Henrik Nilsson was born in a small town called Halmstad in the south of Sweden in 1976. At that time, no one could expect that he would work all across the globe in four continents before an age of 35. From Stockholm to Cape Town to San Diego, to mention a few of the several working destinations Henrik has experienced during his journey at the company Education First (EF). Quite impressive! But how did it all start? What was it in the big world that tempted him? I got the opportunity to listen to Henrik’s story.
Since his childhood Henrik has always had a passion for people and services, which was why an education in hospitality management felt natural. When you meet Henrik, you can tell that he is a curious person who likes adventures, which is why I was not surprised that he decided to study abroad. He spent four years in Switzerland, studying at the leading university for hospitality management: Ecole Hotèliere de Lausanne. After finishing his education, Henrik’s plan was to move overseas to the United States to kick-start his hotel career. But as in most cases, the plan didn’t turn out as he´d thought. Instead, he received a call from his cousin who had worked for EF and thought the company would be a perfect fit with Henrik’s experience. So he did start in EF Stockholm as a Sales Coordinator, and he loved the company! However, the desire to go abroad was still there, which was why Henrik didn’t say no when he got the opportunity to work at the headquarter in Luzern in Switzerland as a Communication Manager. As the Communication Manager he was responsible for all internal communication, sales statistics and sales events. Two years later, Henrik was asked to broaden his responsibilities and move to London. The new position in London implied responsibility for finding and opening of new EF schools around the globe, which was a completely new and different task compared to previous work. The challenges did not wait. After a couple of days Henrik was asked to fly over to Cape Town in South Africa to find a location to open a new EF school in a short period of time! Stoked and nervous at the same time, Henrik grabbed the first flight available. Did he manage to solve the task? You bet he did! Since then, Henrik has been involved in opening schools in places like Paris, Malaga, Chicago, and San Diego to mention a few. One day his manager walked up to him and said ‘I know your dream job always has been to run your own hotel… Now I would like you to run your own school!’ ‘Do you want to go to Hawaii to open a brand new school or go to San Diego to run an existing school?’ What do you think Henrik answered? Of course he chose Hawaii where he had the chance to build a completely new team and put his own mark on it. To cite Henrik: ‘Nothing is Impossible’. In only three weeks he managed to open a school in Honolulu for over 200 students. Henrik and his family spent two years in Hawaii before he got promoted as a Sales Director in the new headquarter in Zurich, Switzerland. In 2011 he got the chance to find a new location for the EF school in San Diego that was supposed to open in the beginning of 2016. At the same time, the school was looking for an Executive Director and they found Henrik to be the perfect match. Since 2016, Henrik has been running the EF school in Point Loma in San Diego. Being the Executive Director means not only a responsibility for staff and students, but also the entire facility, safety and off course the financials. Henrik is pretty much now running his own ‘hotel’. I was very curious to know where he finds his motivation and energy. Henrik lets me know that two of his biggest sources of energy are to do what he is really passionate about and to be surrounded by people he likes. ‘I love my job and the people I work with, which make me smile every day I go to work’. Furthermore, he explains that his supportive family has been an important factor for his successful career. Another thing that fascinated me is the fact that Henrik has been working for the same company for more than 15 years. ‘The EF culture and the infinitive career opportunities have been the contributing factors’ says Henrik. He explains that the atmosphere is very friendly and relaxed but there is still a high tempo and high goals. The fact is that if you want to go abroad and explore, there is nothing that holds you back, as long as you prove that you work hard. Lastly, I asked Henrik about the future and at the moment he seems very satisfied with the present. ‘I love my work and I enjoy San Diego’s weather, its cool atmosphere and the fact that you have so many nice places to travel to just next door’. But If I have gotten to know Henrik right, I am convinced that his journey will continue to several new cool places and positions, and I am truly curious what’s next to come in his career. A Working Day: 6 am Exercise – Jogging, gym 7 am Breakfast – Coffee & Yoghurt 7.30 am Arriving at work – Going through emails, reports, and having a stroll around the campus 12 am Lunch in the Cafeteria with the students 1 pm Customer Service Training 4 pm Meeting 7 pm Dinner with the family We had the opportunity to sit down for a coffee with the founder of the consulting company GoToMarketUSA which recently became a member of the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce in San Diego. GoToMarketUSA was founded by Torbjörn Milläng in 2003 in Sweden. After many years working in several of the major consulting firms in Sweden, where he was helping large firms and corporations with business strategies and expansions, Torbjörn saw a gap in the market for small and mid-size companies who wanted to expand their business overseas. With his background in international business and studies at the prestigious University of California, Berkeley, Torbjörn decided to start his own consulting company GoToMarketUSA. In 2006, Torbjörn moved to Orange County in California and since then GoToMarketUSA has been present both in Sweden and in the states. What characterizes GoToMarketUSA and make them stand out are:
Partnership and Collaboration A close collaboration with their clients is at the core of GoToMarketUSA's business model. They believe that trust and transparency are keystones in a successful partnership, which is why theclient always is involved in the process from day one until the product is fully launched. Shared Risks and Rewards Taking the business overseas can be risky. GoToMarketUSA helps their clients evaluate their products as well as the U.S. market, and takes responsibility for the result. By sharing risks, they increase the chances of succeeding together. Local, Customized U.S. Team GoToMarketUSA sets up a local, customized team of experts in the U.S. to ensure that the client succeeds. These teams consist of professionals within all operational areas such as sales, marketing, accounting, legal, manufacturing, distribution, and more. Creating Traction and Revenue GoToMarketUSA believes in lean start-up models and being open-minded about adjusting thebusiness model according to the U.S. customer’s needs. This allows them to ensure that pilots will be successful, making it possible to quickly generate traction and revenue, and develop a track record early on in the project. GoToMarketUSA works mostly with business-to-business clients. They provide industrial solutions, IT, and software applications and they are very experienced in industries such as cleantech and medtech. An example of a project GoToMarketUSA has worked on was to bring a robot glove to the U.S. market. They helped the company change focus from the health sector to more industrial workplaces where the opportunities to succeed were greater. Thereby, they created a new market for the glove which is now being tested in California. Another client they have worked with is the company Cortus, which they assisted in raising 5 million dollars to bring their products to the U.S. market. This proves their capabilities and their capacity to work with different types of challenges. The future for GoToMarketUSA looks bright. The demand for their services is increasing, and thecompany is growing faster than ever. The Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce is looking forward to following their success and is very proud to have GoToMarketUSA as both a member and partner! We got the opportunity to interview the Swedish 23 years old student, Caroline Franco, to get the feeling of what it is like to study at EF in Point Loma and what the student life is like in San Diego.
What were the deciding factors that made you study abroad? I was finished with my three years nurse education back home in Stockholm, and I felt I wanted to enhance my English skills and where is a better place do that than in the United States? So, I started to look for several language schools in the U.S. I found the language company EF who seemed to have several appealing programs where you could combine studies with a cool life style. The school located in San Diego was the perfect choice. It offered a brand new campus near the sea and was known for their talented teachers. Of course, the sunny weather in San Diego and the relaxed but yet cosmopolitan California atmosphere were two contributing factors as well. What’s the best with studying in San Diego? I love the weather here and the fact that you have so many alternatives of fun activities to do. Three of my classmates and I have rented a car for whole semester and we love to go to a nice beach after the school day. We have been to Ocean Beach and Coronado Beach to mention a few. One of my favorite spots is Sunset Cliffs where you can enjoy one of the most beautiful sunsets on the cliffs together with some nice food and drinks. The fact that the campus offers a pool, a volleyball area, and a gym keeps me always active. What’s the biggest difference you find between studying in Sweden and the US? Studying in the US has really challenged me in many new ways compared to my previous studies in Sweden. One of them is the fact that I have to speak English every day. Since most of my classmates are from other countries than Sweden we have to practice our English skills all the time. At first this was a bit uncomfortable but now I feel very confident with speaking English. What are the cultural differences living here compared to Sweden? One of the biggest differences I have experienced so far is the people. I feel that all the people you meet here are so friendly and helpful. You can start a conversation with a person you meet on the street and there is nothing strange about that. This is something I don’t find so common in Sweden, and it seems to be a cultural difference. The campus at EF is very international; I live with two other girls, one from Mexico and one from Belgium. This is very exciting as I get the opportunity to learn and explore several cultures which is something I would not be able to do everyday back home. How do you think this experience will benefit for your future career? This experience has truly strengthened both my personal and academic skills. On the personal level I have learnt to adapt to new situations and different cultures as well as taking a lot of own responsibility. I feel that I am more humble now. My English skills has improved a lot, and I believe they could benefit me in my future career if I would like to work abroad for example. A typical day at the EF campus? 8am Breakfast 9am First class for the day 12am Lunch at the EF Campus 1pm Afternoon classes 4pm School ends for the day and my friends and I take the car to the beach 6pm We go to Sunset Cliffs to watch the sunset 8pm Taco dinner in Downtown What do you do in the weekends? There is so many fun things do here! In the weekends I like to explore new places. For example, my friends and I took the car to Los Angeles for a couple of days to enjoy LA’s cool atmosphere. Last weekend we went to Las Vegas with our classmates which was a trip arranged by the school. We went to Grand Canyon for one day and a pool party and city exploring for the other days. Furthermore, I have attended one festival called Beyond Wonderland, which was really cool! So as you understand there is always something on the agenda, which I love! Would you recommend your friends to do this kind of studies abroad? Definitely! I am very satisfied with the courses I have taken and I feel all my teachers have been very engaged in the students. I have met so many new friends both at campus and outside of school, and together we have created memories for life! This is a perfect opportunity for all who want to cultivate their English skills while enjoying all exciting things California has to offer! Written by: Filippa Granting, SACC San Diego Running your own business is a lot of responsibility - although it also has a lot of unique perks. You can be your own boss, set your own hours, follow your passion, and work from home. Of course, getting from the idea phase to actually running a successful business (you know, one that’s actually paying the bills) can be difficult, especially if you’re a foreign entrepreneur trying to get started in the U.S.
Here are some tips to help you get started: Remember Your Purpose Any entrepreneur has an ever-growing to do list. As a foreign entrepreneur, you’ll have even more i’s to dot and t’s to cross than your American peers. It’s easy to get overwhelmed. If you haven’t done your own personal work on mindset and goal-setting, it can make matters worse. It can be helpful to remember why you decided to start your own business in the U.S. in the first place. Why did you want to work for yourself? Why did you choose to do so in America rather than in Sweden? Why did you choose the specific product or service at the core of your business? Get out a pen and paper and write these things down. Hang them in a place where you will see them each day. This level of clarity makes all of your other decisions so much easier from here. Take Advantage of Available Resources Seek out the resources in your area. Many organizations cater to budding entrepreneurs and owners of growing small businesses. If you’re having visa issues the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services can help. And of course, don’t forget SACC-SanDiego.org, which offers access to networking opportunities, educational programs, and consulting services. Find a Mentor Sweden boasts many successful entrepreneurs. And there’s no reason you can’t be among them. But you’ll need some help along the way. Often, the best advice an entrepreneur can get comes from someone who’s been in your shoes. A mentor can offer you tips for building your business and support when you simply need someone to talk to. Connect with successful foreign entrepreneurs in your city to see if they would be willing to mentor you. Uncage Your Business Business strategist Rebecca Tracey, founder of the Uncage Your Business series, recommends getting clear “about the fundamental aspects of your business that will make all the difference in your bottom line.” Those aspects are where you should focus your energy and create measurable goals over the next twelve months. For example, if you’ve been wanting to build a website for your business, but it keeps getting moved down your to do list while you put out other fires, it’s time to make it your number one priority. Set a goal each week until your website is successfully up and running. Get the right advice (like the tips listed above). Get in the right mindset. Surround yourself with the right people, especially fellow Swedes who’ve been in your shoes before. Seek help from experienced business mentors whenever needed. Before you know it, you’ll be on your way to launching (and running) your own successful U.S. business. By: Julie Morris SACC San Diego recently partnered up with the beautiful hotel Ocean Park Inn in Pacific Beach. The hotel is located just a few meters from the beach and 3 ½ miles long Pacific Beach boardwalk which makes the location very unique. Imaging waking up to the sound of the sea just a few meters away from your window. This is what it is like to stay at Ocean Park Inn.
Next to the hotel and along the beach, there are numerous of nice restaurants and bars ranging from Mexican to Hawaiian style. The hotel’s close location to the sea makes it a great opportunity to explore different watersports such as surfing and paddle boarding to mention a few. If you´d rather want to stay out of the water, you can easily rent a bike or take a hike to explore the beautiful landscapes that San Diego offers. Ocean Park Inn offers their guest great discounts on such activities. The combination of restaurants and outdoor life makes the hotel a perfect stay over for both business matters or holidays. As a guest at Ocean Park Inn you will be welcomed by their friendly staff who will make sure you have a great time here and that you get the most out of your stay, something the hotel is well known and highly rated for at Tripadvisor. To make sure you are energized and ready to seize the day, all rooms include a delicious breakfast buffet. Ocean Park Inn constantly improve their housing and just recently they renovated the properties and all balconies. SACC San Diego are very glad to offer our members and network exclusive discounts at Ocean Park Inn! Book through Ocean Park Inn’s website and use these codes to enjoy 20% discounts on the rooms: GLB 1 (Standard room) breakfast included GLB 2 (Ocean front) breakfast included Click here to come to the website! One of our latest new corporate members is the exclusive bed and line store Everett Stunz, located in beautiful La Jolla. The store sells the Nordic luxury beds Duxiana and is owned and managed by Phil Coller and his wife. SACC had the opportunity to sit down and listen to the story behind the company. You might wonder why the store is called Everett Stunz? Everett Stunz was a German man who decided to open the very first adjustable bed store in San Diego back in 1963, together with his wife. The couple started to import sheets all the way from Europe, which at the time was the best place to find the highest quality of fabrics. Ever since then, quality products and customer care have been on top of the agenda for the company. Whether it is custom bedding, special design or just the best of the top line of brands, the professional team is ready to transform your bedroom into your dream bedroom.
‘We want to make sure our customers get the best sleep possible, always waking up refreshed and ready to seize the day’ As the name indicates, the store carries the luxurious Nordic bed brand Duxiana and more specific the DUX High Performance Sleep System. ‘We want to make sure our customers get the best sleep possible, always waking up refreshed and ready to seize the day’ says Phil. Since Duxiana is the best brand on the market with over 90 years of experience, it is for sure the brand we should offer our customers, Phil explains. The Duxiana bed system is specially designed to make sure your body sleeps in the right position and that the spine is in the correct position and does not carry any extra pressure and making sure the muscles can relax fully. ‘Say goodbye to night mares’ laughs Phil. If you are looking for sweet dreams, visit Everett Stunz, located at 7547 Girard Ave in La Jolla. We sat down for a coffee with Josh Maxwell, one of the founders of Hone Maxwell which is our newest corporate member. The purpose of the meeting was to get to know Josh and the company a little bit more. Josh founded the tax and accounting firm together with his partner Aubrey Hone in August 2012. John has a long career behind him within tax issues and has previously worked at some of the biggest firms such as KPMG. After a long time in the business the two founders saw a gap in the market, a need of a tax law practice that could not only provide excellent results but also greater personal connection to their clients. This was one of the reasons why they decided to start their own business. You can truly see the passion in Josh´s eyes when he speaks about the firm and the desire of making the clients satisfied. To cite Josh: ‘I’ll always answer the email, no matter if it is Sunday or in the middle of the night’. Hone Maxwell serves the full spectrum of tax issues. Josh explains that the market is growing, especially the international market, and nowadays he is travelling a lot outside of the US to educate and hold presentations about tax issues to foreign companies wanting to invest in the US. His last business trip was to Hong Kong, which according to him is one of the biggest growing markets. Hone Maxwell is growing rapidly and today the company has two offices, one in San Diego and one in San Francisco, but they are currently looking for a bigger office in the San Diego area. Josh emphasizes the importance of educating companies and businesses about tax issues and new regulations, especially when it comes to foreign companies that want to establish their business in the US. We are very happy to have Hone Maxwell as our corporate member and we are convinced that the company will be a great partner for our members who need help or guidance with tax issues, how to set up their businesses correct or just need someone to ask for advice. Once again, a warm welcome Hone Maxwell LLP! Whether you have owned your small business for several years or are new to the game, there are some things you can do to simplify tax season and make the tax-filing process more manageable. From tips for improving your recordkeeping processes to maximizing your deductions, this guide will be your go-to resource when tax season arrives. Do not wait for tax season to arrive One of the main reasons that small business owners dread the tax-filing process is that they do not prepare for tax season year-round. Waiting until after the first of the year to gather together receipts, invoices, tax forms, and other documents is not a good idea because you are more likely to overlook or misplace an important piece of your tax files in your haste to meet the filing deadline. It is much better for small business owners to have a consistent filing process for tax records and documents. For example, dedicate a filing cabinet drawer to your tax records and documents. Make separate files for employee expenses, utility costs, office supplies, equipment and furniture purchases, lunch meetings, etc. You should also have separate files for your W-2 and 1099 forms (w-2 software and 1099 software programs don’t hurt either) because documents and records vary significantly. Pay as you go Small business owners should be filing quarterly taxes and making estimated tax payments or withholdings throughout the year. This way, you are keeping up with your records and expenses more accurately, and you won’t have to pay the IRS a giant lump sum at the end of the year. Keep in mind that the filing schedule varies depending on the type of business you own, and that you must be withholding federal income taxes, social security and Medicare taxes, and unemployment taxes from employees throughout the year as well. You also should be keeping track of all independent contractors or freelancers who work for you throughout the year, too. Any of these workers that you pay more than $600 in one year must be reported to the IRS with a Form 1099 by January 31. Know your deductions… and take them Being aware of legitimate deductions and expenses is one thing, but actually taking them and supporting them with the required documents is another. Home office deductions save small business owners quite a bit of money, and you are entitled to this deduction if you have a space in your home solely dedicated to conducting business. You also are entitled to auto expenses and mileage deductions, and you can determine whether the standard method of using the IRS business mileage for the year or adding up the actual automobile expenses and multiplying by your business percentage makes more sense for your finances. Other deductions and expenses for small business owners include business meals, sales tax deductions from purchases such as vehicles and equipment, and interest on credit cards. Again, having the proper records and documentation is key to supporting these deductions should you ever be audited. Use your tax returns to improve for next tax season Reviewing your tax return from last year is a good idea for small business owners. Thinking of it as a status report or report card helps business owners find areas for improvement. It’s also a good idea to review your tax return with an accountant who can help you plan for the future or maximize deductions next tax season. Image via Pixabay by geralt By Julie Morris We want to welcome our recently enrolled member, Fire Protection USA, to SACC San Diego! We met up with founder Vincent Jimenez to learn more about his company and new membership. The reason why Vincent chose to become a member of SACC San Diego was that he found our services – not least the consulting services of our Management Associates – to be very useful for his business. Additionally, he was interested in our continually growing network of entrepreneurs and professionals from all over the world, which allows him to meet people that can complement and enhance his individual skills. Hearing Vincent talk about his company makes it apparent that he is very passionate about the business. The reason why Fire Protection USA came to be was that Vincent felt a need for a more easy and efficient way to purchase fire protection products. “The idea came to my mind when people had to use three or four vendors just to buy a product, ship it, import it, pay taxes, duties and logistics of getting the product at the doorstep”. People were looking for a single entrepreneur that could provide a single solution to them buying US products. It simply took too many phone calls, too many people and too much effort for customers to place an order of fire protection products. Vincent decided to start a company that would later on add to an additional branch of products. The creation of Fire Protection USA was the solution to a lot of people’s problems. The amount of steps for buying a product was greatly reduced and much money was saved in the process. Customers did no longer have to pay high mark-ups, which brought the prices down by 15 % alone. Vincent describes Fire Protection USA as a reliable, dependable and courteous company offering everything you may need when it comes to fire protection. Products ranges from hose racks, cabinets, Siamese valves, fire hydrants and accessories for product installation. Most importantly, the company is in contact with everyone involved, from end users to petrochemical companies and construction companies. The target customers of Fire Protection USA are mostly companies based out of Mexico, Cuba, Chile, Venezuela and Colombia. “I tend to mostly target companies that have branches throughout their countries or cities, which helps me having higher revolving customers, and allows me to have a better service through offering my products to them”. The future of Fire Protection USA looks very promising and the business is growing every day. “I will eventually be where I need to be by not giving up, and by always staying resourceful and perseverant. I may have some trips and falls along the way but ultimately it’s endurance and vision that keeps me going.” Through Vincent’s use of our consulting services we have recently redesigned the website for Fire Protection USA. Furthermore, we have helped design new business cards and product catalogues. Check it out and read more about Fire Protection USA at http://www.fireprotectionusa.com.
If you too are interested in our consultancy services, visit http://www.sacc-sandiego.org/consulting.html. SACC San Diego is continuously growing, aiming to provide a complete network of companies that add value to each other and our members. Our newest member, Husse, is eager to express the value that they could contribute with to all the pet owners out there. We sat down with Husse to have them tell us their story. Being proud franchisees of Husse Inc. in San Diego, David Behar and Maroun Khater thought joining SACC would be a wonderful way to let other fellow members know about Husse's premium pet products and the many benefits of being 100% natural, Europe-made and GMO free. Furthermore, what would suit better than being part of the Swedish Community here in San Diego when the roots of the company are planted deeply in Sweden. Husse is a Swedish incorporated company established in 1987, whose main business focus is premium quality pet food. The founders experienced a lack of providers of natural and healthy pet foods and therefore started to produce high quality products under its own brand ‘Husse’ in 1991. Two years later, Husse started a franchise offering in Scandinavia that later grew into the rest of Europe. Today, Husse is established throughout more than 50 countries, and approximately 750 franchisees are operating across the world. Listening to their story, it becomes clear that Husse is a pioneer in manufacturing third generation pet food. Husse sells premium pet food and various accessories, mainly focusing on cats and dogs, but also horse supplements. The Husse franchisees form the distribution network of the brand and have helped develop Husse into the global brand that it is today. One key differentiating factor of the Husse network is that the franchisees are not just distributors of pet food, but fully trained Husse pet nutritionists, offering a service like no other. We strongly believe that pets are part of our families and their health and well-being is very important. The Husse approach is to understand the health needs of pets and provide recommendations to the pet owners as to what products to use. A key feature of the Husse offering is a free delivery service of the product to the customers. Husse is the global leader in pet food home delivery with the objective to ensure customer satisfaction by offering excellent service and quality pet food at a price that offers excellent value for money, which is also what makes them unique. The product is not sold through big box stores or impersonal retailers but is instead offered directly to the pet owner. The Production Process Husse Pet Foods are produced from its own Scandinavian recipe, continuously improved to ensure that the absolute best quality is achieved. The corporate mission statement of Husse is simply "Animal Welfare". In order to improve animal welfare, Husse produces quality food with care for nature and the specific needs for all the animals. The Veterinarian and Nutrition Expert-team of Husse is continuously testing the composition of the food in order to improve quality and offer a nutritious and balanced diet to the consumer. Husse provides certificates for Animal Welfare, Ingredient Guarantee, Mycotoxins Certificate and Test Guarantee for all of their products. At the European factory, Husse uses the most advanced methods of pet food production and high tech machinery. The factory is certified to ISO standards for pet food production and is regulated by the EU. Quality control is in place for every step of the production process, which allows Husse to verify the quality, consistency and nutrient value of their pet food and supplements. The ingredients used in Husse products originate from animals that have been inspected by official veterinarians and judged to be suitable for human consumption. The quality, freshness and purity of the raw materials are further controlled systematically in the production site lab. Husse products do not contain artificial flavorings or artificial preservatives. Neither do the products contain soy, which is a common cause of allergic reactions and digestive problems in cats and dogs. Lastly, the products are GMO free - conform Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament. Extruded methods in the dry pet food production allow Husse to have complete starch gelatinization, sterilize all the ingredients, eliminate anti-nutritional factors and inactivate spoilage enzymes without damaging the vitamins and quality of the proteins. Husse produces complete pet food, which contains all the nutritional needs of a pet with different size of kibbles, which makes it suitable for different breeds and every stage of a dog’s and a cat's life. ● Produced in Europe to ISO 9001 standards ● Non GMO ● Human Grade Meat ● No Artificial Colors, Flavors or Preservatives ● On average, 90% Digestible ● Enriched with nutrients and nutraceutical components ● Taste Guarantee - With Money Back Guarantee A taste of Europe for your pets in USA Five years ago, Husse started the process of entering the US market, got the USDA approval and began franchising in 2015. Today Husse covers seven states and the future looks promising. Consequently, the US pet owners will soon be able to offer Husse products to their pets wherever they are. The pet food industry of America has earlier been associated with many problems and unhealthy ingredients, which is why Husse’s entrance to the market has been a great widening of American pet owners’ assortment. Since Husse seems to be the only European pet food in the States, they consider themselves ambassadors of Swedish, Scandinavian and European Pet food in the US. With their new membership, Husse hopes to serve the Swedish and Scandinavian communities in any way possible. You will find Husse at their website: CALIFORNIA.HUSSE.US And on the following phone numbers: Maroun Khater, Husse SD: 8587075592 David Behar, Husse SD: 8584145384
Pro cyclists all over the world send us their shorts and pay us for attaching our patented chamois. ASSOS has its origin in Switzerland and specialize in high-end cycling apparel. According to Hans, ASSOS is unique because of its belief that product is king. No compromises whatsoever are made from product development to complete product. ASSOS is becoming a big name in the world of cycling. The last few years, five out of six cyclists riding in ASSOS patented shorts technology have won Tour de France. Likewise, in the Olympic Games you will see both team USA and team Switzerland wearing one hundred percent ASSOS. The development curve of ASSOS is going upwards, and the future is looking good. More and more people are using bicycles as a mean of transportation and with the right communication, Hans believes that ASSOS is very well positioned to prosper further. Since February this year, Hans has been a board member of SACC San Diego and ASSOS has correspondingly become one of our members. His reason for taking this step is his strong beliefs in sharing experiences and knowledge and through this create value for the organization. Hans means that it is wonderful to work with and be around Swedish people and Swedish culture, since he feels there is a certain quality associated with it. Hans believes that Sweden is a country in the front edge when it comes to representing the future, and that SACC offers a unique and great value proposition. However, Hans’ love for Sweden has not stopped him from having a highly international career, something that has widened his perspective in many situations. As an example, when faced with difficult decisions of say ten variables, an American confirm six out of ten variables, then decide to go for it. In the same situation, a Swede would wait until eight or nine of these variables are confirmed before making a decision. Finally in Japan, you wait until all ten variables are confirmed. Hans feels like his career has thrived much because of him moving from Sweden. Conversely, he has in a way gotten stuck in the category of being “a travelling international man”. Hans travels close to 200 days out of the year’s 365, which many times are tough, but also fantastic. He believes that the advantages greatly outweigh the disadvantages because of all the experiences, meetings with great people and exchange of knowledge and culture. Hans’ answer to the question of what makes him so successful is simple - he loves what he does. He has an exceptional driving force that has been with him since birth, and he believes that every person should find something they just cannot wait to get up in the morning to do. Out of all his success stories, Hans is most proud over his establishment of a subsidiary to the Swedish toy making company BRIO in Japan. It was tough times both in Japan and for BRIO by then, and Hans had to quickly build up an entire new organization over there. At the same time, he had just become a father. Despite this pressure, Hans overtook the market and built up an organization that soon conquered the giants. Fortunately for Hans, he has an understanding wife, Isabelle, who also loves adventures. Their exploratory has allowed them both to experience more than most people could imagine. Talking about his career, Hans pinpoints the importance of taking chances and experiencing things. Everything you do in life you will gain valuable experience from, whether you fail or succeed, you will learn something important. However, as important it is to take chances, it is also important to be prepared. Concerning this, Hans have created a principle that he calls the Negative-3. It stands for the fact that when you plan a new venture, you should multiply all expectations by three. If you believe something will take one year, it will take three. If you believe something will cost 100,000 dollars, it will cost 300,000. And everything will always be three times as hard as you first thought. Hans believes that sharing of experiences is very important and he dreams about that one day being able to travel around to schools giving lectures to students in younger ages in order to inspire them to reach their dreams. Through sharing both failure and success, he wants to inspire students to study harder and become better people. He feels that these kinds of speeches are lacking in the younger ages and he remember himself walking around wondering what it takes to succeed. What they need is motivation, something I believe I could really contribute to with my pictures and stories about things they could never imagine… I could contribute with simple advice of how to think and be. Whatever the future will hold, Hans is looking brightly at it and wants to continue growing together with both ASSOS and SACC. With this we want to welcome Hans and ASSOS into our organization, and hopefully we can create another success story together.
If you too want to become one of our members, or just would like more information of what is included in our different memberships, click the button below. Our first week at SACC San Diego has been very interesting and filled with a lot of fun activites. We have had our first board meeting followed by a welcome dinner, we have been surfing, networking, and getting ourselves acquainted with the city of San Diego.Yesterday we went to an event called Connect & Learn held by the San Diego Regional Chamber. Besides meeting other companies we got to attend three different workshops teaching us useful lessons that we will make use of at the chamber during this fall.
What a SACCessful week! Have a great weekend!
Eating local saves water, but might not be possible 100% of the time for everyone in the U.S., with seasonal vegetables and the need to import things like bananas and coffee. However, almost everyone can reduce their water footprint by drinking local. Here are some tips on how to reduce your bottled water footprint.
We got a chance to talk to Eric Clifton, an entrepreneur currently working with his fifth startup, Orison. Clifton spent a big part of his career working in the residential building and housing business. For example he has worked with energy related technology with regards to buildings, utility and land development. He also started a net zero energy factory for housing companies that were addressing the needs for houses for the people that lost their homes in Hurricane Katrina and in Greensburg, Kansas.
Midsummer/Midsommar Celebration
WHAT: Celebration of Sommsrsolståndet (Summer Solstice WHEN: Sunday, June 26 2016 WHERE: House of Sweden, Balboa Park http://www.houseofsweden.us Maypole decorating/Breakfast: 8 am Lawn Program/Långdans: 1.30 - 4 pm Menu: meatballs, cucumbers, lingonberry sauce, limpa bread, coffee, cookies, coffee bread. Cost: $5.00 meatball plate, Cookie plate & beverage $4.00 Dress: Folk costume or Swedish causal Volunteer servers needed. Please sign up at House of Sweden's web site http://www.houseofsweden.us For more info Contact Calle: Vikingcalle@mac.com 760-765-4662 or 619-889-4742. |