It’s Monday in Gothenburg! Waking up this morning wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. I woke up at 7:15 to get ready, and I was down and across the street for breakfast by 8:30. I had my daily toast with butter and raspberry jam, and today I tried a ginger, lemon, and turmeric shot along with my morning cup of coffee.
Then, we were on our way to Skapa. We walked a bit, took the tram, ran into a bit of trouble, got a little lost, then walked some more. But, don’t worry! We got there eventually, and everything was fine.
Walking into the building was quite an experience. We took the elevator to the sixth floor, and it was what you’d imagine a stereotypical Scandinavian business to look like- minimalistic and chic.
Personally, I really loved the decor. I enjoy the combination of wood and glass along with black and white accents. The lights they had all over the office looked very sleek to me, and I love the warm yellow glow they give off.
Once we were all situated, Erik Ekholm, the CEO, gave a presentation on Skapa and content marketing. Skapa specializes in business to business marketing, and their name actually means “create” in Swedish.
Something I found interesting was that Mr. Ekholm was actually a naval architect before he got into this business. It seemed like a interesting jump, but Skapa actually works with quite a few relevant companies in that field.
Two things that really stuck with me were sustainable content and the rocking chair. First off, a lot of times companies made plans that they didn’t stick with, so Skapa provides regular, consistent content as part of their services. The rocking chair represents companies who think they’re doing something, but in reality, they’re rocking in place and not getting anywhere.
One takeaway I took to heart had to do with emotional connections. He talked about how emotionally engaging communication is strong communication and showed us some advertisements as examples.
We made small talk with the employees and asked questions, and then it was time to go. This time, it was my turn to lead the group from Skapa to Goteborg University.
On the tram, I was sitting across from an adorable child, and her dad took out her pacifier so I could see her smile at me. It made my day, I won’t lie.
Once we made it to the university, we had lunch! It definitely didn’t make me miss the caf at Carthage. It was rice with chili on top, and while I was skeptical at first, it was amazing. Also, my virgin mojito smoothie was delicious.
After lunch, we attended our lectures on Sweden, Gothenburg, and Swedish hockey. The hockey portion was most interesting to me, as I follow the NHL, and I know there are a few differences between the two leagues.
After the presentations and questions, we took our fika break. Yet again, I had too much coffee, and I had my first Swedish cinnamon bun. During this, it was finally time for “Ask a Swede.”
Our Swedish student, Erik, was a riot. My table only had one student, but we were the most lively. A lot of what we talked about was school and food due to them being to different in our respective countries. He apparently LOVES funnel cake, and we taught him about cheese curds.
After our university trip, some of us caught dinner at John Scott’s. I got a caesar salad with grilled salmon, and it was absolutely to die for. I’ll never get over the quality of fish here.
Today was the start of a busy week, and I’m excited to see what the rest holds for us.
Daily Reflections
- Find a company where you can develop and where they encourage growth.
- Emotional engagement is extremely important, and if you show me an inspiring ad, I will cry.
- If anyone hurts your feelings, just reply with “haha.”
Jenna Goes to Sweden 