We all know that you can find many wisdoms to your life from the music. It helps you going through bad times and it makes your life even better in good times. All of us has been thinking how it would be to be a rock star. Not so many of us has been. Or have we?
“I tell you, folks, it’s harder than it looks”
Being entrepreneur has been my way to follow my dreams. It has been lots of uphills and downhills but never boring or even stable. You need to believe what you do and put all your effort for that. You need to be ready for giving every single drop of your strength if needed. Living with entrepreneur is not easy. Very easily it might feel that you are always number two when your partner work long days and many times it is difficult to fit in that picture. You must be ready to share your partner with something. Not easy life, I would say.
Last 14 months has been difficult for most of the businesses here in Finland, but of course all over the world. Especially these times, it has been difficult to follow your dreams or even survive. I have started this business 2007 with my former wife, Marika. First years were challenging. We made long days around the year and still it was financially hard. There was always thought that one day it will be easier, but we just did not know when that day will come, or does it come at all. It takes long time in this kind of business to build network, find co-operators, make tour operators trust you and so on. Slowly but surely things went better, and I noticed that all hard work years ago has not been pointless.
“If you think it’s easy doin’ one night stands, try playin’ in a rock roll band”
When pandemic began more than one year ago, I thought (at least hoped) that it would be possible to have almost normal winter season 2020-2021. I could not be more wrong. Normally 95 % of our clients are coming for other countries and before the season it came clear that this winter we will have only Finnish clients. I must admit that my feelings have been quite a rollercoaster during last year. At some point I felt that finally when business seemed to be better and there was not too much worry about the future came this f****** pandemic and made all the hard work, I have done during the years, pointless. How to survive when there is not hope for the clients and dogs needs their food, activities, and attention anyway? It was difficult to find any sunshine and hope.
“If you wanna be a star of stage and screen, look out, it’s rough and mean”
Luckily, I am not kind of the person who gives up. I started to think and plan how to go through these hard times, survive and be a rock star of my own life. I understood that we still have our co-operators, network and reputation. That way nothing had changed and better times must come sooner or later. We started to think how to reach potential Finnish clients. We thought that there must be lots of Finnish people also who wants to experience new things, maybe they just do not know that yet. Finnish people are ready to try new things when they are travelling abroad, why they would not like to do that in home country? They surely do. After Finnish winter holidays started in February, we were so happy to notice how many amazing Finnish clients we had and how much they really enjoyed their time here. I have to say that we have founded brand new customer group which we really want to have in the future. It helps us when we are not so focused anymore to have only foreign clients. Our own eyes opened during last season. Sometimes you just need to have major challenges to go through that you can develop your business, and yourself.
“That’s how it goes playin’ in a band”
Now, when there seems to be a little bit light in front of us, I am not sure if past year has been the worst or the best in my entrepreneur career. It has been really hard, lots of challenges, but same time very rewarding, when we have had lots of new clients this winter and I am sure that we will be on the stage also in the future. Of course, pandemic is not over yet and we don’t know yet how next winter will be, but I want to believe that it will be busy winter with Finnish and foreign clients. If you do not believe in that, why to do this at all?
I want to thank my super workers Sonja and Pasi
I have really felt that we have been good team during these times. Sonja has done lots of hard work without complains. Pasi has been always ready to come and help even that I could not offer for him so much work than usually. You guys rock!
My most important band mates, 77 brave, reliable huskies have given sunshine in my life even in the darkest moments. Not so much work for them this winter but these guys are always ready to rock ‘n’ roll when stage is open. Not to forget all our volunteers and trainees during the season. You all have been so hard working and helped us a lot. I hope that you all got from your time here what you expected, or little bit more. Big thanks also for all our clients. It has been great pleasure to meet you all and have lots of interesting conversations with you about everything between heaven and earth. You all made future for Kota-Husky!
I think I am on the way to be rock star of my own life. No matter that it has been a long way.
R.I.P. Bon Scott. Thank you AC/DC.