Happy End To a Terrible Year From Boy George !
Hello Everyone!
We asked an old friend (well, more of a new wave icon from the 1980s. That we never actually met) to help us send a Happy Holidays message in a fitting remote ending to a dumpster fire ? of a year.
Cameo-by-Boy-George.mp4 from Sweden Unlimited on Vimeo.
Thank you to the Sweden (not “Swedish”) Unlimited team and all the clients, partners, freelancers, and friends who stuck through all this with us. Together we proved that every day is like survival. (Sorry, those in their twenties that may not get that reference)
Here’s to 2021 and a new year of possibilities and fresh starts.
Love, Richard, Leja, and Alex
Leja Kress Joins Tim Richardson on Your Basket Is Empty Podcast
In this episode Leja and Tim share their passion for 80s new wave and post-punk music. Tim sat down with her to learn how the band she formed with her husband and twin sister led to the creation of the agency, what they’ve learned in 20 years of operation, how to maintain relevance, building culture, and who would be in her ideal line up for a show at CBGBs, circa 1985.
Agency Promotions: Kate Williams
We are pleased to announce the promotion of Kate Williams to Head of Finance and Operations.
A longtime Sweden friend and collaborator in her previous career as a content producer, Kate joined Sweden in April of 2019 as Studio Manager and quickly became an indispensable member of our team. Kate has helped us to navigate some tricky operational challenges as we became a fully remote studio this past March and her promotion is well deserved. In her new role Kate will focus on further building out our content production offering and helping the agency scale and navigate the post-Covid world.
Our Values
Like most businesses, we have a set of values. These, however aren’t built on a series of corporate buzzwords. We agonized over these for… well, too long, but, as you’re probably beginning to understand by now, that’s what we’re like.
Grit
You know when you’re up against a tight deadline and you’re working on something and you know there’s a quick and dirty path, or, an easy (but incorrect) answer to a problem, we don’t take it. We stick with it, until the thing which makes your heart go “yes!” presents itself. We chase that, because it’s always worth it.
Positivity
Whether you’re joining us as an account director, developer, creative or project manager is irrelevant, the point is, try always to come with a positive mindset. Whinging and moaning never got anyone anywhere. That’s not to say we expect everyone to run around like Gary Vaynerchuck on speed. More what we refer to is a quiet willingness to work together, to push forward and face adversity with as much grace and enthusiasm as you do your successes, which leads nicely onto…
Humility
The bottom line is, we’re a team. When we present work, we present it together. No man (or woman) is an island. Don’t worry, you’ll get the recognition you deserve for doing great work, as we encourage regularly letting your teammates know when they’ve done something brilliant. Don’t be afraid to congratulate others, just try not to congratulate yourself too much????. Be kind. Be gracious.
Growth Mindset
Now we don’t want to get too ‘woo woo’ here, but this is really about maturity. About being able to listen to peers and learn from the things they tell you – but also, from other experiences. We all admit, we’ve been doing this for 20 years + but every day we learn something new and find a way to use that knowledge in the next thing we do. None of us know it all, we’re all still students, really.
Collaboration
This was touched on earlier – but being able to act as part of a team is vital. It’s important to know where your strengths lie and be honest about your weaknesses. You’re already through the door, we won’t lambast you because you drop on us you don’t know how to find your way through Confluence. A willingness to show your inabilities is as strong as your ability to demonstrate your strengths – because when we know where you need help, we make sure you’re supported. It takes bravery, so be brave and share the load.
Accountability
Because we all work from our various parts of the world, this business is built on the trust of the team. Each individual is trusted to get their job done. When and where you do that is largely up to you – but the important part is, you get it done. You take responsibility for all that is assigned to you and if things go wrong (as they sometimes do), you hold your hands up, accept it and find a way to fix it. And if you’re stuck, see above.
Style
You know what we were saying earlier about not being fashion junkies? When we talk about style, this is exactly what we’re referring to. This is not about looking great, it’s about having your own ‘way’ of being. We all have a personal style – whether you’re lighthearted, down to earth, or an ethereal stargazer : for some that’s more readily demonstrated than others, but here is a place where we encourage that to come out. Be who you are. There’s nothing more cool and stylish than someone completely comfortable in their own skin.
A Note from our Founders
Dear Friends of Sweden,
The past few weeks have been a time for listening and reflection. We firmly stand with the Black Lives Matter cause and condemn the injustices inflicted upon George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Mike Ramos, Ahmaud Arbery, Eric Garner, David McAtee, and countless others. It is also vital that we raise our voices and take action to fight for economic equality, equal opportunity & representation, and criminal justice reform.
Our past silence makes us complicit in the injustices that have been inflicted upon people of color and the LGBTQIA community for far too long. While our company is small, we feel it is our obligation to give back for all the privileges that have been afforded to us. We need to take accountability for any ignorance we’ve taken part in, and look at our own misses when it comes to equality and diversity.
To support this mission we plan to:
- Donate to Black Lives Matter and other organizations that are committed to causes like police reform and opportunity creation for BIPOC in the creative industry.
- Invest in diversity and sensitivity training for us and our team.
- Update and practice our company values and codes of conduct until we can be sure we have a positive and inspiring culture.
- Ensuring that our team members better represent the diversity in our society.
- Offer pro bono services to Black-Owned Businesses that are experiencing financial hardship due to Covid-19.
- Support our hard-working team by declaring Juneteenth a company-wide holiday, as well as encouraging more mental health days to reflect upon the current unrest in our country. (more…)
Agency Promotions: Paul Trinchero
We are pleased to announce the promotion of Paul Trinchero to Product Director.
As Project Director, Paul will be responsible for leading our Project Management practice and ensuring that we, as an agency, are doing our very best to deliver the best possible service to our clients. Paul’s ongoing demonstration of Sweden’s core values and as well his skills at displaying empathy towards both team members and clients have made him the natural choice for this important role at Sweden.
