there's no deep dive and no exercise. The only thing I want to leave you with for the week is this inspirational episode of the podcast "Good Life Project" where Jonathan Fields interviews DJ DiDonna, founder of The Sabbatical Project, about the value of stepping away from work for an extended period of time.https://www.goodlifeproject.com/podcast/dj-didonna-how-to-take-time-off-even-if-you-think-you-cant/?utm_source=chatgpt.comTalk soon and enjoy your summer,Andrea

• Subscribe

July 8, 2025

Issue 26: Feeling summer slowdown? Perfect time to reset your PhD (and your brain)!

“Summer time, and the living is easy"Porgy and Bess

Geez, time flies when you’re having fun. The first half of 20205 is already gone. What are your feelings about it? What where your highs and lows? And most importantly, what cool things are you looking forward to and what milestones do you want to achieve for the rest of the year?Maybe you read this, and you think „Ugh… Why is she going on about goals and milestones and achievements now? All I wanna do is survive the next two weeks before I can finally escape my hot, stuffy office and be gone for the summer.”I get it. In fact, I hope you’ll take some time off in summer (and next week’s issue will be all about breaks). But as a business owner, I learned that reflecting and planning is not only vital to keep track of operations and profitability but also to manage my energy and prevent burnout.So today, I’m gonna try and convince you to plan out the next quarter AND give you a simple step-by-step guide to reflect Q2 and plan Q3 (Q = business-speak for the second and third quarter of the year).BUT, I wouldn’t be me if I sent you off for summer with a super packed, stress-inducing to-do list. So instead of outlining objectives and key results (or manuscripts), we’ll do things a little differently.

This week’s spotlight: Summer planning for work-life-balance pros

Quarterly planning has long been treated as a corporate must-do typically involving lofty targets, dense Gantt charts, and overambitious to-do lists (and even if you’ve never stepped out of academia, I’m sure those sound familiar). But here’s the truth: Summer is ripe for reflection. Whether you're sitting under a pine tree chatting with colleagues at a conference venue or stretched out with a good book by the pool, this season invites perspective. The slower pace creates just enough space to pause, zoom out, and gently set your compass for the rest of the year.Think of Q3 not as a sprint but as a season to recalibrate – to allow for new ideas to flow and to align your focus, your energy, and your work with the version of yourself you’re becoming.In this spirit, here are four mindful planning approaches from creators and thinkers I admire, who are reshaping how we work and live a successful and healthy life.1. Amanda Goetz: Live seasonally“You don’t have to optimize every season. Some are for healing, some are for growing.”Amanda is unbelievable. As a single mom of three kids, she managed to build and sell 2 companies and is currently growing at least 3 different businesses at the same time. Although she strongly advocates for yearly and quarterly planning with clear and measurable goals and success indicators, she‘s also very vocal about the fact that no-one can work at full force without breaks.To make sure she balances phases of intensive work with breaks she has a system called 2x1: In short that means 2 days of intensive work may be followed by a day with lighter tasks. 2 weeks dedicated to a sprint goal may be followed by a week dedicated to reflection and recovery. 2 stressful months may be followed by an extended holiday.Of course, the exact balance of rest and hustle will be different for different people and situations and you’ll need to figure out what works for you, but you get the point:Long-term success isn’t created by grinding and hustling for months on end. It’s created by alternating seasons of work and rest.2. Justin Welsh: Focus on the essentialsJustin Welsh is an expert for LinkedIn growth and has scaled his one-person business to more than 10 million € of revenue in just 5 years. Maybe the person you imagine when you read this is a guy with a Rolex in front of a Porsche or sunbaking on a yacht.But that’s not what you’ll find.Just last weekend, he wrote in his newsletter that the (only!) three things he and his wife prioritize and will happily spend more money on are traveling, a good gym and good food. That’s it.Why?Because they value freedom and free time over status symbols. Instead of grinding to maintain (or build) an expensive lifestyle they want to enjoy what the already have.Now, I realize this example is probably quite far from your reality (and mine, for that matter) but you can translate it to a research career: What are the three things that really matter to you, in your life and career? And what do you need to do to have these? Maybe you don’t need the Nature paper. A more modest journal will do just as well and may save you from spending your summer at the desk. Maybe you don’t need to participate in the 5th conference this year. Some online coffee chats with the people you already have in your network will be enough to initiate collaborations or let people know you’re on the job market.3. Anne-Laure Le Cunff: Focus on steady input rather than on outcomes“Focus on what you put in, rather than the outcome” is the credo of neuroscientist and author Anne-Laure LeCunff. Her concept of “Tiny Experiments” replaces rigid plans with curiosity-led trials. Instead of saying “I will finish my thesis chapter by August,” try “I’ll write 200 words every weekday and see how that feels.” The emphasis is on learning, adjusting, and staying engaged. By making it a repeatable pattern her approach reduces the all-or-nothing mindset and help you make steady progress even when times are messy, and outcomes unpredictable4. What we can learn from all three: Value reflection over projectionAmanda, Justin and Anne-Laure all advocate for regular self-check-ins over long-term prediction. Whether it’s Amanda’s monthly mood check, Justin’s Friday business review, or Anne-Laure’s mindful journaling prompts, they all believe in regulary taking stock before charging ahead.The benefits of their approaches are clear:They’re built to adapt to how you feel, what your brain needs, and what your life actually looks like right now - especially during the summer season of sun, pauses, and possibility.

A (not so) quick exercise to try this week

This week, I want you to set aside 30 minutes to reflect and plan ahead:Step 1: Reflect (10 min)
Use the following prompts to check in with yourself:What am I proud of from the last three months?
What felt easy? What felt draining?
What’s one thing I wish I had done differently and what did I learn from that?
When did I feel most like myself?
Step 2: Set your intentions (10 min)
Instead of setting rigid goals, try setting themes or experiments:What do I want this quarter to feel like?
What’s one area of focus or curiosity I want to explore? Extra cookie points if it’s not work-related 😊
If I could improve just one system or habit, what would it be?
What’s one thing I want to let go of?
What’s one experience I want to make this summer?
Who do I want to spend (more) time with this summer?
Step 3: Make it tangible (10 min)
Turn your intentions into a light structure:What is 1 milestone I’d be thrilled to hit by the end of September?
What recurring routines or systems will support those?
When and how will I review my progress? (e.g., a 10-minute Friday reflection)
Bonus tip: Schedule a “reconnection check-in” with yourself mid-August to see how things are going.Talk soon,Andrea

• Subscribe

July 1, 2025

Issue 25: Who has your back (when your PI doesn't)?

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships."Michael "Air" Jordan

Last week, I had a "half-time" reflection meeting with one of my coachees. When we started working together, one of the things she struggled with was the lack of support from her PI to push her project forward. She’d ask him for advice on setting up her field experiment, and he’d reply with suggestions that didn’t quite hit the mark. She’d look to him for executive decisions, and instead, he’d respond with more questions."What did you do then?" I asked. "I solved as many issues as I could on my own. When I hit a wall, I brought what I had to our lab's statistician—and together, we found a way forward."Then she said, a bit frustrated: "I realize there are things in my PhD I can't expect my PI to decide for me."Fast forward three months: she’s just returned from her field campaign and tells me, "I had a meeting with my PI. He thinks I have enough data to write my three PhD papers and suggested we have weekly check-ins to tackle current issues, plus in-depth strategy meetings every 2–3 weeks to plan my career. I'm super happy!"So what changed in those three months?

This week’s spotlight: Anatomy of a success squad

Back in that winter conversation, when she was stuck and frustrated, she had two important realizations:First: She’s in charge. Her PI can advise on some aspects of the PhD, but he won't decide for her. This insight initially felt overwhelming—she said, “Well, that means I just have to do everything myself.”Then came the second realization: Her PI isn’t deep enough in the topic to help with every methodological question. But others around her are:The postdoc she's friends with who’s used the same method.
The professor who's a world-class expert and a potential collaborator.
The statistician who could confirm her approach and troubleshoot the issues she couldn’t solve alone.
Meanwhile, her PI can support her in ways others can’t:Framing her research to highlight its broader relevance.
Advising on long-term strategic career moves. When she asked for this kind of input, he was more than happy to provide it.
She went from thinking she had to do it all herself to realizing she was surrounded by people who could support her - each in different, valuable ways. Instead of relying on one person to fill every role, she now turns strategically to the right expert for the right issue.

A Quick Exercise to Try This Week

1. Think of your own PhD: In what areas of your project do you feel you're not getting the support you need?
2. Now look into your network: Who do you know who could help you when your PI can't? Maybe it's colleagues from the lab. Maybe it's a member of your PhD advisory committee. Maybe it's the author of a paper that's important for your project.
3. Speak to those people and tell them what you need.
Talk soon,Andrea

• Subscribe

June 24, 2025

Issue 24: Don't be too efficient. You might miss something important.

“Embrace what you don’t know, especially in the beginning, because what you don’t know can become your greatest asset.”Sara Blakely, Founder of Spanx

"Have a strategy! Know where you're headed! Stick to your priorities!"This is my mantra, the advice I give PhD researchers in all my trainings. And I firmly believe that it helps making the PhD smoother, easier and less stressful.But last week, while cycling home after spending the day with seven amazing young researchers who recently started their PhD it struck me that this advice is only half-true:A PhD isn't only about being super efficient all the time!
It's also a time for exploration. For finding out what you like (or not), what you're good at or what you still want to learn, for testing hypotheses, not only in research but also when it comes to who you are and who you want to be.Because most people, when they start the PhD don't know exactly where they wanna go in life and with their career. I for sure I didn't! And the PhD is a great time to find out!

This week’s spotlight: The value of taking chances

The thing with taking chances is: you can't know what it will do for you in every single instance.
But luckily, we have research to tell us how the habit of taking chances can positively influence the course of our lives:Cognitive science models (like reinforcement learning) show humans balance exploration (trying new things) with exploitation (sticking with what works). Sticking with what works is an important key to success but if we do it too early it may prevent us from discovering better long-term options.Exploration during "emerging adulthood" (roughly between age 18-29) - of work, values or relationships - is critical for forming a stable adult identity. The PhD years often fall into this phase, and having been an "older" PhD myself, I'd argue it doesn't suddenly become unimportant when you turn 30 :) (Jeffrey Arnett and others).We need to play different roles and take on different jobs to come up with a variety of "possible selves" - future identities we could adopt. The more often we try out new things the more data we collect to help us understand who we are and who we want to be (Markus & Nurius, 1986).*This is what the science says. But we can see it also when looking at actual (science) career paths:One of the most famous examples is that of Dr. Jane Goodall: The famous primate researcher started as a secretary with no formal training. Her chance to join anthropologist Louis Leakey’s expedition launched a career that transformed primatology. She took her chance. The rest is history.
What's maybe less widely known is that many Nobel discoveries came from unexpected directions. For example, the CRISPR-Cas9 breakthrough stemmed from microbiology research into bacterial immunity. It was curiosity-driven rather than application-driven.Big tech companies have understood the value of exploration, not as a "feel-good measure" but as a powerful way to boost their workers performance and their businesses' profitability. For example, Google allows its employees to spend 20% of their time on something playful or tangential. It boosts morale and occasionally yields unexpected breakthroughs or new passions.(Isn't it remarkable, that a company which completely depends on commercial success allows itself this "luxury" while in research where the work should be about creativity, exploration and trying new things, we spend so much time beating ourselves up for "not being productive"?)

A Quick Exercise to Try This Week

So, between papers and experiments, field work and teaching, allow yourself to explore. Do the exciting side project! Enroll in the outreach course even if all you do is basic research! Help a colleague in their field campaign, or their lab trials even if you're a modeler (or vice versa).Maybe you'll learn something about yourself that will surprise you.
And maybe that will change how you think about your career.Talk soon,Andrea

• Subscribe

June 17, 2025

Issue 23:  “Too emotional”? Or just misunderstood?

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”George Bernard Shaw, Nobel Prize-winning playwright

Yesterday I was in Frankfurt to give a workshop on how to write policy briefs. The group was incredible. Engaged, curious, and working on the most diverse and interesting topics, ranging from X-ray analysis of fossils and Van Gogh's paintings (what a combination) to gender violence in Mexico to ethical and political issues in the International Olympic Committee.One participant, a senior researcher who is working on security in the Arctic (i.e. how to keep Trump from occupying Greenland) told us that she repeatedly runs into problems when speaking about her research. Sometimes people mistake her stating facts as her own (controversial) opinion, sometimes she's told she cannot say certain things, sometimes colleagues or students tell her she's scary or "too emotional".Now, I haven't been in these conversations and haven't read her papers, so I can't tell where exactly those misunderstandings happen (she didn't seem overly scary or emotional to me) but it got me thinking about the way we communicate and how we can minimize the chances of being misunderstood.

This week’s spotlight: How to communicate better

We've all been there. We say something and the second the words leave our mouths, we realize they won't land right. Or we have this colleague who is the sweetest guy in real life but his emails are incredibly rude. We communicate all the time, yet we're remarkably bad at it. And that leads to all kinds of problems we wouldn't have if we just figured out how to do better.
The German Psychologist Fritz Schulz von Thun started studying interpersonal communication in the 70ies and his work is still among the most widely used in training, consulting, team building and leadership around the world. He has developed several models to support the perception and diagnosis of interpersonal processes and conflicts, and to trigger personal development.The following two are particularly helpful in understanding and improving communication:1. The communication square:This model, also known as the "Four-Ears-Model” or "Four-sides Model” assumes that whenever you communicate you do so in four different ways. Everything you say contains four messages whether you want that, or not:• a factual information (the matter you inform about)
• a self-disclosure (what you reveal about yourself)
• the relationship layer (what you think about the other person and how you get along)
• the appeal (what you want to achieve with your message)
These four layers, uttered by the "sender" reach the receiver via four different "ears".The four layers of communicationThe factual layer - focus on data and facts.
There are three important criteria on this level:
Is the information
• true or false
• relevant or irrelevant
• sufficient or deficient (does it provide enough context or are there other factors that need to be considered)?Here, the sender needs to make an effort to communicate the facts as clearly as possible. The receiver, listening with their "facts-ear" can use the three criteria to react adequately to the message.Self-disclosure - who's there?
Every time we communicate we share something about our personality - feelings, values, quirks or needs. This can happen explicitly in the form of an "I-message" or implicitly.While the sender, implicitly or explicitly, deliberately or unconsciously, shares information about themselves, the listener perceives: "What type of person are they?", "What mood are they in?", "What's going on with them?"The relationship layer
Here, the sender shares how they feel about the other person by choosing a particular formulation, tone, facial impression and body language. The receiver perceives those messages with their "relationship ear" and feels valued, dismissed, respected or disrespected, seen or ignored.The appeal layer
When someone decides to speak they usually want to achieve something. They share a wish, a request, an advice or an order. These appeals can be sent openly or explicitly. The receiver needs to decide: What should I (not) do, think or feel now?Misunderstandings can happen on each of those layers. Here's an example:A couple are eating a home-cooked meal together. The one who didn't cook says: "There is something green in the soup."Factual level: There is something green.
Self-revealing layer: I don't know what it is.
Relationship layer: You should know what it is.
Appeal layer: Tell me what it is!
Here's what the one who cooked might hear:Factual level: There is something green.
Self-revealing layer: You do not know what the green item is, and that makes you feel uncomfortable.
Relationship layer: You think my cooking is questionable.
Appeal layer: I should only cook what you know in the future!
They answer: "If you don't like the taste, you can cook it yourself."What can we learn from this?
As the sender: If you realize your message didn't land right, try to analyze where things went wrong. Your conversation partner's answer might give you clues. In the example, they make their response about themselves. That's a hint that the misunderstanding happened on the relationship level.As the receiver: Do the same. Before reacting ask a follow up question to find out what the real intention was and how to respond adequately.2. The Situation model:The situation model helps to better understand and shape conversations and meetings by analyzing four central areas:Entry channel (what led to the meeting):Meetings rarely happen by chance. It is important to clarify what preceded the meeting (invitations, preliminary discussions, assignments) and what prompted it.Topic structure:
This is about the content orientation: what topics are on the agenda? What is the aim and purpose of the meeting? The topic must fit the occasion and objective.Interpersonal structure:
Who is present, in what role, with what interest? The composition should match the objective in a meaningful way. Unclear roles or missing people can cause irritation.Output channel (goals):
What should the meeting achieve? There are usually different objectives. Clarity about the common objective - including what is not the objective - facilitates communication.What can we learn from this?When you prepare a meeting make sure you consider all of the above aspects. An agenda with a clear objective and topics are a great first step towards more effective meetings.

A Quick Exercise to Try This Week

Think of a conversation that didn't go as well as planned. Where do you think things went wrong. What could you do differently next time?Talk soon,Andrea

• Subscribe

June 10, 2025

Issue 22: Avoiding risk won't save you

No risk. No fun.

Every four weeks, I'm in charge of taking care of the horses that live in the barn where I keep my pony. That means that every four weeks, while shuffling massive amounts of poop from A to B, I have lots of time to listen to podcasts. And last week, when I listened to Jay Clouse's Creator Science podcast, photographer Chase Jarvis said something that stuck with me:"The same amount of shit goes wrong whether you play it safe or take risks."Wow.If that was true (to be fair, I haven't seen the evidence 😅), why do we shy away from "risk" so often? How do we decide what's safe and what's not? Is risk tolerance a muscle that can be trained? And what could we gain if we dared to fail a bit more often?Let's dive in:

This week’s spotlight: How to take more risks (and not die in the process)

Why do we shy away from "risk" so often?Our brains hate losing. Behavioral economists Kahneman & Tversky’s showed in their Prospect Theory that we feel the pain of loss roughly twice as strongly as the pleasure of gain. The “loss aversion” is so strong that it leads us to overestimate the downside of taking risks. This is especially true in situations where those risks might affect our self-image (e.g., “What if this talk flops?”).Reframe tip: Instead of asking "What could go wrong?" try asking "What will I miss out on if I don’t try?" This switches the focus from potential loss to opportunity cost.How do we decide what's safe and what's not?Turns out, what we consider safe, or risky is not so much dependent on the objective risk of failure. What is much more important is whether we feel psychologically safe. In other words, in environments where we trust that failure won't lead to social sanctioning, ridicule or punishment, we are more ready to give it a shot.Reframe tip: You can’t always change the environment, but you can create small pockets of psychological safety. For example, by teaming up with peers, setting "safe to fail" goals, or framing an experiment as "just trying something out."Is risk tolerance a muscle that can be trained?Yes!While risk aversion is partially wired (think: survival instinct) and a pretty stable personal trait, risk tolerance is influenced by experience, confidence, and mindset. Here’s how you can train it:1. Exposure therapy for your goalsIn psychology, exposure therapy is used to reduce fear by gradually introducing the scary thing in small, manageable doses. The same applies to risk: the more you try, the more confident your brain becomes that you’ll survive.2. Self-efficacy: the belief that you can figure things outResearch on self-efficacy shows that belief in your ability to influence outcomes grows with each success. And you don’t need to win big to train your self-efficacy. What matters is repeated agency.Ask a question at a seminar. Post a half-baked idea on LinkedIn. Request feedback before it feels "ready." Every little action counts and trains your confidence muscle.3. Cognitive reframing and identityStanford’s Carol Dweck (Growth Mindset) and James Clear (Atomic Habits) both point out that how we interpret failure determines whether we avoid risk or grow from it. A fixed mindset says: “If I fail, I’m not good enough.” A growth mindset says: “This is how I learn.”Start seeing yourself as someone who experiments. As a scientist this is probably already second nature to you. But maybe you can stretch yourself a bit and adopt this mindset also for experiments outside the lab.What could we gain if we dared to fail more often?Failing more doesn’t mean doing worse — it often means moving faster and learning more.Here’s what the literature (and lots of creative professionals) suggest:1. Faster feedback loopsIn product design, “failing fast” helps teams iterate toward what works. In your PhD, this might mean:- Testing a new way of outlining papers
- Sending that email to a potential collaborator
- Running a messy first draft past your advisor2. Desensitization to shameFailure is socially awkward because we tie it to our identity and self-worth. But people who fail more (entrepreneurs, comedians, artists) build emotional resilience by decoupling failure from shame.The more often you fail the less important is every single failure. Rather than a personal defeat failure becomes “data” that helps us become braver, more curious, more authentic, and more successful.3. New opportunitiesTaking a chance often opens unexpected doors:That side project no one asked for? Becomes your thesis chapter. That rejected abstract? Becomes a blog post that connects you to your next collaborator. That embarrassing early talk? Trains you for the keynote.Variability (aka trial and error) increases optionality and optionality is leverage.

A Quick Exercise to Try This Week

After I was done ruminating over what Chase Jarvis had said, I decided to create a "tiny experiment" to train my risk tolerance. This week, I want to invite you to join me in this challenge:For the next week, every time you catch yourself thinking "I'm scared to do this", "it's too embarrassing", "what if it doesn't work out", DO THE THING. Take (mental) notes of the outcomes of each risk you took and after a week, check what you learned. I'm doing it too, and will share what I learned in one of the next newsletters. Would love to hear how it goes for you.Talk soon,Andrea

• Subscribe

June 3, 2025

Issue 21: Wanna know yourself? Build a business

Building a business (or doing a PhD) is the fastest path to self-discovery

This week one year ago I delivered my first workshop as a self-employed trainer and coach for PhDs. And let me tell you, what followed was and still is a real rollercoaster.Countless learnings, unexpected successes, but also some failures, all kinds of emotions, often all at the same time - let's say, the past 12 months weren't exactly boring 😅!One of my greatest learnings is that, in many respects, starting a business is not too different from doing a PhD (or science in general)!So for today's newsletter, I decided to do things a little differently and share with you my learnings from 1 year as an entrepreneur.Things I would have liked to know before I embarked on this adventure, things the PhD prepared me for, and things I learned that would have helped me in my PhD.

This week’s spotlight: 12 learnings from 12 months of building a business

1. FOMO is a thing:
Choosing the entrepreneurial path (or any path really) means saying no to all the other options you might have, at least for now. Most days I love it, I'm proud of it and wouldn't want it any other way. But some days are different: I see an ad for a prestigious position and wonder if I would get it if I applied. I see former colleagues climbing up the career ladder in- or outside academia and feel like they're way more successful than me.What helps:Reminding myself that I deliberately said no to this type of career.
Comparing my situation to where I was a few years ago.
Reminding myself of the many people who tell me that they would never dare to do what I do - go solo.
And sometimes it's also just shrugging it off and focusing on the next thing ahead of me.2. Input is more important than outcome:
This is something I already learned in the PhD.
Lofty goals are great and can keep us motivated but often they don't get us through a slump. On the contrary, it can be super frustrating when you'r working your butt off but you can't really see yourself getting closer to your goal.
During my PhD it was the months and months of trying to get my code to run. Now, as an entrepreneur it's things like consistently showing up on social media, reaching out to potential customers (and yes, sometimes also writing this newsletter). You pour in a lot of energy and love (into the newsletter - not the code) without getting too much back. In those times, it is way more satisfying to look at what you've put in than to focus on the outcome. Because the outcome will come. But it may take more time than you were hoping.3. Ask for more than you think you deserve!
I wish I had realized this already during my PhD. You can't lose anything by asking too much (you don't really have anything to lose in the first place). And more often than not, you will get what you're asking for. Asking a big creator to promote my newsletter gave me exposure to more than 100.000 people. I didn't think she would do it. But she did. And even if she hadn't, all it would have cost me would have been 5 minutes of my time.4. Repeat yourself often!
We tend to think that if we keep saying the same thing again and again, people will think we don't have much to say (or that we're awkward weirdos). The opposite is true! People are way too busy thinking about their own lives to pay close attention to what you have to say.So if you have a message you want to bring across talk about it whenever you get a chance! Talk about your project in different conferences, even if you don't have new results! Make your point twice in a workshop if you feel it wasn't picked up!In marketing there's a rule of thumb that it needs at least seven contact points between a product and a potential customer before that person is ready to buy. So, if you want to "sell" something (an idea, your project, yourself as a future employee) make sure you make yourself seen!5. You don’t always notice the impact you have
Most of us are out there because we want to make a positive change in the world.
As researchers want to do research that expands human knowledge or helps making the world a better place, as an entrepreneur I want to create services that improve the lives of people. But impact is not an easy thing to measure. In research it often takes years before a discovery is mainstreamed into application. In business it takes a lot of upfront effort before you see any tangible results.But sometimes, if you put yourself out there, if you share your journey, your struggles, your learnings, your failures and successes, someone will be inspired. And sometimes, if you're lucky, they will tell you.I had PhD students and PostDocs approaching me in conferences telling me how useful they find my posts (I had only just started with social media). I have people asking me how I manage to do it all (I don't) and what steps are needed to start a business (no clue, I'm only just figuring it out). I'm not saying this to brag. My point is, no matter how much you may be struggling or how loud your impostor is yelling at you, there will be someone who is inspired by your journey and who can learn from you. You don't need a Nobel Prize to have an impact.6. Role models are important and dangerous
When we set out to do something new, we often have someone we're somehow chasing. Someone who's already achieved what we're trying to aaccomplish. Maybe it's our supervisor, maybe a PhD colleague who is a step or two ahead of us. This can be great. A role model shows us what's possible and we can learn a lot from their journey. At the same time, role models are incredibly dangerous.Why? Because we tend to only see the successes.We see 8 published papers in a year. We don't see the night shifts, the burn out and the fear of dropping out of the leaky pipeline of academia. We see huge business revenues. We don't see the broken relationship, the sleepless nights worrying about "the economy", the missed parties or family trips.
Role models are great. But they're not the measuring stick you should use to estimate your worth.7. Everything is a muscle you can train
As researchers we are used to things coming relatively easy to us (otherwise we wouldn't have made it into a PhD). What we're less used to is having to put in the work to get good at something. At the same time, that is an incredibly important success factor whether you're doing the PhD or building a business (or attempting anything that is "hard"). And while I'm a huge advocate of leveraging your strengths, the PhD and the business building have taught me time and again that you can learn anything (even coding as someone who almost failed maths)!
All it takes is commitment and a good strategy.8. It’s impossible to have it all figured out from the start.
Learning how to learn, or even more importantly, knowing you can learn is vital. And if there's anything to take away from a PhD it's that!9. Investing in mentors can be a real game changer
This is one thing I wish I had realized already during the PhD. A PhD can be lonely, building a business certainly, too. But there are mentors out there and it's ok to lean on them. Maybe you find them in your network and that's great. If not, it is also ok and a good investment in yourself and in your future to pay for them!But this advice comes with a cautionary note:Not every mentor, every course, every book works for everyone. And there are also a lot of scammers out there (trust me, I've paid some of them). When choosing to get support, do your due diligence and find the right person (or thing) for you.
Also, and even more importantly, don’t mistake buying courses or mentorship for progress. It’s only worth it when it leads to implementation (which is why I love implementation challenges).10. You won’t always love every step of the way but it’s ok if you love where you’re going.
Who hasn't experienced it: You think you want the PhD, the career, the business but then you find yourself dreading going to work. The monotony of lab trials. The physical pain during field work. The throwbacks during data analysis. Even the dreamiest of all dream jobs will sometimes suck. That's ok. But only if you know what you're doing it for.You don't? Well then it's about time for some serious reconsideration!11. Not having immediate results or successes does not mean the path is wrong.
In science and business it is the rule, not the exception that stuff goes wrong. You could almost say, it's a built-in design feature. Failing is an important part of the process because it helps you pinpoint where exactly the problem lies. And sometimes it requires a couple of attempts to realize where the bottleneck is and how it can be dissolved.12. It’s a journey to yourself
This is so cliché but it's true. There is no more effective way to face your fears, your areas for growth, your insecurities but also to discover your courage and your strength than attempting to do something as hard and unforeseeable as a PhD (or building a business).And regardless of the outcome that alone is worth the journey!

A Quick Exercise to Try This Week

Take a few minutes to reflect. What are the greatest learnings you take away from your PhD experience so far?Talk soon,Andrea

• Subscribe