About
It started with sisu…
The question was burning in my mind as I looked at the worn “got sisu?” bumper sticker on the back of the 1980 Ford pick-up truck. My breath was crystalizing on my scarf in the single-digit temperatures in northern Minnesota as me and my friend Ron, who was practically another grandpa to me, trudged through the snow towards his cabin.
“What’s sisu?” I asked, pulling down my scarf just enough so he could hear me. My words floated on the fog of my breath that curled in front of my face.
“Guts!” he exclaimed excitedly, shaking his fist enthusiastically into the frigid air with an unexpected vigor. “Courage! Determination to keep going! A Finnish word, and one to live by!”
He turned to me with a sparkle in his eye. “I think you’ve got some sisu in you.”
It continues with sisu…
Since being introduced to the word, sisu has been my approach to life. It means that I am continuously eager to discover new experiences, and I’m not afraid to do it, even if it’s hard. Because at the end of the day, I don’t believe in dreaming about doing something; I’ll find a way to make it happen.
It was sisu that led me into UX and Product Design. After all, I think sisu is about experiences and not shying away when the going gets tough. Sisu is about understanding that there are often times you need to work through the unknown - which can sometimes be arduous - in order to achieve something worthwhile. If that doesn’t describe the essence of UX and Product Design, I’m not sure what does.
So when it comes to my professional life, I’m someone who will eagerly jump in with a team and get in the thick of it relying on research, asking questions and some good ol’ brainstorming.
Interested to have some sisu on your team? Look no further.
A Few Personal Facts
Listening to: the latest Anjunadeep Edition
What I’m proud of: summiting Mount St. Helen’s
Traveling to next: Scotland, Finland or Norway
Where I’ve been: too many to list, but this will help
Preferred relaxation method: a wood-fire sauna
What I’m working towards: my own cabin in the woods
Something you might not believe: I own a chainsaw and have taken a log cabin building course
What I drive in the summer: a 2005 Toyota minivan; ask me about it