Ambition works better when there is also room for family

Early in my career, I was driven by ambition. I worked long days, came home late, and travelled a lot. At the time, it felt like the natural way to build a career.

But it came with a cost.

I missed more family dinners than I want to think about, and on many days I only saw my oldest child just before bedtime. Even on weekends, work was never really gone. There were always emails, thoughts, or something that needed preparing.

At some point, I realised that while I was building my career, I was also drifting away from some of the most important parts of my life.

That was one of the reasons Webnorth became something different for me.

Here, I had the chance to build on a strong culture while also working consciously with the balance between work and family. Together with Simon, we developed a family first approach when we both became parents. Not as the opposite of ambition, but as a way to protect it without losing ourselves in the process.

For me, it has made a real difference in daily life.

Most mornings, I can have breakfast with my children, talk about the day ahead, and drop them off without stress. Later, I can pick them up again and be present in the evening for dinner, conversations, and bedtime stories.

It may sound simple. But it matters.

Being COO at Webnorth is still demanding. The level of ambition is still high. The difference is that I no longer feel I have to choose between being present at work and being present at home.

That balance has made me stronger, both as a leader and as a person.

At Webnorth, we do not see balance as something that gets in the way of good work. Quite the opposite. When people have room for a life outside work, they show up with more presence, more energy, and more resilience. That is an important part of how we want to build the company.

That is an important part of how we want to build the company.