“No one else will pick you up—you have to do it yourself.”
— Hülya Kurt, WanderWomen Podcast, Episode 6
What does it take to rebuild yourself when life hands you a redundancy slip instead of a roadmap?
This week’s guest on the WanderWomen Podcast, Hülya Kurt, knows that journey intimately. She’s moved countries multiple times, reinvented her identity, and built a career that spans from secretarial desks to the boardrooms of global corporations.
But her greatest reinvention came when the corporate world let her go—and she chose to create her own.
The Journey of Reinvention
Hülya’s story begins in Germany, where she was the Turkish kid who didn’t quite fit in on the playground—and the girl who found her voice through books.
She moved back to Turkey at 18 and felt like a foreigner in her own country. She built a life there, only to uproot again for a corporate job in Switzerland—another reinvention, another beginning.
When she was made redundant after decades in the corporate world, she didn’t let the loss define her. She decided to step into her full strength as a career coach, keynote speaker, and founder—helping other professionals discover their calling.
Her motto?
“Pick yourself up. No one else will do it for you.”
Themes We Explore:
What home means when you carry multiple identities
Why self-belief is a muscle that needs daily exercise
The cultural practices (like Turkish cooking and TV shows) that anchor her in moments of change
The micro-moments of inclusion—like making the effort to speak the local language—that build bridges faster than any corporate DEI training
The resilience required to build again, and again, and again
This episode is for you if:
You’ve been told to “stay in your lane”
You’re navigating redundancy or forced reinvention
You’re searching for a sense of belonging in a place that sometimes feels foreign
You’ve ever doubted your worth in a system that doesn’t see all of you
Reflection Prompts:
When was the last time you picked yourself up—not because you wanted to, but because you had to?
How do you define home today? Is it a place, a feeling, or both?
What small rituals remind you of who you are—no matter where you are?
Whose permission have you been waiting for to reinvent your life?
Upcoming Event: Geneva
Live Conversation with Hülya Kurt
📅 June 26, 2025 | 6:30–8:00 PM CET
📍 Swiss School of Business and Management (SSBM Geneva)
Geneva Business Center, Avenue des Morgines 12, 1213 Genève
In collaboration with InKick
Join us for an inspiring evening of conversation, connection, and community as I sit down with Hülya Kurt to dive deeper into her journey of reinvention and resilience. We’ll explore what it means to pick yourself up, especially when no one else will, and how to build a life and career that honors every part of who you are.
Whether you’re navigating a career transition, finding your voice in a new culture, or redefining your path on your own terms, this event is for you.
Seats are limited, don’t miss this chance to connect with other WanderWomen in Geneva.
👉 RSVP: www.shivangiwalke.com/wanderwomen-tour
Watch the episode
Order the Book:
If this conversation resonates, WanderWomen: How High-Skilled Immigrant Women Thrive is for you.
It’s filled with stories like Hülya’s, stories of women who rose again and again, on their own terms.
👉 Order now
Your strength is not in never falling.
It’s in knowing how to rise, every time.
With love and fierce encouragement,
Shivangi
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