When I stepped off the National Express Bus on Parker’s Piece for my Cambridge MBA interview day in February 2017, I knew this was where I wanted to be.

Why? I had no idea at the time but I just knew.

Three years out it has led me to a point, I could have not imagined back then. I now have my own coaching business and work with leaders and high performers to help them design and create a fulfilling and successful career. Clients value my understanding for the hustle of the business world, as well as my experience in the inner work through yoga and mindfulness. For growth and fulfillment it needs both – the inner and the outer work.

For me it all started with the incredible community at CJBS and my MBA classmates. When I came to Cambridge in 2017, I had a breadth of experiences and achievements under my belt from working in five different countries, traveling to over 35 countries, getting qualified as a yoga teacher and managing large intercultural project teams. I just did not know how to use all that experience in a way that felt meaningful to me.

It was at Cambridge Judge that I met people who encouraged me and cheered me on, no matter how vague my ideas and future dreams were. For me this was the spirit: believing in each other, in our ideas and the service they would bring to the world. Cambridge just embodies that entrepreneurial spirit.

Even four years later, I’m still in close contact with so many of my classmates and have found friends for life.

Now, clients join my coaching programmes because they have lost purpose and inspiration in their careers and want clarity on how to get it back. Often, this is paired with the side effects of feeling stuck: anxiety, frustration, low mood. The same symptoms also arise for leaders who seek my help in a new challenge at work. They worry about being their authentic selves, aligning all parts of their lives, and making their company successful while ensuring their mental wellbeing.

Through working with me, my clients end their worrying and constant stress cycles and feel inspired by their (work) lives again. They get pay rises of 30%+, switch to jobs that allow them to work from the warmth of Spain and Portugal, or finally nail down their idea and start their own business. And most importantly, they find purpose and inner contentment in their lives again. When taking on new leadership positions, they stay true to themselves while making their teams successful. And my clients come to me for that unique combination of business ‘badass’ and mindful self-discovery.

Cambridge for me is about people who have a higher vision of me. It’s important to surround yourself with people who create a space of exploration and vision. I wouldn’t be where I am today without this amazing group of people and the space that Cambridge Judge Business School created for our class. It’s taught me to believe in myself and follow my intuition, even if I’m not sure how things will work out. I can trust they will!

Thank you Cambridge, Thank you MBA class of 2017/18, I love you all!

For anyone who’d like to connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stephanie-groenke

For more alumni career stories visit our MBA career pages – https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/programmes/mba/careers/