Johannes grew up in Germany. After working in his 20s and early 30s for various companies in Hamburg, he won the Green Card lottery in 2016 – the same year his wife Claudia got promoted with Ipsos, the market research firm. They moved to New York and eventually settled in New Canaan, Conn.
Johannes decided to start his own business, doing #marketing for brands like the watchmaker wempe (@wempe). It gave him flexibility when Liam was born in 2018 and his wife had to go back to an office.
It’s not been easy to do everything well. “The hardest part, with two small kids, is I have to get my work done by 2:30 when they come home from school and daycare,” he said. “That isn’t always possible. Because I’m self-employed I have to prioritize my clients or they go somewhere else, and then I want to prioritize my children, and of course my wife. Getting As at all three categories is impossible. It’s stressful.”
But he takes heart that his wife never worries when she is at work or has to travel. “She trusts me,” he said. “I’m a good father. I can get them both to bed myself. She’s totally relaxed.”
🤝 Welcome to the Company of Dads, Johannes!
