Starting a business is a dream for many. For some, the business idea comes in a flash, while for others it develops gradually over time. Wherever you are on your entrepreneurial journey, there are often many questions to consider: Is my business idea strong enough? How do I create a business plan? What are the prospects for profitability? What funding and support opportunities are available?

How often do you stop to reflect on your working life, your personal development, and your career? Have you truly taken the time to think about what you're good at, what you're capable of, what you want to develop in yourself and within the organization where you work, what opportunities are available to you, and, most importantly, what you want to achieve and how you want to leave your mark on the world?

When we're young, we're often asked what we want to be when we grow up, as if there's only one path to choose and follow for the rest of our lives. My own working life has shown me that the path is rarely a straight one. Instead, it has been shaped by my interests, opportunities, encounters with people, and the courage to follow what truly feels right in my heart.

I know from personal experience that where you start does not determine how far you can go. What truly makes the difference is your drive, ambition, and willingness to work hard while staying true to your values. My journey has not been a straight path and thankfully so. After all, it's often the detours that teach us the most.

As the saying goes, the world is a small place. According to a theory introduced in the 1960s, any two random people in the world were connected by an average of six degrees of separation. With the rise of social media, that distance has shrunk considerably. According to a Facebook study, anyone is now only about three connections away from anyone else. Networking has never been easier.

The energy industry is undergoing a major transformation. We are talking more and more about sustainability, electricity availability and adequacy, and the solutions of the future. In the past, people discussed the weather around the coffee table; today, they are increasingly talking about electricity prices. Electricity is a part of our everyday lives, yet we rarely even notice it, except, of course, when it suddenly isn’t there.

We humans have a strange tendency to put things into boxes. Not only other people – but ourselves as well.

We draw boundaries around what we can be. We decide far too early what “belongs” to us and what does not. And often, without even noticing it, we diminish ourselves.

But what if we didn’t?

Customer understanding is a term that is frequently discussed, but what does it actually mean in practice? In sales, the best results rarely come from price-driven campaigns or impressive sales pitches. Instead, they come from the ability to be curious, to listen, and to understand. When customer understanding is in place, both marketing and sales hit their target more effectively.

The optical industry has taken us to many different work environments and taught us a tremendous amount about people, customer service, and entrepreneurship. Together, we have 33 years of experience in the optical field, including work in several optical stores, retail chains, and an eye hospital.

When was the last time you stopped to think about whether what you do truly feels meaningful?

I often pause to reflect on this question myself. In the role of CEO, the meaning of work is not created only through results or numbers, but above all through people and how successfully we create an environment where everyone feels that their work matters and has an impact.

During my long career in the banking industry, I have attended dozens of investment evenings. In events aimed specifically at women, I am always surprised by how different the atmosphere is. While traditional investment evenings often feel somewhat formal and reserved at first, women’s events are filled with lively conversation even before the event begins. Many women arrive with a friend, and the atmosphere is open – and there is never a shortage of questions.

There has always been an unbreakable strength within me. It is probably that famous Finnish sisu, resilience and determination. Challenges have never frightened me, quite the opposite, they ignite me and bring out my creativity. There is an entrepreneur living inside me who keeps moving forward no matter how rocky the road may be. In my work, developing services holistically feels like fuel to the fire.

Many people remember the story of the Invisible Ninni from the Moomins. In the story, a mistreated girl becomes invisible and only the red bow in her ponytail and the dress she wears can be seen. In Moominvalley, it is the family’s kindness, care, and ultimately Ninni’s courage to express her feelings that make her visible again.

The number of female entrepreneurs has remained fairly stable in recent years: about one in three entrepreneurs in Finland is a woman. Entrepreneurship is therefore not a foreign or daunting concept for women, women do indeed start businesses. But something is preventing them from taking that first step, and they keep putting it off.

Being seen can be scary. I know that from my own experience. But I also know how powerful it feels when you do something that scares you – despite the fear. The journey to where I stand today, in front of others as an inspirer and speaker, has been long and full of different phases.

Looking back on my journey, one thing stands out: nothing has gone exactly according to plan. Instead, the path has been shaped by choices, moments, and people who have guided the direction, sometimes clearly, sometimes without me even noticing.

In the coffee room and around the lunch table at the Oulu Chamber of Commerce, conversations are often lively.
Ideas are exchanged, people laugh, and plans are made. Around the table, there are mostly women, as our workplace is female-dominated. Fields such as communications, customer service, event production, education, and administration are areas where women often work and gravitate toward.

Courage, to me is not loud performance or fearlessness – although sometimes it can be, especially if you’ve been gifted with a strong voice. More often, courage is quiet decision-making, acting in line with your values, and having the courage to be unfinished. Courage shows in stepping outside your comfort zone, taking responsibility, and moving forward even when the answers are not yet clear.

Let’s take a journey back in time to a small coastal town in the 1980s. It’s the town where I was born and raised with my single mother, who worked as an entrepreneur.