It’s with great pride that we share that we were named Norm Challengers of the Year at Företagarkvällen (Entrepreneurs’ Evening). We don’t actively work to break norms, but pushing boundaries is in every entrepreneur’s best interest.
Maria and I have always strived to improve our business. We aim to do better than the previous month—every month. In our eyes, that’s the very core of entrepreneurship. You may not agree with us, and that’s fair, but this is how we define entrepreneurship (a word that has been somewhat worn out in recent years). It means becoming a better leader, a better businessperson, a better human being, and building a better company. It also means being a force for good in the world—even if that’s not easy to define.
This work led to us receiving the Norm Challengers of the Year award last night at Företagarkvällen in Örnsköldsvik. The award itself is an honor and, of course, something we’re happy about. Even if we had gone home empty-handed, we would have kept doing what we do—because we truly believe in it. This is who we are.
Search engine optimization is a young industry, and we’re a young company. In January 2013, we officially opened the doors to our new office on Lasarettsgatan in Örnsköldsvik, and our first employees stepped in right after New Year’s. In this short time, we’ve made our mark in both our industry and our city. Without patting ourselves too much on the back, I also believe we’ve helped shine an international spotlight on shorter workdays. Say what you want about them (there are plenty of opinions), but it works for us—and the amount of international media attention we’ve received proves that the interest is real.
In addition to our work schedule, many also know us for our clear stance against closed borders.
Have we lost customers because of it? I’m convinced we have.
A big thank you to Företagarkvällen, the municipality, and Klöver Dam for presenting us with the award. We are proud and grateful, and we hope you’ll continue to support and encourage us. Special thanks to Magnus Haglund, Stina Haglund, Peter Juneblad, and Anna-Karin Byström for a great event and a heartwarming recognition.
The photo was taken by Lotta Håkansson from Bohag—and if you haven’t already, you should take a look at her products.
Magnus Bråth
Consultant & Adviser
Magnus is one of the world's most prominent search marketing specialists and primarily works with management and strategy at his agency Brath AB.