When you know, you know.
That’s sort of what it’s like when you meet Linda Hammarstrand for the first time. You know that she will demand excellence and attention to detail. You also know that you would probably do anything, sit up all night, work overtime to find solutions to fulfil her wildly ambitious ideas.
But you also quickly realise that you’ve probably met the most loyal, generous and inspiring collaborator ever.
Solid as a rock.
It’s been more than 10 years since the first time Linda burst through the door and set off a confetti bomb of inspiration. Since then, I have had an absolut riot with her, but also learned a lot about myself and about people in general.
Firstly, when she calls, I answer. Because I know that on the other end of the phone is the beginning of some new adventure that I don’t want to miss.
Secondly, we should all take ourselves a little more seriously when it comes to our potential and capacity for greatness. The limits to what we can achieve are virtually endless, and as much as that might sound like cliché nonsense, it’s actually true. At the same time, we should take ourselves less seriously when it comes to titles, hierarchies and window dressing. Walk the talk, be true, real and honest. And have fun!
Thirdly, be nice, do your best, live with passion, lift the people around you and celebrate your successes.
On the rare occasion that I manage to capture Linda in a photograph, it’s kind of magical. Because all the other shots end up as a blurry mess of hand gestures, laughter, spontaneous speeches about passionate leadership, stories about her family’s new puppy, grand master plans for the future, a few curse words, finger pointing and hand clapping… the list goes on.
And then sometimes, stuff like this happens.
Thank you Linda for your trust, your openness and generosity. I’m always happy when you call, even if it’s just to hear your voice and know you’re still out there making the world a little bit more colourful.