Welcome to the podcast Nå mål with me, Sophie Hedestad. I am CEO of Noxit and work to help organisations create clear direction and real results. I am joined by Viveka Beckeman, CEO of Skogsindustrierna, an exciting member organisation. How does Viveka balance the interests of the members while also driving internal goals forward? How does she connect long-term perspectives to what employees actually do in their day-to-day work?

The perspectives in this podcast also build on the ideas in the book Riktning och resultat.

Welcome to Nå mål, Viveka, tell us about yourself. Who is Viveka?

Thank you! As you can probably hear from my accent, I am from Scania and have been a Stockholmer since 1998. For the past five years, I have been the CEO of Skogsindustrierna.

Tell us about your journey, from growing up in Scania to Stockholm. How did you end up at Skogsindustrierna? I want to know more, what did you study and what does your experience look like?

I grew up in Åstorp in northwestern Scania, right next to a forest. For me, the forest was a playground, but it was not something I ever imagined I would one day work with. My journey went through law studies in Lund, which I found incredibly enjoyable. I moved to Stockholm in 1998 and have done many classic legal jobs. I have served in district court, worked in the court of appeal, worked at a law firm and held various management positions.

When I entered the forest industry when I became chief legal counsel at a forestry company and also had a few other roles there. I like working with change and with issues where you can actually make a difference. The forest industry is exactly that kind of industry. Here, you can work with issues that truly matter. We are a driving force in the green transition, and through the forest industry you can influence the society we live in. I think that is exciting, and that is why I am here. What I do now is an incredibly exciting role, because I get to work in an industry I am passionate about together with fantastically committed people. I feel that we are truly creating progress.

Your background as a lawyer, how does that help you in your role as CEO?

A legal education is very broad. One of its great advantages is that you gain insight into many different industries, and that has enabled me to bring experience from other sectors into this job. As a lawyer, you are also trained to absorb large amounts of information, sort it and turn it into something concrete. That is very useful to me as a CEO. We live in a rapidly changing world, and those of us who work with political advocacy have a lot happening around us all the time. The ability to make things concrete and set goals for a business is something I truly bring with me.

We talked a little about political advocacy, but could you tell us about Skogsindustrierna? Why do you exist? How do you work? Who are your members, who are your employees & who are you?

We are an industry organisation that works with political advocacy and with increasing the value of wood raw materials. We represent companies across the entire forest value chain. Our members are active in sawmills, paper and pulp, and also in businesses that manufacture textiles. The common denominator is companies that refine Swedish forest raw materials. We are present throughout the country, from small family-owned companies to large international groups. There is a broad range among the member companies.

There are around 45 of us working at Skogsindustrierna. We have experts in standardisation, business policy, communication and other specialist areas. What unites both our employees and the people working at the member companies is a tremendous commitment to the industry. These are people who go to work because they genuinely believe that what we do matters. I enjoy working with committed people, and that is why I think Skogsindustrierna is a fantastic workplace.

Workplace and political advocacy, then you are going to help the members reach their goals. But what is it that you need to influence? Which politicians are we talking about?

Political advocacy is a central part of our work at Skogsindustrierna. Yes, we are lobbyists, even though that word has almost become a little charged in Sweden. Our job is to influence politicians and decision-makers on issues that are important for our member companies. One example is the EU Deforestation Regulation. The basic idea is good: that European consumption should not contribute to deforestation in the world. But there was also a proposal for a regulatory framework that would become extremely administratively burdensome.

In principle, it would be possible to follow every small part of the raw material through a very complex value chain, from a tree in the forest to the finished product. That would create a great deal of administration and bureaucracy for companies. Our job, then, is to help politicians understand reality and to show how the same goals can be achieved in a more efficient way. The Swedish economy is highly dependent on export companies. Our companies manufacture a great deal in Sweden and sell on a global market. To remain competitive, they need to be cost-effective, and regulatory hassle can become a major problem. That is why it is important that we help decision-makers understand how their decisions affect companies in practice.

And we are also going to talk about goals. What is your relationship to goals?

I think goals are an important tool, but above all, the right goals are an important tool. Early in my career I worked at a law firm, and there was a culture where the focus was very much on billable hours. That was also the only thing that was measured. In an environment where people already work a great deal and also enjoy working, it can easily become an unhealthy culture if the only thing you manage toward is more hours. Then there is a risk that quantity takes precedence over quality, and I believe that is counterproductive. For me, it became an early example that goals in themselves are not always good. It is about finding the right goals.

You work to achieve the members goals and at the same time, as CEO, you are responsible for setting the direction for the teams and employees. How does that balance work?

The most important thing for us is that things work out as well as possible for the member companies. At the same time, in our daily work we need to set goals that are clearly linked to that. An important tool that we developed just over three years ago is what we call the Future Agenda. It emerged at a time when the green transition was very much in focus. We felt that other industrial sectors were getting a great deal of attention in the discussion, which was good, but we also saw that our own industry had long been built on fossil-free raw materials and fossil-free processes.

We wanted both to create increased political interest in our industry and at the same time keep energy and direction high internally. That is why we launched a future journey where we set goals for how we ourselves wanted to create progress. It was a major effort, because this is not something we in the Stockholm office can do by ourselves. The real work happens out at the member companies.

That is why we devoted a great deal of time to anchoring both the vision and the direction. We landed on two clear main tracks: to continue driving the green transition and to ensure that politicians continue to create the right conditions for our industry. It needed to be visionary and forward-leaning, but at the same time realistic. The work of setting the goals took more than a year. In the end, we landed on three clear goals: that our products should be completely fossil-free and renewable by 2040, that we should reduce our climate impact by 30 percent, and that forests should be richer in biodiversity.

Under these, there are also a number of sub-goals. It was an ambitious effort, but also very concrete. I am proud that together we managed to develop it, and we use it both in our dialogue with politicians and when we set goals for our own organisation.

So the Future Agenda still applies?

Yes, it still applies.

So 2040 is the year you are working toward?

2040 is our long-term direction, but we have also developed action plans with milestones along the way. You cannot set a goal for 2040 and then simply hand it over to the future. If you want to create real progress, it takes time, especially in an industry with long cycles. That is why you need both direction and concrete steps along the way.

So that is the direction, and then you set milestones based on it? How do you steer the organisation toward this, do you work with annual goals or three-year business plans? What happens next?

At Skogsindustrierna we work with milestones. If you take one concrete example, part of the goal of reducing climate impact is that our land transports should become completely fossil-free by 2040. That is a very big challenge and requires major investments from the member companies. That is why we have set milestones along the way and follow up on how far we have come.

You are around 45 employees and have different departments. How do you get this out into the organisation? Do the departments set their own goals, activities or how is it rolled out?

The departments set their own goals and activities linked to the overall goals. That is also why it was so important that the goals were well anchored with the member companies, because in practice it is they who make the investments, for example in electric trucks or biofuels. It is out there that the real change takes place. Our job is to help ensure that legislation and political decisions make it easier to reach the goals.

If we take transport as an example, it is about charging infrastructure, investments in biofuels and other conditions that need to be in place. Our action plans therefore include both milestones and clear activities around what we ourselves need to do and what we need from politics.

You said it took a year to put the Future Agenda together, and I can imagine you had many discussions. You said it needed to be stretched but still realistic and achievable. How do you deal with it when someone in the group disagrees or is not engaged? How do you move forward then?

During that year, it was very much about letting vision meet reality. When I started painting the picture of where I thought we needed to land for it to be sufficiently visionary and forward-leaning, I was met with quite a lot of resistance. We had to solve that through discussion. The option of not being part of the journey did not really exist, because I thought, and still think, that this is such an important shift for the industry.

At the same time, the goals have to be possible to anchor. There were many good conversations where vision and reality were allowed to meet. Some goals were adjusted downward because they were not realistic, while those who were most sceptical at the beginning also shifted their positions. It was a very good process in which we tried to understand each other better.

Goals are not entirely easy. When you evaluate the milestones, it may be that the goals were too ambitious, that performance was not sufficient or that something happened in the external environment. How do you know when you are doing a good job?

I think that is the hardest part in our type of business. Of course, all industries are affected by the external environment, but when you work with political advocacy it becomes especially clear. When we developed the Future Agenda, there was a very strong focus on the green transition. Since then, the world has changed. We have had more wars, a deeper recession, trade policy conflicts and tougher global competition. All of that affects companies’ ability and willingness to make major investments.

That is why it is an advantage to have long-term goals. Then you can tolerate some bumps in the road, as long as the direction remains fixed. The important thing is to continue taking the steps that are possible. For us, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether we have succeeded or not, because we may have done very good work while at the same time the outside world made it impossible for the conditions to be there. Then you need to be able to take a step back and analyse whether you could have done something differently or whether it was actually the circumstances that set the limits. And sometimes you also need to be prepared to revise goals when reality changes too much.

Let us say you miss a goal and agree that it is about your own performance. How do you handle that?

The most important thing is that you learn something from it. We need to analyse why we did not reach the goal and focus on what we could have done differently. I do not believe very much in pointing fingers. On the other hand, I do believe that you need a climate where you can say: I did not do this well, I need to do this better next time. That applies both to me as a leader and to the rest of the organisation. I think it is better to set high goals and sometimes not go all the way than to set goals so cautiously that you do reach them, without creating enough progress.

It is not entirely easy, and there is something often called the whirlwind, this thing about firefighting, urgent issues and everything that happens in everyday life. How do you balance this, working with goals and progress when at the same time it is firefighting all day long?

That is a very big challenge. We have incredibly committed employees who do many good things every day, but a great deal is also happening all the time. Political pressure is high and the economic environment is changing rapidly, so it is easy to get stuck in the here and now. That is why I think it is important, at regular intervals, to stop and evaluate what you are actually spending your time on.

Are we working in a way that helps us reach long-term goals, or are we just getting stuck in the whirlwind? If the answer is that you are stuck, then sometimes you need to dare to say that certain things should stop being done. It is not only about having fewer meetings, but about understanding why you are doing what you are doing and whether it is actually moving the organisation forward. Quite simply, sometimes you need to stop and ask whether the work actually supports the long-term direction.

Do you have a success story about goals that you can share?

Yes, I know I have talked a lot about transport and the Future Agenda in Skogsindustrierna, but for me that is actually one of our clearest successes. When I first spoke to the group working on transport and said that I envisioned a future commitment of completely fossil-free transport, I was met with strong reactions. They basically said: do you understand how expensive this is? It involves enormous investments. But a year later, it was precisely that group that set the most ambitious goals of all.

By then, they had understood how the agenda could become a tool in the collective work and why it mattered. For me, that is a success story: when a goal goes from feeling impossible to becoming something that engages those who are actually going to help implement it.

That is where strategy comes to life. Is there any personal goal that you are focusing on yourself?

Yes, since I am 50 plus, I may have the same goal as many others my age: I am going to exercise more. My first goal is to exercise a little more regularly. I run quite a lot, especially during the summer months, but I want to find a routine that lasts all year and also do more strength training.

I am also working on my French. Right now I use Duolingo, and there my goal works quite well because there is a clear element of gamification. I also have a goal of learning to play the piano, but there I probably have to admit that progress is going quite slowly.

It is still impressive with both language and instrument training. That is a lot to fit in.

Yes, we are working on it. I cannot say that I have reached the goal yet.

Not yet, no. Thank you so much, Viveka, for joining Nå mål.

Thank you, it was great to be here.

The post Viveka Beckeman, CEO of Skogsindustrierna about goals and the green transition appeared first on Noxit.

In this episode, I meet Patrik Frisk from Reju. He has a long international career and has led major brands such as Under Armour, Timberland, and ALDO Group. We talk about his journey as a leader, his relationship to goals, and how to get teams aligned.

Patrik Frisk, welcome to Nå mål. Can you tell us about yourself? I of course want to hear more about your journey, but please start by telling us: Who is Patrik?

Patrik Frisk is someone who began his life in Åkersberga outside Stockholm and who has since had a very international journey. I have worked in eleven countries and lived in twelve, from Australia and Asia to Europe, the US, and Canada.

I have worked in the textile industry for over 35 years. My path into it came early, including through W. L. Gore & Associates, where I was part of the rapid growth of high-performance materials and the outdoor segment. From there, I moved on to larger roles in both Nordic and global companies.

Before Reju, I worked with companies such as Under Armour, The North Face, Timberland, and ALDO Group. I have had the privilege of leading operations within textiles, footwear, and accessories, and of working across the entire value chain, from materials and product to distribution, retail, and e-commerce. Today, I am CEO of a chemical engineering company, which perhaps was not the most obvious destination when I started my career.

You’ve worked with major global brands and traveled widely. Now you’ve moved into textile recycling. What is your current role?

The interesting thing is that you can spend an entire career selling products and suddenly realize that those products have no home once they have been used. I remember clearly January 4, 2016, in Montreal, when I realized that the old model had reached the end of the road. In the West, new shopping centers were no longer being opened, and growth was no longer about expansion in the same way. At the same time, it became clear that the textile industry produces enormous amounts of products without a functioning circular solution.

When I later worked at Under Armour, it became even clearer to me how big the challenge around polyester was. A large portion of all textiles is thrown away or burned at the end of its lifecycle. That is neither sustainable nor a good economic model. That was where my journey toward textile recycling and the circular economy began.

Who did you connect with when you started thinking along these lines?

I asked our materials team at Under Armour to look for alternatives, and that’s when I came across IBM. It may not be the first company you think of when it comes to polymer development, but they had an innovation that made it possible to break down polyester at the molecular level and rebuild it again.

If you can do that at scale, it is something of a “holy grail” within textiles, because the mix of fibers and chemicals in today’s textiles makes recycling very difficult. We saw the potential and therefore started working together with IBM and Technip Energies. That became the foundation for what later became Reju.

But have you left Under Armour now?

Yes. When I left Under Armour in 2022, my former partners at IBM and Technip Energies asked me to continue the work of commercializing the technology. By that point, we had already moved the technology from IBM’s laboratory in California to Frankfurt, where Technip Energies had the right chemistry and polymer expertise. We also had a pilot facility there. When the decision came to build a larger demo plant, someone was needed to drive the work full-time. I chose to continue because I strongly believed in the solution and saw the long-term potential.

How far have you come now? It’s 2026.

The first major objective was to build a demo plant of 1,000 tons to prove that the technology worked at a larger scale. It was an investment of over 300 million SEK.

Before building, we also needed to understand whether the market actually existed. Therefore, we spent the beginning of 2023 analyzing both opportunities and challenges. When that work was completed, we created Reju during 2023 and began building the plant in France in September that same year. The plant was completed in the fall of 2024, which was very fast for such a complex project in Europe. We set the goal of building it in twelve months and within budget, and we achieved both. That shows what clear goals and the right capabilities can accomplish.

Was it because you set goals, or what made you succeed? Why don’t others succeed?

I believe goals only work if you also have the conditions required to achieve them. In our case, we had an unusually broad competence base: chemistry, engineering, procurement, supplier knowledge, and execution capability. At the same time, we set tight timelines and chose to work in a different way than traditional engineering. We allowed development, design, and construction to run in parallel instead of in clearly separated phases. It worked because we had both confidence in the technology and access to an organization with very strong engineering expertise. The combination of clear goals and the right resources was decisive.

Which resources would you say were most important? Did these people have other roles within Technip, or did you free up a team to work on Reju? How did you get the resources to succeed?

Normally, large engineering companies work on a project basis, where people are involved in several projects at the same time. But in Reju, we built a core team that was fully dedicated. That team could then bring in the right expertise from different parts of Technip Energies when needed. In that way, we had both focus and flexibility. This also became a new way of working. Reju became not only a company for chemical textile recycling, but also an example of how to organize rapid innovation in a large technical environment.

How do you get all employees to work in the same direction? There is a lot of collaboration, and many people need to work hard without sub-optimizing their own part. You have quite a complex operation.

It was a major leadership question. We were not only building a plant but also creating an entirely new industrial model. In that case, it is not enough for each function to optimize its own part.

We quickly saw that a lot was missing around it: collection of textile waste, sorting by fiber composition, and understanding how the material should go back into the value chain for brands, the furniture industry, and the automotive industry.

This meant we needed to bring together people from many different worlds: chemical engineers, construction experts, textile specialists, and experts in textile waste. To hold all of this together, we needed a shared steering mechanism. That is why we started working with OKR.

How do you think it works, letting OKR meet project management?

It is complex but very valuable. Project management is important for making details and deliveries work. OKR is needed to create direction and coordination across multiple parts of the business. Engineers often want very clear instructions, while OKR is more about pointing out what matters most and creating focus around the big goals. For us, it became a way for everyone to understand how their work contributes to the whole.

When we built the plant, project governance worked well. But when we simultaneously needed to handle customers, textile collection, sample production, and industrialization, it was not enough. That is when a higher-level goal management tool was needed. It took time to make it work, but today OKR is really starting to live within the organization.

How do you actually create engagement around the goals?

It has to start from the top. For us, it was initially driven mainly by me and our Chief People Officer. But engagement does not come by itself; it requires time, follow-up, and discipline. We had clear resistance in the beginning, especially from parts of the engineering organization that felt the old way already worked. But as the business became more complex, it became obvious that we needed a shared way to steer toward the same goals.

We follow up on our OKRs every month and do deeper reviews every quarter. We have also become better at sticking to a few clear objectives and key results. What you follow up on is also where you get results. Without discipline, it is just a document. With discipline, it becomes a real management tool.

If you were to do the implementation again, what would you do differently?

I actually do not think I would do anything differently. From the beginning, we knew this would be a journey and that it would take time. You cannot implement OKR through a course and then think it is done. You need to create rhythm, structure, and a system for follow-up. The tool works best when it is kept alive and updated. It also requires clear support from leadership. If leadership does not believe in it and actively work with it, it will not work in the organization. You need to see it over time to truly believe in it.

Yes, that is true. You need to see that it works in practice and become comfortable with the way of working over time. What I also hear is that you have had a very proactive leadership style. You have followed up, maintained discipline, checked in, and kept the goals under close review. There are many leaders out there who are also good leaders but may focus more on other things. How large a part of leadership is goal management?

For me, goal management is closely linked to strategy. How large a part it is depends on the organization, but in a rapidly evolving business, it becomes a very large part. In my case, strategy and goal management are a central part of the job, together with people-related matters. I review our overall OKR structure every month and track how the leadership team is performing. It is not about micromanaging everything, but about knowing where to look. I focus primarily on what is red, not what is already green. That is where leadership makes the biggest difference.

Final question. If you could give one single piece of advice to a CEO implementing OKR in 2026, what would it be?

Persistence.

Good, it can hardly be clearer than that. One word, and you have to reflect on what it means and break it down yourself.

Very good.

Thank you very much, Patrik Frisk, for joining Nå mål!

Thank you, Sophie.

The post Patrik Frisk CEO at Reju on how to get teams aligned appeared first on Noxit.

The interview is hosted by Sophie Hedestad, CEO and co-founder of Noxit.

From e-commerce to CEO of Pändy

Who is Ebba Lagercrantz, and what did your journey to the CEO role look like?
My name is Ebba Lagercrantz, I’m 32 years old and grew up in Stockholm. I have a background in e-commerce and marketing and today I lead Pändy, a confectionery company within FMCG. When I started at Pändy five years ago, we were only three people, however today we are 17 employees and part of Humble Group.

What is Pändy?

Tell us about Pändy who are you and what do you do?
Pändy is a Swedish confectionery company focused on reduced-sugar candy. We start from classic candy varieties that many people recognize from pick and mix candy color, taste, and shape. We remove the sugar and replace it with our own patented fiber solution. The result is candy with no added sugar, without compromising the taste experience. When the company was founded, the focus was protein-enriched products for a niche fitness audience. Shortly before I joined, a complete repositioning of the brand took place, shifting from protein to sugar reduction. I came in as Marketing Manager in 2020 with the task of leading that transition.

Where are Pändy’s products available?

Where can you buy Pändy today?

Pändy’s products are widely distributed in the Sweden and Norway in grocery retail, convenience retail such as Pressbyrån and 7-Eleven, online via online pharmacies, Amazon, and our own e-commerce store. For customers outside the Nordics, Amazon is the easiest way to find Pändy.

Early experience with goals and KPIs

How did you start working with goals and KPIs?
My background in e-commerce has shaped how I work with goals. In e-commerce, almost everything is measurable. Early in my career, I worked with influencer marketing at a large e-commerce company, where goals were extremely concrete, often tied to sales through discount codes.
We had clear KPIs that showed exactly how much revenue each campaign generated. That built a strong understanding of the relationship between activity and results, something I’ve benefited greatly from later as a leader.

From individual goals to company governance

How does goal-setting differ as a CEO compared to operational roles?
It’s a huge difference. As CEO, it’s not just about your own KPIs it’s about getting the entire organization moving in the same direction. At Pändy, we are 100% owned by Humble Group, which means overarching goals and priorities are set at the group level.
My role is to translate these owner directives into concrete, realistic goals for Pändy at the company level, team level, and individual level. Everyone should understand why the goals exist and how their work contributes to the bigger picture.

How Pändy works with goals

How do you break goals down across the organization?
The work starts in the budgeting process, often with forecasts from the sales team. Logistics, operations, and marketing are then involved to ensure the goals are achievable. Once company goals are set, they’re broken down into team goals and then further into individual KPIs.
Everyone at Pändy has clear goals—individual KPIs, team goals, and company goals. That creates accountability, transparency, and engagement.

Follow-up: monthly, quarterly, and yearly

How often do you follow up on your KPIs?
We work with monthly KPIs and follow up both monthly and quarterly. At the same time, the full-year budget is what ultimately governs. Individual months can vary, but over time the quarters and the year should align with the plan.

Engagement in a fast-growing company

How do you get different personalities aligned behind the same goals?
Transparency is crucial. Employees need to understand where the numbers come from and feel that the goals are both challenging and realistic. In a growth company like Pändy, you often attract people who are driven and open to change, which helps.
If someone still feels resistance, we try to break the goals down into smaller parts and understand what’s creating uncertainty. Engagement is created through participation.

Balancing short-term and long-term

How do you balance daily operations with long-term transformation?
That’s one of the biggest leadership challenges. Pändy has grown quickly and shifted from a strong growth focus to an increased focus on profitability. At the same time, day-to-day operations have to work.
We work agilely and have always had a three-year strategy, but it has been revised several times. For us, it’s about daring to think ahead without losing momentum in everyday work.

A success factor: digital-first

What are you most proud of in Pändy’s journey?
That we dared to do things differently. We had a clear digital-first perspective early on, both in marketing and sales. Through e-commerce and digital marketplaces, we could quickly gather data, understand our target audience, and build the brand.
That laid the foundation for our rapid growth and made it easier later to step back into physical retail with better insights than many traditional players.

How Pändy celebrates when goals are reached

How do you celebrate successes?
Celebrating goals is important to us. We have monthly after-works where we highlight both big and small successes. That can include everything from personal achievements to reaching major milestones.
Recently, we celebrated that Pändy passed SEK 100 million in year-to-date revenue—with a big party. Pausing to celebrate strengthens both culture and motivation.

Ebba’s leadership at Pändy is characterized by clear goals, transparency, and strong commitment to both people and results. By combining a data-driven approach, realistic KPIs, and a clear direction, Pändy has grown from a small team into an established candy-shelf brand—and the journey continues. We thank Ebba for joining the Nå mål podcast.

The post Leadership and goal setting with Ebba Lagercrantz at Pändy appeared first on Noxit.

Welcome, Niclas Sandin!

Thank you, Sophie! It’s great to be here.

Tell us about your journey. How did you become CEO of BookBeat?

I’ve always had a passion for data, people, technology, and for creating things at the intersection of these areas. My journey began in my teenage years in Kalix, where I would analyze every new store that opened – predicting which would succeed and which would fail. This fascination led me to study economics at university, but I wanted a more hands-on approach, so I switched to management accounting. My first real job was at EY, which was a tough but valuable experience. However, it wasn’t until I joined Bonnier in 2012 that I truly got the opportunity to develop something meaningful. A few years later, in 2015, I was given the task of launching BookBeat. After voicing my opinion about Bonnier needing to invest in audiobooks, I finally got the chance to prove my point.

Did you always aim to become a CEO at BookBeat?

Not at all. I actually envisioned myself in roles like an analytics manager. But as I progressed in my career, I realized how powerful it is to combine data with team building. The CEO role at BookBeat came about organically, I enjoy working with both numbers and people, and I happened to step into a position when Bonnier needed that combination.

The CEO role often involves setting and tracking goals. What challenges come with that?

The reality is always more complex than the plans. You can’t manage a company from a distance; you need to be present, understand what’s happening on the ground, and be ready to adapt. Goals become meaningless if you don’t foster a culture that allows for recalibration based on new data. You can’t run a company by remote control. It doesn’t work to just write down goals and hope for the best. You need to stay close to the business, understand what’s really going on, and be ready to shift direction with the team when circumstances change.

What does a goal mean to you?

I prefer to think in terms of focus rather than just goals. Goals are simply a way to clarify that focus. They force us to make choices; without that, we risk becoming unfocused, and unfocused organizations tend to fail more often. Goals also help us formalize our mandate, since Bonnier has made a significant investment in us, we need to demonstrate that we’re moving in the right direction.

What are BookBeat’s current goals?

We have several clear focus areas. Long-term, we aim to lead the development of the book market by creating the simplest way for people to discover and listen to digital books in BookBeat.

BookBeat’s four strategic pillars are:

1. First who, then what – assembling the right team comes first.
2. Don’t get stuck in the starting blocks – it’s better to try than to over-plan.
3. Data-driven since day one – we build on our own insights.
4. Small steps build bigger leaps – we focus on long-term growth, step by step.

Right now, we have a few clear focus goals:

• Grow faster than our competitors in every market we’re active in. We aim to expand the entire market, not just take market share.

• Build a sustainable company – we became profitable last year, and now we want to increase profitability so we can invest for the long term.

• Continue leading the digital book space – we talk internally about “leadership in books”. That keeps us focused, even as big players like Spotify expand into audio content.

How do you break down these goals?

What do you do when you don’t hit your goals?

I try not to overreact. Was it just bad luck? Are we seeing a new trend? Were our goals too ambitious?

The key is quickly figuring out why and then either change what we’re doing or recalibrate the goals. It’s my job to catch those signals and adjust course with the team.

That’s fantastic! Thank you, Niclas. This was packed with inspiration.

Thank you! It’s been a pleasure discussing this. I hope it inspires others to achieve their goals.

The post Niclas Sandin on Goals, Focus, Leadership and Building the BookBeat Empire appeared first on Noxit.

Hey, I’m Sophie, founder of Noxit — we help leaders set and cascade meaningful goals across their teams. Welcome to Ready, Set, Goal, the podcast where we dive into how high-growth leaders align, scale, and keep their teams moving in the same direction.

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Alina Vandenberghe, co-founder and Co-CEO of Chili Piper. Back in 2016, she and her husband sold their house to launch the company — driven by a bold vision to revolutionize the B2B buying experience. Today, Chili Piper is a category-defining platform trusted by companies like Gong, Spotify, and Monday.com, helping them convert leads faster and smarter.

Alina is a true builder, with strong opinions on leadership, growth, and scaling without losing focus. In this episode, we explore her approach to goal setting, team alignment, and leading through fast growth.

It’s such a pleasure to have you here, Alina! I actually saw you speak at SaaS in Malmö a while back.

So nice to be here, thank you for having me! That Malmö event was fun. I’m usually based in Brooklyn, New York, but I lived in Europe for a while and still go back often.

Tell us a little about your background. Who are you and how did your journey to founding Chili Piper begin?

I grew up in Eastern Europe, in Romania. I always dreamed of moving to the U.S. and being part of the tech world. Initially, I was climbing the corporate ladder, aspiring to be a Fortune 500 CEO — I even had that written on my bedroom door when I was 12! But after moving here, I realized I’m a builder at heart. I thrive in startup environments. Founding Chili Piper with my husband nine years ago was a natural fit — and I can see myself building for decades to come!

Tell me about Chili Piper. What exactly do you do?

We help revenue teams — mostly mid-market and enterprise SaaS — improve demand conversion. Traditionally, when someone fills out a form on a website, they’d get a generic “thanks, we’ll be in touch” message, and companies would lose over half of their leads. With Chili Piper, our JavaScript tool instantly qualifies leads and routes them to the right sales rep or account manager — no waiting. We integrate with CRMs and use real-time data augmentation to make sure every buyer gets a VIP experience.

That’s such a powerful way to keep conversion high. How big is your team now?

We’re 140 people across 40 countries. At first, I thought success meant thousands of employees — but now I value lean, efficient teams. With the right tools and structure, you don’t need huge headcount to make a big impact.

You’ve scaled impressively — how do you align your team around goals as you grow?

Early on, we used the 2MOM framework, but found it too heavy for fast-moving teams. Now, we set company-level goal annually (e.g., ARR growth, CAC targets) and let individual teams build their quarterly game plans. These game plans define the actions, activities, and expected impact based on historical data.

For example, our marketing team sets assumptions about pipeline, conversion rates, and top-of-funnel metrics like impressions or account penetration. Every quarter, we evaluate progress, adjust strategies, and co-create new activities — with full flexibility.

How do you track this in practice? Are there shared tools

Yes — we use Snowflake and Sigma for data analysis. It took time to identify the righ intermediary metrics that drive pipeline results. I’m proud we now have that clarity, but I wish we’d figured it out two years earlier!

And how does this translate to individual employee goals?

We split performance 50/50 between team metrics and individual contributions. Everyone knows the team goals, and each person is also accountable for the activities they own. We do biannual individual assessments, plus peer reviews, to evaluate impact. If something didn’t work, we analyze whether the strategy was flawed or if the market shifted.

Do you ever feel like the system still has room for improvement?

Absolutely. Metrics and cadences are never perfect. But the hardest thing — and something I may never fully crack — is figuring out if someone is truly thriving. Culture is personal. What energizes one person drains another. I’ve worked in environments where I looked successful on paper, but felt miserable. I’d love to build a company where people genuinely enjoy their work — but it’s a moving target.

That’s such a powerful reflection. So many companies struggle to get goal-setting and alignment right. Thanks for sharing your experience and insight!

Thank you for having me. It’s been a pleasure.

Ready, Set, Goal is a podcast by Noxit. Stay tuned for more episodes where we dive deep into leadership, scaling, and high-impact execution.

Follow Alina
Chili Piper
Instagram

The post Alina Vandenberghe: From Selling Her House to Building a Billion-Dollar Startup appeared first on Noxit.

Welcome to Ready, Set, Goal!

In this episode of Ready, Set, Goal!, we dive into the world of goal-setting with Fanny Wallér, a senior advisor and board professional with deep experience in strategy, marketing, communication, and sustainability. We explore how organizations, especially boards, can work more effectively with goals, and why OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) can be a powerful tool when used correctly.

From Finance to the Boardroom

Fanny began her career in the finance industry and eventually transitioned into a portfolio of board assignments across various industries—from tech startups to distribution companies and foundations. This diverse background gives her a unique perspective on how strategy and goals are shaped at different organizational levels.

The Importance of Goal-Setting

Fanny believes goals are crucial, both professionally and personally. Professionally, goals bring structure, focus, and a sense of direction. Personally, they help prioritize what’s truly important, especially in avoiding the trap of constantly reacting to what’s urgent rather than focusing on long-term impact.

She observes that many organisations live in a constant state of urgency. The day gets consumed by emails, meetings, and firefighting. Without clear goals and focus, companies risk letting the whirlwind of daily operations steer the direction instead of consciously navigating toward long-term objectives.

Strategic Horizons and Misalignment

Referencing McKinsey’s “Three Horizons” framework, Fanny highlights a key challenge: different roles in a company often operate on different time horizons. Horizon 1 is about today’s operations, Horizon 2 is mid-term development, and Horizon 3 looks far ahead into innovation and transformation. Furthermore, misalignment often occurs when leadership is thinking long-term while employees are buried in short-term demands.

Boards and management must understand and manage these horizons thoughtfully. The board’s role is to support, challenge, and approve the strategy and associated goals, not to micromanage their formulation. That is why clear role separation and communication are critical.

Why OKRs?

Fanny was drawn to OKRs strategy after years of exploring leadership and performance frameworks. What stood out was OKRs’ ability to drive alignment and focus when implemented well. Like any framework, success comes down to execution, not just adopting a new acronym.

The real work is in:

1- Creating consistent routines for follow-up and accountability.

2- Choosing the few truly important goals.

3 -Anchoring them in the organization with clarity and engagement.

Rituals Matter, but Only with Engagement

Many companies struggle to maintain the cadence of OKRs strategy: planning, weekly check-ins, and quarterly reviews. Fanny emphasizes that rituals alone are not enough. Without emotional engagement or a personal connection to the goals, these routines quickly become hollow.

True goal alignment requires people to feel ownership and understand their role in the bigger picture. Leaders must model the right behaviors and repeatedly communicate the “why” behind the goals. Culture, she reminds us, always trumps strategy.

Involve People Early

Engagement starts with inclusion. Goals imposed from the top down rarely resonate across the organization. To gain real commitment, people need to be involved early in the goal-setting process. That’s how buy-in is built—from the ground up.

This is especially important when balancing transformational ambitions from leadership with the operational realities that most employees face daily. Goals must bridge that gap—ambitious but grounded.

Transformation vs. Continuous Improvement

Not every company needs a full-scale transformation. Fanny prefers to reserve the word transformation for when a company is truly becoming something fundamentally different. Most companies are better served by focusing on continuous improvement—small, smart changes that add up over time. Think Toyota, not moonshots.

Goal-Setting is Underestimated

Fanny firmly believes that many organizations underestimate what it takes to work effectively with goals. It’s not just a matter of setting targets—it’s about investing time and effort into clarity, communication, and cultural integration.

Her advice to leaders:

Visualize the journey. Create a roadmap that shows where the organization is going—and why.

• Limit the number of goals. Focus only on what really matters.

• Make the goals meaningful. People must understand and care about them.

• Lead visibly. CEOs and senior leaders must embody the goals—communicating them across every level of the organization.

• Follow up consistently. Build strong routines and stick to them.

The Board’s Role in Goal-Setting

Boards must deeply understand the company’s goals, and not just approve them passively. That means asking questions, challenging assumptions, and ensuring the organization is on track with OKRs strategy.

Boards are also responsible for follow-up. When things aren’t progressing, the board must step in with curiosity and accountability: What’s not working? Why? What needs to change?

Final Thoughts

Fanny’s experience makes one thing clear: effective goal-setting is both an art and a science. It demands clarity, commitment, and cultural alignment—from leadership to the front lines. With the right mindset and structure, goals can become a powerful force that aligns people, drives performance, and shapes the future.

The post Fanny Wallér, senior board professional about strategy OKRs and transformation appeared first on Noxit.

Rasmus Bent CEO of Tänndalen welcome to Nå mål! Do you often participate in podcasts?

Thank you! Great to be here! And no, this is actually my first one, so it feels like a big deal for both me and Tänndalen.

Exciting! Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Rasmus, and I was born in Husby, Småland but grew up in Tornedalen. I love everything about this place the mountains, nature, and the environment. I’ve worked in the tourism industry my whole life, starting as a cleaner at a hotel in Ramberget, and since then, I’ve continued in the ski resort industry.

It’s impressive that you’re now a CEO at Tänndalen and have seen all roles.

Yes, I’ve worked in almost every role from cleaning to restaurants, retail, and rentals. I didn’t take the academic route but learned through experience, which has been a huge advantage.

Have you always wanted to be a leader?

No, but I’ve always had a drive to develop things. I love building things up and seeing progress, and that has probably led me here.

Tell us about Tänndalen. How big is the area, and how many people work there?

Tänndalen is an amazing place with a long history in tourism. Sweden’s first high-altitude hotel opened here in the 1800s. Tänndalen’s ski resort has existed since 1932, and we have a long tradition of welcoming guests.

We are a relatively small area in terms of visitor numbers, but we have Sweden’s largest ski area when you look at the entire region. We have 55 slopes in Tänndalen, and with the same lift pass, you can ski in over 140 slopes across six ski areas. People appreciate the authentic feel here – the combination of great downhill skiing, cross-country trails, and snowmobile routes, as well as the fact that Tänndalen is a living mountain village where people actually reside. We even have people moving in, which is rare in inland northern Sweden!

There are many ski resorts in Sweden. How does Tänndalen stand out, and how do you break through the noise?

It’s a tough industry, but we have a long-term plan and stick to it. Historically, people here have always fought hard and reinvested everything to develop the area. I think that shows in how much we genuinely care about our guests – we have many returning visitors and also try to retain staff to build long-term relationships.

You became CEO in 2019, just before the pandemic. How was it to lead during such challenging times?

It was tough. My first year as CEO started strong, but then the pandemic hit, and we had to close right before Easter, which is one of our most important periods. We laid off all staff and prepared to go into hibernation.

But we quickly decided not to get stuck in the negative. We planned to be ready for when we could reopen. By the summer of 2020, we were fully prepared, while others perhaps weren’t. That allowed us to welcome guests and actually grow during the pandemic.

Despite the economic downturn that followed, we have managed to retain many of the new guests. Over the past five years, we’ve had 25% organic growth, which we are very proud of. We focus on opportunities rather than obstacles and put our energy into what we can influence.

It’s amazing that you’ve grown by 25% in such tough times. Now, many are talking about a recovery, but it’s been difficult years, and many families may not afford a ski vacation. Maybe those who previously went to the Alps now come to you, but I don’t know how budgets look. How do you see the future?

It’s still challenging, and I feel it myself in my personal finances, with rising mortgage costs and higher living expenses. That said, the entire industry is still growing. Of course, a mountain vacation costs money, but when I booked my own summer vacation with my family, I noticed that it almost cost more.

I think many still prioritize a ski trip. Our own surveys, with over 1,000 responses, show that time with family is more important than ever. A mountain vacation is about being together – on the slopes, in the sauna, or around the dinner table. I believe that becomes even more important when everyday life is stressful, which is why we’ve done quite well despite difficult times.

You’ve been very optimistic, but how do you motivate employees who feel it’s tough? How do you boost morale and work culture?

We have high ambitions in Tänndalen, for both our external NPS and our internal eNPS. We have many initiatives to support employees and speed up processes that might be frustrating. We invest a lot in having great leaders and leadership training so they have the right tools to motivate and inspire.

One advantage in our industry is that we don’t just work toward financial goals, but toward experiences. It can be easier to stay motivated to create an amazing guest experience rather than trying to influence a key metric you don’t fully understand. Our employees know that if they deliver a great experience – if they notice the guests and go the extra mile – it leads to better business results as well.

In our employee survey, we ask if staff see a positive future in the company, and we received a score of 4.62. Many feel that we are moving in the right direction, that we are investing in the business, and making continuous improvements. If we were struggling financially or losing a lot of staff, we would need to work more actively on motivation, but right now, there is a positive atmosphere in the company.

You talked about breaking down financial goals into more operational and practical objectives. What’s your philosophy on that? How do you ensure every employee has clear goals?

For us, profitability is about being able to continue developing the resort. We have worked a lot with goal setting and the feeling of what it should be like when it’s “good,” but sometimes that has been perceived as vague.

This year, we started using the OKR model (Objectives and Key Results), which has made expectations much clearer for employees. We don’t call it “Objectives and Key Results” but rather “Winter Focus,” where we define three overarching goals, three measurable sub-goals under each, and a series of concrete initiatives at the department level.

Previously, the perception was that our goals were unclear, but in this year’s employee survey, we scored 4.50 on the question of whether the vision and goals are clear – a significant improvement from the previous 3.8–3.9. OKR has helped us align all our energy in the same direction.

Can you give examples of some of your “Winter Focus” goals and how you measure them with the team in Tänndalen?

One example of a winter focus goal is ensuring that our guests take home unforgettable memories from their stay. To measure this, we have three objectives:

• Increase our external NPS
• Increase our internal eNPS
• Increase on-site sales

To achieve these goals, we have a range of concrete initiatives, such as:

• An improved onboarding program for employees
• “The Kiss Lift,” a modified T-bar where guests can highlight someone they appreciate
• Automated SMS notifications about activities and offers
• Reception staff calling all guests 40 days before arrival to ensure they have booked lift passes and received answers to their questions

All initiatives are concrete and aligned with our overarching goals.

How do you follow up on your goals during the season in Tänndalen?

We initially used a PowerPoint, but it quickly became 26 pages long and difficult to manage. Now we use Noxit to track and follow up on all goals digitally.

We have six reviews throughout the winter:

1. After the pre-season
2. After Christmas and New Year
3. After the winter break
4. After the mid-season
5. After Easter
6. After the entire season

We also have weekly informational meetings where we go through the upcoming week. Every other week, we highlight examples of initiatives linked to OKRs – both those that have gone well and those that haven’t gone as planned.

How many people attend these meetings, and how long do they last?

The weekly informational meetings have 10–15 participants and last for 45 minutes, with about five minutes dedicated to OKRs. The more extensive follow-up meeting on Key Results lasts 2–3 hours.

You’re now shifting into summer planning – will it differ much from the winter focus?

We haven’t yet set our summer focus, which we feel we’re a bit late on. We started selling summer before setting the goals, so we haven’t quite found the right rhythm yet.

Since the business is soon operating year-round, we need to get better at managing the transitions between seasons. We don’t want to be in deep planning mode in the middle of peak season. The idea is to update goals twice a year, but we need to find the right timing for this.

How do you think about long-term planning versus shorter goal horizons?

Our ambition is to be long-term. We went from being a very short-term company to now having a 20-year perspective. That allows us to make better decisions.

For example, we have a goal to be fossil-free by 2027. To achieve that, we need to break it down into steps – what impact do we want to see by 2025, and what initiatives are required to get there?

Do you have any personal goals you’re working towards?

I’ve realized that I’m a goal-oriented person after all, even though I didn’t think so before. I like checking things off my list. I try to balance work and family life, and now that my kids are old enough to ski everywhere, it’s incredibly fun.

One of my goals is to spend as much time as possible with my family. Another is to visit five new ski resorts every year – I still have a few left to visit this year!

So, do you get inspiration to bring back home?

Yes, absolutely! It’s about both clearing my head and seeing how others do things. No observations, no insights! You need external input, or you just keep producing without getting new ideas yourself.

Great talking to you, Rasmus. Fun to hear how you work with leadership and goal setting at Tänndalen, as well as a bit about your personal goals. Thanks for joining us!

Thanks for having me!

The post Rasmus Bent, CEO of Tänndalen about OKRs, Skiing, and Entrepreneurship in the Mountain World appeared first on Noxit.

Hellen Wohlin Lidgard, a warm welcome to Nå mål!

So great to be here, happy we made this happen.

Today Hellen Wohlin Lidgard, we’ll talk about your background and what you do now. The podcast is called “Nå mål”  what’s your relationship with goals?

Goals have varied throughout my life. At first, I wasn’t quite sure, but then I decided to start a company and really wanted to succeed. I find things I want to do and set goals to achieve them in the best way possible.

Is it more about having a vision, building something, and then breaking it down into smaller goals?

Yes, a bit like that. My life goals have also changed. Initially, it was about freedom getting “fuck-off money”  and being able to continue my entrepreneurial journey. Now, it’s also about family.

You’re visible in many contexts like Draknästet, and you invest a lot. I assume you’re quite busy?

Actually, less so now. I’ve sold several companies and have more freedom. Now, I mostly do things that give me energy.

In Draknästet, do you invest your own money from your exits?

Yes, I’ve set aside a million for investments in Draknästet companies and have made five investments. I’m very happy with them.

Have your exits changed your perspective, for example, on price increases?

No, I don’t think about it much, maybe because I’m not a big shopper. I’m not driven by money itself, which might be unusual for an investor. For me, freedom has always been the most important thing.

What do you like to spend money on?

Traveling with my family and boats. I want my kids to learn how to drive a boat, so I have both smaller and larger boats.

How did your entrepreneurial journey start?

I was a math nerd and studied engineering, thinking I’d become a trainee at Ericsson and design 2G or 3G systems. But when I graduated, the job market was bad, so I ended up in consulting, working with data and analytics for management teams, and later in finance. Eventually, I realized, I Hellen Wohlin Lidgard could do it better in my own company. I reached out to a friend from university, Anna, and we started Pointer.

So, you started Pointer together?

Yes, she knew more about technology, and I focused more on analytics. We built a company that gathered and presented business information for companies. It was quite new in 2000, so we were pioneers.

Did you hire developers to build a platform?

We built custom platforms for clients and had our own products, but we were also a consulting business. We recruited many newly graduated engineers and trained them ourselves. It went really well!

You spent ten years at Pointer. Were there any particularly tough periods?

Yes, two. The first was in 2001 when the economy crashed, and we had very few customers. We were transparent with our employees and temporarily reduced salaries but managed to turn things around. The second was in 2009 when we lost a big contract and suddenly had 20 consultants without assignments. But we were always honest and worked together to find solutions.

What was the best part of that journey?

When things finally took off after three to four years. It’s an amazing feeling when customers start coming in, business picks up, and the team is motivated. That happened around 2004-2005 at Pointer and again with Yellow Elk, which I worked with for seven years.

Is three to four years a common timeframe for a company to take off?

Yes, often. Many think it happens faster, but it takes time to find the right market fit. You need to adjust, understand customer needs, and build reference customers.

I’m a first-time entrepreneur. What are your best tips?

Be passionate about what you do. It often takes ten years to build something truly great, and at least three before it gains momentum. To sustain that, you need motivation and a long-term mindset. Also, listen carefully to your customers who values what you do, and how can you attract more of them?

Some entrepreneurs find their idea by encountering a problem, while others actively look for market gaps. What’s your take on that?

If you haven’t experienced the problem firsthand, there’s a risk of building a technical solution that doesn’t fit customer needs. That’s why it’s crucial to talk to customers and understand them deeply.

When did you know it was time to leave Pointer?

We sold after seven years, and I stayed for three more. We got a good offer when the stock market was high, and I had a one-year-old and a three-year-old at home. Plus, I wanted to work more internationally with data.

Have you ever taken a break to reflect?

Yes, after Pointer, I thought I’d have a midlife crisis at 40, but my husband said, “you don’t have a crisis.” I took a writing course, studied psychology, and worked with impact investments in clean water and maternal healthcare. It was a great period where I stimulated other parts of my brain.

Today Hellen Wohlin Lidgard, you’re the CEO of Quantum Leap and invest in companies. What do you do?

I’ve started four companies, and Quantum Leap is a natural continuation. I don’t invest just to throw money around I want to be involved where things happen. I have experience and can be a sounding board.

How do you support entrepreneurs?

Mainly through strategic work. As an entrepreneur, you have a thousand ideas, but I help prioritize and focus on what’s most important. It can also involve raising capital, structuring the company, building a board, or fostering collaboration between founders.

Fewer but bigger – the importance of focus and strategy

What sets successful companies apart from those that don’t reach their goals?

Successful companies are clear about their goals and stick to them. Many businesses set too many goals and lose focus. It’s better to pick one or two things to prioritize and measure them carefully. Companies that fail often change goals too often, don’t track progress properly, or don’t stick with their strategy long enough.

What’s crucial for achieving a goal?

A goal must be clear, written down, and measurable. It should be something the entire organization can rally around. It’s also about not constantly adjusting the goal but sticking with it. To succeed, you need to break it down into sub-goals, like website conversion rates, offer hit rates, or delivery quality.

What do you look for when evaluating an investment?

I assess customer loyalty whether customers return, why they do, and if they are good customers. If a company retains its customers and they keep buying, it signals a strong market position.

Are there other key factors?

The business model is critical. I analyze customer acquisition costs, retention rates, and revenue per customer. A sustainable, scalable model is key. The team is also crucial. I rarely invest in solo entrepreneurs because it’s too much to handle alone. A strong, diverse team is essential for success.

What does success mean to you?

Success is about being persistent and achieving the goals you set. There will always be days when you want to give up, but you have to keep going. I’ve always been long-term oriented and kept pushing, even in tough times.

How do you handle setbacks Hellen?

I shake them off quickly. If I’ve worked for months on a deal and it falls through, I go for a run or watch Netflix, then move on the next day. I think this comes from my sports background, you have to miss a lot before you hit.

What role does company culture play?

Culture is more important than strategy. People need to feel a sense of belonging, be able to express themselves, and share knowledge. An open, transparent culture where people grow and learn from each other is key to success.

What do you want to leave behind in the companies you’re involved in?

I want people to feel like they were part of something meaningful, that they developed and had fun. In the companies I’ve been part of, culture has always been a driving force for long-term engagement.

Thank you Hellen Wohlin Lidgard, for being on Nå mål!

Yes, thank you so much!

The post Hellen Wohlin Lidgard about Fewer but Sharper Goals and the Path to Success appeared first on Noxit.

In this episode, we are joined by Pernilla Wihlborg, COO of Baseload Capital, to talk about her journey and how EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) has helped them create clarity and structure.

Welcome, Pernilla!

Thank you, it’s great to be here!

Can you tell us about your background and how you ended up at Baseload Capital?

I’m an engineer by training, but I’ve never worked as one. I started my career in product management and sales. After about seven years, I was drawn to the entrepreneurial life and joined a Cleantech company that had a prototype but no sales success. I enjoyed the creative environment and realized that I wanted to work in a role where I could create value freely, instead of being a cog in a big machine. Through that work, the idea for Baseload Capital was born, and I’ve been the COO there for seven years.

What does Baseload Capital do?

We work with geothermal energy, where we harness the heat from the earth to produce electricity. It’s a renewable energy source that works 24/7, regardless of weather. Geothermal energy has existed since the 1950s but hasn’t received the attention it deserves in the energy debate. Our mission is to scale the technology by spreading knowledge, raising capital, and developing power plants through our four subsidiaries in Japan, Taiwan, the US, and Iceland.

Why is geothermal energy not talked about more?

It’s capital-intensive and risky in the beginning because you have to drill without knowing exactly what’s under the ground. Compared to solar energy, where you can calculate output with great precision, it’s harder to predict the results of a geothermal drilling. There are also strong economic forces that prefer to use drilling rigs for oil and gas, which means we have to work hard to spread awareness about the technology.

How many projects have you carried out?

Since we started in 2018, we’ve developed eight smaller power plants. The purpose has been to learn the process from drilling to electricity production, permitting, and business models for selling electricity. Each market is slightly different, so we’ve worked to understand the whole chain and create a stable business model.

Have you extracted energy from these locations?

Yes, all eight power plants produce electricity that is sold to consumers.

What is the potential for geothermal energy?

The potential is enormous, but the challenge is making the technology profitable and scalable.

What do goals mean to you?

For me, goals are a guideline that helps me make the right decisions and prioritize. Without clear goals, it becomes harder to know if you’re heading in the right direction.

What is EOS and how does it work?

EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) is a system of practical tools that connects vision, execution, and team health. It helps us ensure that everyone understands our goals, how we’re going to achieve them, and how we collaborate as a team.

How did you get in touch with EOS?

EOS is big in the US and is used by about 25,000 companies. We discovered it through our contacts there and quickly realized it was exactly what we needed. Implementing it has been one of our best decisions.

How did the process go when the leadership team made the decision about EOS? Was it a joint decision made in a specific meeting, or did it develop more gradually over time? And how did you decide that this solution was the right choice?

It started when our CEO came back from a trip to the US and told us about EOS. He introduced the concept to us, and we contacted an expert for help with implementation. After a few workshops, we realized that EOS was the right way to go, and we decided to follow that methodology.

What did you do during those EOS workshops?

During the workshops, we learned that EOS is about strengthening six components of the company: setting long-term goals, defining vision and values, ensuring the right people are in the right places, using metrics (KPIs), identifying and solving problems, defining core processes, and setting quarterly goals (rocks). It quickly became clear that EOS would really change the way we work.

How do you stick to the rhythm with all these meetings?

We’ve gone all-in on EOS. If you truly believe in the methodology, the agendas and meetings are already planned. Every quarter, we hold a one-day workshop to set new goals (rocks), and every year we have a two-day meeting to evaluate long-term goals. Weekly meetings are consistently held, and no one can miss them unless it’s for vacation or another valid reason. This creates a strong sense of prioritization throughout the company.

What are some major pitfalls for companies that don’t succeed with EOS?

The biggest issue is not clearly communicating why a new methodology is being implemented. If employees don’t understand how the changes will benefit them, it can lead to resistance. Decisions must come from the top, and the leadership team has to truly believe in the changes for the whole organization to follow along.

How do you analyze if you have the right team in place?

First, we define an “accountability chart,” an organizational chart that focuses on responsibility rather than titles. Then, we ensure that the right people are in the right places and can deliver on the goals that have been set. Every quarter, managers and employees have conversations to evaluate performance and if the right person is in the right place. It’s a transparent process, and we don’t hesitate to act if something isn’t working.

How do you get skeptics on board with changes?

It requires patience. The message must be repeated several times for everyone to understand why the change is happening and how it will positively affect them. At the same time, you must be prepared to make decisions even if not everyone agrees. If someone doesn’t want to work with the common method, they might not be a good fit for the company.

Does EOS also include budgeting processes?

Yes, there are external processes outside of EOS, such as financial processes. EOS covers the fundamental processes, and one of those is the financial process, which includes budgeting. Many other important processes, such as sales and recruitment, also fall within the EOS framework, and everyone in the company needs to understand these overarching processes to get the big picture.

What processes are part of EOS?

Our core processes include the investment process, recruitment, finance, project development, and operations. The people process, which is about recruitment, retention, and having the right person in the right place, is also important. These processes are overarching, and everyone in the company understands them at a high level to know their contribution to the whole.

How do you measure success through OKRs and rocks?

Rocks are our big goals for each quarter, and they are not directly linked to KPIs. KPIs measure success in the long term, such as how much electricity has been generated or how many sales meetings have been held. Rocks are more concrete and focus on what must be done during the quarter. KPIs are a separate set of metrics that help us measure our progress toward our long-term goals.

Do you work with different types of goals?

We have different goals depending on the time frame. For quarterly goals (rocks), we sometimes set “stretch goals,” where the target is to reach 80%, because if you reach 100% all the time, you’re not stretching enough. Goals are set to show direction and help with daily prioritization. It’s about understanding where you stand and why you haven’t progressed further – sometimes it’s more important to achieve a more ambitious goal to 50% than to achieve a smaller goal to 100%.

What are your personal goals?

My partner and I have an annual conversation where we sync our long-term life goals. One of my goals is for my children, when they’re adults, to want to spend time with me. To achieve this, I focus on creating time for my family and helping my children open up and learn about vulnerability. I also prioritize health and ensure that exercise is part of my daily routine. I’m open about my goals and make sure to include them at work, for example by scheduling exercise in my calendar and making it a natural part of my life.

What do you think about thinking about the future and setting goals backward?

I think it’s a powerful exercise to think about how I want to feel when I’m 80 and then work backward. It gives a joyful motivation to think about how I want to live my life long-term and helps me prioritize what’s important today to achieve that.

Thank you so much, Pernilla!

Thank you, it was a pleasure!

The post Pernilla Wihlborg from Baseload Capital: How EOS transformed the company’s structure and growth appeared first on Noxit.

A warm welcome, Linnea Bolter!

Thank you so much! It’s really fun to be here.

You work as a reporter at Dagens Industri. Can you tell us a little about your career journey and what you do on a daily basis?

I’ve been at Dagens Industri for almost seven years now – it will be an anniversary in April. I work in the news editorial team as a reporter, and for the last two years, I’ve also been a moderator for our events, such as DI Gasell and “The Most Powerful Woman in Business”. Before I started at DI, I freelanced for several years and also worked as a communicator. But I realized that I would rather be the one writing myself, rather than working with conveying other people’s messages. For me, journalism is much more stimulating.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

It’s really a varied workday, especially now that I have a role where I stand on stage and interview people. It gives me the opportunity to step out of the box and take up space in a different way than when I do regular interviews.
The most fun part is meeting all kinds of people and talking to business leaders, as well as individuals in politics or public agencies. I really enjoy being able to ask whatever questions I want. That’s something I really like. Changing my career to journalism was also part of my childhood dream. I wanted to be a journalist since I was little, so it feels really good to be living that dream now.

And how do you feel about asking questions to the business community? Is it easy to ask all the questions you want?

In the beginning, I was afraid of asking “stupid” questions because you want to seem smart and knowledgeable. But you learn that those so-called “stupid” questions are often not stupid at all, but sometimes the most important ones to truly understand.
What can be difficult is asking uncomfortable questions. When you need to put someone in their place or get someone to answer something difficult, it can be uncomfortable for both the interviewer and the person being interviewed. It’s something I’ve learned to handle, although it can still be tough.

What’s the most uncomfortable question you’ve asked?

It can be questions about irregularities or when I know that a leader has made controversial decisions. For example, when you’ve interviewed others who have different opinions about a business leader, and you have to ask difficult questions about that. It can create an uncomfortable situation for both me and the person I’m interviewing.

And what’s your relationship with goals?

As a freelancer, I started setting goals when I began my journalism career. I wanted to write for the major newspapers, so I set goals to get assignments from, for example, Dagens Nyheter. I set both performance goals and financial goals to develop myself. Since I started at Dagens Industri, I’ve continued setting goals for myself and in collaboration with my boss. It’s about expanding my network, doing more assignments, and creating my own news.

Journalists sometimes think of quantity as a goal, with clicks and such. What do you think about that?

It’s important that people read what we write, but personally, I’m not as motivated by the numbers in the same way others are. For me, it’s more about producing good journalism that reaches the right people. The quantitative goals, like clicks and subscriptions, are important, but I believe there has to be a balance between quantity and quality.

What’s your view on the balance between quality and quantity?

Quality is truly a cornerstone of everything we publish. But quantitative goals are also important for being able to follow up and see if what we do reaches its target. Personally, I think that you don’t always have to measure quality exactly. Sometimes it’s about a feeling for what’s good, and reader engagement is a good measure of that.

How do you view the business community’s ability to set goals?

Many successful companies and their leaders have visionary goals. An example is Lyko, which aims to reach ten billion in revenue by 2028. That’s a goal that’s not only about numbers but also about creating a long-term vision. I think visionary goals are really important for companies that want to grow and succeed.

When you talk to businesses, do you follow up on their goals?

We sometimes do follow-ups, even if we don’t always ask directly about their goals. Sometimes we see that companies have talked about big visions and goals, and if we later notice that they haven’t reached them, that’s a form of follow-up. It’s about following their journey and seeing how things are progressing.

What do you think makes some businesses succeed more than others?

A major factor is the ability to attract and retain talent. The business leaders I’ve spoken with say that having a clear vision of where the company is heading is incredibly important, and not getting fixated on competitors. Successful companies have the ability to think ahead and find the right people to work with.

What’s your relationship with the business community as a journalist?

It’s truly a symbiotic relationship. At Dagens Industri, we are both investigative and reporting. We write about companies that we sometimes both praise and criticize. I believe a journalist should never become too friendly with their sources, but we still need to have mutual trust in order to do our job in the best possible way.

What future trends do you see in the business world?

Many experts point to a turning point in the economy around 2025-2026, although it’s still uncertain. We hope things improve, but we know there’s a lot that affects it. If the largest economies in Europe recover, it could help the whole market.

Do you think businesses could have done anything differently to avoid bankruptcy?

Many businesses that have gone bankrupt have had large debts from pandemic support, which has made it harder for them to recover now that interest rates have risen, and taxes have to be repaid. It’s hard to say exactly what could have been done differently, but it’s clear that many have struggled with the big cost increases.

Finally, do you have any personal goals?

I have a rather embarrassing goal that I’m still working on – to become comfortable driving a car. I got my driver’s license late, at 35 years old, and it’s been a huge challenge for me. But it’s a goal I’m continuing to work towards. I also have a goal to become fluent in French, which I practice with Duolingo every day. And I also regularly save money to reach my financial goals.

Thank you so much, Linnea!

The post Linnea Bolter, reporter from Dagens Industri about her career and goals in business appeared first on Noxit.