Hi, I'm Isabel

Iā€™m a mother, an accredited leadership & identity coach, and the founder of the well-being brand tautanz.

Iā€™m originally from Germany but moved to Amsterdam in my early twenties to pursue a Master's degree and went on to build a successful career in corporate marketing. My son was born in Amsterdam, but we soon moved to Porto to be closer to my partnerā€™s family.

This wasnā€™t the only change that motherhood inspired. After returning to work postpartum, I experienced the tension of being both a driven professional and a present mother, navigating guilt, exhaustion, and the feeling of never being enough in either space.

Through coaching, I found the clarity and confidence I needed to embark on a new path and align my lifestyle with who I am at this stage of my life. I discovered a much more authentic version of myself. That experience inspired me to transition from corporate life to coaching, supporting modern mothers in navigating this transformative stage with clarity, confidence, and compassion.

Read more about my story and my personal transformation below.

And connect with me to gain clarity and confidence in who you are now and align your lifestyle with your new priorities and needs.

A woman with shoulder-length brown hair wearing a sleeveless black top and black pants, standing outdoors near a stone wall, smiling and looking to her left.
Certified Coach badge from the Institute of Coaching Studies.
Badge with ICF Credentials and Standards, indicating an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) certification.

Before motherhood, I was very career-focused. As a senior digital marketing manager at global fashion brands, such as Tommy Hilfiger, Farfetch, and H&M, I worked at a high pace, traveled extensively, and was accustomed to working long hours.

After having my son, I returned to work after 5 months of maternity leave, taking on a new job in corporate marketing. I thought that I could do it all and just step back into my old mold. But while my professional side was excited to express herself at work, my mom side felt guilty and missed being with my son. I wasnā€™t fully present in either role, always feeling like I was running behind and not being good enough. Seeming to keep it all together was draining and unfulfilling.

The quote by Osho deeply resonates with me. I felt lost and confused because the life that I had created for myself did not fulfill me anymore, since I had become a mother. It was a process to let go of this old version of me and embrace getting to know this new, much more authentic version of myself.

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.

She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. Osho

I felt lost
When I returned to work, I tried to maintain being my old self. But something had shifted. I felt lost and confused because the life that I had created for myself did not fulfill me anymore, since I had become a mother. However, I ignored the signs and continued to run on my old operating system until I almost burned out. I needed to reconnect with what was truly important to me now and figure out who this new version of me was.  

I felt overwhelmed
Juggling my responsibilities at work and as a mom left no time for myself. So I deprioritized doing the things I loved and caring for myself. Only when I got very sick, I started cutting back, setting better boundaries, and taking responsibility for my well-being again. 

I felt unfulfilled
Feeling torn between work and family, I realized that I craved to work at more flexible hours so that I could spend more time with my family. My priorities had shifted. I wasnā€™t sure what I wanted to do yet, but I was longing for a career that supported both my professional aspirations and my new lifestyle as a mom.

What did I struggle with?

To overcome these challenges,
I invested in therapy and coaching to reconnect with myself and gain clarity on how I really want to lead my life. 

I am still me, but now I am also a mom
Motherhood was (and still is) such a beautiful transformation. It created not only a new and much more authentic version of myself. It helped me to explore and prioritize what is really important to me, which feels much more aligned with who I am and how I want to lead my life.

I canā€™t serve from an empty cup
I had heard this expression before, but never understood how true it was until I neglected ā€˜what fills my cupā€™. Through motherhood, I learned how important it is to incorporate time for myself to stay healthy and happy. So I rewired myself that taking time to do what I love and care for myself is necessary to ensure I feel well and I can take care of my loved ones and be joyful and present with them.

I need ā€˜the villageā€™
My independence used to be very important to me. I wanted to do it all by myself so I wouldnā€™t be a burden to anyone. But through motherhood, I have learned that I need ā€˜the villageā€™ and how much I appreciate the help and support, especially as an expat. Iā€™m originally from a small village (!) in Germany but have lived abroad since my early 20s - mostly between Amsterdam and Porto. I also learned that people generally like to help. They only need to know when help is needed. So itā€™s ok to ask friends and family for help or to pay for help from professionals, such as therapists, nannies, coaches, cleaners, Uber Eats, you name it. Admitting that I needed support and accepting help strengthened my relationships and created deeper connections.

I am not alone in this
Although I often felt alone during the beginning of transformation (which I later learned is defined as ā€˜matrescenceā€™), I was assured that my feelings of losing ā€˜my old selfā€™, being overwhelmed by my new responsibilities, and craving a different lifestyle since ā€˜my priorities had shiftedā€™ werenā€™t unique to me in many conversations I started having with other modern moms. These conversations helped me realize what an amazing and special time motherhood is. And how grateful I am to experience it.

What have I learned?

A woman with brown hair smiling and walking on the beach near the water, wearing a black sleeveless top and black pants, with rocky formations in the background.

Through coaching, I have reconnected with a more authentic version of myself and have been inspired to explore a new career path as a coach myself.

Now, I feel at home in myself again.

This path fills me with purpose and joy and allows me to be more present with my family.

I can truly say that I am leading my most joyful life as yet.

If you currently feel lost, overwhelmed, or unfulfilled, know that the lifestyle that you long for is attainable for you and that you donā€™t have to do it alone.

Iā€™m here to support you in navigating this exciting, transformative period!

If youā€™re ready to reconnect with yourself and create a lifestyle that aligns with who you truly are now, letā€™s have a chat.

Iā€™d love to meet you and hear whatā€™s on your mind.

Connect With Me

FAQs

  • My approach combines practical tools, mindset work, and a deep connection to emotions, helping clients tap into their full potential by listening to both their head and their hearts.

    As someone who has often operated from a place of logic and practicality rather than fully connecting with my emotions, Iā€™ve come to experience the incredible power of listening to my feelings and trusting my intuition.

    This journey of self-discovery has taught me just how important it is to not only engage the mind but also nurture the heart. Itā€™s this balance that I strive to bring to my coaching practice.

    Throughout the coaching process, I am there to guide and support you every step of the way as you embark on your transformative journey.

  • Iā€™m originally from Germany. But I have lived abroad since my early 20s and have worked in English for the majority of my life. Therefore, I offer coaching in both, German and English. 

  • I became a coach for modern moms because motherhood led me to reimagine my career and my life. After becoming a mother, I found myself feeling lost and unfulfilled in my previous role as a Senior Marketing Manager. The demands of my career no longer aligned with the person I had become, and I longed for work that would allow me to embrace my new identity as a mother while also giving me the flexibility to spend more time with my son. Coaching became my path to that balanceā€”both as a personal transformation and as a new career direction.

    The fulfillment I found in coaching inspired me to help other mothers do the same. Itā€™s incredibly rewarding to guide moms through creating a lifestyle that nurtures both their personal well-being and professional aspirations. By supporting them in aligning their values and goals, Iā€™ve seen how transformative it can be to build a life that feels joyful, purposeful, and balanced. Coaching gives me the opportunity to help others navigate the same journey I went throughā€”and Iā€™m honored to be a part of that process for modern moms who are ready to create the life they truly want.

    You can learn more about my story here.

  • Coaching is a goal-oriented process. By focusing on what the client wants to achieve, the coach supports them to bring those future goals, dreams, and visions into reality now.

    Therapy primarily explores the past and focuses on healing something that has already happened to help deal with issues in the present.

    These are the key differences between coaching and therapy:

    Coaching

    • Focuses primarily on the present and future

    • Centered around personal growth and professional development

    Therapy

    • Focuses on the past, present, and future

    • Designed to help you work through deeper issues such as anxiety, depression, or trauma

Testimonials

  • I always felt like I was missing something in my life, both in my career and as a mother. I felt guilty when quitting my job and spending more time with my kids didn't bring the fulfillment I expected, leaving me even more confused. Thatā€™s when I started working with Isabel. Her coaching has truly changed my perspective. She helped me dig deep to discover my core values, giving me a clearer picture of what really matters to me. Now, I make decisions with confidence, knowing they align with my true self. Isabelā€™s support and understanding provided a safe space for this self-discovery. Iā€™m incredibly grateful for her guidance and highly recommend her to anyone feeling stuck or unsure of their path.

    Janine, Germany

  • Isabel's presence and energy are true gifts to everyone that gets to experience her coaching! She has a way of creating connection and sensing what was of importance in me and what needed my focus, without realizing it myself. She saw and noticed exactly what needed attention and she literallyĀ created the most transformative space for me to explore, expand and grow. I left our session feeling so light, uplifted, full of joy and true peace. I felt connected to myself and my path in a much deeper way.Ā 

    Nanna, Denmark

  • Isabel was such a powerful guide. She has an incredible ability to listen and make new sense of what is being brought to the table. Her questioning is gentle, insightful, intelligent, and inspiring, and will guide you to parts of yourself you didnā€™t know needed to finally see the light. She is pure gold and I am eternally thankful for our time together.

    Tessa, US

  • After working with Isabel, I know myself better. As a mother I have new needs and wishes and I needed to consciously talk to my inner self to get to know this new persona in me. There is more lightness, joy and openness now! With kindness and love, Isabel showed me places of myself that were hard to look at before.

    One, Portugal

  • Isabel, your questions made everything so clearā€”my purpose, direction, goals. And your ability to distill my very vague thoughts into a direct and clear plan. I no longer have any doubts of how to spend my very precious time. Thank you for making it all so attainable and helping me create a concrete yet flexible structure. Your guidance and insight have been invaluable. Thank you šŸ™

    Kate, Portugal

  • Working with Isabel was a truly transformative experience. She has an incredible ability to ask insightful questions that helped me uncover my core values and envision a better balance in how I use my time to align with them.

    Daniela, Portugal

  • I got so much out of my time with Isabel. She is so professional yet very easy to talk with. As a result of our time together, I was able to set manageable short term goals, which I would have never have thought of alone. These are ultimately setting me up for my bigger, long term plans which Isabel also enabled me to visualise with greater confidence and ambition.

    Sorrel, Portugal

  • Isabel was amazing. She truly created a safe space for me to open up without judgement. The best things is that she helped me find concrete solutions to my challenges and created clear and achievable steps for me to follow in order to make some needed changes. I left feeling empowered and optimistic.

    Julia, UK

You deserve all the love, care, and joy that life offers.

Love, Isabel