Fired to Fabulous: Romana's Unexpected Twist Pt. 3
Losing a job can feel like a punch in the gut, but for Romana Hasenöhrl, it was just the nudge she needed to pivot her career. After getting unexpectedly fired from a top broadcasting gig at 44, she faced a choice: wallow or rise. Spoiler alert: she chose to rise! Romana shares how this shake-up opened the door to self-employment, turning what seemed like a disaster into the best decision of her life. We chat about her journey from cab driver to journalist and how a little Volkswagen adventure played a role in her new path. So, buckle up, because this ride is all about embracing change and finding freedom!
Pack your bags, folks, because we’re taking a quick trip into the world of travel! Forrest and Romana are here to chat about the thrill of hitting the road and the beauty of exploring new places. We dive into how travel can turn your life upside down in the best way possible, especially after unexpected twists like losing a job. Romana shares her journey from being a cab driver to becoming self-employed, all while figuring out how to embrace freedom on the move.
Transcript
Pack your bags, let's take a ride.
Speaker A:5 minutes flat and we'll explore the wide with forest.
Speaker A:Kelly, it's travel time.
Speaker A:It's the best five minute travel podcast.
Speaker A:Let's go.
Speaker B:And next to that I have a.
Speaker B:I had a job as a.
Speaker B:Hey, what do you call that?
Speaker B:We call them mobile, you know, on playgrounds where kids are in.
Speaker B:In parts of the city which are not that rich.
Speaker B:Not you need social workers being there.
Speaker B:So that's what we did.
Speaker B:We went to the playgrounds, played with the kids, listened to their troubles.
Speaker B:Things what I wanted to talk about.
Speaker B:That's what I did as a job.
Speaker B:After the three years, when I was finished with my studies, I thought, oh my God, I'm not a teacher.
Speaker B:Not because of the kids, but because of the parents.
Speaker B:I decided that I wanted to carry on studying journalism and politics and become a.
Speaker B:A journalist, a writer.
Speaker B:And then I realized that this was not possible to be combined with the work on the playgrounds.
Speaker B:And so I went and got my, my cab license and worked as a cabbie four nights per week, 12 hours per shift.
Speaker B:And the rest of the time I slept at university.
Speaker C:Financial wise, finance, you know, that was economical.
Speaker C:Yeah, yeah, you weren't wasting your money.
Speaker C:So you did that a while.
Speaker C:And then, then fast forward to when you were 44 years old, what happened then?
Speaker B:So in between, of course, I finished my studies, I stopped being a cab driver and I worked for the largest broadcasting company in Austria.
Speaker B:So I got that job every student who studies journalism wants.
Speaker B:And when I was 44, I got fired.
Speaker B:And that was absolutely unexpected for me.
Speaker C:It wasn't something you did, it was just reorganization through the company.
Speaker B:It was part reorganization and part of me.
Speaker B:You know, I never hold back when something is happening, which isn't fair.
Speaker B:I always tell my truth.
Speaker B:I'm an old warrior.
Speaker B:So the new boss didn't like that very much.
Speaker B:He wanted to like get rid of me, to show the others.
Speaker B:Okay, if you do that, you know, stand up, then that's what's happening.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker B:So after 17 years I got fired.
Speaker B:And I was devastated because in my dream life I had expected staying there for the rest of my life until I'm retired.
Speaker B:And so I had to reorganize myself from zero.
Speaker B:It was not possible to find another job in the media sector because they all wanted newbies, right?
Speaker B:Cheap employees, of course.
Speaker B:And then I decided to become self employed.
Speaker B:And that was the big best, best, best decision I, I could have made.
Speaker C:Once you get over the shock, you're probably thinking why didn't I do this sooner?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:But imagine it took me two years to realize that now that I'm self employed and I'm working, I just need a computer to do my work.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I can work from everywhere.
Speaker B:So it took me two years to realize that I could grab my Volkswagen.
Speaker B:I've got a Volkswagen and it's her 40th this year.
Speaker C:Now when you say 40 years old.
Speaker C:Volkswagen van.
Speaker B:Yeah, van.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:So you call it.
Speaker C:We don't call it what you call it in America.
Speaker C:We don't call it that.
Speaker B:Yeah, because the word is not a nice one in America.
Speaker B:In, in the German language it's bully.
Speaker C:B U L L I.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And that comes from bus.
Speaker B:The bo is from bus and the le is from leverwagen, which is just van.
Speaker B:So they put.
Speaker B:Because you can use it as both.
Speaker B:You can use it like as a van or as a bus for nine persons if you want.
Speaker B:And that's how the name was born.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So there's.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:So the van is 40 years old.
Speaker C:Have you seen the new electric van that Volkswagen has?
Speaker C:The electric thing?
Speaker C:That's almost $100,000.
Speaker C:It's very nice.
Speaker B:I mean, it looks nice.
Speaker C:Oh, yours is.
Speaker C:I saw the pictures on the web.
Speaker C:Yours is very nice too.
Speaker C:You've made it your home.
Speaker B:Yeah, I.
Speaker B:And I did a lot.
Speaker B:I got it very cheap.
Speaker B:I did a lot of restoration work with all, you know, getting rid of all the rust and stuff.
Speaker B:That was a hard, hard journey.
Speaker A:We've touched down and landed.
Speaker A:The episode's done with five quick minutes of travel and fun.
Speaker D:This is your channel speaking.
Speaker D:We have touched down.
Speaker D:That completes this episode.
Speaker A:Join Forest Kelly for the next big show, the best five minute travel.
Speaker A:Let's go.
