Washingtonian Magazine

The prospect of career change frightens many people, especially in a city like Washington where personal identity can be so closely tied to a job title. But for Katja Brandis, new beginnings and risk taking seem to come easily. The Washington resident has reinvented her life and career several times. "Unfortunately, in our society a desire for change is often mislabeled as a crisis, or threat," says Brandis.

The 35-year old European transplant started her working life twenty years ago on an assembly line. From there she put herself through high school and college working as a nurse aide, research assistant and scuba diving instructor. Her entry to the United States came via the University of Hawaii - a very different world from the small village in northern Germany where she was raised.

Alighting in DC, Brandis worked as an environmental advocate, US Senate aide, teacher and corporate strategy associate. "You really want to forget about the label," says Brandis, whose latest metamorphosis involved swapping a life-time appointment as a World Bank corporate strategy associate for starting her own business, Child Birth Care; a one-stop shop for expecting and new parents. Not content with that, Brandis - a natural athlete and trained dancer - has also opened a yoga studio in the heart of Adams Morgan where she teaches yoga and meditation and helps Washingtonians relax and breathe after a long work day.  

So, why would someone trade one of DC's most secure benefit packages at a prestigious international institution for the struggle and risk of starting up a small business, without health insurance, pension plan or benefits?   "For eight years, I lived the professional life in Washington," says Brandis. "There were the 12-hour work days, skipped lunches, racing from one meeting to the next, cradling a cell phone on my shoulder and dragging an overstuffed briefcase."  

The impetus for her latest transformation came in 2001, when she attended the birth of a child. Brandis now helps expecting parents prepare for the big day. "It's a huge privilege when someone trusts you during this private and special time," she explains. "When someone hugs you and says 'I don't know how I could have done this without you’, it doesn't get much better than that.  This is a job where I know every day that I have a positive impact on someone's life and that's a great honor." With that realization, the decision to change careers came easily. "After all, the only things we really keep while we are here, is what we give away," says Brandis.