About
I love seeing the potential in others and helping them surprise themselves with how much they are capable of. Seeing the shift from fear or helplessness to excitement and joy — and getting that deep, human connection that often comes along the way — is why I do what I do.
It can be my 6-year-old son, with pride and excitement sparkling in his eyes, after daring to jump from the 3-meter diving board for the first time. Or that struggling individual I coached, who managed to get back on his feet and is now leading others. Or that friend who, for the first time, felt safe enough to open up and put words to his feelings and struggles, and as a result immediately felt a bit lighter, less alone and could begin to see a way forward.
Those are the moments I live for!
My story
01. The start
Early days
I started doing websites, games and computer graphics as a kid in the 90s. That interest later turned into my full-time career as a 3D artist, working on everything from Hollywood movies to TV commercials and games. For 6 years I ran a successful production company called Upperfirst together with some friends. 10 years into my career I had my dream job, a nice apartment, a loving girlfriend and an adventure motorcycle. I had it all figured out!
02. The crash
Yet one day I just couldn’t get out of bed in the morning to go to that dream job. It all felt completely meaningless. It turned out I was depressed.
03. Insights
Personal project (No AI)
That became the start of a long journey to actually get to know myself. I had to learn to understand my emotions that I had been suppressing all those years, thinking I was “stoic”. I had to dig into my past to figure out why I was so afraid of certain things. I had to cry it out in therapy. And as I worked hard to understand this “new” aspect of myself, I discovered that virtually everybody is struggling in their own way, whether they are aware of it or not.
I also realised that whenever I opened up to someone just a tiny bit — when I took the risk to be vulnerable, to say I don’t have it all figured out — the response I got back was overwhelmingly positive. People relaxed. They shared things they had never shared with anyone before. We really connected. And I left those interactions with more energy and a more positive outlook on life. That is where I realised that I have a natural ability to make people feel safe and seen, and that I love helping others.
04. Finding my path
Personal project (No AI)
On the next step of this journey I became a talent manager at Sweden’s leading visual effects studio, ILP VFX. I got to combine my technical and creative background with these newfound insights and talents to help others develop and feel better. I got to learn from great leaders, experiment and develop my own approach. This is where I really found my niche.
With everything I had learned so far I started a podcast, VFX Talks, about leadership and development in the visual effects industry. I added self-leadership, communication and taking care of your mental health to the project management course I was already running at the VFX Artist program at Xenter in Stockholm.
05. Leveling up
The following years I got deeper with my inner work and my understanding of myself and others. But I wanted more tools to better help others with that deep, hard stuff. This led me to become a coach. I attended the best coaching program I could find, put in the work and started my own coaching practice. Feeling the powerful effects of good coaching myself, and seeing how it really helped my clients, felt like leveling up. It transformed the way I listen, the way I lead, and my ability to support others in their development and struggles.
I’m now in my forties and more determined than ever to help others feel better, work better together and live their lives more true to who they really are.
Creative career
As a technical 3D artist, director, supervisor and producer I’ve worked on hundreds of commercial projects for brands such as Coca-Cola, Audi, Louis Vuitton, KitKat, Carlsberg, Lego, Burger King and many more. I’ve worked on a bunch of movies and TV series including Stardust, Westworld, The Shallows and Black Sails. I also did a stint in the games industry working at Ubisoft Massive on World in Conflict.
Speaking engagements
- Star Stable Entertainment – lecture
- VFX Artist program at Xenter – full courses
- Technical University of Denmark – lecture
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology – lecture
- Malmö University – lecture
- School of Engineering, Jönköping University – lectures, supervision, guidance
- Hyper Island – examiner
- 3D artist program at Nackademin – full courses
- Trollywood Animation Festival – lecture
- Filmfest Sundsvall – facilitation
- ArtFX – lecture
Passion projects
- VFX Talks – a podcast about leadership and development in the creative industries
- Spirit of Man – I organise and lead a hiking group where men can drop their guard and have honest, supporting conversations about life’s highs and lows