Meet Stephanie K.
Stephanie Kroop was born in Heidelberg in 1977 and, after spending years in Leipzig and Passau, has lived in a small village in the northern Upper Palatinate near Weiden since 2010. Professionally, she is a freelance expert in packaging recycling, supporting distributors with their packaging law obligations and working as an auditor for sorting facilities, dual systems, and recycling plants.
Her career has been anything but conventional. From years of extensive travel, sometimes logging more than 120,000 kilometers annually, to leadership roles in male-dominated industries, Stephanie has built her path through resilience and adaptability. Yet the same drive that fueled her success also led to severe burnout, forcing her to reconsider her relationship with work and life altogether. Today, she approaches her profession with balance, efficiency, and intention, managing her resources carefully while remaining open to growth and change.
Stephanie’s personal story is marked by both hardship and transformation. The divorce of her parents, the early death of her father, and the devastating loss of her fiancé to cancer left lasting impressions. Her burnout, however, was a pivotal point, an experience that nearly broke her but also offered the chance to rebuild herself in new and healthier ways. From it, she emerged with clarity and guiding principles: everything is temporary, freedom lies between stimulus and response, respect is non-negotiable, and patience and humor are essential companions.
Married for 13 years, Stephanie is also a proud stepmother and grandmother of four. While she has no biological children of her own, family plays a central role in her life. Her values today center on health, respect, empathy, and authenticity. She has learned to spend more time feeling than overthinking, to prioritize self-care, and to appreciate the small, everyday moments that bring fulfillment.
Outside of her career, Stephanie’s passions include spending time with her horse, music, close friendships, and volunteering with a Samaritan telephone service. She believes strongly in lifelong learning, maintaining physical and mental health, and the importance of setting boundaries with both grace and strength.
Those who know her describe her as loyal, enriching, and authentic. And those who see her now, whether in her work, family life, or in front of the camera, see a woman who has transformed challenges into opportunities and continues to move forward with courage, humor, and a deep appreciation for life.
Healing Can Happen at Any Time
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