#schongenial: Thank you very much for the appointment. Mrs Sauer, could you start by giving us a brief insight into your career?
Maria Sauer: Yes, with pleasure. I was born in 1967 in the Waldviertel, in Waidhofen/Thaya, the daughter of a farmer. After primary school in Thaya and grammar school in Waidhofen/Thaya, I completed my A-levels at the Federal College for Tourism in Krems. I then worked in seasonal jobs in hotels in Austria and abroad and completed my training as a qualified entertainer. I worked as a specialised teacher at the HLF Krems and was already a hotel manager in Kirchberg in Tyrol at the age of 23. I then moved to Wels in Upper Austria for love. I have worked in a number of different professional roles, including marketing positions at Brauunion Österreich AG, CC Pfeiffer, Unimarkt and CNH St. Valentin. Before I was appointed Managing Director of Krebshilfe Oberösterreich in 2021, I was Director of the Farmers' Union in Upper Austria.
#schongenial: What motivated you to get involved with Krebshilfe?
Maria Sauer: I wanted to use my expertise, my experience and my network to support people in a difficult life crisis. When my family and I were confronted with cancer ourselves, we experienced how important support is in this situation. This particularly sensitised me and motivated me to apply for cancer support. I was delighted to be entrusted with the management of this important organisation.
#schongenial: What moments in your work have particularly touched you?
Maria Sauer: With such a challenging topic and the many fates we look after, we still experience rays of hope every day - especially when we can help people directly. The heartfelt "thank you" really enriches us. However, it is also always a challenge when we have to say goodbye to those affected. In the last few months in particular, some very young patients have passed away. Supporting the families during this time shows us how important our work is for the relatives. I am also particularly keen to give talks at schools to sensitise children and young people to their own health literacy. A teacher from a special school recently contacted me because her pupils also want to support us. They are planning a charity event and we will also be bringing the topic of prevention into the programme.
#schongenial: What is particularly important to you in your work for Cancer Aid?
Maria Sauer: This may sound capitalistic, but one of my main tasks is to secure funding for our support services. As a non-profit organisation, we are completely dependent on donations. We can only help if we can afford to help. We have a small permanent team and many counselling sessions are carried out by freelance colleagues. In total, we offer 4,500 hours of counselling and finance many prevention projects and activities - all of which has to be paid for. We don't want to have to turn away anyone who needs help because we don't have the money. Donations, charity events and other activities are therefore essential in order to support people with cancer and their relatives outside of the medical setting.
#schongenial: In this demanding field of work, you are certainly also confronted with setbacks, how do you deal with them, how do you motivate yourself?
Maria Sauer: I'm someone who doesn't think in terms of problems, but looks for solutions straight away. That's just the way I am. Maybe you could summarise it like this: "Fall down, get up, straighten your crown, keep going."
#schongenial: How do you personally practise mindfulness, recognition, respect and appreciation in your everyday life, and what role do these values play in your life?
Maria Sauer: My parents always had a golden rule that still applies to me today: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". I try to put this into practice in all my encounters. For me, it is not a person's status or position that is important, but what he or she does within his or her own capabilities and how he or she treats others. Mindfulness can be seen in small gestures: a smile and a "thank you" at the supermarket checkout, letting someone cross the road or praising our dedicated employees. But it is also the acceptance of other opinions and views. Of course, I am also happy to receive recognition, both privately and professionally. At home, I try very hard to maintain a loving relationship and be attentive. That's why I really appreciate initiatives like #schongenial, because I firmly believe that more respect, appreciation, personal responsibility and less selfishness would create a better mood in society. My contribution is to live these values as best I can - true to the motto: "If everyone cleans up after themselves, there will be no dirty streets."
#schongenial: Thank you very much for the open and inspiring conversation.