My Story
Hello, I'm Daniel Hanke, born in 1992 in Karlsruhe, Germany. Today I live in Berlin. My hobbies include traveling, reading, sports, and content creation.
I'm very fortunate to live the life I live today. But my life wasn't always this easy…
I grew up as an only child in a dysfunctional household. While my father regularly plagued me with angry outbursts, my mother lived in constant fear, which she passed on to me. This tense atmosphere at home deeply unsettled me as a child. Early on, I developed severe social anxiety – every encounter with other people made me nervous. At school, I was the quiet boy who would have preferred to be invisible. At home and outside, I never truly felt safe or secure.
Back then, I hadn't realized that change was possible. But when it finally 'clicked' and I realized that I was the architect of my own destiny, it changed everything for me. I read one book about personal transformation after another and was highly motivated to seize every opportunity that came my way.
At 17 (2009), I was the youngest participant in an NLP Practitioner training. NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) is a highly effective coaching methodology that I've been applying to myself, friends, and later professionally ever since. The NLP 'toolbox' has served me excellently in hundreds of cases.
In Heidelberg, I studied Business Psychology (B.A.) and International Management (M.A.). After that, I worked at an international consulting firm, and later I founded an e-learning platform, two agencies, and my own small consulting firm, Next Level Education GmbH. While initially focusing on training project managers, I later shifted to coaching executives. My YouTube videos on professional topics have since accumulated over 1,000,000 views.
I published 3 non-fiction books: - Self-Discipline 2.0 (2021) - The 10 Most Important Methods in Project Management (2022) - The 52 Principles of Optimal Leadership (2025)
Alongside 'NLP' and 'Psychology', 'Mindfulness' was the third major game-changer for my enormous personal transformation. Initially, I was looking for ways to manage my own restlessness and anxiety. The first meditation attempts weren't easy; sitting still meant giving space to all those pent-up feelings. But step by step, I learned to turn toward my fears with love instead of running from them. These experiences were transformative: For the first time, I felt something like inner peace and self-acceptance.
Today, I look back on a long path of healing and growth. The social phobia of the past has long since dissolved. The shy boy has become an empathetic, open, and confident man who wants to create a lasting positive impact in this world.
Today I know: Every person has the ability to transform their difficult experiences into strength. Nothing that happened to you has to define you forever. I am living proof that fear can become trust and self-doubt can become self-compassion. For me, the most beautiful thing is watching a client slowly blossom, seeing tension turn into a smile, watching ever-growing progress make life brighter. That drives me, every single day.
“It's about discovering who you truly are – and loving it with all your heart. It's about discovering what you truly want – and pursuing it with full passion.”– Daniel Hanke
Qualifications & Experience
B.A. Business Psychology – SRH Heidelberg
M.A. International Management – SRH Heidelberg
Certified Psychological Counselor (SGD, 2025)
Certified Mindfulness Coach (SGD, 2025)
NLP Master Practitioner (Society of NLP, 2025)
NLP Practitioner (since 2009)
6+ Years of Coaching Experience
Author: 'Self-Discipline 2.0' and other books
10,000+ YouTube Subscribers, 1,000,000+ Views
“Behind every fear, a strength is waiting to be discovered.”– Daniel Hanke