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‘Running’s for creatives, not just nerds’

From working front of house at Stockholm's biggest summer club to launching a running and lifestyle brand aimed at hipsters, 35-year-old Australian Kristian Hell is one of the hottest names on the capital's creative scene and says networking is the key to his success.

Published: 13 April 2015 06:52 CEST
'Running's for creatives, not just nerds'
Stockholm has numerous running trails. Photo: Richard Ortega

A year ago this month, Kristian Hell posted a Facebook status update stating: “I’m going for a run on Tuesday”. Seven of his friends showed up.

Within weeks he was regularly gathering a gang in double figures. This summer, what has evolved into Ssideline City – a running and lifestyle club – is expecting up to 300 people to turn up to its regular Tuesday night events.

“There is a running club and health boom here in Stockholm, but what we offer that's different is more of a network for people who are also creative and interesting,” says Hell.

“Winning is participation, No one gets left behind, everyone finishes,” adds the Australian, who moved to Stockholm six years ago in search of a “fresh start”.

“It’s not just the nerds who go running. Our approach is less structured than you might experience at other clubs. It's about having fun, which is why we also organise parties and other events too. Half of our members are international and I'd say international people are especially open to the social aspect of what we do.” 


Hell with some Ssideline City runners. Photo: Robert Nilsson

The initiative is just one of a cluster of projects that Hell is involved with, having immersed himself in the capital's fashion and music scene after deciding to settle in Stockholm in 2009.

“I left Australia on a one-way ticket looking for a new adventure,” says the entrepreneur, who is originally from Mooloolaba on the Sunshine coast.

“At first I had my eye on Reykjavik in Iceland, but I fell in love with the vibe here [in Sweden]. I like the nature of the people. They are honest and sincere. If you talk about an idea, that idea usually happens. Back home there is a lot more talking that doesn't develop into anything.”

While straight-talking Swedes may have supported his ideas, Hell's enthusiasm and outgoing nature have clearly been key assets along the way.

“I am good at meeting people and networking,” he says. “I've got to know a lot of people here in Stockholm and there are a lot of eyes on what I am doing right now.” 

Hell's other main work has included launching Poster Press, an arts scene magazine and working the door at Trädgården, a huge outdoor club on Stockholm's hipster island Södermalm, where you can eat, drink, dance or play ping pong or boules until the early hours. 


Kristian Hell at Trädgården. Photo: Izabella England

After midsummer, Trädgården and Ssideline City are set to formally cross paths for the first time, with Tuesday night runs starting and finishing at the club, followed by gigs and live music.

Before that, Hell's running club is linking up with another live music venue on the island, Laika at Hornstull, with runs of between five and ten kilometres starting from the bar at the end of April, to coincide with the brand's official relaunch. The company has recently also started offering Monday night classes including yoga, nutrition and self-defence, and longer runs on Saturday mornings, followed by a group brunch. 

READ ALSO: 'There were no good brunch spots in Sweden'

“People choose to run for many reasons, but running to me is about activating the mind, connecting and the death of stress,” says the entrepreneur.

All of Ssideline city's events are currently free, with Hell hoping to make money from “some of the big companies watching” him and from forging further connections within the arts, business and fitness communities along the way.

His long term goal is to launch Ssideline City across northern Europe and says he even has a “cool meeting” about his business coming up in New York. 

“What I am doing is constantly evolving. The brand actually started out as Ssideline when I was selling jeans back in Australia. That didn't work out, but I wanted to keep hold of the name as my projects moved forward,” says Hell.

Brimming with confidence and optimism, the entrepreneur has very few negative words about his adopted nation.

“It's a cliche for expats to moan about the cold but I see the winter as a positive thing. It provides an opportunity to work really hard and get a project finished. I like to reframe things and turn a negative into a positive.”

As Trädgården prepares to open its doors next month and Ssideline City steps up a gear for summer, Stockholmers can certainly be excited about experiencing the fruits of his labour.

For members

READER INSIGHTS

How to find a job in Sweden: Five tips from those who’ve been there, done that

The Swedish job market poses unique challenges for newcomers. The Local's readers share their best tips for cracking the career code.

Published: 10 April 2024 11:32 CEST
Updated: 13 April 2024 15:50 CEST
How to find a job in Sweden: Five tips from those who've been there, done that

Network, network, network!

A statistic that often gets tossed around is that seven out of ten jobs in Sweden are obtained through personal connections, and there’s no doubt that a good network is crucial to your job hunt, making the labour market extra challenging for newcomers to the country.

In fact, networking was the main tip mentioned by The Local’s readers.

“The job market is quite hot in Sweden, and talent is in short supply. People hiring do not have a lot of time to find the right talent, and tips from friends, colleagues and former colleagues are the way to first, find out organisations are hiring, and secondly, get your CV on the short list,” said Kyle, a Canadian reader who works in innovation management in Gothenburg.

“If you are going for a major employer like Volvo, network gets you in the door, as HR does not have much to do with hiring… the hiring managers do all of it and have no time, due to the insane number of consensus meetings. If you are looking for smaller organisations, they have even less time to find people, and networking is their primary way to find talent,” he added.

NETWORKING IN SWEDEN:

Some of the networking tips readers mentioned were going to job fairs, getting an internship to help you establish connections in your preferred field, joining clubs (this could be anything from your local gardening association to meetups for coders, but focus on clubs that may be popular among people working in your chosen field), and drawing on your organic network of friends, neighbours and others.

Don’t neglect the groundwork

The saying “dress for the job you want, not the job you have” is getting worn out (and people may look at you funny if you turn up to interviews in a Batman suit), but there’s truth to the notion of making sure you know what you want – and preparing for it.

In other words, don’t wait for a job ad to appear before you start to customise your CV and figure out what skill set you need. Create your CV now so that you’re ready to tweak it to your dream job – you could even have a general look at job ads in your field to see what requirements are needed. And don’t forget to spruce up your LinkedIn profile so that it fits with your career goals.

“I believe that several factors contribute to successfully landing a desirable job in Sweden. It’s essential to prepare to meet the requirements beyond just having a university degree. Many individuals realise these requirements only after completing their studies when they start searching for a job, which can be too late,” said Adnan Aslam from Pakistan, who works as a food inspector.

“I recommend identifying the job advertisements for positions you aspire to hold in the future and then preparing for those requirements during your studies. For me, acquiring a basic level of proficiency in the Swedish language and obtaining a Swedish driving licence were crucial. I pursued these goals during my studies and was able to secure a desirable job before graduating,” he added.

READ ALSO:

Felipe Cabral even has a GPT assistant trained on his own CVs and old cover letters, and said the set-up only takes ten minutes if you already have your documents. “With that in place, you can give instructions like: Read this job description and create a tailored version of my CV and letter for it. (…) Remember to always review and ask it not to create data aside from your documents.”

Be flexible and ready to adapt

Moving to a new place inevitably means having to learn not just the practicalities such as how to write a CV or which websites to use to look for job openings, but also learning how to navigate a new culture with all its unspoken expectations.

Swedish workplaces are generally less hierarchical than many other countries, but that doesn’t mean you can say whatever you want whenever you want without anyone raising an eyebrow. Swedes are usually direct, but be careful of being too abrasive or boastful: raising your voice, even during a spirited argument, or banging your own drum to show off your skills may not go down well.

“Talk, deliberate, complain like a Swede and you’ll come across like you know what the job entails, so your trustworthiness increases,” said an Indian data analyst who preferred to remain anonymous.

“Office politics are just as strong in Sweden as anywhere else. The flat hierarchy is deceiving as social hierarchy is enforced quite a bit in that lack of formal hierarchy. Take your time in learning these dynamics wherever you work before revealing your talent and capabilities. Expect those internal politics to happen, and they won’t hurt so much when they do,” said Kyle, the Canadian reader in Gothenburg.

This article about Swedish office politics may be useful.

Stay true to yourself

Adapting to your surroundings is one thing. Completely changing who you are is another.

For one thing, your happiness is as important as your career progression, and for another, your foreignness need not be an impediment: it’s also a skill that sets you apart from the rest. It means you have unique experience, and also, in the right setting, provides an opportunity to sometimes violate those social rules we mentioned above, because people assume you will, anyway.

“Trust is key. Build trust in your network, work with integrity. It’s OK to violate jantelagen if you are maintaining integrity. Sometimes your outsider and more honest/open opinion will burn bridges, especially those that may feel threatened by talent. But it will build trust with other colleagues who see it as brave and more trustworthy to work with,” said Kyle from Canada.

Hunker down for the long haul

We don’t want to scare you, because there are plenty of examples of people who quickly find their dream job in Sweden and settle into their new workplace, enjoying perks such as long summer holidays, generous parental leave and the famous work-life balance.

But if you do find it tougher than you expected: know that you’re not alone.

Several readers who responded to the survey said they were still trying to find a job in Sweden.

“I found jobs all over Europe but not here. They say they have a lack of experienced senior engineers but the don’t seem to be doing much to solve this,” said a Brazilian in Gothenburg.

A reader from Bangladesh said she was “at a loss” as to how to make a career change from her current AI role in Stockholm, despite many years of experience as an IT project manager.

“Over the past 18 months, I’ve submitted over 600 applications to various organisations. Unfortunately, despite being overqualified for some positions, I’ve faced rejections at every turn, from both large and small companies. The job market here, especially for foreign-born women, feels overwhelmingly challenging,” she said, adding that the struggle had impacted her mental health.

The Local has on several occasions reported on foreign residents’ struggle to get a foot on the Swedish job ladder, with many facing hurdles such as employers’ unfamiliarity with international degrees, discrimination, or a lack of network that can provide paths into a company.

So during the job hunt, don’t forget to care for yourself. Share your concerns with fellow job-seekers, ask for help and join networking groups – this is good not just for creating new contacts, but also in terms of your social well-being and meeting people who are in a similar situation.

And finally, as one British reader in Stockholm advised, keep looking: “Be open-minded with the opportunities that present themselves. It isn’t an easy market to enter and doesn’t feel inclusive.” But he added, “don’t give up”.

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