Coffee with Anne Ditmeyer

Anne Ditmeyer

Anne Stark Ditmeyer, Designer, Creative Coach, Writer

London-Paris Zoom Coffee

Describe your career path in two or three sentences including any twists or turns ending with where you are now.

It is all about design and people. These days my work includes a combination of one-on-one coaching, special projects for various companies, hosting my own workshops, Paris tours, teaching (university, and online — OpenClassrooms and Skillshare), and writing.

In terms of my path, it is something that I have carved my own way — it’s been a challenge because there really haven’t been any examples for me. I took a very circuitous route. I studied anthropology in undergrad and later discovered it’s very similar to design thinking and user experience design. It took me a long time to see all the connections and once I did, these themes kept popping up and now I find myself regularly remixing the tools that I have learned from these different disciplines. My experience with ethnography and anthropology actually is the same approach as in user research — asking better questions, listening and carefully observing user behaviour.

I am now at the point where I can adapt a lot of these creative tools that I have learned through graphic design, design thinking and UX design and use them as tools in my workshops and one-on-one coaching. My work is a constant evolution.

What decision / experience proved to be the most helpful to your career?

The nightmare of French bureaucracy gave me “creative constraints”.

I have been in Paris on and off since 2001 and since 2009 mostly full time. I was very naive when I decided to stay in France after grad school. I ended up starting my own freelance business (which had limitations in terms of working rights). I had to get very creative in terms of the work I was doing and the projects I was taking on, so I started working for US startups, doing my own graphic design work, and giving Paris tours.

I am actually really grateful for this because it forced me to be far more innovative. I had to think way out of the box.

Where do you find inspiration?

Everywhere!

Walking is one of my favourite ways to get inspiration, just moving and seeing things. I am constantly looking for different details. I regularly walk down the same street and see new things.

I always say walking and swimming are where my best ideas happen. I also love having conversations with people or even just listening to a podcast — it’s like eavesdropping.

What advice would you give your 20 year old self knowing what you do now?

Follow your curiosity and just because you are about to finish school don’t think you are done learning. A lesson I learned a couple of years ago is that you can learn anything you don’t know. So don’t be afraid if you don’t know how to do something, everyone is figuring it out.

What do you think is the biggest challenge for people making a career re-entry or re-invention later in life?

I think people are scared, and I think we are all often guilty of caring what other people think too much and letting that sway what we do and how we feel about something.

If someone says ‘Well that’s a stupid idea’ or ‘It won’t work then’, we can internalise it, and think ‘OK, I guess it was dumb’ and maybe don’t pursue it.

In short, we look for external answers too much when really we have a lot of the answers inside of us.

What do you think are the opportunities for people wanting to work in their 50s and 60s and beyond?

My Dad started teaching at the age of 62 and I saw him come alive. When he did this it was a nice compilation of everything he had done in life, his experience and the contacts he had. Thanks to him I’ve always had this attitude that it is never too late.

I think so much is about mindset and looking for opportunities and sticking to your guns, and just going for it.

I think we have the possibility to reinvent ourselves all the time and it's a constant evolution. Age is an asset, not a detriment.

What is your top tip for people wanting to create a “portfolio career"?

I always recommend people keep a running list of people who have the kind of career they want and refer to back to that list to help them stay on course.

I also think people should create their own “tribe,” which is a group of people they can call on whenever they are feeling stuck or need advice. I have a Mastermind group that meets every month and has done for over 4 years — they are my council of trusted advisors.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and learn about other people’s journeys because there is always more nuance than we realise. I’ve shared more about portfolio careers in this blog post.

Recommendation: Favourite book to read, website to browse or podcast to listen while sipping coffee?

This is a constant evolution for me because I am constantly digesting things share something I am reading, listening to, and watching every week in my Connect The Dots newsletter. At the moment my favourite podcast is Together Apart by Priya Parker who wrote The Art of Gathering. I’m currently reading The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker which is helpful for finding inspiration and pointers for observing the world around us.