I've decided to live
10 lifetimes in one.

Norwegian. Surfer. Consultant. Tech exec. Startup founder. People leader. Podcaster. Coach. Currently on lifetime number... I've lost count.

Based in Malaga, Spain. Previously based in the other 7 countries I've lived in.

The Full Story Work With Me
Ken Hellem
8
Countries lived in
55
Countries explored
4
Career reinventions
1
Bucket list completed
1
New one started
Ken with Laos flag on mountaintop
Ken at Burning Man
Ken skydiving
Ken at Angkor Wat sunset
Ken playing guitar by river
Ken hiking in the mountains
Ken playing guitar at sunset in Mexico
Ken surfing
Ken with his van
Ken on the golf course
Ken reading a book
Ken relaxing in Laos
Called home
🇳🇴 Norway
🇺🇸 USA
🇦🇺 Australia
🇸🇪 Sweden
🇱🇻 Latvia
🇯🇵 Japan
🇩🇰 Denmark
🇪🇸 Spain
Worked with
GE Accenture Axholmen Aquis Serendipity 29k Google Oracle Ultimate Beauty
The Reinventions

I keep changing my mind about what I want to be when I grow up.

Some people find their thing and go deep. I kept finding new things and going wide. Every few years, something shifts... and I follow it. Here's the journey so far.

Ken in suit during consulting years
2005 - 2013

The Consultant

Accenture. GE. Suits and strategy decks across Riga, Tokyo, Copenhagen, Stockholm. Got an MBA. Learned how big organisations think. Also learned I didn't want to be in one forever.

Riga · Tokyo · Copenhagen · Stockholm
Ken giving a startup lecture
2012 - 2017

The Builder

Founded Seed Nordic. Built products at 29k.org. Tried a food startup in New York. Some of it worked. Some of it didn't. All of it taught me more than consulting ever did.

Stockholm · New York
Ken with Google team
2017 - 2021

The Big Tech Guy

Google Cloud. Head of Startups for Northern Europe. Account exec for Spotify. The chapter where people started recognising the logo on my jacket more than my actual ideas. Useful. Also a sign.

Stockholm · Dublin
Ken presenting at Ultimate Beauty offsite
2021 - 2025

The People Leader

Went from Head of Remote to Chief People Officer. Led 60-75 people through a culture transformation. Discovered I'm better at helping people figure out their direction than managing their calendars.

Remote · Europe
Reinventing Ken journal
2025 - ???

The Reset

Left the CPO role. Spent 5 months in a van, reading, reflecting, and figuring out what I actually want to do the next time I grow up. Moved to Malaga. Started 50 Lunches. Now I help other people do what I've been doing my whole life... reinvent.

Malaga, Spain 🇪🇸
TBD

The Moonwalker 🌙

New bucket list item #1. I finished the first bucket list (55 countries, check). The new one starts bigger. Literally. If Elon gets his act together, I'll be having my 50th lunch on the moon.

The Moon · Low Gravity Lunch
The Bucket Lists

Finished the first one.
Started a new one.

55 countries. Every continent except Antarctica (it was cold and there was no lunch spot). Surfed. Skydived. Ran. Built companies. Got fired. Started over. Checked everything off.

So I made a new list. Bigger, weirder, less reasonable. The kind of list that makes people say "wait, seriously?"

Seriously.

SkydivingSkydive ✓
Laos mountaintop55 countries ✓
Burning ManBurning Man ✓
SurfingLearn to surf ✓
✓ Completed Bucket List v1.0
  • Live in 8 countries
  • Visit 55 countries
  • Work at Google
  • Start a company
  • Become a CPO
  • Learn to surf
  • Host a podcast
  • Help someone find their path
◯ In progress Bucket List v2.0
  • Moonwalk on the actual moon
  • Write a book
  • Give a TED talk
  • 50 real lunches, 50 real conversations
  • Help 100 people find clarity
  • Learn to play Wonderwall properly
  • Move to Malaga
  • Get a dog named after a philosopher
How I Think

Frameworks, journals, and way too many coloured pens.

I've been bullet journaling since 2017. Every month gets a spread. Every day gets logged. Feelings, energy, habits, ideas... all of it. Not because I'm organised (I'm really not), but because writing things down is how I figure out what I actually think.

I'm the same way with frameworks. Ikigai, Wheel of Life, Dharma, Values Mapping... I collect them like other people collect vinyl. Not to have them on a shelf, but to use them. On myself first. Then with clients.

There is no perfect system. You always make your own. If it doesn't work, change it.

Ikigai Wheel of Life Dharma Values Mapping Bullet Journal Resistance Mapping
Mind map journal spread on terrace overlooking the sea
Weekly bullet journal spread with drawings
Journal open on table by the beach
Stack of colorful journals
The Adventure Begins journal page
Morning routine tracker in journal
Now

What I'm actually doing these days.

Ken laughing while playing guitar

50 Lunches

A project where I have real conversations with interesting people. No scripts, no interview format... just honest conversations over lunch. Started as a personal experiment. Turns out, a lot of people needed to hear those conversations too.

Watch the conversations →
Ken thinking on the beach

Coaching

I help thoughtful professionals who feel successful on paper but stuck in practice. The process is built on what worked for me... understand yourself, have real conversations, and turn that into a story you can actually use.

See how it works →
Ken playing guitar at sunset

Life in Malaga

Running with the Founders Running Club. Acoustic guitar jams at El Muro. Padel. BBQs. The kind of life that makes LinkedIn people ask "but what do you actually do?" This. I do this.

50 Lunches

Real conversations. No scripts. Just lunch.

I sit down with interesting people and talk about work, meaning, and reinvention. Over actual food. Sometimes it gets deep. Sometimes it gets weird. Always honest.

From Trauma to 4.6 Million Trees: The Marvin Baker Story

From Trauma to 4.6 Million Trees: The Marvin Baker Story

Latest episode. Marvin went from rock bottom to planting millions of trees. One of the most intense conversations I've had.
Why High Performers Burn Out

Why High Performers Burn Out
Stop the Hamster Wheel

Stop the Hamster Wheel
50 Lunches Update

I Have 30 Days to Prove This Works
See all episodes on YouTube →
More Things I've Made

Writing, podcasts, and other projects.

Podcast

The Future is Remote

My earlier podcast on remote work, distributed teams, and the future of how we work. Born from leading teams across 8 countries.

Apple · Spotify Listen →
Medium

Writing on Purpose & Work

Articles on Ikigai, finding your purpose, Teal organisations, and what happens when your career stops making sense. Some of my earliest thinking on reinvention.

317 followers Read →
LinkedIn

Posts & Thoughts

Where I share short, punchy observations about career change, coaching, and what it's like to reinvent yourself in your 40s. Trying to earn that "see more" click.

Weekly posts Follow →
Feature

How to Get Your Dream Job

Impact Hub Stockholm interviewed me about relationship building and finding work that matters. From back when I thought I had it figured out :)

Impact Hub Read →
Ken waving the Laos flag on a mountaintop
55 countries. 8 called home.

The world is too interesting
to stay in one place.

"Ken has this rare ability to read your energy and see what type of responses you need. He's not just a coach... he's a real partner in figuring things out."

Former client
6-Week Clarity Program
Work With Me

Something feels off? Let's figure out what.

I work with people who have the experience and the track record but can't shake the feeling that something needs to change. If that sounds familiar, here's how we can work together.

Life Diagnostic

A structured 90-minute session to step back and make sense of your situation. Values, priorities, what's draining you, and where to focus next. Best starting point if something feels off but you can't quite explain why.

€395
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6-Week Clarity Program

Six sessions. Understand yourself, have guided conversations with people in your network, and build a personal narrative you can actually use. Includes a personal narrative video.

€2,900
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Let's talk

I don't bite. Unless it's a lunch meeting.

Whether you want to explore coaching, come on the podcast, or just say hi... I'm always up for a good conversation. That's kind of my whole thing.

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