“I’m fascinated and inspired by women who, having established themselves in one arena, dare to pivot toward uncharted horizons. It takes courage to start from scratch and embrace uncertainty. I appreciate the anxiety of that one decisive moment, a dive off the cliff without a guarantee of the reserve chute. The stories accompanying the switch may be sorrowful or happy but almost always the leap proves gratifying and impactful. I had a WOW realization moment while chatting with our waitress in the small Austrian town of Wagrain. It soon became apparent that she was also the owner, not just of the restaurant but of the entire hotel complex, consisting of the series of chalets.
Ms. Carina Neumann built everything from the ground up, dealt with staffing, construction and management. A hospitality entrepreneur, a boss and a creator of jobs, Carina also enjoys working at the restaurant, feeding tourists and chatting with the regulars. Interest in people probably comes from her background in clinical psychology, continual fascination with people and years of learning about what makes them tick. I respect Carina’s ambition, her drive to absorb new skills and fearlessness when facing an entirely new set of career challenges. Carina’s success is a testament to her unwavering sense of self, her willingness to draw from diverse sources of strength, including her background in clinical psychology and business education. Indeed, Ms. Neumann’s story serves as a beacon of hope for all who aspire to chart new paths for themselves through continuous reinvention.”
- Olga Shmaidenko, Founder of WOW Woman.
Psychological Entrepreneur, Business Owner, child Clinical Psychologist, Wagrain, Austria
1. Name.
Carina Neumann.
2. Where is your hometown?
My hometown is Flachau, a small town in the Austrian state of Salzburg. I now live in Wagrain, and have been here for ten years.
3. What is your profession/career/title/self-label/designation? What does your average day look like?
My career path has not been linear, that’s for sure. I worked as a child psychologist for five years, then in 2016, my partner Manuel and I decided to focus on our passion project, building and running an upscale hotel and a restaurant in the lower slopes of the Grafenberg peak in Austria. We named it “The Prechtlgut” (which translates into English as “Pretty Good”). With this effort, my career changed and I now call myself a “Psychological Entrepreneur“.
4. What did you study in school?
I studied Psychology as my first career, then Food & Beverage Management which is needed for my current line of work. I’m also a sommelier.
5. What was the journey like to get where you are (in life and career-wise)? Write about some of the achievements that you are most proud of. What was the moment for you that changed your life (in your personal life and/or career?) that set you on the current path in life?
When I was younger, my dad became ill - that was the time I realized my own strength; I managed to study for my courses in a very efficient way, took care of my family, was in politics and was able to study music (at that time I was a music teacher for several years). I then finished Masters of Psychology degree and started working in a child psychiatry field. I learned again about strength and willpower from the kids I worked with. They inspired and empowered me daily.
I hesitated before taking a leap to become an entrepreneur, I was not sure I’d be able to commit 100% to a totally new line of work. So, in the first year, I carried on with both, my psychology business as well as management of the chalets. Six months into it, I was burned out and exhausted, doubting very much that I could handle it going forward. There always comes a moment in life when you have to decide which path to take, to give up or strengthen yourself and continue doing the best you can. I thought of all my life experiences, my father’s sickness, my grandmother’s death and all the stories I heard from the kids in my psychiatry practice, I remembered that every new path in life leads to new challenges and goals. So I made a decision to change my life totally. I quit my psychiatry business and was now 100% in the hotel business. I learned and studied everything I needed to know to start a new business and lead a team, I searched out my weaknesses and worked on improving myself. Everything that looks easy now is the result of truly hard work.
I am proud that I didn’t give up but instead said to myself: “It is hard NOW, you have to learn a lot NOW and you want to give up NOW but what happens in a year, in 10 years? Giving up is not an option, you will learn and you will improve!“ I am proud that I faced these obstacles, jumped into the cold water and learned how to swim. I am still learning something new every day, I am my own boss, I never stop growing and seeing how my work positively impacts others.
I think it is harder to be a woman in this business. Although Austria is perceived as a progressive country from the outside, a woman is not always seen as a leader or an achiever but primarily as “the wife of“. This has always been and continues to be hard for me to face and accept; it’s my next challenge to overcome and conquer.
6. How is your life different from what you pictured at 20?
At 30, I pictured myself as a mom with two kids, living in my own house with a garden - a typical Austrian idea of a traditional life. I am happy that it is different now.
7. Was there a time when life knocked you down or out and how did you get back up on your feet?
Life didn`t knock me out just once. When I was 17, my father was diagnosed with end-stage cancer. I felt like my world broke down. I was in my last year of high school, it was my graduation year. A year later my beloved grandmother died on cancer. My father is still fighting. I think that was the hardest point in my life but I found solace in music and in my studies. I love to learn new things and always did so I always set myself some goals I wanted to achieve to come threw the day and I got help as well. Because you don`t need to always manage everything on your own.
8. Advice for other women?
Start to think of possibilities outside the box, don’t set too many boundaries for yourself especially when someone else discourages you. Try, fail and try again.
9. Knowing what we know now in a current political climate, can women be "all that we can be" in today's world? What is the way forward, as you see it, for "feminist values"?
We have more opportunities today than women had years ago, but we still have a long way to go. It is harder for women to be seen as bosses, women put in more effort to be seen in those roles than men. It’s true, we do have better shot at being “all that we can be” but all the opportunities and chances may be affected by child-rearing and caring, the bulk of which falls on women. The care system for children is not set up in an ideal way, to ensure that those women who want to return to work full-time or start a business are set up to do so. Is it possible? Yes, but it is still harder for women than men; women are “härter im Nehmen“ as we say in German, which simply means “tougher”.
10. Where in the world do you feel “tallest” (i.e. where is your happy place)?
When I sit in a helicopter and fly over beautiful mountains, everything seems so small then and my problems become less important.
11. What extracurricular activities/hobbies are you most proud of?
Learning Dutch, playing music and singing. I got to sing at the “Festspielhaus Salzburg“ once, a Grand Opera Hall in Salzburg.
12. Have you travelled solo?
To be honest, I’ve never travelled alone but not because I didn`t want to, I think I was a bit of a coward earlier.
13. What do you want to be when you grow up? Future goals/challenges?
I want to be a mom someday and be a role model for my daughter. I want her to know that doing things “as they should be done” is not always the best way to go when you try to achieve all the things you’ve imagined for yourself.
14. What fears are you still hoping to overcome?
In recent years, I've dedicated myself to personal growth, yet one lingering fear persists: the thought of losing someone dear to me. Paradoxically, I'm reluctant to conquer this fear as it serves as a poignant reminder of the invaluable presence of family and friends around me.
15. Anything you'd do differently, if you had another go at life?
I would definitely have more free time and perhaps would be living in Australia, working for Doctors Without Borders (Ärzte ohne Grenzen).
16. What/who inspires you?
I have immense respect for women who exhibit the courage to assert themselves and advocate for both their own rights and those of other women. Their fearlessness in expressing their opinions is truly inspiring.
17. What are you hopeful about?
The belief that one can always find a way to carve out their own path in life.
18. What are some ingredients to a good life? How did the global pandemic change your perspective about the world, about your life, your goals and dreams?
Gratitude, Love and Joy and not taking yourself too seriously.
The pandemic showed me how egoistical our world can be. Many people just look out for themselves or feel jealous of other people’s efforts, without having their own ambitions. I realized that the social construct we are living in is very vulnerable.
The pandemic also showed me, that you can live a good life without having “everything“. Little things suddenly became more important.
19. What are (at least) three qualities you most love about yourself and why? What are your superpowers?
patience
enthusiasm
curiosity
inner strength
diverse interests
20. What advice would you give your 14-year-old self? What advice would your 14-year-old self give you in return?
My advice to her: Choose your friends wisely and have faith in your abilities.
I think she would tell me to take more time to do things for myself, be patient with self and others.
22. What are you reading now? (what books do you gift most and what are your favourite reads?)
At the moment, I’m reading “Before We Were Yours“ by Lisa Wingate as well as books of Steven Hawking. I am interested in diverse topics, that’s why my book genres vary quite a bit.
23. Who is a WOW WOMAN in your world who inspires you and why? Can you nominate three (or more) women you know who perfectly fit WOW WOMAN description? What would you tell them, if you had an opportunity, about why you admire them?
My Mom is a WOW WOMAN – she managed to raise two children, took care of husband and her mother and never seemed to stop smiling.
I could nominate more women who go through life as their best selves, doesn’t matter what others say, they don’t give up even though it is hard, they stand up for themselves and for others and never loose sight of their dreams.
24. Where can others find you/your work (links to websites, blogs, etc.)?
My chalet: prechtlgut.at
My restaurant: prechtlstadl.at
Instagram: @bergdorfprechtlgut
Bonus Quick Round Qs:
1. What and who is worth suffering for? Your family.
2. What would you do if you knew that nobody would judge you? I would say whatever is on my mind, for a day.
3. Who is/are your mentor/s (men or women)? My partner, Manuel.
4. If you didn't have to work anymore what would you do with your days? I would never want to stop learning. I think I would study something new and I would travel the world.
5. If you could be anyone for a day who would you be? Myself at 80, just to hear what she would say.
6. If you could relive one year in your life, which one would it be? The year when I was 16.
7. What bothers you most about people? What do you love most about people? It bothers me when people fear telling the truth or standing up for it. I love when people have the mental strength to see the happy moments in difficult times.
