“Just do it—otherwise the desire won’t go away”
Sabine Happe talks with Katrin Schumacher about new beginnings, audiobooks, AI, and the courage to start something new at age 60.
Sabine Happe: Katrin , you recently turned 60. Perhaps you could start by briefly outlining your professional background.
Katrin Schumacher: I originally trained as an interior decorator, but then switched to the fashion industry. After having children, fashion eventually stopped being important to me. That’s why I retrained as a nutrition counselor and later became a fitness trainer, because health and people were important to me. Today, I’m a school aide and support a child with a disability at school.
Sabine Happe: That sounds like you’re an expert on new beginnings.
Katrin Schumacher: Yes , you could say that. Professionally, I’ve been moving more and more toward the human side of things.
Sabine Happe: So how did you come to love audiobooks, which is what we’re talking about today?
Katrin Schumacher: In my free time, I enjoy gardening and doing crafts—when my hands are busy, my ears are free. That’s how I get to my literature! In recent years, I’ve listened to hundreds of audiobooks and caught up on many classics. In the process, I noticed that I think some narrators are fantastic—but I couldn’t stand others at all. And because I really love language, I eventually thought: That’s what I want to do—become an audiobook narrator. So I went for it.
Sabine Happe: How long have you been thinking about this?
Katrin Schumacher: To be specific, about a year. I’d seen an ad for an academy on Instagram. Since the training cost quite a bit of money, I mulled it over for almost a year. Then I knew: I want to do this—even if it just turns out to be a fun hobby.
The trigger was my torn cruciate ligament a little over a year ago. That put me on sick leave for a long time. So I thought: Right now. I’m going to get started. Sometimes you’ve been thinking about something for a while, but you need the right opportunity.
Sabine Happe: A lot of people start thinking as early as 35, “It’s too late now.” You just turned 60. Do you ever have thoughts like that?
Katrin Schumacher: That’s what some people say. Interestingly, the first audiobook I narrated is exactly about that. It’s called *Das war’s noch lange nicht* (*It’s Far from Over*), with the subtitle *Career Change at 40 Plus*. Of course, by the time you’re 60, some opportunities have passed you by—for example, when it comes to a long-term, permanent position. But you can still figure out what you really want and what’s realistic—to eliminate professional frustration and find greater job satisfaction.
Sabine Happe: When people embark on a new project, many face skepticism from others. Have you experienced something like that?
Katrin Schumacher: I’ve always done things a little differently. Even as a child, I volunteered for difficult presentations to challenge myself. Later, when I wanted to lose weight after having my kids, I told everyone I was going to Weight Watchers. That’s how I push myself. If I tell everyone about it, I have to make it happen.
And even if I don’t: Then I’ll just say I didn’t manage it after all. That doesn’t take anything away from my pride.
Sabine Happe: So, the public eye is a trick—a way to become true to oneself.
Katrin Schumacher: Exactly . Being in the public eye helps you take yourself seriously.
Sabine Happe: What was your experience like during your training to become a voice-over artist?
Katrin Schumacher: Speaking itself is almost the easiest part. At the beginning, you learn speech techniques: punctuation, pauses, stress, and when to raise and lower your voice. One acting coach in particular left a lasting impression on us; he taught us not to act, but to be ourselves. You have to find within yourself what’s in the text, amplify it, and then let your true self speak.
That’s actually helped me in my personal life, too. My daughter got married, and I gave a speech. I’m very emotional, and I was afraid I’d start crying after just three words. While we were practicing, my husband said, “That sounds like a fairy-tale lady. Can’t you just be Katrin?” In the end, I actually managed to get through it without crying.
Sabine Happe: But you didn’t just learn to speak—you also overcame many technical hurdles.
Katrin Schumacher: Yes , that was the hardest part for me. I produce everything myself: using a recording studio on my laptop, a good microphone, and—these days—a large screen. In addition, there are platforms, technology, marketing, and visibility.
If you want to publish with Audible, you have to be part of ACX, a major American platform. However, you can only sign up there if you have an address in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Canada, or the United States. I managed to get an address in England. In addition, there are many other platforms where you need to maintain a presence. At the same time, companies that want to train their AI are reaching out to us. I don’t want to do that.
Sabine Happe: What can people do to make it easier to find your books?
Katrin Schumacher: The best thing would be to write a nice review. And it’s also important to listen to an audiobook all the way through. If a book isn’t finished, the algorithm interprets that as a bad sign.
Sabine Happe: Many people are afraid of AI. You’ve narrated an audiobook that deals with exactly that.
Katrin Schumacher: Yes , “Interview with a Machine” by Isabella Brynich. In it, the author actually had a conversation with an AI. I thought that was awesome. It inspired me to interact more with AI myself. In some cases, this led to conversations that I could never have had with anyone else—for example, about poetry. This book has opened up many new perspectives for me.
Sabine Happe: Is that your favorite book right now?
Katrin Schumacher: Yes , because it opened my eyes to a different way of dealing with AI. Isabella Brynich has also written *Hugo Explains*. Next, I’ll be reading one of her novels. It’s really weird, which makes it a real challenge: It’s about a woman who lives with her cat. Then an angel and a devil appear in her apartment—and these four characters engage in a confrontation.
Sabine Happe: That sounds challenging—especially since each character needs their own voice.
Katrin Schumacher: Yes , and the cat has its own voice, too.
Sabine Happe: How can people find you?
Katrin Schumacher: On Audible, you can search for narrator Katrin Schumacher. There is also an author with the same name, but you can tell them apart. I really appreciate reviews. “Interview with a Machine” costs only 4.95 euros—so it might be better to just buy it outright and save your Audible credit.
Sabine Happe: Finally , how can we encourage people who are brimming with ideas but lack the confidence to act on them?
Katrin Schumacher: It’s easy to say—and a lot of people say it, too—just do it. Because once you have that idea or desire inside you, it won’t go away unless you act on it.
Sometimes I think: If I reach the end of my life and haven’t done it, I’ll be upset. And if I’ve tried it and it goes wrong, at least I’ll have gained some experience.
Sabine Happe: Nice closing sentence.
About this link will take you to the LinkedIn article about Katrin Schumacher and her audiobooks. There, you can also get a free audio link for the book *Das war’s noch lange nicht* by Isabella Brynich—while supplies last.
#NewBeginning #Audiobook #Courage #CareerChange #AI #LifelongLearning #JustDoIt
