Zeynep Schüppel

Why this persona fits the audience

Owns a 6-person digital agency in Berlin and sends a monthly client-update newsletter plus occasional lead nurture emails to about 3,200 contacts. She keeps the list in spreadsheets and exports CSVs from the CRM before each send, with one assistant handling formatting and links.

• Age: 41
• Location: Berlin, Germany
• Occupation: Founder & Managing Director
• Income: €92k draw + profit share
• Education: Diplom-Kauffrau
• Company size: 6
• Years in role: 8

“The most elegant solutions are often the simplest, provided you've done the thorough work to find them.”

Zeynep Schüppel, 41, is the driving force behind a six-person digital agency based in Berlin, a venture she founded eight years ago after honing her skills in marketing strategy and client management. Her journey began with a strong academic foundation, earning a Diplom-Kauffrau, which instilled in her a deep appreciation for structured business practices. She built her agency from the ground up, prioritizing reliability and client success above all else. Her current operational focus is on streamlining communication channels, particularly the monthly client newsletter and lead nurturing sequences, which she manages with meticulous attention to detail. This involves exporting contact lists from their CRM into spreadsheets, a process she finds increasingly cumbersome but necessary for maintaining control. Her assistant handles the final formatting and link integration, a task Zeynep wishes could be more automated. She lives with her husband and son in Prenzlauer Berg, balancing the intense demands of entrepreneurship with family life. Her income, a combination of a €92k draw and profit share, reflects the agency's steady growth, but she remains pragmatic about financial management, preferring to reinvest in the business and secure its future. Zeynep is drawn to architecture, seeing parallels between its design principles and effective marketing strategies. She also enjoys travel, using it as an opportunity to gain new perspectives and recharge. Her decision to maintain a spreadsheet-based system for her email list, despite its inefficiencies, stems from a deep-seated need for control and a pragmatic assessment of the immediate return on investment for more complex solutions. She recently decided to allocate a small portion of the budget towards exploring CRM integration options, a significant step for her, driven by the growing volume of contacts and the increasing time burden of manual data handling.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

Zeynep's day begins around 6:30 AM with a quick check of urgent emails and a brief review of her son's school schedule. After dropping him off, she heads to the office, often listening to a business podcast. Her morning is typically packed with client calls, team stand-ups, and strategic planning sessions. Lunch is usually a quick affair at her desk while reviewing project progress. The afternoon might involve deep dives into campaign analytics, refining proposals, or troubleshooting operational issues. She aims to leave by 6:00 PM to be home for dinner with her family, though late-night email checks are not uncommon. She often spends an hour after her son is asleep reviewing industry articles or planning the next day.

Lifestyle

Zeynep lives in a well-maintained Altbau apartment in Prenzlauer Berg with her husband and their young son. Her routine is structured, balancing demanding work hours with family commitments. Weekends often involve visiting museums, exploring new neighborhoods for architectural gems, or planning their next family trip, usually to a European city with interesting design. She's mindful of her finances, preferring to invest in quality and long-term value rather than fleeting trends. While not extravagant, she appreciates good design and experiences that enrich her understanding of the world. She prioritizes health through regular yoga and mindful eating.

Work life

As the founder of her agency, Zeynep's days are a constant juggle between client strategy, team management, and operational oversight. She thrives on the challenge of finding elegant solutions for her clients and ensuring her team has the resources to deliver. The current focus is on refining their client communication processes, particularly the newsletter and lead nurturing efforts, which she sees as crucial for sustained growth. She's deeply involved in the hands-on aspects, often reviewing campaign performance and client feedback herself. The pressure comes from maintaining consistent quality with a small team and managing client expectations in a competitive market.

Relationships

Zeynep is married to a software developer, and they share parenting duties for their son. Her professional network is strong, built on years of reliable service and mutual respect with clients and industry peers. She values candid feedback from her small, dedicated team and relies on her husband for emotional support and a different perspective on problem-solving.

How they decide

Zeynep is a pragmatic decision-maker. She thoroughly researches options, weighing pros and cons based on efficiency, reliability, and long-term value. She prefers solutions that offer clear benefits and integrate well with her existing systems, often seeking input from her team or trusted colleagues before committing.

How they sound

Speaks clearly and deliberately, with a slight Berliner accent that softens when discussing technical details. Her tone is professional but approachable, avoiding overly casual slang or jargon. She tends to use precise language and prefers direct communication, though she is always polite. When discussing challenges, she focuses on solutions rather than complaints.