Darude celebrates 25-year career with Sandstorm Run event in Helsinki, Finland.

Sandstorm by Darude is Finland’s unofficial national anthem and the most globally recognized Finnish song, with over 500 million streams on Spotify. Sandstorm has been blasting through stadiums, clubs, and streams for 25 years straight, and now the iconic Sandstorm music video comes to life as a run event that fills the streets of Helsinki.

Join Sandstorm Run and run the iconic music video locations! In honor of Darude’s 25-year career, the six-kilometer Darude Sandstorm Run will be held in Helsinki on Sunday, August 31, just under a week before the Finnish leg of Darude’s STORM 25 World Tour.

‍ Darude will be present at the event, cheering on the runners to the finish line.

The run route has been mapped to run through landmark locations in southern Helsinki, featured in the iconic music video directed by Juuso Syrjä. Today, the video has over 300 million views on YouTube, and it’s one of Finland’s most internationally recognized pop culture exports.

 

  By running Sandstorm Run, you will do good.  25% of the proceeds from the event go to support youth sports through the Finnish Athletes Federation. Participants are encouraged to dress in the spirit of the Sandstorm video. The best outfits will be awarded in individual, pair, and team categories. Prizes include a meet & greet with Darude, a group photo, and tickets to the Helsinki STORM 25 concert at Kattilahalli. Darude will serve as the judge for the costume contest!

Sandstorm Run – Pick Your Pace

The entire family is invited, and you can pick your run pace. WALK: Take it easy with your friends, enjoy the views, and snap selfies at iconic locations. FUN RUN: A relaxed jog and good vibes! Let’s move together to the beat of Sandstorm! RACE: Challenge yourself! There’s no official timing, but you can still aim for your personal best.

The post Sandstorm Run by Darude in Helsinki first appeared on Skimbaco Lifestyle | Nordic lifestyle magazine.

So maybe thanks to the influence of Alvar Aalto in my hometown, I grew up thinking design is good design only when it is good for people. 

Alvar Aalto Combined Architecture and Healthcare for the First Time

Building Designed to Heal People

Among the biological requirements of human life are air, light and sun.  Air cannot be equated to room size or number of rooms. It is a factor in its own right. We can certainly build a dwelling with a large volume of air without it affecting the economical use of floor area or playing any role in determining room heights. It is a question of ventilation.

Consciously Designed to Improve Wellbeing  

New Journey to Find Innovation and Voices From Nordics To The World 

The post Inspired by Alvar Aalto’s Sanatorium in Paimio first appeared on Skimbaco Lifestyle | Nordic lifestyle magazine.

And Helsinki stands out:

• It ranked highest for green space quality (86%)
• Most amenities can be reached within a 13-minute walk
• Nearly 1 in 5 hotels (17%) are certified green
• Plus, 118 guided walking tours reflect a robust ecotourism offering

Helsinki topped the global chart with a score of 7.4/10. It’s a place of sea breezes, saunas, and sustainability-farmed local food.  This is by far not the only list Helsinki was crowned the winner. Helsinki was the most sustainable travel destination in 2024 by the Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index.

Helsinki’s sustainability scores are the result of bold urban planning, community action, and sustainability built into daily life.

Start with the air. Helsinki scores around 20 on the Air Quality Index, well below the “clean” threshold of 50. That’s thanks to policies that curb emissions, prioritize public transport, and follow a rigorous Air Quality and Noise Abatement Plan that sets real targets and meets them.

Then the water. It’s some of the purest in Finland, drawn from protected groundwater and delivered straight to the tap. No filters, no fuss. Thinking of buying bottled water here? Don’t do it. Just bring your own refillable water bottle and fill it with tap water.

Waste? It fuels the city. No, really. Over half of household waste is recycled, while biowaste becomes biogas for public transport. Non-recyclables? Converted into clean energy. With accessible recycling stations across the city, doing your part is easy, and everyone does it. 

Green spaces matter, too. Nearly 40% of Helsinki is covered in parks and forests. They’re beautiful, but also essential for clean air, biodiversity, and everyday wellbeing.

The commitment to green living is woven into how the city moves, breathes, and grows keeps keeping Helsinki the title of the world’s most sustainable city travel destination. 

Cities That Might Surprise You on This List

Sara Boisvert, Marketing Manager at InsureMyTrip commented:

“As eco-friendly travel becomes a top priority for more travelers, this study serves as a powerful time-saver, turning hours of sustainability research into a ready-made guide for greener getaways.”

Full rankings and methodology available at InsureMyTrip.com.

It’s not surprising to see the other Nordic capitals at the top of the sustainable cities list. 

Close behind Helsinki are Stockholm (7.3/10) and Copenhagen (7.0/10), two cities that have long prioritized the environment. Stockholm’s green hotel rate is slightly higher (21%), and its green spaces score an impressive 85%. Copenhagen boasts even shorter walking times (7 minutes to amenities) and a similar percentage of certified-green hotels. The only factor nudging them down slightly? Hotel costs.

Some cities, like Dublin and Berlin, shine in cultural experiences but score lower due to higher pollution and fewer eco-certified accommodations. And further afield, lifestyle-heavy destinations like Sydney and Melbourne are still struggling with per capita emissions and scalable green lodging options. These findings suggest that while Australia’s major cities are rich in outdoor experiences, they face challenges in reducing emissions and implementing sustainable accommodations at scale.

The study also investigated the most sustainable cities in the United States.

San Jose, often overshadowed by its Bay Area neighbors, scored highest overall (6.9/10) among the cities analyzed. With 15% of its hotels certified as eco-friendly, low pollution (4.9), and one of the lowest average walking times to amenities (19 minutes), San Jose presents a compelling case for travelers seeking a greener domestic destination. Portland, Oregon, long considered a sustainability pioneer, followed closely. The city excelled in green space quality (85%), though it was marked down due to a lower percentage of green-certified hotels (7%) and higher average hotel costs ($203/night).

Many consider the sustainability of travel destinations when it comes to traveling to the destination, and opt for greener transportation methods or closer destinations. But when was the last time you did your research on how sustainable the destination itself is? I hope you will, and maybe you will also choose Helsinki as your destination.

The post Helsinki is the Most Sustainable City for Travelers first appeared on Skimbaco Lifestyle | Nordic lifestyle magazine.

1. Also quit.
2. Do not change anything, and eventually be forced to quit or/and burn out.
3. Change things dramatically, and start building a sustainable business.

You Can Love What You Do And Still Burn Out

Sometimes we think: are we really passionate about marketing and business strategy? Here is the Big Rich Money Secret: No! We are NOT “passionate” about marketing and business strategy.

Your Business Can Fuel Your Passion, even if You Don’t Make it Your Business.

Think about all those passions that you considered making a career out of or building a company around. How many were/are there? … Why were you not able to make a career or business out of any of those passions? Or, if you have been able to have some success, what was the key to the success? Was it the passion or the effort you put into your job or company? Shark Tank’s Mark Cuban, Billionaire.

A Passion Business Can Be Amazing, But Not Always

Risks in Passion Business

It’s Not a “No” for Me. More like a “Yes, but…”

The post Are You A Victim Of Passion Entrepreneurship Porn? first appeared on Skimbaco Lifestyle | Nordic lifestyle magazine.

Because here’s what most people won’t tell you: Summer is secretly the best time to grow on LinkedIn.

Most business founders hit pause on visibility, assuming everyone else is doing the same. But that’s exactly why you can stand out.

LinkedIn’s Shift: From AI Overload, Engagement Pods to Authentic Thought Leaders

Favikon, the platform tracking LinkedIn’s top influencers, just announced a major shift:

They’re now measuring Authenticity Scores, a new metric that rewards real expertise and genuine engagement over generic content and AI fluff.

This change reflects a bigger trend: Industry leaders are turning away from the “post more, post louder” advice, and leaning into realness, originality, and credibility.

And if you want to stand out, this shift is your signal. And the best timing to do this: NOW.

Why Now Is the Time to Build Your  Authentic Thought Leadership

Here’s what showing up this summer can do for your business:

Visibility, minus the noise.

Your content lands better when fewer people are posting.

Connection, not just engagement.

People are more relaxed, inboxes are quieter, and it’s the perfect time to start meaningful conversations.

Time to experiment.

Try new styles of thought leadership posts without the pressure of peak season.

First in mind, come Autumn.

By the time others are back in business, you’re already the familiar face in the feed, you have a good momentum going on, and you have clear data to back what has been working and what not.

The 30-Day LinkedIn Challenge: Build a Personal Brand That Matters

This challenge isn’t about becoming a LinkedIn influencer and gaining the most amount of visibility or followers. The side-effect will be that you will also grow your visibility and gain followers, but that is not the main purpose of this challenge. 

It’s about becoming That Founder, The Leader, the one people remember, trust, and want to work with.

Here’s what you’ll get:

Daily thought-starter prompts to make posting effortless (no AI prompts or tools, no gimmicks).

Storyselling strategies that turn your customer stories and feedback into powerful sales content.

Tips rooted in buyer psychology, more used in B2C marketing, but especially useful for B2B founders and experts.

Secret tricks from Hollywood storytelling, so you captivate and convert.

A framework to post like an expert, not a try-hard.

You can choose when to post, how often, and even batch your content. This challenge is made for real business leaders, not full-time content creators. The results will depend on the activity level you do.

I Tested It Myself — Here’s What Happened

When I tested this challenge during spring 2025, my Favikon ranking jumped from:

#319 → #121 in Finland

#133 among women in Finland → #45

The best part? I didn’t post daily. I just posted smarter, with strategy, clarity, and consistency.

By the End of Summer, You Could Have:

A polished, optimized LinkedIn profile

20–30 posts that show real expertise

A network of new connections and conversations

A proven framework to continue your content long after

Confidence in how you show up online

And the kind of visibility that doesn’t fade when summer ends

Special Offer: Free for Crush Movement Rebel Leaders

Are you already part of the Crush Movement as a Rebel Leader?

You’ll get access to the 30-Day LinkedIn Challenge for free, and you can start whenever you want.

Not a member yet? No problem.

You can join the challenge now for just 29€, and if you later join the Crush Movement, you’ll get your 29€ back as a credit.

This Summer, Skip the AI Tricks. Build Real Trust Instead.

If you’re tired of overthinking what to post — and ready to build a brand people respect, remember, and buy from — this challenge was made for you.

Join now and start tomorrow.

Because while others are ghosting LinkedIn this summer, you’ll be quietly building authority.

And come Autumn? You’ll be the thought leader everyone is paying attention to.

Why Learn This from Me?

Hi, I’m Katja Presnal. I’m a digital marketing pioneer, founder of Crush Movement, and Skimbaco Lifestyle, and someone who’s been building visibility online since before LinkedIn even had a feed. 

I’ve helped build personal brands for CEOs, founders, and influencers. I’ve built my own career almos fully online, and made many of my career dreams a reality thanks to building a trusted brand online. I’ve written books, traveled around the world, spoken at conferences around the world, and now I focus on building Crush Movement. 

I’m not teaching this based on theory. I’m showing you exactly what I do for myself, in public, with results you can see.

Multiple people stop me at events, or even in public transportation, and when I am out and about:  “Oh hi, I recognize you from LinkedIn, so nice to finally meet you face to face.” Maybe even you have. 

I’ve built my reputation on authenticity, not hacks. If you want hacks and AI tips, I am not your person. 

I believe you don’t have to shout to be heard, you just need to show up strategically, in a way that feels like you and resonates with the right people.

This challenge is a super narrow version of everything I’ve learned after 15+ years on LinkedIn, and now I’m giving it to you, step by step, with daily prompts and structure. 

Thought leadership isn’t about going viral. It’s about becoming unignorable to the people who matter.

And that’s what I wish for you for this summer: become unignorable. Use your voice for good. 

The post Forget AI Hacks. Authenticity Wins on LinkedIn first appeared on Skimbaco Lifestyle | Nordic lifestyle magazine.

You’ve probably heard the African proverb multiple times. It’s been in my mind since starting Crush.

Everyone who has birthed a company knows that recruiting, onboarding, and leading a team takes time.

And often it is faster just to do everything yourself.

Then how do you know when is the right time to bring others in? Please leave a comment, because it’s one of the most challenging aspects in scaling your business.

Many lean on experience. So do I. But it’s still messy.

When I grew my blog Skimbaco Lifestyleinto an online magazine, I had a team of seven additional part-time writers. The amount of content we were able to publish with seven people wasn’t all that much more than what I was able to publish when I was blogging alone. In some months, it was less.

But we made a lot of dreams come true. Like Nina becoming a fashion blogger in New York City, and Satu doing adventures like biking across the Irish coastal Wild Atlantic Way. The site grew too, but not exponentially.

I still use many lessons I learned from that experience.

When I was the Director of Marketing & Community Manager in a marketing agency called Collective Bias, we were able to scale up with a flexible team of freelancers. But the company was backed by investors, and we had a full-time team just managing things like HR, financials, sales etc.

My initial internal marketing team was under five people. But I managed a team of 900 freelancers and we built a way to grow, scale, and train people fast. A few years later, the company received an additional  $10.5M in investment, and a few years after that, did an exit, and the company was sold.

Collective Bias went very far with a large but very flexible team.

I still use many lessons I learned from that experience.

Cure or bandage?

A few years ago, I was working here in Finland and I was told:

“You are like a doctor who can cure cancer, great at what you do. But nobody in Finland wants to cure cancer. We just want to sell and buy bandages.”

• Fast sales.
• Quick wins.
• Short-term solutions.
• Lower prices.
• More Q2 than 5-year plans.
• Sales campaigns, not brand building.
• Social media ads.
• MQLs.
• 1000 today, instead of 100,000 tomorrow.
• Burnout.

Does it sound familiar? Are you tired of trying to go fast, alone?

Or do you want to build something more sustainable? Long term goals, together.

• Clear vision.
• Strong brand foundation.
• Customer loyalty.
• Systems that scale.
• Value creation.
• Reputation over reach.
• Purpose-driven strategy.
• Patience, discipline, and long-game results.

I asked myself: Do you want to go fast or far?

Crush is still a toddler. Still suffering from the terrible twos, and having growth pains.

When my wonderful co-founder sold her share of Crush for me, and I was left alone, it was a wake-up call. (In case needed: I am genuinely happy for her big career moves and fully continue to support her.)

We hadn’t had enough resources when it had been the two of us!

Until that moment, the Crush strategy had been focusing on one big event per year, and growing the size of the event.

Small lean team, only outsource the absolute necessity.

Very much the “go fast” strategy:

• Get attention.
• The first event.
• Then second, and people started knowing the Crush name.

The problem with many “go fast” strategies is that they are bandages, and it was not working too well when you looked at the actual business.

It was time to have a serious chat with myself.

This was not the way I wanted to continue. Or Crush would crash.

I wanted to go far.

Immediately, I brought in my daughter Isabella Presnalin a bigger role to help me with event production part-time. And we started changing things with Isabella.

When you build something with your kid, it also becomes easier to think of your legacy.

Crush 2025event will look in many ways similar to what we have done before.

Thought-leaders, trailblazers, and rebel leaders gathering and learning.  Amazing speakers, panel discussions, and opportunities for attendees to promote themselves.

But I think people will also FEEL the difference.

The difference you can only feel when multiple people feel ownership of what we have created together.

In a really odd way, the more I am able to build with others, the more like me Crush feels. Even though every day I feel I’m losing control.

It’s like teaching your kid to walk, and cheering each step and then being terrified they will run, fall down and get hurt.

Crush has always been about all of us and for all of us.

My dream has always been to create dream factories that help others to achieve their goals. Exactly like I did with Skimbaco or Collective Bias, or many other projects I’ve done.

But I had serious problems with Crush.

Like to the date, I have not been paid for my work at Crush.

How embarrassing for a writer of Big Rich Money. (But have you ever heard of “build the audience first, then the product” strategy?)

And how could I bring anyone else into something that is not making any profit yet?

At the same time, I was getting applications to volunteer all the time.

I decided to say yes, and started growing together for all of us to go far.

Crush is Growing

The first two people who joined our volunteer team were Essi Koski-Lammi and Laura Ryyberg.

Essi Koski-Lammiis a healer, business mentor, interior designer, and so much more. Before starting her own company, she created amazing brand experiences for the global brand Rituals.

Laura Ryybergis a talented designer, event planner, and decorator, and when she told she has a Deco Van that anyone can rent to get event decor, I was sold. But then, she said she would volunteer to create the entire Crush event experience, and I almost cried.

Then Heidi Lindroosjoined in, and she started finding us partners. With experience in entrepreneurship, sales and building high-end customer experiences, she was a perfect superwoman addition to our volunteer team.

Next, the TikTok sensation Diana Rantamäki joined our team. She started putting together an influencer campaign and connecting with high-visibility social media influencers to promote the Crush x Emmy campaign. A few weeks later, we organized an event for 30.

Thanks to Hera(Haerang) Choi and Evon Blomstedt of HUONE Meeting and Event Venuesoffering us a place.

The people who wanted to join to help us was just growing.

Not just that.

• We started training partnerships with Skaalaajat, and Maija Ilmoniemiand many more to come.
• Michelle Virtanen sponsored us a PR Agency and Norrlin Nora started crafting a PR strategy for us.
• We built a volunteer program.
• We are building new clear pathways for people and companies to benefit from partnering with or volunteering for Crush.
• We decided to partner with Aalto University’s wednesday. A student-driven community that empowers, inspires, and unites women who are interested in or involved with entrepreneurship.
• The monetizing strategy is going forward, so is the fundraising campaign.

Suddenly, Crush was getting a lot bigger.

I still struggle with the boundaries, and I struggle with leadership.

I’m too messy.

I’m too direct, and then I’m too fucking lost.

You said to go for it all, then questioned how much it cost.

And I’m too polished ‘til I speak my honest truth.

I want to lead my way, is that too bold for you?

I’m too assertive, then I’m too damn unsure.

You praise my strength, but hate when I’m not demure.

And I’m too perfect ‘til I show a single flaw.

A thousand versions to be a leader, and I can’t be them all.

Got a bit sidetracked by channeling Lola Young here, but the bottom line is, I’m making many of the same mistakes that I’ve seen numerous CEOs I’ve worked with making.

• I’m failing to onboard correctly, and assuming people just know what Crush is about.
• Or I’m trusting others too much, and afraid the team, like a flock or birds, will steer Crush to the wrong direction.

I keep reminding myself to treat myself like a consulting client.

I am the Client and the Consultant in my head, like Jekyll and Hyde. Constant dialogue between counting the ways things could go wrong, and having all the answers how to lead this forward.

My consulting customers gave me a nickname several years ago: “CEO whisperer”.

Sometimes you just need more than just a consultant.

Now I realize how comfortable I was in the sidekick role. Strong, dependable, confident, but still just whispering and supporting.

Now I am ready to retire the nickname and the title.

I’m done whispering.

Ready to be loud. Even when it scares me.

Clear vision to go far

But what propels me is the clear vision for Crush, and how working together is the ONLY WAY to grow this.

When I work FOR our community, for our customers, attendees, members, volunteers, and my main goal is to bring REAL VALUE, how could we go wrong?

In the meanwhile, I am also my own best customer.

I will soak every single word Laura Strömberg will speak about leadership on Crush stage, and then I will come home and watch the video and listen to it again.

I want Ulla Jones and Liisa Holma spill it all, and do their most rebel Lähtijät podcast LIVE performance ever.

I will challenge Jenni Rotonen and Eveliina Bamto really tell me how to use social media for social good.

I want some of the rebels with a cause inspiration from founders/CEOs like Aicha Manai, Hannu Medina ️ (he/him), Veronica Deac and Sienna Kruk.

Crush 2025 event will be the launch of the new.

Buy the ticket now.They will sell out.

There will be an offer to join in for the next phase, only available for those at the event.

Come rebel with me,

Katja Presnal

Ps. What is this newsletter? It’s where I am taking you along to follow the founder journey and Crush marketing campaignsin real time.

The post Founder Stories: I’m Done Whispering first appeared on Skimbaco Lifestyle | Nordic lifestyle magazine.

I proudly wore it, after all, I had an American boyfriend, who soon became my husband, and I moved to the United States.

Then I found stickers and pins that proudly visualized our multinational union. Two flags united: the US flag and the Finnish one.

“Nice story Katja, but how does this relate to marketing?”

Let’s dive in.

Firstly, how do you feel about flags these days? Marketing and branding are always about emotion.

Secondly, when you see a flag in a product package, what does it represent to you? Does it tell a story of a certain quality, an origin story, or about pride and honor?

What I really want to talk about is country branding, but it might take a while to get there.

The second I said “an American flag,” you thought about politics, didn’t you?

Without getting too political, you either felt disgusted by the current political leadership or you felt something else. Maybe you even made assumptions about me.

It is very challenging to think of marketing without thinking about politics, pop culture, trends, tradition, future, and the past. And today, you simply can’t think of them only in the context of your own country or culture. We live in a connected world, with diverse people, cultures, and yes, politics.

If you want to be successful in marketing and selling to people, you need to understand the political, social, and economic climate people live, fed by algorithms. And that might be a different bubble than the one you live in, even if you live on the same street.

What are your choices then?

1. Try to be as neutral as possible without taking sides. Then nobody hates you, but nobody loves you either.
2. Show your values, and you will divide opinions. You’ll get die-hard fans, and people who will boycott you, making the fans just support you more.

Marketing studies say that more than half of European consumers will buy from brands whose values match their own.

The rate is 71% in the USA, and as high as 83% among Millennial Americans.

You need to understand the reasons why some values are important, and then you need to know who the people are.

One in four people lives with a disability, and about 16% of the world population is non-religious. The LGBTQ+ community is above 10% of the adult population. Another factor is age. Did you know the silver economy, the folks over 65 years old, is the fastest growing – and the wealthiest – consumer group in the world?

When people see someone like them in ads, they are more likely to buy. 38% of consumers, in general, are more likely to trust brands that show diversity in their ads, but the rates go significantly higher when you look at different demographics. Over 70% of Gen Z want to see diversity in ads, and 85% of Latinx and LGBTQ+ people. (Diversity stats.)

It’s not as easy, though.

At Crush 2024, I interviewed Senia Williams, who studies Gen Z behavior at Google, and she coined the Gen Z to be “woke, broke, and complicated”.

They might support Greta Thunberg, but not afford anything else but purchasing from Temu or SHEIN, and adding to the climate crisis.

So are we in square one then? I don’t think so, especially if you want to be a thought-leader. Or like I like to say, a Rebel Leader.

Let’s get back to national symbols for marketing.

In Finland we have Avainlippu (key flag) and Design from Finlandcertificates and visual logos that companies can apply and then show the country of origin.

The Avainlippu brand is the 5th most valued brand in Finland (Source: Brand Valuation 2024, Taloustutkimus), and 94% of brand companies that have been awarded the Avainlippu say the brand supports the sales of products and services in Finland.

It makes it easy for people to support local labor. But what about people outside Finland? What does the “key flag” tell them?

Can we now talk about the country brand?

• Who decided what the country brand of Finland should look like?
• And who’s the brand for? Is it for the Finns or everyone else?
• Who gets to use the country brand of Finland?
• Is it more about commerce, companies, and what we can sell?
• Or is it more about our ideologies, values, creativity, and culture?

When you try to find information about this, you will find government working groups, branding experts, educational institutions and well, everyone, voicing their vision for the country brand.

Some are aspirational, some call for more concrete action. (Sidenote: branding is always action.)

I’ve consulted numerous Finnish companies about international marketing, and there is always this big decision to make:

• Should we brand ourselves as a Finnish company?
• Or a Nordic company?
• Or try to avoid talking about where we are from and just be international?

Many companies choose to use the association and brand that comes with being a Nordic company. Perhaps it tells enough vaguely about the good stuff, without going into the details of any weird stuff. I get it.

Yet, everyone knows that the easiest way to separate yourself from the competition is to be different.

In Hollywood movies, when there is someone or something weird, it’s often from Finland. Finland is a weird mystery. Where is the sisu, the guts, to own it? Or to show who we really are, if the image of us is wrong?

We are also much more than Northern Lights and Santa Claus, two things the country travel branding people decided we are about. (Sidenote: it worked.)

Are you in Team Finland?

Let’s boil this down to a simple question: Would you wear a t-shirt with a big Finnish flag in the front? Would you wear a t-shirt with the “Finnish Lion,” the crowned lion in the coat of arms of Finland? (Or insert your national flag or symbol.)

Most likely, it depends on the context. In an ice hockey match or at the Eurovision Song Contest, you’ll be seen as supporting your country; in a different context, you might be seen as a nationalist new-Nazi.

There it is again! Politics.

The real question we should be asking is: Are we going to let our national flags, symbols, and ultimately country brands be turned only into political tools of nationalists? And happily go after a borderless multi-cultural melting pot? Or are we going to fight for our heritage, culture, and what makes us unique, while also being progressive and learning to live in a diverse world?

Are we going to build the country brand Finland together? Or are we waiting for someone else to take it and turn it into whatever they want, like a political statement?

Does the Nation of Thought-Leaders need country borders?

Too many questions, more answers!

I want answers, too.

That’s why at Crush 2025, we will be addressing some of these questions.

I want to learn from Hanna Vuorinen about some of the great work done by Film Finland in terms of bringing Hollywood movie productions to Finland and showing the real Finland to the world. Jade Ventoniemi reaches millions on social media, sharing about her experience after moving to Finland. I’m interested to hear how her audience sees Finland, and what we can learn from that.

We will talk about the importance of diverse voices in culture, and why we shouldn’t just let a few gatekeepers decide what we publish or promote with Melina Korvenkontio and Maiju Talvisto.  Jenni Rotonenwill talk about using social media for social good.

Katja Pantzar has written multiple books that have been translated into several languages about Finland and Finnish sisu, I want to hear her thoughts on where all that bravery and guts came from, and how to find that now.

In all of this, we need to talk about allyship and include everyone in the conversation, whether it’s Saara Särmä with her All Male Panel, or Joey Bayer highlighting the importance of bringing people together and building communities. Aino Bergiusof Slush will share some secrets on how Slush was built into a global phenomenon in a Networking lunch session.

Above all, Crush is for thought leaders who have the guts to take action. We bring together thought-leaders like Liisa Holma , Ulla Jones and Laura Strömberg who spark change through action. Great leaders create more leaders.

And so much more.

Crush is not a political movement.

But we live in a time when what kind of shirt you choose to wear can be seen as a political decision, and you will be judged for it, whether you want to or not. We shouldn’t ignore it.

I don’t want to have a conference just about business or marketing tools.

If you want to futureproof your success, you have to build it in an economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable way.

I don’t want to just talk about how to build brands (personal, company, or country).

If you want to become a better marketer, step outside your comfortable marketing box. Understanding humans is the ultimate flex of any marketer. And if you want to shake things up, well, then you want to understand marketing.

We live in a time of AI revolution. Crush gathers Rebel Leaders who, however curious or knowledgeable they are about technology, put people first.

Crush 2025 will be held on 14.5.2025 at the Helsinki Stock Exchange Building.

Tickets are selling fast.

Are you in or out?

Wishing you success,

Katja Presnal

Founder, Crush Movement

The post Picture This: Nation of Thought-Leaders first appeared on Skimbaco Lifestyle | Nordic lifestyle magazine.

My challenge: to get sponsors for the Crush 2025 event, where 250 rebel leaders will come together for a business conference focused on social sustainability, leadership and business growth.

In the Crush x Emmy campaign, we ask people to donate clothing, we will sell them at Emmy, and the proceeds will go to producing our event.

Good news: Tickets are selling!

The event will be full, and that was never really the challenge.

The challenge was that our ticket prices were calculated trusting that we would get event sponsors. We are not a non-profit, and we are not looking for charity, but we offered an opportunity to connect with a specific group of people.

Let’s talk about our community, or in marketing language: our target audience.

Meet our target audience: powerful women.

We are a community of business people, many of whom are decision-makers, female founders, and international women in Finland. Men follow us too, but the action-takers are definitely women and nonbinary people.

It should be a good target audience from a marketing perspective.

Who wouldn’t want to market to women? Women control over $30 trillion in consumer spending worldwide. Studies estimate that 80-85% of consumer spending is controlled by women.

Everyone knows that women are well-educated in Finland. Many also think there are no barriers for women in business.

Should we highlight the power of women while also mentioning the barriers women still face?

It reflects on the core issue itself, and why we probably have a hard time gaining sponsors too:

• many think we don’t have to work on gender equality in Finland anymore, or
• women in business are not seen as a vital target audience because women in business are not seen to have the same power as men.

Crush Offers a Solution for the National Economy

Yet, we at Crush, and I believe that supporting women in business is one of the best solutions for our national economy.

Don’t take just my word for it.

The latest IMF, International Monetary Fund, report highlights that financial equality in Finland still lags. Women face challenges in accessing credit and achieving pay parity, and it underlines that we need transparent credit practices and targeted support for women-led enterprises.

Women in Finland are more pessimistic than men about their financial future and employment prospects, according to the European Consumer Payment Report 2024 by credit management company Intrum, reports Helsinki Times.

“According to Statistics Finland and the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, there were 47,000 fewer women in employment than a year earlier. The number of employed men fell by a significantly smaller amount, by 8,000,” writes Katja Incoronato in Uusi Suomi.

At the same time, Petri Mäki-Fränti, Senior Economist in the Monetary Policy and Research Department, writes “Finnish service exports have emerged as one of the few bright spots in the economy.” He highlights how we have highly educated people in Finland, and service companies offer potential for economic growth.

The services sector ranges from communications and transport to finance, education and tourism, generates more than two-thirds of global gross domestic product (GDP), and employs more workers than any other sector, according to the World Economic Forum.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) calls it “the backbone of the world economy”, saying that technological advances have made it easier to supply services across borders, opening new opportunities for national economies and individuals.

World Bank-WTO report says that the service sector is the source of most new job creation, especially for young people and women. Women-led firms, particularly those with a remote delivery model, have more success in services.

Join us at Crush to meet numerous founders in the service industry.

Sorry, I got sidetracked showing that we have thought about this a little.

Meet Our New Influencer Marketing Manager: Diana Rantamäki

Meet one of our volunteers who stepped up for the job of boosting the Crush Movement.

Diana Rantamäki might be better known from TikTok, where she has a whopping 6.2M followers, but she is making moves to the business side of social media and influencer marketing. She is currently for a hire, and we have been working together for less than a week, and I am impressed.

Diana started organizing a fundraising event to invite influencers to donate their clothing and accessories as part of the Crush x Emmy campaign.

She started by reaching out to her closest network of influencers, and she scouted top influencers on Instagram.

Within two days, confirmations started rolling in.

What we initially thought would be an intimate gathering of 10 people has now grown into an event featuring 25 Finnish content creators and influencers!

This is HUGE. With their collective voices, this event will help spread awareness for the Crush Movement and its mission.

Just the small fundraising event has grown beyond our expectations, but again: we would love to have partners to make this a success.

We’re Looking for Support With:

A Venue – A space to accommodate 30-40 people (influencers, organizers, and photographers).

Catering Services – Food and beverages for our attendees.

Videographers & Photographers – To capture high-quality event content.

This group of influencers will also be invited as media representatives for Crush 2025, making this an exciting opportunity to connect with them ahead of time.

NOW if ever, would be a very good point to consider sponsoring Crush 2025, and already joining us for the smaller gathering in April with a VERY large social media visibility.

Guess who already joined in? Johanna Rönkkö of Nordic Beauty Inc. Nordic Beauty Inc secured its Crush sponsorship early on, and now they are bringing their Scandy brand as part of the influencer event. Because of the early commitment, now Johanna is getting the bells and whistles.

What we are doing with Crush Movement is something fresh, and exciting, and it is from the community for the community, and it is heartwarming to see so many people volunteering their time for this.

I know that in the long run, we will be fine without external funding and sponsors.

Meanwhile, I would love you to join the movement, as a sponsor or by purchasing the Networking Ticket. This train is going, are you really going to miss this?

The post Partner with Crush Movement first appeared on Skimbaco Lifestyle | Nordic lifestyle magazine.

But times are tough. And I promised you: real stories.

So here it is.

This is the most vulnerable I’ve ever been talking about marketing.

It’s easy to tell great stories of success, when you tried 50 things, and then ONE thing was a huge success.

Like the time Tom Cruise showed a product from my store on the Oprah Show. Nobody wants to hear how much work it took to get that “lucky” break. People don’t want to hear the the real story, it’s easier to think it was just luck.

It’s also easy to tell “from zero to success” stories AFTER you have achieved success.

For example, it took me ten years to start a company, and finally get my career back on track after a fortunate case of falling in love and starting a family. Nobody thought my story was inspiring at year five.

The most difficult time to tell stories is in real time.

That’s why most marketers curate stories, instead of documenting them.

When you document in real time, it gives people the opportunity to judge you, or even affect your outcome. And it’s not always good.

Documenting is really hard.

But when you document, you are inviting people to join in the ride.

Here is your free ticket to join mine.

Or, more accurately, strap your boots; this is more like an uphill hike.

Welcome to follow my latest marketing campaign

The year 2025 started with harsh news for Crush Movement, a project I have been building and bootstrapping since 2022.

Our annual business event was in jeopardy.

• My business partner was leaving Crush (it’s happy news: she got an amazing career opportunity and I cheer for her).
• We had no sponsors for the Crush 2025 event at the Helsinki Stock Exchange Building on 14.5.2025.
• Ticket sales would not cover all of the production costs.

There were good news too.

• We had lined up some great speakers.
• We had been running our Open Mic program of finding new voices.
• We had just invited an impressive Advisory Board to guide us.
• We had the space booked, and a good amount of tickets sold.
• And a talented community of women with a steady stream of people wanting to speak, volunteer or help.

I won’t sugarcoat it.

I still felt alone. No consulting clients and no income. A loved one in a hospital.

A good moment to quit, cancel the event, and move on.

But for me? The only logical thing to think was:

“I will sell the shirt off my back, if I have to. But Crush is happening.”

Why? Women’s rights and DEI topics are not having a moment, and Crush with our message of equality in business is needed more than before.

Now is not the time to quit. Now is THE TIME to take action.

January was intense, and somehow February lasted only a few days.

When you ask for help, people step up. In two months I started turning things around.

• Our speaker lineup is even more amazing with internationally known names. Just to flaunt our keynote speakers: Gabrielle Blair, Katja Pantzar, Emilia Vuorisalmi, and Laura Strömberg.
• Partners will work like fairy godmothers, making the space pretty, and our audience will enjoy meditation and Gyrokinetics exercises in between the panel discussions.
• Our video booth will be ready to create promotional videos of our attendees.
• I have even gotten media interest, and speaking opportunities to promote Crush. Thank you wednesday. and Epicenter Helsinki.
• Our follower and subscriber numbers are going up in a faster pace.

I quickly started executing a new business model for Crush that includes training courses.

But more sponsors are still needed. And the production budget isn’t getting much smaller either.

And the thought persisted:

“I will sell the shirt off my back.”

Which of course, means “doing and giving your anything”.

But after sitting with this thought for a while, I thought: what if I will literally sell the shirt off my back?

What if we all donate a piece and sell them? Would our community say “yes”?

Crush x Emmy Fun(d)raising Campaign

I met with Sienna Kruk, the CEO of Emmy Clothing Company, the leading Nordic marketplace for pre-owned premium clothing, and she had had similar thoughts. They had tested clothing drives for fundraising before at Emmy, and now they were ready to do more.

We had the meeting less than five weeks ago, and we held a photoshoot for the campaign three days later. The campaign launched last week.

Here is the campaign idea:

We’ll all donate one power clothing, Emmy sells them on their website. All proceeds go to the Crush.

But why stop there?

The message of doubling the impact by promoting second-hand clothing and supporting a movement focused on closing the gender gap in Finland is powerful, but would it get people donating?

What if we simply asked our community to make it a movement of empowerment?

So we asked: What did you wear when you crushed it? Why was that piece important to you? What did you accomplish?

And then we asked people to donate that piece and share the story to empower the person who purchases the piece.

Join to follow the campaign in real time.

Our first short-term goal is to get 100 pieces of clothing donated by the end of March, so we can open the Crush x Emmy shop.

It’s difficult to track donations in real time, there is a shipping and processing delay.

The process of donating is not the fastest one – we are asking people to look for their closet for a clothing, potentially taking a picture of it for social media, then to write a note and remember to mark “Crush donation” in the package, a note for the next owner of the clothing, and then to take it to a donation box.

But it’s not a bad thing that it takes effort.

There is a an emotional tie-in when you work for it.

We are not giving other rewards for donating. People donate from their heart. This donation means something, and being part of something big IS the reward.

Many have donated, but we are not getting social media traction.

So we are adjusting as we are going forward.

There will be new ways to donate, even donation events (with partners like Female Founders Suomi), office pick-ups (can you collect a group at your office to donate? I will personally come and pick them up from the capital Helsinki area), and more.

You always have to plan things in a way that you can lean into the groundswell.

When you are building a community, it’s better to wait for the ideas to be said aloud by community members or your customers. And then you react to that.

It’s never about the “best ideas,” but about the ability to react, respond, and execute.

Now we are listening. We care what people are saying and are open to suggestions on how to make this work.

What if we fail? Well, what is failure in this case?

It could be that we don’t get enough donations for one.

But what would that mean? Does it mean that people don’t care enough to donate? Or maybe they have a minimalistic closet with nothing to donate, and their lifestyle echoes our values? And they rather just buy the more expensive Networking Ticket to Crush? Great!

Or they donate, but don’t post on social media? Then we just learn that empowering others in silence is more important than doing it for the glory of being seen.

They only post on social media, but don’t donate? Then it means they want to be part of this in any way they can, even if they can’t donate.

It’s all good.

Nothing happens? Then that is data too, and a message on its own.

From a financial point of view, it would not solve the lack of sponsors for our event, but perhaps we make so much noise with this campaign that sponsors will step up last minute too. Right now I reach 175,000 on monthly. Goal is to grow it the next two months.

Our annual event is on May 14, 2025. Right now, we have things planned until the end of 2025 for this campaign, and ultimately, this is also a community building campaign.

When you have a good strategy, you can take fast action.

The community-led approach might look like a hot mess for those who are used to creating a marketing campaign with a strict timeline, and a specific tactical approach.

Here are my best tips how you can be agile:

• Have a really clear strategy and end goal, so you know where you are going. It makes it easier to make fast tactical decisions.
• Ask/Think a lot of “what if” questions, and have answers for them in case you need them.
• ALWAYS have additional tactical ideas in your backpocket. When you are prepared, you can act fast. But don’t be married to your great ideas, it’s also OK if you don’t have to use them all.
• Have patience and be consistent. Maybe your ideas weren’t bad, maybe people just need time to get into it. You don’t have to jump to a new tactical idea immediately.
• Leave Easter eggs.

Be prepared for the worst: What if everything goes to shit? What are the plan B, C, and D?

Be prepared for the best: What if everything goes better than expected? What can you do then to amplify?

The post Follow This Fun(d)raising Marketing Campaign In Real Time first appeared on Skimbaco Lifestyle | Nordic lifestyle magazine.

Marketers are focused on building digital funnels, and automation.

Companies want to be data-driven and rather use bots than talk with their customers.

Professionals want to sound better on their LinkedIn posts and use AI to craft their personalviews.

So easy, right?

But how is it really working for you?

At the same time, we either

• Run from one meeting to another without time to deeply connect with people, or
• We work alone remotely, wondering why we feel so tired and disconnected.

You need to feel you belong.

Or like one of my former clients told me:

“I just need to breathe and smell the endorphins the way you can only smell them when people work together.”

Momentarily, I thought he wanted to smell sweat in the startup office, but he meant the feel-good vibes.

Your body releases endorphins during positive social contact, it’s very similar to the physical response after a physical workout.

It gives you a boost of happiness and reduces stress.

Who knew? Working together reduces stress :)

Feel good vibes – or better business.

Whether you make it a case for doing a favor for yourself, or for your business, have some meaningful face-to-face interactions with your peers and customers.

Most marketers agree that events are powerful brand-building and lead-generation tools.

But meaningful interaction doesn’t mean just transactional networking, where you are trying to get as many leads as possible, and sell to people you have just met.

Sponsoring, organizing, or attending events can also be expensive, especially if you compare the cost for example for digital advertising.

Don’t compare digital visibility to in-person interaction. It’s like comparing watching a cooking show to tasting the food.

People will remember the in-person experience much better.

95/5 rule in marketing says that at any given moment, only about 5% of your potential customers are ready to buy.

95% of your potential customers are not ready to buy today, and the real trick is to sell at the right time for the 5% who are ready to buy.

The chances are slim that your ideal customers walk into a business event ready to buy your product that day.

Market for the 95% of potential customers who are NOT ready to buy, so when they are ready to buy, the only option they consider is YOU.

Most marketers know this. But it’s often forgotten with the pressure of getting sales now.

Events are a goldmine for growing your business.

Events have been part of my marketing toolkit for over 16 years.

I’ve used events for:

• Growing personal brand as a speaker
• Building a consulting business, getting customers, or getting career opportunities
• Building a large professional network (it would be over 100,000 if I had not deleted X)
• Part of marketing campaigns
• As a retail location,  like a pop-up for sales
• Getting meetings with key people
• Recruiting and team building
• Educating myself, my team, or customers
• Creating content like UGC, influencer content, social media content
• Product launches, customer feedback
• VIP brand experiences
• Much more.

I’ve sealed big contracts at events – but with people I’ve already known beforehand. Not with someone I just met, and that’s why I usually focus on the activities for the 95% group when meeting with new people, not trying to force them into the 5% bucket.

You belong here.

That’s why I am building Crush differently.

Crush Event is built for you to grow your business, you to grow as a person, and our community to grow together.

Every year I keep adding on and making this event even better.

I created an entire workshop how to use events better for marketing, but here is my best tip for free:

YOU and the actions you take are the most important factors for a successful event.

Some Crush attendees made over €60,000 in business from the last event.

Some got new jobs, speaking opportunities, and new best friends.

Some took action.

And the “action” they took wasn’t just selling.

Are you going to pass on taking action, or will you join us this year?

There are a lot of great people who want to get to know you, and we all hope you will join us.

If you are serious, get the Networking Ticket now.

Oh, the trick WHY sharing the event experience with other people is so powerful?

It triggers those feel-good hormones together at the same time, and you will create memories you can go back to.

You belonged as part of something bigger together.

You just can’t get the same vibe in a boardroom.

And you definitely can’t smell the endorphins with AI.

Wishing you success,

Katja

The post Events as a Marketing Tool first appeared on Skimbaco Lifestyle | Nordic lifestyle magazine.