Why choose me?
Because I listen. Because I’ve been there. Because I care.
I challenge you to become unstoppable while finding the ultimate you to live the life you’ve always wanted and to thrive in your business. I’m here to support you to move your business from good to excellent.
My life-changing experiences have made me the person I am today. I now want to help others to see every challenge in life or business as an opportunity, to become stronger and to live life to the fullest.
I have successfully coached individuals and groups from a variety of backgrounds. My proactive approach gets people to sit up, listen and challenge themselves to make a change.
We all have a light in us it’s only your mindset that prevents you from letting it shine.
As a self-leadership coach, I will help you tap into your inner passion and potential to drive change and create the life you desire and deserve.
My Journey
I was born and spent the first 23 years of my life in the socialist-controlled city of Dresden in East Germany. As a child, I was ignorant of East Germany's socialist political system and happily conformed to the military-style conventions of the education system.
At the age of 21 years old, my partner and I felt the pull of the West and life on the other side of the Berlin Wall. Fleeing East Germany meant we had to get permission to leave and were branded an enemy of the state and forced to give up our jobs.
After two and a half years of living under police surveillance, we were allowed to leave East Germany. We were given 24 hours' notice to bid goodbye to our family and friends and on our daughter's 4th birthday, each grabbed a suitcase and in the dead of night shepherded onto a specially prepared train to our freedom.

We're finally out! Overwhelmed and bewildered with other defectors, we were placed in a refugee transit camp to begin our new lives in the West. Three days later, with the donation of 150 Marks, we began life as free-thinking “Westerners.” We will soon have to learn to break free from the shackles of our upbringing, free our minds, and begin to truly live, not just survive.
We settled in Munich, adjusted to our new normal, and welcomed the birth of our son. Six years later, we realised something was still missing, so what now? Turning the globe with my eyes closed, my finger landed on the South Pacific Ocean. So off we went to New Zealand for Christmas!
The lure of the Land of the Long White Cloud was so strong. Nine months later, with our two children and a container of our belongings, we landed in Auckland. Without visas, failing my first English entrance test, which resulted in three months of intensive study, we were granted permanent residency.
Two years later we moved to Tauranga, Mount Maunganui to plant our roots in our new homeland. After studying massage therapy, I started my own business. Life was not easy for us; getting used to the language barrier; the weather and the cultural differences took its toll on our family, especially my husband. With a heavy heart and the help of a women’s refuge, I took my two children to start again.
I realized I had something to offer and set up a workshop course “Challenges are Opportunities” to help others overcome obstacles they faced. I ran this workshop in prison, working with 10 prisoners at a time, helping them change their lives. I developed a bond with my students, learning about the Maori traditions and gaining their respect. Based on this experience, my coaching business Steffi August Coaching was created.
In 2019, I met the man of my dreams, the love of my life, and my soulmate. Finally, I felt what unconditional love is, life was so beautiful. Little did I know, the day I decided not to travel with him on business, my life would change forever. After only 3 years, 1 month and 25 days of pure wedded bliss, my husband was killed in a truck accident in Tokoroa and my life was shattered.
Life as I knew it would never be the same again. Now I know, it wasn’t my time. I’m here for a reason. I’m here to make a difference!
I refuse to let my challenges define me.