"There are two kinds of people: a small group, around 3%, who create things and tell stories, and a larger one, about 97%, who only listen. You must decide which group you want to belong to." That's what my grandfather Jochen told me when I was five years old. I will never forget the immediate thrill of realizing that life means pursuing my own ideas and curiosity. For me, the concept of "WHY," as Simon Sinek described it many years later, was never a starting point; whatever I explored was a result of the freedom to create and discover. As John Bowlby said, "Life is a series of daring explorations from a secure base."

My grandfather was a man of extraordinary intellect, who knew both the Bible and the Quran by heart. He enjoyed demasking what he called "clergy" by inventing Bible quotes, and his talents included writing books and school plays, graphic design, photography, carpentry, philosophy, wine connoisseurship, and a passion for my grandmother's cooking.

As a young pianist, I was admitted to the Music Conservatory while still in school. One day, the phone rang: Svjatoslav Richter, one of the great pianists of the 20th century, was in town and needed a page-turner for his recital. Turning pages for Richter was arguably more challenging than playing myself. This led to spending much time with him and his wife, Nina Dorliac.

During this period, I learned more than in many years of formal study (see interview link below) — about oysters, sushi, and dishes from Chinese provinces, which he described with the same intensity as Debussy's La Mer. Everything he did and everything he said had the same importance.

For him, nothing was — always highlighting the second "a"-banal. Richter simply was what we call "present."

When I first met Ronald Wilford, he ended our conversation with the words, "I will mentor you." I wasn't entirely sure what that meant at the time, but I was excited.

Our conversation happened shortly after a new project I launched with the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival Big Band, which I had founded with Bob Brookmeyer. That summer, I brought the big band together with the youth orchestra founded by Justus Frantz and Leonard Bernstein. I had hired Gunther Schuller to lead the project, and in the first half of the concert, he conducted Duke Ellington's suites for symphony orchestra and big band.

When I told Ronald about it, his response left me speechless: "I told Duke to write that piece …" Okay — he brought out the big guns. His follow-up just made me laugh: "… but it didn't work!"

I had met Ronald through my friend Krystian Zimerman and Ronald was Krystian's manager at the time. He embodied the American self-made man. Son of a Greek immigrant and janitor, he achieved a meteoric rise both personally and professionally. His third wife was a granddaughter of Roosevelt. Ronald was the gray eminence in the global classical music industry. When Herbert von Karajan hesitated to tour the US with the Berlin Philharmonic due to his slow denazification, Ronald persuaded him with a single question: "Do you really want to leave the US up to Mr. Solti?"

From him, I learned how to manage extreme characters, to pay more attention to what people don't say rather than to what they say, and one of his favorite sayings, which initially baffled me as the son of a German academic, was, "I didn't learn anything—that's why I can do everything." It echoed my grandfather's philosophy.

Not sure if your best friend can be your mentor — but since day one, Tim has surprised me on multiple levels. In many Michelin-starred kitchens, you'll find signs with messages like "Think before you speak" or "Don't speak unless you can improve the silence." When I first entered Tim's kitchen — he was just 25 — there was a different sign. It read: "Freedom begins when duty becomes desire".

His relentless discipline — inherited from his remarkable prussian grandfather — and his flawless craftsmanship are built on attention to detail, focus, and consistency. Back in 1999, in Berlin-Kreuzberg, you could find duck neck cannelloni of such unparalleled, almost otherworldly precision that even la Grande Nation would still be proud of it today. What continues to inspire me to this day: First, his ability to transform, evolve, and reinvent — permanent change driven by a curiosity so sharp and a discipline so fierce, it could probably take on a tank. Second, his quiet brilliance in scaling quality — not just maintaining it, but elevating it — like no one else I've seen in a kitchen. And, last but not least, he's a damn good actor.

In 2024, I founded HelloGenius — a return to my early years producing master classes. It blends my curiosity and passion for artists, creatives, and the transformative power of life lessons from iconic personalities with my commitment to lifelong learning, innovation, and the insights I've gained from years in the tech world.

When artists express themselves, they tell the stories of who we are. But they need freedom to do so. We usually see their achievements — celebrities, stars, rankings, a lot of superficiality. But we often don't see how they became who they are. And who might they become tomorrow — and why?

What do outstanding creatives, athletes, and thinkers have in common? What fuels their unstoppable urge for self-expression? How do they overcome resistance? How do they pursue their convictions — their passion for an idea, a concept, a work of art, a product, a story, a new dish, a new way to relate to others?

As producers, managers, agents, presenters, or directors — no matter the title — we are catalysts. Our role is to support artists and audiences alike, and to create opportunities. We help uncover what others may not see. We support creatives in becoming their best, and open up space for expression. And we help audiences feel inspired, moved, enriched, and connected in constantly new ways.

HelloGenius uses technology to connect people — not replace them.

I'm not sure if it was David Bowie who said, "What you know is an impediment to your future development," but it resonates. Radical open-mindedness and childlike curiosity allow us to apply our attention with fresh eyes — and move forward. HelloGenius is a platform that connects great minds with curious, ambitious learners — people who truly want to grow and care deeply.

Working with artists and exceptional talents — with those who see the world differently — is powerful. It's not always easy, but it's always worth it. It expands your worldview, stretches your thinking, and brings us closer to inner peace by revealing what humans can become. As John Bowlby said, "Life is a series of daring explorations from a secure base."

My mentors will always remain the core of mine.