Tell me a little bit about yourself.
Deborah Koehler: I am in the prime of my life, putting all my life experiences together to do the impossible. Living in Kathmandu for 3.5 years and running my own business that provides an income generated in internationals sales into the hands of the people that labor to produce the products.
What’s unique about the service that you provide?
Deborah Koehler: Traveling to and living in Nepal for 25 years, as well as working outside of my own culture has made be astute to cultural dynamics and my communications skills help me to facilitate new transactions. I am accepted on both sides of the transactions.
What do you observe most people in your field doing badly that you think you do well?
Deborah Koehler: I don’t assume I know.
What’s an accomplishment that you are proudest of?
Deborah Koehler: That I have lived an interesting life way beyond my expectations
How do you integrate your personal and professional life?
Deborah Koehler: I keep in touch with my friends 100% of the time.
What’s a major regret that you’ve had in life?
Deborah Koehler: None
What are five life lessons that you have learned so far?
Deborah Koehler:
- Feel the fear and do it anyway
- I will understand sooner or later
- Life is like water, impermanent
- I need empty space in my life.
- Being loved by someone keeps me young
When you have some down time, how do you spend it?
Deborah Koehler: Writing reflective emails to friends
What process do you use to generate great ideas?
Deborah Koehler: Mind mapping, talking over my ideas with others, ask myself what I do know, not what I don’t know.
What’s your favorite quotation and why?
Deborah Koehler: They have varied: I find them I put them up on my computer. My current one is “Security is an illusion.”
How do you define success?
Deborah Koehler: Wanting to get out of bed every morning to embrace the day.
In your opinion what’s the formula for success?
Deborah Koehler: Doing the best you can with every opportunity you are given.
Which one book had a profound impact on your life? What was it about this book that impacted you so deeply? Did you have an emotional or intellectual attachment to this book? Why?
Deborah Koehler: What had a more profound impact on my life was being without books and learning to deal with the empty space where I could not occupy or distract my mind with a book.
If you were stranded on a deserted island, what are five books that you would like to have with you and why? Summarize the book in two sentences.
Deborah Koehler: I would not take a book, but I would open my life to a monk’s life and being present to the gift of the absence of everything and be present to the senses.
Have you read any books that inspired you to start a business, service or invent “something”? If yes, which book?
Deborah Koehler: I believe my brain seeks integrative thought – so a book would likely cause me to link to another idea. Now I am reading Water for Elephants and love the vitality of the mind of the 93 old narrator. He writes about how his life in the assisted living home is designed to render him mindless. It makes me think about how there are many structures in life that remove the grains of sands that could inspire us all.
What one music CD and movie would you like to have with you (on the deserted island) and why?
Deborah Koehler: None: Don’t want the distraction.
If trusted friends could introduce you to five people that you’ve always wanted to meet, whom would you choose? And what would you say to them?
Deborah Koehler: I have met many famous people; I would just be present to what is in the moment.
What excites you about life?
Deborah Koehler: Coming up with new models that make business possible that incorporate and respect the obstacles.
How do you nurture your soul?
Deborah Koehler: When I can, I will trek and I will walk for 12 hours a day, and completely exhaust my mind and body so that my soul can soar.
If you had a personal genie and she gave you one wish, what would you wish for? Or, if I gave you a magic wand, what would you use it for?
Deborah Koehler: The elimination of human greed and that we each seek to make another’s life easier.
Complete the following, I am happy when…
Deborah Koehler: At the end of my day, I can say I did the best with what I was given.
Which aspects of this interview can you apply to your situation? What do you have to add to the conversation? Let's keep the conversation flowing, please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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