I became interested in the world of marketing from my parents. My dad is a printer and my mom used to work as a typist at the same print shop until they started their own print shop in 1982. I was working there every single weekend and vacation, looking at beautiful artwork and photos that were being produced. Of course, my dad wanted me to take over the family business, but my interest was more in creating and designing the things that were being produced, not manufacturing them.

Therefore I started my career pursuit as a creative, at a quite young age. At the age of 16, I was studying visual communication, graphic design and typography. I loved the craftsmanship of design, and after completing a three years bachelor's, I graduated as one of the top students. I was offered a job at an agency in Oslo and that was the starting point; I was fortunate enough to begin working with major brands from day one.

Over the years, I have worked for a lot of different agencies, small, medium and large, both local, national, Nordic and international. For five years, I ran my own agency that I later merged into a well-established network of agencies, where I stayed for seven more years. In 2008, I was asked to be the link between the classic agency unit and the “interactive" unit and to explore the new opportunities that social media might present. From there, I dedicated more than 18 hours a day online, focusing on understanding all the strengths and possibilities that social media could offer from an advertising and marketing point of view.

Later in 2009, as a result of the recession, I left the agency I was a partner in, to join one of the first social media agencies in the Nordics. Next, the journey brought me to larger Nordic networks, as well as Global networks such as Isobar, DDB and Ogilvy where I have had the role of Chief Innovation Officer and Creative Strategy Director.

So what does all this mean? In short, I believe the words of Harrington Emerson, that said

“As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.”

– this to me is the essence of how I tackle Brand, Marketing and Communication challenges. Way too many are focusing on the latest methods, how to be disruptive, get attention, launch the next viral video or hack the algorithm to Facebook and Instagram, and simply put add to the content pollution that is happening. All that effort, energy and money spent, without building a strong foundation that’s called a strategy. The reasons for doing what needs to be done. If you have a solid strategy, based on the brand and marketing principles - you’ll be able to apply effective methods that actually will work and transform the business for yourself, your company or your brand.

So that’s me, that’s what I do and that’s what I am passionate about. I am curious to learn more, to be current, and to stay ahead of the curve. I consider myself to be an avid photographer; mostly into street photography, as it combines curiosity and observations of human behaviour and interactions. And I do try to reach out with my message through various outlets, such as my Five Minute Friday sessions, my Marketing at Heart podcast, my blog, and as a public speaker. If you want to stay up to date on everything, sign up here for my newsletter.