Get to Know the House Managers in Munich
Janine
We met Kathleen and Stefanie from THE FIZZ Munich. Get to know them better and understand what they do to make your time at THE FIZZ an unforgettable one!
A nice Interview in the Courtyard
In April 2021, one of our brand new houses in Germany opened and welcomed first FIZZies in Munich. But what is THE FIZZ without our House Managers and Assistant House Managers who are taking care of the building, organizing events and holding THE FIZZ family together? We met Kathleen and Stefanie who recently moved to Munich and asked them a couple of exciting questions. You want to know them better? You will definitely, after this interview! 😊
What made you decide to work as House Managers at THE FIZZ Munich?
Kathleen: Even though I loved my job as an event manager at an extraordinary location directly at the „Starnberger See“, I somehow lost my passion for it and it was a bit „too dry“ for me. You always had to be super professional and to make money was more important than the happiness of the clients. So, I applied as House Manager at THE FIZZ Munich and started the interview with no expectations. To be honest: I thought I totally screwed it up. They asked me what animal I would like to be and I replied: “Oh, I would like to be a lion because it‘s a beautiful, strong animal that’s always CHILLING around.“ I think I only said the word „Chill“ twice in my life. I was so surprised when I received the confirmation. I‘m super happy and grateful for this chance.
Stefanie: For me, it was different. Because of Covid, I spend a few months at home, always hoping everything will start again soon. At first, it was nice, because I had to finish my bachelor thesis, but after that, I had to find something to do. When I found out that THE FIZZ is looking for an Assistant House Manager in Munich, I was super excited! The job combines a lot of things that I learned in university with stuff I love to do, like organizing, talking to people, and trying to make their visit in Munich an amazing experience. Now, the rental periods are a bit longer than it’s used to be in the hotel but they need to be even more memorable.
What did you do before you dedicated to THE FIZZ?
Kathleen: I did an apprenticeship in hotel management in Munich. You can say, I’m a „Marriott Child“. After one year working in the event management department, I moved to Zurich, Switzerland where I followed an events & sales path, but still in the hotel industry. There, I worked in different hotels, like Marriott, Radisson (biggest conference hotel in Switzerland with 52 meeting rooms) and Renaissance (back to the Marriott Family) I wanted to take that as an experience to work abroad with a different culture and only wanted to stay for one year. But I couldn´t leave my friends, so I stayed for 5.5 years. I learned so much about myself, but also about other people with different cultures and ethnicities. It was the best time of my life… so far. 😊 But still, I missed home and so I moved back to Bavaria, first to a private owned hotel at the Starnberger Seefor a few months. And now a new chapters starts at THE FIZZ.
Stefanie: Originally, I am from southern Austria, near the Slovenian and Italian border. In 2017, I moved to Munich because of love. Before I came to Munich, I started veterinary medicine in Vienna, but it was not quite what I wanted.
In Munich, I studied economics with hotel & tourism management as a ‘dual study’. That means, that I was at the university 2 days a week and the other 3 days I was working at a Hotel here in Munich. After that, I planned to stay in that Hotel, but due to the Corona Virus we had to close for a few months. When I found the job at THE FIZZ, I knew that it would be an exciting opportunity to start in a different area. I could still use all the things I learned during my studies, but it was something new to learn.
What does a House Manager do at THE FIZZ?
Kathleen: A House Manager coordinates everything in the building and communicates with other departments, if necessary, for example workers for repairs or problems, cleaning people, technician etc. But first of all, we are here for the students and always try our best to get ideas for special eventsand activities. We want to get to know our Fizzies personally so that we can offer them activities and items what they‘re especially interested in. Our door is mostly always open.
Stefanie: That’s true! We are trying to build a FIZZIE community in Munich, where everyone feels welcome, has fun and can be who they are regardless of their backgrounds and nationalities.
We are also organizing different kind of events and activities for our tenants, so they can have some great time away from their books. And we are coordinating all the different tasks which need to be done in the building with all the different subcontractors. All in all, I would say that we are organizers and coordinators.
What is the fascinating part of your job and what are you particularly looking forward to?
Kathleen: I‘m fascinated about the conversations with the students from all around the world and also to open a totally new house. Everything we do happens for the very first time here and we can leave our own personal footprint. But I‘m really looking forward to have a full house until the winter semester begins. And let us not forget the big „After Corona Welcome Party“ and our huge two floor community room, which will be ready in winter 2021.
Stefanie: I am looking forward to meeting all our tenants and help to make their stay memorable and exciting. I am also looking forward to organizing different events and find activities for our tenants.
I am very excited about the intercultural aspect of my work. We are going to have a lot of different nationalities and cultures and for me it is fascinating to work with them.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Kathleen: I don’t have specific hobbies. Yes, I like to read, paint, eat, watch movies and travel, what most people do. But first of all I like to go on adventures with my friends or alone. For each big adventure, I got a tattoo at this place: Alone in the Big Apple, New York, St. Patricks Day in Dublin, Backpacking in Bali, Partyweek in Malllorca (Didn‘t do it drunk! Be responsible kids 😊). Now, I also want to get one for my adventure in Switzerland and next of course for my hometown Munich. Just waiting for the studios to open. When I can’t go to a big adventure like during the lockdown, I love to train my little dog Rosie. Currently, we’re working on the parkour. Slalom – hurdles – tunnel.
Stefanie: I like to go outside, sit at the Isar and enjoy the sun, go biking or just go for walks with my dog. When I am home in Austria, I love to go riding with my horse. If the weather is not good, I could be in the kitchen all day long to bake and cook various different things. For me it is super soothing, and the best thing is, that I can eat some delicious food afterwards!
Which leisure activities can you recommend to students in Munich? Where can you go to eat / drink well?
Kathleen: Munich has a lot to offer and even though the city is famous to be expensive, you don’t need to have a lot of money to have fun here.
The sport interested people can either watch the football players from FC Bayern or TSV 1860 München during the training or join the free workouts in the different parks (Olympia Park, Englischer Garten, Luitpoldpark, Westpark, Riemer Park and Ostpark). There are also a lot of free music festivals through out the year like Munich Rocks, Free & Easy or other cultural events at Gasteig. A great account to get to know the most beautiful corners of Munich or to follow up to date events & activities in Munich is „mitvergnuegen_muenchen“. You can also always ask us and don’t forget to look at our „Redboard“, where we always inform you about great deals or interesting events, like currently the open air cinema at the Olympia Park which is finally open again.
Stefanie: Munich is such a nice city and everywhere you can find stuff to do. Even if it means sitting in the English garden enjoying a cold beer or even better, a cold Spezi.
In summer, I can recommend to borrow or rent yourself a bike, pack some food and just drive south along the Isar until you find a nice spot. There you can relax, read a good book, play card games with some friends or whatever you want to do. Or you rent a car and drive to the many different lakes around Munich. Most of them you can reach in about 30 minutes.
If you don’t want to go far, or just need some study free time, you can walk to the Olympia Park and get some fresh air. If you are super sporty you can go surfing at the “Eisbach”. It is located in the English Garden. I have never done it, but I have stood there, amazed by people who can surf there. In winter, if it is cold enough, you can go iceskating at the Nymphenburg Canal. But please only if it is allowed!
During the Christmas time you can stroll through all the different Christmas markets. A little tip: Do not go the ones at the main attractions, like Marienplatz, because they are super crowded and more expensive. Rather go to the smaller ones scattered across the city. Good food you can find at the medieval christmas market at the Wittelsbacher Platz.
For food and drinks, you can go to the Münchner Freiheit. There you can find a lot of Bars and restaurants.
If you need any recommendations, just come to the office, and ask me, or write me an email. I am more than happy to give you some ideas of what you could do. Just keep in mind that I am not originally from Munich, so sadly I do not know every nice spot. If you find some nice places orthings to do, please tell me about it. I would be super interested!
Something else you want to tell our FIZZies?
Kathleen: Be kind – Be respectful – Be smart – Be open-minded. And make mistakes, that’s the only way you‘ll learn from them. Oh, and friends call me Kat, so let us be friends. 😊
Stefanie: I am looking forward to getting to know everyone that comes to live here! Our door is open for you! And if a tenant has an idea for an event, some activities or on other topics, we hope they will share it with us. So we can make THE FIZZ experience even more memorable together with our tenants.