You might think that you have everything in control at the age of 34, but for me, I couldn’t be further from it, and neither does it bother me. I suffered an identity crisis in 2022. My life threw quite a turbulence on me last year, but after a couple of months of pitying myself, I decided to move on. My divorce was my catalyst. It was a catalyst for becoming better at everything. I am the black sheep of my family—the only business owner, the one that is willing to put in the work to make it happen for herself. Not to downgrade any of my relatives; they’re all doing well in their own way. However, I have always been different.

How I became a business owner?

I have been a business owner for over five years; before that, I freelanced as a graphic designer for over ten years. I graduated from the University of Applied Sciences in 2015 and have around eight years of experience as a chef and manager. I have done graphic design as a freelancer while I studied hospitality management as a plan B. In Finland, you get startup money for when you start your company which is around 600 euros a month, but you’re only allowed to charge your clients after you have received the decision for the support. Once I got that, I started working closely with one of my old contacts. It was my old contact’s idea of me becoming a business owner. Once my daughter was two years old, I decided to go for it. Everything was new, and the worst part was I needed more discipline and routines; getting these qualities from another advertising agency as an employee could have been good. After my first year as a business owner, I landed a marketing cooperation with one of the event arrangers in my town. I wanted to try my capabilities, and I closed the year sixfold compared to the first year in business. The best part was that I wasn’t alone. My way of working attracted a few freelancers around me. Instead of working as a graphic designer and web designer, I also had talents around me from the fields of copywriting, animation, illustration, photography and videography. And as another graphic designer contacted me, I was set to become a coordinator, and shortly after, I became a self-learned art director. I was lucky because when I worked with this event arranger as my client, their project manager taught me many things without realizing it. I developed an eye for details and typography. Typography had already been my most vital asset, but I improved with my client and her 20 years of experience. They say a great business owner can take on different roles in the company when needed. Everything since those two first years has given me a path to follow. Sometimes it takes work to see where it leads, but now with two partners with me, I have been able to do more networking and client acquisition. I only remember a little from the 3rd and 4th years, primarily because of COVID-19. Despite Coronavirus, I have been able to increase my turnover each year, but as a business owner, I have felt stuck. After my divorce, I started to study Business Coaching, and I noticed it’s something I enjoy. I have always loved helping and encouraging others.

I am still determining what the perspective of this blog will be. Still, it will be about kindness, good karma, being a mother, clear thoughts, leadership, struggles, friendships, experience and honesty.

I hope to see you around, and thank you for reading,
x Heidi