14th Baltic Sea Congress 2018

The High-Flyer – Dipl.-Psych. Rolf Schmiel in Interview

"15 Years of Preparation for the Career Leap!" - Diplom-Psychologe Rolf Schmiel in Interview"

Three years ago, hardly anyone in the speaker scene knew the Diplom-Psychologe Rolf Schmiel. Today, he is one of the most booked speakers at Speaker's Excellence. As a psychological expert, Rolf Schmiel can also be seen almost weekly on radio & TV, e.g. on BR3, Sat.1 & WDR2. In spring 2017, he presented the multi-part Sat.1 show "So tickt der Mensch" on Friday evenings at 8:15 pm alongside Ruth Moschner. In our interview, he reveals how he quickly went from a no-name to a successful speaker and prime-time TV expert. Speakers Excellence: To get to know you a little better, it would be great to know what you did professionally before you took off as a speaker and TV psychologist? Rolf Schmiel: After my studies, I was initially a research assistant at the Chair of Communication Psychology at Ruhr University in Bochum. Then in 1999, I became self-employed as a psychological business consultant and for a good 15 years, I was a jack-of-all-trades. With all the highs and lows you can imagine. Speakers Excellence: In your book "Senkrechtstarter," you talk about your successes from that time, but also about your biggest crises. What has shaped you the most? Rolf Schmiel: My near-insolvency in 2010 was really tough. What moved me the most were two of the most contrasting events imaginable: the end and the beginning of a human life. My father died on Christmas 2008, and a few weeks later, our son Leonard was born. In moments like these, I was able to recognize what is truly important for me. From that, I could gain special strengths that helped me a lot in overcoming my professional difficulties. Speakers Excellence: Surprisingly, not much was heard from you until the release of your book "Senkrechtstarter." You were neither seen on the big event stages nor had a noticeable presence in the media. What led to your career leap? Rolf Schmiel: Yes, one could almost say that I took 15 years to prepare for finally taking off! There might even be some truth to that. But the real lever came from genuine anger. The book "Senkrechtstarter," as you mentioned, was not an instant bestseller! It was more like shelf lead in bookstores that hardly anyone wanted. And that really annoyed me because there was a lot of heart and soul in that book! Speakers Excellence: Many people experience disappointments. Often they lead to giving up or complaining. But for you, it seems to have triggered something else. Rolf Schmiel: Believe me, I complained too. But after my phase of anger and grief, I thoroughly analyzed why my book didn't make it to the bestseller lists. In doing so, I came across a simple formula: Prominence beats competence. Often, the books that sell the best are those where the author was already prominent or at least regularly visible in the media. Nobody knew me! Speakers Excellence: And then you decided to change that, and suddenly we see you on TV on Friday evenings at prime time in a show with Ruth Moschner, Rainer Calmund, and other celebrities. Is it really that simple? Rolf Schmiel: It was anything but simple; it was hard strategic work. My goal was and is TV presence. But you can't just apply for TV. You have to be discovered for television. But I didn't want to leave this to chance any longer. So I devised a plan for myself that consisted of several stages and which I have been consistently pursuing to this day. Speakers Excellence: Is this plan a secret, or can you give us a glimpse? Rolf Schmiel: It's so simple that there are no big secrets. Diligent and disciplined work upwards are important success factors. If you look at the TV world, you can quickly discover that many have worked in radio before, such as Thomas Gottschalk, Günther Jauch, and also Ruth Moschner. So, I sent my expert comments on current events to radio stations throughout Germany weekly for several months. I was supported by a PR agency in this. And out of over 80 contributions, around 5% were very well received! This then led to intensive collaborations with several radio stations, including BR3 and WDR2. Speakers Excellence: In about 95% of cases, your contributions had little or no impact. That's not a particularly good rate, is it?! Rolf Schmiel: That's true, but it's also not a reason to give up. We often have too high expectations when it comes to our marketing! Scientific analyses show that a 1% response rate in marketing is already a real success. That's why it's important to keep at it. In addition to radio promotion, I also did traditional newspaper PR and was active on social networks. And each individual piece then led to my phone actually ringing on December 10, 2015. It wasn't Hollywood on the line, but one of the largest German TV production companies. They were looking for a psychologist for "So tickt der Mensch." Luck also played a part alongside diligence! Speakers Excellence: Apparently, it's the often-quoted luck of the diligent! But suddenly, things are not only going great for you in the media, but you are also a well-booked top speaker. As a speaker, you achieve top ratings and a 100% recommendation rate on the independent evaluation platform "ProvenExpert." In 2015, you also won the overall victory, the audience award, and the award of the speaker agencies at the "1st German Speaker Slam" at Goethe University in Frankfurt. Where does your speaking talent come from? Rolf Schmiel: Talent has little to do with it. Again, it's hard work and sometimes painful work. I have been giving public impulse speeches since 2005. But it wasn't until I started being coached by experienced stage professionals from 2013 that things started to click. In the coaching sessions, I often had to hear bitter truths that hurt. But beyond our pain often lie our greatest opportunities for development! Speakers Excellence: In our conversation, terms like strategy, discipline, and pain have been mentioned several times. But when one experiences you privately, you often seem very emotional and fond of celebrations. How does that fit together? Rolf Schmiel: That's true! I'm not an ascetic. I love "La Dolce Vita"! But the old sayings like "No pain, no gain" and "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" have their justification. Those who party all the time don't utilize their potential, and those who only work miss out on life. For a fulfilled existence, you always need "Yin & Yang" as well as "Light & Shadow." Only when we can embrace both - joy and pain - can we mature as individuals. Speakers Excellence: At the moment, you have every reason to celebrate because things are going really well for you. Where do you see your professional journey heading next? What are your next goals? Rolf Schmiel: I am very grateful for the wonderful time I get to experience. In the last quarter, I was mainly there for my family. And I am currently enjoying having a part-time job with a chief physician's salary. After a bit of a breather, which I believe is essential for survival, exciting projects with some celebrities are lined up in the coming weeks, and more concrete TV formats are in the planning stage. But I can't reveal more yet! Speakers Excellence: We at Speaker's Excellence are very pleased that you will continue to be a speaker at congresses and conferences. As an authentic role model who has overcome many setbacks and disappointments, you motivate the participants of your speeches sustainably and help them become high-flyers in their own industries. Rolf Schmiel: That sounds good! I enjoy doing that!   Experience Dipl.-Psych. Rolf Schmiel live at the 14th Baltic Sea Congress. 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