If the internet is considered a true innovation of the 20th century, social networks should be perceived as a real revolution. They represent almost limitless opportunities, and their invention has seen the arrival of a new generation of digital entrepreneurs: Discover Morgane Schaller, a talented digital Business Coach and a passionate Travel Blogger. Morgane Schaller has travelled the world for more than seven years, sharing her passion for travel, encounters and experiences. Less than two years ago, she started a career as a business coach, allowing her to share her expertise. It thus helps the future generation of digital entrepreneurs to get off to a good start. Despite her busy schedule, she agreed to play the game of our exclusive interview.
LuxuryActivist (LA): Dear Morgane, you are from the Swiss Jura, Rebeuvelier, I think. How would you explain your region to someone who does not know it?
Morgane Schaller (MS): That’s right. I was born in Moutier (a town which is now part of the canton of Jura), originally from Rebeuvelier and all my family still lives in Jura. It is a region of “Bon vivants” where everyone knows each other, very nature and terroir oriented. There are magnificent places to discover, such as St-Ursanne, a medieval city “in its own way”, which notably inspired the designer of The Lord of the Rings (John Howe), the pastures of the Franches-Montagnes, the Abbey of Bellelay or the Rochers des Sommetres.
LA: What do you keep, in your heart, from your origins, and why is it interesting to be Swiss in today’s world? Do you think you have a particular look at the world around you?
MS: I was fortunate to have grown up in contact with many different cultures. It should not be forgotten that in Switzerland, there are almost 40% of foreigners, which allows you to have a remarkably open outlook on the outside and adapt very quickly to cultural differences. At the age of 15, I was already confronted with bilingualism since I followed my higher education in Biel and half of the students in my class spoke two languages or even more. Living in Switzerland allows you to have an international experience without leaving the country, which is fascinating. It is an absolute wealth of which we are not sufficiently aware as Swiss but which takes on its whole meaning when we travel and discover the world.
LA: In 2017, you left the world of watchmaking and your comfort zone to devote yourself to writing, photography and travel stories. What happened? What reason brought you to such a change?
MS: I guess I never really “fit into the mould”. Company codes have always bored me very quickly. I have known mobbing, toxic bosses, oversized egos, and sexism… the perfect cocktail to disgust you for life with an employee position. Anyway, I was too dreamy and too ambitious to settle for five weeks of vacation a year and a salary whose growth was limited to the goodwill of my superior.
In 2017 I was already very active on social networks; I earned some money as a content creator alongside my job – but not enough to live off of it. I had the project to quit my job, travel for six months and then… we would see. Except that nothing went as planned. The friend I was supposed to travel with dropped me at the last moment, and I found myself backed up against the wall. I went to the United States for a month and started as a freelancer in content creation and writing articles for my travel blog. In less than a year, I matched my employee salary while living the life I had always dreamed of.
For the little anecdote, it took me more than a year to be able to contribute to the AVS (the central pillar of retirement pensions in Switzerland) and be recognized as self-employed. The canton of Bern did not recognize content creation as a profession, while I had income and many customers. I finally had to go to their offices in Bern to explain how I made a living so that they would accept my contribution.
LA: We can see that the attraction for going abroad is not new. Your studies in Madrid, then your travels as an influencer-blogger, represent already many destinations. Where does this taste for travel come from?
MS: I grew up in a family that loved culture, art and literature. Each year we discovered different countries with my parents and my two sisters. I have very good memories of our distant trips to Canada and Mexico. From the age of 14, my parents insisted that I go on a language trip every summer. I went several times to Germany, England and Spain. As a child and teenager, I was very shy and introverted. These experiences – alone abroad, on my own in an unknown place – were incredibly complicated to manage, especially in the first days. I had to do real work on myself to open up to others and get out of my comfort zone. But that’s what allowed me to meet wonderful people, to experience magical moments… and that’s the beauty of travel.
LA: What do you keep from all your travels? What is the best side of all your adventures?
MS: Definitely meeting people. I had the chance to make unforgettable encounters, to be part of another person’s life for a few hours or a few days and to be able to talk about everything and nothing at the same time as if we were best friends in the world! The short side of travel allows you to appreciate every moment, realize how lucky you are to live those moments, and give meaning to your life.
LA: What trip, in particular, do you keep an unforgettable memory of? And why?
MS: There is this trip to the South of Tunisia, where I got there without my suitcase because it had remained in Italy, where I was still the previous day. So I spent a week in the Tunisian desert with nothing, no spare clothes, no accessories. Fortunately, my travel buddy (Valentine from the blog www.awwway.ch) helped me out by lending me a few items.
This trip to Reunion island became a fiasco because of the French “yellow vests”. Impossible to circulate on the island because all the roads were blocked. There was a curfew, and young people were burning cars. In short, the mess. The tourist office did not know what to do with us! We returned the following year, and the stay was unforgettable!
I have a remarkable memory of my trip to Slovenia because we were accompanied throughout the week by a fantastic guide, in love & passionate about his country. The weather was perfect, and the fall colours were magical. A great memory!
LA: If a brand would like to start a collaboration with influencers, what questions should it ask itself before undertaking such a process? Is influencer marketing possible for all brands?
MS: Yes, influencer marketing is possible for all brands if this communication channel makes sense for the company. Before starting a collaboration, I advise companies to brainstorm on the type of profile they want to work with, to segment them according to their niche, the countries they mainly reach, and their creativity. I recommend having a strategic approach and a specific objective during the campaign.
Requesting a screenshot/video of the influencer’s statistics is imperative because the platforms that offer this service are not always in line with reality. Obviously, plan a budget because content creation is a real job!
LA: The world of “influencers” has changed significantly over the past ten years. Influencer marketing has changed the rules quite a bit. How do you see these developments?
MS: Influencer marketing has become a real job, and you can live 100% from this activity even if you are a micro-influencer, which was not the case five years ago. The evolution of this market has made it possible to put stricter rules and a more systematic approach in place, which generally improves conditions for companies (access to statistics, more transparency on the result) and for the content creator (remuneration, promotion of the profession). However, today the competition is more challenging, and the race for quick money through promotions of dubious articles gives a terrible image to the business of influence. This is deplorable and a pity for influencers offering a truly solid creative universe.
“MY GOAL IS TO help 500 WOMEN BY 2025 TO BE FINANCIALLY independent AND I CLEARLY INTEND TO ACHIEVE IT”.
Morgane Schaller, about her activity of Business Coach
LA: You have now taken a new step in your career by becoming a Business Coach. Why this change? And why now?
MS: After seven years in the influence business, I wanted to give another dynamic to my career. I grew up, evolved, and collaborations on social networks no longer matched the image of the thirty-something I had become. Since the beginning of my business, I have provided a lot of strategic advice to those around my community and me, and I have noticed that there is still little concrete support in the French-speaking world.
My experience, my studies in management, and my strategic vision give me legitimacy in this field. The combination of all these elements allow me to support ambitious women entrepreneurs in developing their business today. It is an exercise that procures me a certain plenitude. My goal is to help 500 women by 2025 to be financially independent, and I clearly intend to achieve it.
LA: What are the people who sign up for your coaching programs looking for? What is different compared to other training in the field?
MS: Above all, my clients are looking for structure and proven strategies. But sometimes they just need someone who can motivate them, someone who can make them aware of their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and guide them through the different stages of their business. When you embark on online entrepreneurship, you realize how much loneliness is a challenge in the development of your activity. Nobody is there to help us, support us, give us feedback, and we are constantly confronted with our own thoughts.
Being coached allows to broaden one’s horizons and stay focused on our goals. There is so much information available online today that it is very difficult to distinguish the truth from the false, what works for your type of business, what to discard… it’s a real adventure.
My coaching program is different since it is based on my experience. I teach the strategies, methods, processes that I myself have used in my business, and I know that it works otherwise I would not be where I am today.
LA: Tell us something about yourself that not many people know and that deserves to be mentioned here.
MS: While everything looks rosy and beautiful on social media, the world of content creation isn’t always kind to everyone, and it certainly wasn’t to me. I have known haters who have not hesitated to destroy my reputation publicly and my inner peace to feed their ego, I have trusted toxic managers who have robbed and threatened me, I have sometimes lost a lot of money by working with agencies and brands that were not always correct.
My advice for people who get into this business is to protect themselves as much as possible legally, set up contracts, have insurance if possible, and always listen to their instincts. In the jungle you can only trust yourself.
LA: What can we wish you for the future?
MS: To continue to be free and fulfilled as I am now. A life without compromise and without regrets is possible, just take the first step 😊
You can contact and/or follow Morgane Schaller on her different platforms:
- Instagram: @morganeschaller
- Her Cabinet de Curiosités (Travel Blog): https://morganeschaller.com
- Her Business Coach site: https://www.morganeschaller.biz
Morgane Schaller is definitely a free mind, who shaped her destiny through courage and determination. Her passions are a powerful driving force in her activities. If we think that it is easy to succeed, the most difficult part is to last. For more than 7 years, she has been developing her activity with great success. This is inspiring, especially in a world where sometimes the temptation of easy money compromises the human. Morgane Schaller invites us on a beautiful journey, one that ultimately becomes yours.
José Amorim
Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are courtesy of Morgane Schaller for illustration and promotion of this article.