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What do you do for a living and why?

‘I work in the media field. I have studied media extensively and have been holding management positions in companies in the industry. At the same time, I have also wanted to do my own creative work, such as books and TV series. The media sector also combines my vocation, which is connected to nature, Finnish mythology and ancient wisdom.

Through my own media company, I call myself a storyteller. I am also a consultant and coach, and I am the executive director of Women in Film and TV WIFT Finland ry.’

What have you studied and why did you choose this field of study?

‘After high school, I accidentally ended up studying communications at the University of Jyväskylä. After a year, I realised that my talents were somehow related to communication. I moved from Jyväskylä to the University of Helsinki to study Finnish as a major, with minors in film and television studies and sociology.

I was inspired by a course on interactive media organised by the University of Helsinki. I applied to study that, and later also for a Master's degree at the then University of Art and Design Helsinki, where it was possible to study interactive media further. I liked being at the school, where I was fascinated by the freedom and the possibility to do things in peace.’

What do you consider to be the most important qualities a graduate needs in the field?

‘Media is a demanding field because the work is project-based and many people end up being self-employed or freelancing. You need to be flexible: be prepared for the fact that you may not even know what you'll be doing for the rest of the year.

In addition, graduates need to be able to take risks and tolerate uncertainty. That's probably typical for quite a few fields, because the world is not as stable as it used to be. You also need to be creative not only in creating content, but also in how to apply new technologies to new media and new platforms, for example.

In the media field, people are highly dedicated to their work and there is a lot of burn-outs. It is important to learn to recognise and communicate your own limits.’ 

What are the highlights of your career?

‘When I was a student, the new media business was taking off in Finland. For some years I didn't study but concentrated on my work. For a twenty-something, it was crazy fun to travel the world in search of new media work.

Especially at the beginning of my career, it was great to work with Finnish brands, creators and content. I've taken Habbo Hotel to fifteen countries as a brand manager and I've been involved in the rebranding of Dudesons from a youth brand to a brand for families and children. It's been interesting to see how the rebranding is done and how the brand is taken abroad.

In my own contents, I get to combine my vocation work, which is to bring nature wisdom to modern city dwellers. It combines my media skills with my own more spiritual vocation path. When I've been creating my own contents, the highlight has been the TV series I've made, called "Back to Nature". We have sold a format version of it to Australia. For me, it is a great achievement to be able to replicate internationally what I have been able to do in Finland.’

What is the best lesson you learned during your studies?

‘It’s the learning itself and learning new things. What I loved about studying at university was the sheer amount of knowledge available. There is existing knowledge and knowledge that needs to be re-proven and renewed. I found that at Aalto University, people were bold in their approach to new things, and they were open-minded about topics and research.

During my studies, it was possible to work in peace and to do things carefully. In working life, things move fast and you don't have time to think in the same way about, for example, why something is important for the world or for yourself. There should be an ethical reflection in everything. I myself am a values-based person and I try to think about how something makes the world a better place.’

What advice would you give yourself now, if you were studying?

‘Don't worry too much about whether you're studying the right things. Everything is always useful, because all the knowledge and skills you learn will come in handy at some point. I would also say to enjoy life. The study time is pretty unique in the end.’

What are your career plans?

‘Entrepreneurship is a way of life for me, and I've also done some voluntary charity work. I'll be 50 next year and I'm wondering if I want to continue in this way or if it's time for something new. Something new is probably on the way. I've probably got another twenty years of working life left, so I need to think about how I can use that time to make the world a bit better place.’

Text: Venla Välikangas