The Beginning

Welcome to Better Life Decisions. My name is Manuel Hoffmann, and I was born in Basel, a German-speaking city in Switzerland. At the tender age of four, my parents divorced. Unfortunately, that was the last time I saw my father. My mother had to raise three children and seek work to provide for our family.

We eventually moved to Brussels, the capital of Belgium, where she secured a colorist job at my grandfather's business. Upon arrival, my mother enrolled us in different full-time boarding schools. It was challenging as I was alone and had to adapt quickly and learn French fast. A few years later, my mother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, leaving my sisters and me to navigate life independently.

Passion for Sailing

At fourteen, I was introduced to sailing during a summer camp. I immediately became a passion. I started teaching dinghy sailing at fifteen during weekends and summers. Later, I sailed extensively in the Nord Sea on larger sailboats.

Education and Moving to the USA

Despite the financial constraints imposed by my mother's situation, Belgium's exceptional public schools and universities provided me with a solid education. I graduated in electromechanical engineering and pursued a graduate program in business administration while working nights and weekends. Once armed with my degrees, I was determined to learn English and carve out a life of success. And so, I set my sights on the United States.  Acquiring a work visa through a corporate sponsorship proved a formidable challenge. Still, my persistence paid off, and I eventually obtained my green card and, a few years later, my citizenship.

Career

Throughout my career, I excelled in business development, marketing, channel, direct sales, and operations for startups and large international corporations. I had the opportunity to travel the world extensively and collaborate with esteemed executives worldwide, many of whom became good friends.

Overall, I had a great career and personal life. I continued nurturing my passion for sailing, ultimately buying a 43-foot sailboat, sailing the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean with strong winds, making it challenging and fun.

Wake-up Call

In 2022, I had a heart attack. Miraculously, I reached the emergency room just in time, and 20 minutes later, at 1:30 AM, I underwent an angioplasty procedure and received a stent to unblock an artery. I was lucky as I had no heart damage after the incident. I have been doing fine since and am in better shape than ever.

The heart attack served as a profound wake-up call, jolting me into realizing life's fragility and providing a precious opportunity for introspection, leading me to contemplate how to live my life moving forward, give back, and meaningfully contribute to society.

I embarked on deep introspection and extensive reading while reflecting on my life decisions and choices. While I achieved professional and personal successes, I realized I could have reached even greater heights with better decisions. I also realized that I always did it alone, constantly having to push up instead of being pulled by managers or mentors.

My New Calling: Better Life Decisions

I decided to do something about it, so I founded Better Life Decisions to empower others to reach their full potential while giving back to society.

Better Life Decisions is a unique and powerful program and network crafted to help individuals understand fundamentals and engage with peers, coaches, advisors, and executives to make the best possible essential life decisions. It is paving the way for long-term success and fulfillment. It is based on extensive research and science and incorporates the knowledge I wish I had during my personal life journey.