Franziska’s passion: horseback riding

In this interview with our magazine, we talked to Franziska about riding and mental health. We went with her to the beginnings of her riding career and asked her how she discovered riding for herself and what meaning it has for her today. She also tells us where she buys her riding clothes. Franziska loves spending time with her horse the most, which is why she can be found in the stable every day. She tells us what her daily routine is like there and which must-haves always have to be there. She also talks to us about her Borderline diagnosis and how she deals with it. She also shares tips on how to improve your mental health and tells us about her book, which you can order from Amazon in January. All this and more you can find out here in this interview!

• Franziska’s Instagram
• Franziska’s TikTok

Beginnings: First riding lesson at age 11

FIV: Hello dear Franziska, we are glad that it worked out with the interview today. We are happy to start now. First of all, we would like to talk about your passion for riding and its beginnings. How did you discover riding for yourself?

Franziska: When I was 11 years old, my mother came home from work one day and said that one of her customers was raving about horseback riding. She then arranged a riding lesson for herself, my sister and me. That was when I sat on a horse for the first time and it was incredibly fun.

“Riding is a kind of therapy”

FIV: How nice! In addition, riding also plays a big role on your social media channels. There, your followers can see that your horses bring a smile to your face. What do you personally associate with riding?

Franziska: For me, horses are a kind of therapy. I associate it with peace and quiet, but at the same time with adrenaline, love for the animals and feelings of happiness. There is hardly any other activity where you are so focused on the animal moving underneath you that you don’t have the chance to think about the rest of the world. It’s a great opportunity to switch off and develop together with a living creature and even achieve athletic goals if necessary. This gives me an incredible amount of joy! In addition, riding is much more strenuous than it looks from the outside and keeps me fit in everyday life.

Photo: instagram.com/franziskaelea

Riding clothes: Riders Deal, Loesdau, …

FIV: It’s really great to hear what’s behind riding for you and what you associate with it. Where do you prefer to buy your riding clothes?

Franziska: Very different. I order a lot online at Riders Deal, where there are always the best deals, and in stationary retail we have Loesdau and Krämer nearby. You can find everything you need there. My favorite brands are PS of Sweden, HV Polo, Eskadron and Equestrian Stockholm.

Everyday in the horse stable – The everyday life

FIV: Also, you can be found every day at the barn with your horse Fleur, so we’re interested to know: what does your daily routine at the barn look like?

Franziska: Fleur always gets an apple, a carrot or a banana from me as a welcome. Then we usually go grazing or for a walk – if the pastures are open, I often put her out again. In the morning she comes with the guide service already on’s paddock or if necessary on the meadow. Then I always take a lot of time to groom her and get her ready for riding or lunging – all accompanied by numerous cuddles, of course. After training I am busy with cleaning up, cleaning hooves & horse & preparing food for the next day. After Fleur has eaten, she is allowed to go out again and just be a horse for a bit or play with her best friend. In between I like to walk Hazel in the woods a bit or help stablemates with taking care of their horses. Sometimes I also ride other horses to learn more about riding myself. Fleur is still very young and I want to become a better rider for her.

Must haves in the stable: dog

FIV: What are your must-haves that always have to go with you when you go to the barn?

Franziska: My dog – if you can call that a must have! Otherwise, I have most things stored in my locker at the stable: cell phone charging cables, dog snacks, warm clothes, outfits for Fleur and everything you need for the care of the horse. My cell phone – although I hardly have reception at the stable – is also always with me to capture special moments for my community.

Photo: instagram.com/franziskaelea

Mental Health & Diagnosis Borderline

FIV: Now we would like to talk to you about Mental Health. When you were 15 years old, you were diagnosed with borderline. How did you deal with the situation?

Franziska: Note: In the clinic they said I was “developing” BPD – diagnoses are actually only allowed after 21, but the signs were clear. The diagnosis itself did not change much, I was rather glad that it all had a name and was not normal. Otherwise I would have had little hope for a happy life in the future. I went to inpatient and outpatient therapy and always tried to work on myself.

Franziska’s tips regarding Mental Health

FIV: Do you have any tips for our readers on how to improve their own mental health?

Franziska: Do things that make you happy and think long-term. The (short-term) easy way is not always the better way. I have always listened to my heart instead of the voices of reason around me and that has personally led to the best decisions of my life. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have a horse, started my own business, or let a small dog into my life as a college student. I always ask myself: does it make ME happy, or the people around me? At the end of the day, it’s just me alone with myself and having to live with my choices. Not the others. Otherwise, I can only suggest to everyone: Go horseback riding! That is the best therapy for me.

Own book: “What you do not see”.

FIV: Your book “What You Don’t See” will be published in January. Would you like to explain to our readers what your book is about?

Franziska: “What you don’t see” is a non-fiction book about borderline personality disorder and tells my story from birth. So it’s also an autobiography, so to speak. I have suffered many setbacks and had little support in life. Yet here I am, answering these very interview questions. With my book I want to encourage those affected, open the eyes of relatives and offer an exciting, true and above all honest story to all those who actively follow me. I think we have succeeded in doing that!

“What I have experienced, no one believes me”.

FIV: What inspired you to write your own book?

Franziska: In fact, I’ve often thought “no one believes everything I’ve experienced. Or “the whole world should actually know that. The desire to share my story with people had been growing for some time, and when my publisher approached me with the request for this non-fiction book, I didn’t have to think twice. The people inspired me, the therapy, the experiences and in short: life.

“E” – Franziska in three words

FIV: Last but not least, we would like to learn a little bit more about you, please describe yourself in three words.

Franziska: Honest, ambitious & empathetic. So I am an “E” lol.

FIV: Thank you very much for your time and the great interview. We wish you all the best on your way!

More interviews with content creators

Did you like the interview with Franziska? Then read more interviews with content creators here.

Sol.and.pepper in interview: About travel indefinitely

Behind the name Sol.and.pepper are Julie and Moritz, who went on an indefinite trip almost four years ago with their children, their Great Dane mix Pepper and a converted van. Julie and Moritz are content creators on Instagram, sharing their incredible lives with their nearly 245,000 followers. In just under four years, the family has traveled to 22 countries. In addition, the two run a blog on which they share their thoughts and feelings. The two are living the dream of many people. But how did it all begin? Julie and Moritz look back in time with our magazine to the moment when they both made the decision to travel together indefinitely. We also talk about the reaction of their environment and the associated bureaucratic hurdles. They also shared tips for you to take such a step. Furthermore, we talk about must haves for such a trip, already experienced adventures and future plans. Also the probably most interesting question to the two, whether they can imagine a return to Germany or perhaps even have already planned, is answered in this interview!

• Julie & Moritz interview

Photo: instagram.com/sol.and.pepper

Elvislamoureux in interview: About emigrate & music video from Apache 207

Elvis emigrated to Spain a few months ago and takes his community on TikTok and Instagram with him into his exciting life in Alicante. But why did he emigrate in the first place? Actually, he got this idea during the lockdown in Germany out of boredom. On his social media channels, he shares his experiences, as well as tips and tricks to live in Spain. Elvis tells us about his background to emigrate and why he chose Spain. In addition, he tells us a hotspot that we should definitely visit and tips for people who also want to go away. Besides the whole emigration topic, Elvis participated in the music video of Apache 207 and talked about his experiences. Last but not least, we went back to the beginning of his social media career and asked him what inspired him to share his life publicly on social platforms. Find out all that and more in this interview!

• Elvis in interview

Discovering the world with a poor sense of direction

In this interview Sophia talks to us about her passion, namely sports. To be more precise, surfing. Sophia travels around the world and tries to catch the best waves. Sri Lanka is at the top of her list, because there are the best waves and lovely and helpful locals. When traveling, apps are especially helpful, so she reveals must-have apps for traveling, as well as her must-have beauty items that no trip should be without. She also shares surfing tips for beginners and where to get the best bikinis. Learn more here!

• Sophia’s Instagram
• Sophias TikTok

Sri Lanka: The best place to surf

FIV: Hello dear Sophia, we are glad that the interview worked out. Let’s get started right away. We see you traveling a lot on your social media channels. What is your favorite travel destination so far and why?

Sophia: I’ve been to so many incredibly beautiful places over the past year, so it’s hard for me to pick a clear favorite. But my trip to Sri Lanka definitely stands out, as this beautiful country inspired me in so many ways. It’s where I first stood on a surfboard and ever since I surfed my first good wave, I haven’t wanted to do anything else! I have subsequently been to the Atlantic coast of Europe, Indonesia and the Maldives and I have to say unequivocally that I surfed the best waves for me in Sri Lanka. Our surf instructor always called it cheated because you get to surf so much and have less to fight with the waves – so I can recommend it especially to all surf beginners to travel to Sri Lanka. It really is such a great country, with an incredibly interesting culture, let alone the delicious food and stunning nature. Also, I always felt totally safe and all the locals were always so sweet and helpful.

Photo: instagram.com/sophiachiara__

Sophia Apps Must-Haves for Travel

FIV: Wow, that sounds great! When you’re traveling, some apps are really helpful in finding your way around a foreign country. So what are your top 3 apps that help you the most when you travel?

Sophia: Google maps – an absolute must-have for me, not only for route planning, but also to find restaurants and accommodations. Translate Now – for me one of the best translators, especially because of the video and voice function. Especially in Indonesia it was often difficult to find vegetarian options, even more so when you don’t even know what’s on the menu. Nordvpn – a good VPN definitely made my life easier, as a lot of content is blocked or blocked in other countries.

No trip without red cherry chapstick

FIV: That sounds like a good selection! Let’s move on to the topic of beauty while traveling. What are your top 5 beauty essentials that you would never travel without?

Sophia: Since I’m primarily traveling in areas where it’s always summer, I use almost no makeup at all. The most beautiful makeup is still the summer tan. However, a little powder and blush always comes along. And I would never go anywhere without my red cherry chapstick. I love the slight red shimmer on the lips, the extra care and the taste! Otherwise, I also always have argan oil / coconut oil for skin and hair.

The dream of a house with ranch

FIV: Because of all your traveling, you are of course not so much in Germany. Could you imagine emigrating and if so, where to?

Sophia: Ever since I was little, I’ve dreamed of owning a house with a small ranch. At the moment, I can’t imagine living this dream in Germany. In general, I don’t plan my life down to the smallest detail, but rather go with the flow. But one thing I know, I want sea, sun and surf in the immediate vicinity of my future home.

With board and horse to the beach

FIV: Besides your travel content, sports is also a big topic on your social media channels. On Instagram and TikTok you can be seen dancing, in the gym, riding and surfing. Of these sports, what do you enjoy the most and why?

Sophia: Riding has always been my great passion and since recently it is also surfing. My dream is to ride to the beach with my board under my arm on my horse Loui.

Photo: instagram.com/sophiachiara__

Sophia’s Surfing Tips for Beginners

FIV: Since surfing is very present with you right now, we would like to ask you if you have any tips for beginners who have never surfed before?

Sophia: I would say the most important thing is to keep your expectations low. If you expect to be able to surf well after one week at the surf camp, it will definitely frustrate you. You should just try to have fun with it and build up on small successes – it’s always a gift to be in the water, even if the session didn’t go well. Surfing is super complicated and depends not only on you, but on an incredible amount of factors. I would describe it less as a sport and more as a way of life where you slowly but steadily learn a lot about the ocean and yourself.

Sophia approved bikinis: Naked, Rip Curl,…

FIV: Through traveling and surfing, you are a lot in contact with water. Especially when surfing, you need a good bikini. Which brands are your top 3 for bikinis?

Sophia: Naked, Rip Curl and Hurley.

Photo: instagram.com/sophiachiara__

Instagram has changed

FIV: If you had to choose between the Instagram and TikTok platforms, which would you choose and why?

Sophia: I would definitely choose Instagram, because the general trend is that content is becoming more and more ephemeral. However, Instagram has also changed a lot and is no longer what it used to be. Pictures are reduced to their first impression and the artistic in them often comes too short, videos are only interesting if they shock within the first seconds, and so on…

Sunshine and rivet in mental arithmetic

FIV: Since you share most of your life on social media, it would be very interesting to know what kind of person you are behind the camera. How would your friends describe you?

Sophia: I gave the question to my friends:

(1) Sophia is a little sunshine. Her cheerful and carefree nature is absolutely infectious. She always has an open ear for me and always has good advice in store. I always feel understood with her. Above all, you can philosophize with her for hours about life. She is certainly the most emphatic person I know and always tries to please everyone, even if she herself comes up short. She has a huge heart for animals and has to give some love to every animal she sees. She has the absolute worst sense of direction in the world. She really can never say no, but loves to help and see others happy. She is an absolute loser at mental arithmetic. She is a really sore loser. She always knows what she wants and makes impulsive decisions based on her gut. What I like most about her is that she can get excited about the most mundane things in life and sees something positive and beautiful in everything.

(2) You are a person who puts family and friends first. Directly followed by nature, animals and sports. You are a person who tries to please everyone, which is why sleeping and eating sometimes come too short. You are a total heart person, but at the same time you can be relied on when you need an honest opinion. It’s no problem for you to swim against the current. You can lose just as badly as I can! Your ambition drives you to be the best in everything. You can be a little bit crazy sometimes, but who isn’t?

Photo: instagram.com/sophiachiara__

Greatest success: Making a difference with reach

FIV: Lastly, we’d love to hear from you about what has been your biggest success so far in your social media career?

Sophia: Definitely: The fact that I can make a difference with my reach. I get so many messages that I inspire people with my lifestyle and have influenced their lives for the better as a result. That is and remains my greatest success.

FIV: You are truly an inspiring personality! Thank you for your time and the great interview!

More interviews with content creators

Did you like the interview with Sophia? Then read more interviews with content creators here.

Nadinezofia in interview: About Nadine’s passion for fashion & making the catwalk unsafe for once

Fashion is Nadine’s great passion. She already discovered it in her childhood, when she saw her mom’s closet and her high heels. She is now a fashion content creator and shares her outfits and inspirations with her community on a daily basis. Her channels feature fashion hauls, travel and comedy. It never gets boring with her! In the interview with Nadine we talk about fashion sins and trends. Due to her enthusiasm for fashion she owns a lot of clothes, so it’s hard for her to sort out her closet. She tells us about her favorite clothes, which parts should not be missing in the closet and where she buys them. She also tells us where she gets her inspiration for her outfits and how she learned not to listen to the opinion of others and to do her own thing.

• Nadinezofia interview

Photo: instagram.de/majafelina

Philippsteuer interview: Vegetables are the new meat

Philipp is a food content creator and Spiegel bestselling author who provides his 220,000+ followers on YouTube and Instagram with vegan recipes and vegan food tests. In addition to social media, he runs a food blog and has written a book, “I Never Wanted to Be Vegan,” in which he shares tips and experiences of giving up meat. In doing so, he has one goal: He wants to inspire people to eat less meat or give up meat altogether in order to avoid animal suffering and protect the environment. In this interview with Philipp, he talks to us about his passion for cooking and everything that goes with it. From a full fridge to an untidy kitchen. In the process, he tells us about his path to becoming a vegan. Through a harmless animal documentary he became aware that animals should not suffer for his food. Accordingly, he changed his way of life and documented this in his own book. If you also want to live vegan and don’t know how, check out his book! Learn more about Philipp here.

• Philipp in interview

Photo: Jenny Stening

Marylu.ly in interview: Turf sports, pressure and dreams

Marie provides her 360,000 followers on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube with workouts, recipes, coaching and motivation every day. On Youtube, she takes you through her everyday life in vlogs, shows you how she prepares for her vacation and much more. She is a real sports fan and loves challenges. In this interview, Marie takes us into her everyday sports life. She talked to us about her big dreams, her sporty life and how she deals with pressure. She also shares with us tips for motivation and lack of drive to give your best in sports with full energy. Marie has been a sporty person since a young age. From sports acrobatics to hip-hop, working out at the gym to lawn sports, she’s played almost every sport. But she also occasionally watches from the sidelines and cheers on her boyfriend at soccer games. How she manages to keep it all under one hat, she reveals to us here in this interview.

• Marie Luise in interview

Photo: Marvin Schönfelder

Denniskoenigg in an interview: His life as a content creator, fascination with horror and his private side

Already active on TikTok and having gained a good reach, Dennis, the content creator in the Corona pandemic, also started his YouTube career with his horror content. Not shy about getting in touch with his community, it also became one of his sources of inspiration. All horror fans, whether in the form of movies or video games, are in great hands with him. In the interview with our magazine, he talks about his childhood “crimes,” how he came to this particular fascination with horror, his inspiration and motivation with the great aspect of community, as well as his interests that extend beyond horror and his social media presence. Behind the creepy lover is a world explorer.

• Dennis Koenig in interview

Photo: instagram.com/denniskoenigg/

Lindermusic in interview: The Voice of Germany, TikTok and own songs

Lukas became famous through the 9th season of “The Voice of Germany” and around 630,000 people also follow him and his music on TikTok. It all began in childhood in a church with small bongos. From that point on, Lukas discovered music for himself and over the course of his life he found his calling in releasing his own songs. In the interview Lukas talked to us about his way into music and the importance of social media as an independent artist. He also gave us a little insight into what his private life is like. You can follow everything on his social media channels. He found his way to music through boredom in the church band. But in fact, that wasn’t always his plan, because he is also a trained insurance salesman. Find out more about Lukas here!

• Lukas Linder in interview

Photo: Christina Pörsch

Pilotpatrick in interview: About travel, dreams and his own book

In the interview with Patrick we talk about his life and his profession, or rather his vocation. Where he is, is also his community. He takes them with him around the world, whenever he works or goes on vacation. But not only on his social media channels or in his blog you can find out everything, on the side he even wrote a book. It shows that you can do anything as long as you believe in yourself and have fun doing what you do. That’s exactly what he wants to give you, among other things, here on the way.

• Pilotpatrick interview

Photo: instagram.com/pilotpatrick

Dielafira interview: About streaming on Twitch, gaming with the community and tips for beginners

Lafi provides her 200,000 followers on TikTok with gaming and streaming content. Reactions, pranks and a lot of fun can also be found on her social media channels. Together with her community, she plays Clash Of Clans, among other games. With her, there is always something to laugh about! In the interview with Lafi, she talks to us about her passion for gaming and streaming. She tells us about her first game, her first game console and her favorite games. These include Valorant for the PC and Cash Of Clans. It all started with her brothers, who got her into gaming. So the passion developed and when she started Musical.ly (now TikTok) in 2018, and her community kept growing, she became a streamer on Twitch. To that end, she tells us how she prepares for a stream and shares streaming tips for gals who would like to get started.

• Lafi in interview

Photo: instagram.com/dielafira

In my search through the overwhelming supply on the internet, my selection was ultimately narrowed down to the following 3 products:

Unadorned and everlasting: The classic horse trailer

What I particularly liked about this horse pendant from Vinani was the elegant snake chain and the different lengths available. The pendant is made of tarnish-protected sterling silver 925, and probably makes the heart of all horse lovers beat faster. The three-dimensional horse is simple but stylish and rounds off every outfit as a sweet highlight. The size of the pendant was also chosen appropriately, not too big and not too small and the plastic design creates a beautiful effect.

But rather a horse charm?

Since my niece also owns a charm bracelet, among other things, and collects various charms for this, I had also considered the possibility of giving her a horse charm. I had chosen this little rocking horse made of silver, which was specially refined by rhodium plating and is thus also protected against tarnishing. Makes super cute on the wrist just next to other animal motifs.

Anything but plain – the somewhat exotic horse trailer

Since I also wanted to keep the option open to take a slightly fancier variant, I have also taken this product with in the shortlist. It is a black and gold rocking horse, which is not only suitable for children, but can also be combined well with current fashion such as jeans or an evening dress. The back of the horse pendant is made of bronze and was decorated with small punched hearts. Looks golden and is suitable not only as a chain or jewelry pendant, but also for example for the keychain.

My personal favorite was the bronze rocking horse, but it was a little too daring for me as a birthday gift. The horse charm I saw more as a gift for a charm bracelet with Christmas motifs. Therefore I finally decided for the simple horse charm made of silver. As it turned out, the right choice – my niece was delighted, and since then no longer wants to leave the house without the horse chain.great gift for little horse lovers at any age!