Co-creation | WeCoCo.io

GAME CHANGERS

🙌 Be bold, master uncertainty and make brave decisions

WeCoCo
Oct 1, 2023
2 min read

Updated: Jun 11, 2024

Feeling unsure about the future? Don't let that hold you back!

WeCoCo Women Innovation Diversity Equality Inclusion Female Empowerment Zürich Switzerland — WeCoCo Lakeside Chat Spring Edition 2023

Master uncertainty and make brave decisions

This is the ultimate key message that our panelists Ella Stadler-Stuart and Ondine Riesen shared with our community at the last #WeCoCo lakeside chat hosted by our founder Patrycja Pielaszek at the beautiful lake of Zurich:

listen to your gut feeling
understand your core values and stick to them
stay true to yourself no matter what others may think
not doing anything is worse than the feeling of failing at something
stay open to learn from others and ask for help!

When women stick together, they can move mountains!

Women can be so powerful when they join forces, rather than seeing other women as competition or a threat to you it’s so important to realise that we all have common goals, are all equal and all deserve each others support. Women have worked so hard to get to where we are today, we have to stand up for ourselves and stand up for #equality , this can only be made possible by putting on a united front, let’s bring back true sisterhood!

Feeling unsure about the future? Don't let that hold you back and re-connect with your tribe! Be bold, master uncertainty and make brave decisions.

Let's connect, collaborate and create a better future together—this is the foundation of a powerful tribe of women in business inspiring and supporting each other!

📣 Next WeCoCo Lakeside Chat

Are you wondering how to find your voice as a woman in the fast-paced worlds of business?

In a landscape often dominated by male voices, uncovering your unique strengths and perspectives is not just empowering—it's essential.

Dive into a deep panel discussion for building confidence, leveraging your skills, and carving out your space. Discover how to transform challenges into opportunities and silence into a powerful narrative.

Ready to amplify your impact and lead with authority?—Your journey to finding your voice starts here!

Join our next WeCoCo Lakeside Chat with Melanie Kovacs and Christopher Lübbers who have a lot to share from their own journey and many years of experience.

🎟 Tickets are limited, so don't miss out, register now!

When:

🗓 Tuesday, 25 June, 18h00-20h30

Where:

📍 Collab22, Seestrasse 42, 8802 Kilchberg/ZH

What:

📣 Panel talk • Q&A • Networking • Apéro riche by James Jar & Co.

Save your seat here!

⭕️ How co-creating a TED Talk can bring you joy, new friends and a whole new perspective

Patrycja
May 8, 2023
4 min read

If we were good in everything, we would have no need for each other. At WeCoCo, we believe that co-creating together can lead to better outcomes, greater efficiency, and a more enjoyable experience than working alone. This is why our Co-founder Patrycja Pielaszek didn't write her TED talk alone in a séparée, but on the contrary reached out for help to people she even didn't know before.

TEDx Zürich WeCoCo Women Community Innovation Entrepreneurship Rebuilding — WeCoCo Tribe at the TEDxZurich 2023, photo by Jairo N'Tango

My name is Patrycja and in 2018, I started researching and sharing my ideas and vision for a more equitable future for all genders. I shared them on Instagram anonymously as WeCoCo. Based on connection first, wonderful encounters and collaborations have resulted from this platform and the community has been flourishing naturally.

In this picture, you see from left to right: Agnes Pakozdi, Chantal Landis, Cornelia Kawann, Réka Deàk, Tanya König, Melanie Kovacs, Patrycja Pielaszek, Jacqueline Keller, Natallia Zaremba.

After the second rehearsal, I felt a bit overwhelmed by the feedback of the jury and didn't know in which direction I should steer my story, as the opinions of the jury members were quite different. Then I remembered the TED Talk by Aurélie Litynski, also part of WeCoCo. I remembered that she worked with a TEDx coach from Lausanne in 2021.

WeCoCo Community Woman Female Empowerment Diversity Equality Equity Innovation Inclusion Belonging TEDx — Christopher Lübbers

His name was Christopher Lübbers and I wanted to find out more about him and his approach to storytelling and public speaking. That's how we got to know each other in December, even before my final confirmation as a TEDx speaker. His direct and solution-oriented approach appealed to me very much. He not only helped me to fine-tune my speech, but more importantly, shortly before my performance at the event itself. I owe it to his open and extremely emphatic manner that I did not let myself be distracted when my father was in very bad health condition shortly before my talk. I owe it to Chris that I was still able to go on stage grounded and calm.

I am grateful and happy to have found a WeCoCo in Chris.

“I commend Patrycja for her courage to show up as her authentic self in our sessions, for her tireless commitment to excellence when working on her talk and her irrevocable empathy while speaking about WeCoCo on the infamous red carpet. I saw so many people next to me in the audience and have heard from more over the following days who were truly touched by her talk at TEDxZurich. And so was I during rehearsals and on the day itself.” —Christopher Lübbers (LinkedIn)

I met Valentina Velandia in 2018 at the occasion of a business brunch for female founders. I was impressed by her startup Capacity, an initiative to empower refugees and migrants in Switzerland through entrepreneurship - although I didn't feel concerned. How wrong I was! Just one year later, I found myself on stage of Capacity sharing my own immigration and integration story with a huge audience. This was the moment I realised how deeply the experiences from my childhood and the escape from Poland were rooted in me, and influenced my actions in so many areas of life. It was Valentina who encouraged me to share even more of my story with others and to encourage refugees not to give up and to look for new ways to find a sense of belonging in a foreign country. Meanwhile, Valentina became not only a WeCoco, but a true friend whom I cherish and love. It was her unquestioning faith in me, but also her own story which took the essence of my lateral thinking in English to a higher level for which I am eternally grateful to her.

“Being a part of Patrycja’s journey towards sharing her story of resilience through her fascinating narrative of radical collaboration and building brave spaces for belonging was an absolute privilege. Witnessing her courage in sharing her story and seeing the positive impact it had on others was a transformative experience. She did all the hard work and I just illuminated a way towards self-reflection. Being her sounding board connected me deeply with her experiences and her story is the story of the collective.” —Valentina S. Velandia (LinkedIn)

Rajan Thambehalli was assigned as my coach by Magda Kern, Head of speakers TEDxZürich, and I met him for the first time for a kick-off meeting in July 2022 at our WeCoCo Collab22. Besides working on my story - resp. stories - we enjoyed it very much to exchange experiences in Switzerland, talked about equality topics and loved to share bold approaches since Rajan is a passionate risk taker. He often challenged me with critical questions and bold suggestions so we were able to narrow down the million ideas step by step to be able to knit a coherent story for the audience building a bridge between my origins and the person I am today.

“Working with Patrycja was a unique experience. She had a takeaway message that could have been reached through many paths - so the challenge was to put everything on the table and decide the best course of action for TEDxZurich. I appreciate her ability to take additional feedback, question each of them instead of blindly following, and trust me when it matters.”—Rajan Thambehalli (LinkedIn)

It was in September 2022 that I had the opportunity to meet David JP Philipps (LinkedIn), one of the top TEDx Speakers worldwide, at the strategy retreat of AJ&Smart. We had an intensive session with him learning a lot about storytelling and presentation skills which do not require any talent according to him. "It's something everyone can apply", he emphasised. And this is what I did on my way from Italy back to Zürich, I followed his instructions and re-wrote my entire speech. I was in a flow and it felt so good! My Business Buddy Chantal Schmelz was the first person at the main station in Milan to review the new concept and surprisingly she didn't have many objections.

This is how I continued riding the roller coaster with the invaluable support of the WeCoCo community in endless gratitude to Chantal Landis, Anna Stando, Kenji Kemp, Melanie Kovacs, Elvira Häusler, Réka Deàk, Ola Potrykus, Bilge Apak, Chantal Schmelz and with special thanks to Hanna Brahme, Magda Kern-Fialkowska, Tanya König and many more from the TEDxZürich team.

Last but not least I am infinitely grateful for the love and the unconditional support of my family and my partner in crime ♥︎ Thank you,

Patrycja

From the IKEA bag to a professional logistic in a feminine and powerful co-creation

WeCoCo
Dec 16, 2022
3 min read

Female founders co-story startup women WeCoCo Oilspiration — The co-story of Oilspiration

You start as friends, who have a good idea, which is then turned into a shared business. Sadly, it is not uncommon that a business partnership causes a break in the friendship.

When we first met in 2015 we connected over Yoga, Food, Nature, and a love for traveling. In 2017, we started to dive into the Essential Oil world together and noticed soon that there were a lack of good, funky and sustainable aromatherapy supplies (i.e. glass bottles, books, diffusers, etc.) to mix our own blends, support a chemical-free household, and dive deeper into various topics related to essential oils. Even more difficult to get the right educational and inspirational literature in German. Shops in our neighboring countries often don’t ship to Switzerland or have high shipping costs, and then the additional import cost really makes it not a fun shopping experience. Of course, cheap products can be found in Asia, however, we were trying to find sustainable products.

So there we were. Two Essential Oil Lovers, frustrated about the accessories side of it. We knew that we were not the only ones, being dissatisfied with the possibilities in Switzerland to lay our hands on essential oils accessories. Over lunch, we had the idea to start a business, that way helping ourselves and all the other Aromatherapists and Oil Lovers out there. No sooner said than done. We began by researching wholesalers around the globe - a sometimes quite tiring and frustrating task. And ordered our first batch. Found a name ...

... and set up a website and an Instagram account. And here we went. Mind you, we had no business plan and did everything pretty much in an “off the bat” manner. All we wanted was to work sustainably and build on organic growth. We were not at all in a hurry.

During the first months, we took the first orders ourselves to the post office. First under the arm and over time we needed one of these big blue IKEA bags. And then two. After a little bit more than a year, the number of packages to be shipped became so high, that we arranged for the Swiss post to come and pick them up. We still did all the rest of it ourselves: pack the packages, print the invoices, print the labels, etc.

In 2020 fortunately the business became so big, that we had to consider two things: outsourcing the packaging and shipping part and the form of our collaboration. Therefore, we founded a GmbH, and we found an institution that was ready to take over the packaging and shipping part. Regarding the latter, it was imperative to us to work with a logistic company that was in line with our values and has a social impact. That is why we chose a Swiss institution committed to the social and professional rehabilitation and integration of people with mental or physical employment impairments.

We try to avoid plastic as much as possible and are always looking for alternatives. In addition, we mostly ship a large part of the packaging “reused”

That means we buy as little new packaging material as possible (and if we do, then plastic-free) and use existing material. We are always striving to improve and look for ecologically compatible solutions.

As for our relationship, we experienced an opposing trend. Often people start as friends, who have a good idea, which is then turned into a shared business. But sadly, it is not uncommon that a business partnership causes a break in the friendship. In contrast to that, our friendship deepened. We developed an effective, feminine, and joyful way of doing business. Besides a wonderful and effortless co-creation, we are now Best Friends, Sisters by heart, and go through the ups and downs of not only the business but also of life.

Visit Oilspiration for more information.

About Andrina & Nadine