Take a chance and do it!

This is a story about women in the Josefstadt who have taken a chance and started their own projects.

One of them is Beatrice Frasl, a recently self-employed podcaster, journalist and university teacher. The one-hour interviews in her fortnightly podcast ‘Grosse Töchter’ (great daughters) always contain a feminist element. Her goal is ‘to show the whole spectrum of feminism’.
‘There is no one-fits-all feminism. I consider myself a leftist feminist but I’ve also interviewed Maria Rauch-Kallat who sees herself as a bourgeois feminist.’ Frasl’s podcast is mainly financed by people who take out a monthly subscription on Steady to support her. ‘So far it has continued to grow – let’s hope it stays that way.’

Julia Kefer started her Instagram account @juliaflowsgreen in early 2021. ‘I am always on Instagram, looking for accounts that inspire me and help me grow. And at some point I thought: Why not start an account myself?’ The yoga teacher is currently training to become a nutritionist and wants to help her followers improve their lives: ‘I want to create added value. My content is very solution-oriented. Every Monday there is a new subject that is as individual as life itself.’

Long-time friends Julia Fodor and Katharina Hingsammer launched their ‘beauty concept store’ Babetown in late 2019. ‘It is both a nail salon and hangout, and there also is a shop where we sell our products.’ Starting their business was challenging in various ways. ‘As it was a new concept it wasn’t easy to find all the relevant information. Finding the right staff also proved a bit of a problem as we set very high standards and want to offer our clients the best possible experience.’ Babetown had only been around for three months before Austria went into its first lockdown. ‘Crisis mode is more or less the norm for us. We had to tackle challenges like reduced working hours, remote work or the expansion of the online shop during the lockdown.’ Yet they try to stay positive: ‚We believe that there is always a solution. Babetown is more than “only” a nail salon, a coffeehouse or a shop – it is all of that rolled into one.’

Speaking of ‘all in one’, OIS.IN.AN means exactly that in Viennese dialect. The restaurant was recently opened by an education initiative for disadvantaged girls. Co-founders Miriam Badhdady and Barbara Pöll call it a ‘safe space’ where girls can receive training in a non-discriminatory environment. ‘It is a social project with a sustainable approach that generates jobs.’ All dishes are vegetarian or vegan. ‘We try to use regional and seasonal products as much as possible. We also plan to use the basement for seminars and workshops.’

What advice would all these women give other women thinking about launching their own business? Their answer is clear: ‘Take a chance and do it!’

▶ babetown. Piaristengasse 17. Onlineshop: shop.babetown.at
grossetoechter.podbean.com
▶ Ois.in.an. Lerchenfelder Straße 60. Mo–So 9–19h, (Cov-19-Öffnungszeiten). +43 681 84680341, www.oisinan-vienna.com


issue 01/2021