Defining Success on My Own Terms: What I Learned from Anke Berning’s Career Compass

A Guest Post by Teofana Kupenova

On Thursday, 7 May 2026, I joined a Global People Club Master Class with Anke Berning, dedicated to the topic “Defining Success on Your Own Terms with the Career Compass.”

From the very beginning, the workshop felt different. It was a small group, and I realized how much I appreciate this kind of setting. In a smaller circle, the energy becomes more personal, more focused, and more honest. This was not a lecture where we simply listened and took notes. It was a reflective workshop where we were invited to pause, think, and ask ourselves deeper questions about career, values, fulfillment, and the kind of life we truly want to build.

Anke opened the session by sharing her own life and career path. Her journey moved across countries, industries, and roles: from Tokyo to Düsseldorf, Brussels, London, Zurich, and Lucerne; from intercultural relations and translation to chambers of commerce, telecom, finance, relocation, and finally coaching. At first glance, this could look like a non-linear career. But Anke showed us something very powerful: when she looked deeper, she discovered the common thread running through it all.

For her, that common thread was guiding understanding across cultures, connecting people, perspectives, and experiences.

That idea stayed with me.

It made me reflect on my own career. I have also worked across different environments: marketing, events, hospitality, PR, community building, and communications. Sometimes, when a career is not perfectly linear, we may judge ourselves too harshly. But the more useful question is not, “Why is my path so different?” The better question is: What connects all these experiences?

For me, the common thread is clear: bringing people together, creating meaningful experiences, building trust, and communicating with purpose.

One of the strongest parts of the workshop was Anke’s question: Does your career fit you?

She invited us to look beyond job titles and external achievements and instead examine five deeper areas:

Physical: Does your work support or erode your physical health?
Mental: Are you engaged and energized, or depleted?
Relationships: Do your closest relationships have room to breathe?
Environment: Does where you live and work feel like it fits?
Values: Are you living in line with what truly matters to you?

This was a powerful reminder that a career is not separate from life. A career should not only look good from the outside. It should also support your health, relationships, energy, environment, and values.

Anke then introduced the concept of the Fulfillment Gap. On one side, there is external success: income, impact, recognition, status, influence, power, and career growth. On the other side, there is internal fulfillment: creativity, relationships, self-care, health, time, and emotional alignment.

This distinction really spoke to me.

Many people may appear successful from the outside but feel disconnected on the inside. Others may feel personally fulfilled but want greater visibility, growth, or professional impact. The point is not to judge either side. The point is to become aware of the gap and ask: What would it look like to feel more aligned?

Anke explained that a small gap may be perfectly normal. But when the gap becomes too wide, it can create inner friction. That friction is often what makes people question their jobs, their direction, or even their definition of success.

For me, this was especially relevant because I am currently reflecting on my next professional step. I came to the workshop because the title caught my attention: “Defining success on my own terms.“

I wanted to understand what that really means. Not what success looks like according to society. Not what looks impressive on LinkedIn. Not what others expect from me. But what feels meaningful, sustainable, and true for me.

The heart of the session was Anke Berning’s Career Compass. It is not a one-time exercise, but a toolkit for the rest of your life. It can be used at career crossroads, when different paths feel overwhelming, or when you need a clear anchor to make decisions you can stand by.

The Career Compass includes:

Values: What genuinely matters to you?
Strengths: What do you do well and enjoy doing?
Direction: Where do you want to go — on your own terms?
Boundaries: What will you protect, no matter what?
Priorities: What are you willing — and unwilling — to trade off?
Personal specifics: The themes, dreams, or unique factors that matter in your life.

I found this framework very practical because it does not separate ambition from humanity. It allows room for achievement, but also for health, family, peace, creativity, and personal truth.

For me, the values part was the most meaningful. We discussed how values are often more complicated than they first appear. Words like freedom, trust, family, success, or authenticity can mean completely different things to different people. That is why Anke encouraged us to go beneath the first word and ask: What does this really mean to me?

During the reflection, three values became especially clear for me:

Inner peace, trust, and integrity.

I also wrote down friendship and emotional intelligence, because these are deeply connected to how I build relationships and communities. I realized that I do not want a career where I constantly have to perform a version of myself that does not feel true. I want to work in an environment where trust matters, where people communicate openly, and where I can bring warmth, structure, and creativity without losing my inner balance.

Anke also shared a useful checklist for values:

Is this truly mine or inherited?
Did I choose this, or was it chosen for me?
What would I answer if no one was watching?

These questions are not easy. Many of us carry expectations from family, culture, education, or society. We believe we “should” want certain things: a certain title, salary, company, or career path. But defining success requires the courage to separate what we genuinely value from what we have simply absorbed.

Another important topic was self-sabotage. Anke referred to the idea of “saboteurs” — the inner voices and patterns that can create stress, anxiety, self-doubt, frustration, restlessness, or unhappiness. These patterns can hold us back even when we know what we want. They can influence how we think, feel, and respond to challenges.

This reminded me that clarity is not only about knowing our values. It is also about noticing what prevents us from living them. Sometimes the obstacle is not a lack of skill. Sometimes it is fear, perfectionism, overthinking, people-pleasing, or the belief that we are not ready yet.

The discussion about the body also stayed with me. Anke spoke openly about how the body often gives signals when something is no longer working. Stress, exhaustion, sleep problems, or physical pain can all be messages. In professional life, we often focus so much on the mind, productivity, and achievement that we forget to listen to the body.

That was a strong reminder for me: success cannot come at the cost of health, peace, or meaningful relationships.

One word that became important during the workshop was agency. Sometimes we speak about freedom, but in a work context, freedom does not always mean the absence of structure. Freedom can also mean having the ability to make decisions, bring ideas forward, solve problems, and see that your work has an impact.

This helped me think differently about what I need in my next role. I do not necessarily need complete independence. What I need is the feeling that my work matters, that I can use my strengths, and that I can create value for others.

What I appreciated most about the Master Class was that it did not give us ready-made answers. Instead, it gave us better questions.

What do I truly value?
What gives me energy?
What kind of work supports my life instead of draining it?
What am I carrying that no longer belongs to me?
What would I choose if no one were watching?

For me, the biggest lesson was that success is not a fixed destination. It is something we need to define again and again as our lives change. What felt right ten years ago may not be right today. Our values, priorities, and needs evolve.

At this stage of my life, success means meaningful work, trusted relationships, creativity, contribution, and inner peace. It means using my experience in communication, events, and community engagement to create connections and impact. It means being in an environment where I can grow while staying aligned with who I am.

I left the workshop with more clarity, but also with more curiosity. The Career Compass is not something you complete once and forget. It is a toolkit for future decisions.

And perhaps that is the real value of this Master Class: it reminded me that success is not only about climbing higher. Sometimes it is about coming closer to yourself.

Teofana Kupenova is a dynamic Event Creator and Marketing Specialist with over 13 years of experience in multinational companies across IT, hospitality, and PR. Passionate about making moments matter, she thrives on creating meaningful connections, turning ideas into reality, and designing unforgettable experiences.