A radiant summer, in my own way
A summer of unexpected events that turned out to be surprisingly brilliant.
Today, I’m writing a blog post that sits outside the usual content pillars of The Branding Corner. It’s also a shorter, more personal piece, a quiet interlude between the long compositions on marketing that I usually share.
I want to tell you about the radiant summer of 2025 that I experienced, just as the Finnish sun has begun to soften and the air is starting to cool, heralding the arrival of a new autumn.
"Radiant" here isn’t about the glow of a star or the fame of a celebrity. To me, radiance is living, working, and feeling happy in the truest and most complete version of myself. The journey to that radiance can be pieced together from a few important fragments.
A journey back to health and peace
Perhaps this is something few people know, as I rarely share details of my personal life.
From February to June of 2025, I lived with a great fear for my health. During a trip back to Vietnam for the Lunar New Year (Tết), I had a general health check-up and happened to discover stage 1 precancerous cells. Those were four long, harrowing months of living in uncertainty and anxiety, facing news I was completely unprepared for.
When summer came, I chose to face it and underwent surgery. Thankfully, the post-op tests showed that everything was okay. The cells had returned to their strongest, healthiest state.
I also spent two full months in Vietnam pursuing Eastern medicine, with weekly acupressure sessions to clear my energy pathways. Once my body was strong enough, I returned to regular exercise with unprecedented enthusiasm. I ate with a hearty appetite, slept more deeply, and my skin and complexion grew brighter and more vibrant.
For any human being, isn't that the most wonderful thing? Good health is the foundation for everything else that is good in life.
Quality relationships and real life
That health journey was what taught me to cherish and protect my own energy. After more than a year of being mostly at home, from Finland to Vietnam, for introspection and self-reflection, I decided to return to community life.
New relationships have arrived, and old ones have returned, but in a better form and with a better energy. I chose to live a life like it was the 1980s, which meant stepping into the offline world and reducing the online world (except for work).
I realized that my energy is a precious asset, and I only grant access to those who are truly worthy and compatible. This isn't about being picky; it's about a deep understanding of my own worth.
A career of unexpected milestones
With my health and spirit fortified, I poured my energy into my own career path. I once stood at a crossroads: should I find a stable office job in Finland, or bravely turn towards the path I had always dreamed of? In the end, I chose to step out of the comfort zone that had defined me for nearly 20 years.
And then, the "sweet fruits" from patiently and consistently building a personal brand with clear core values began to arrive:
I was invited to be a speaker at a cafe talk on the topic of Marketing & Data.
I was invited to speak for a student program on the topic of Storytelling for national cultural heritage.
I became a speaker for two webinars: one in Vietnam this September and another for an organization in the U.S. that connects Vietnamese and American businesses in October, also on the topic of Storytelling and AI.
I completed a commissioned video course that will be released in mid-September (I'll reveal the details upon its launch!).
I received offers for two other video courses, also on Marketing, set to be released at the end of the year.
I have clients seeking 1:1 coaching on Marketing, where I get to "hold their hand," guiding them through every small detail so they become proficient after our time together.
Even more special, a new collaborator proactively reached out to support me in creating content for The Branding Corner. They had been following my journey for a long time and boldly contacted me with this proposal. Get ready for exciting new developments from The Branding Corner!
I also put myself into deep thinking and research about my work and found a suitable new strategy. My business partner also proposed a new idea that, after some research, we both believe is truly "one-of-a-kind." A new product is promised for the future.
My work is finally following the path I laid out for it.
What lingers after a summer
I am truly happy with what I've achieved this past summer. Even if they are just small accomplishments, just fledgling steps, to me, they represent an entire journey of effort.
If I were asked what the biggest lessons I've learned are, especially after this summer, they would be this: Protect and preserve your energy as your most precious asset; not everyone is allowed to enter your world if they are not the right fit. Dare to think, dare to act to achieve what you desire. And above all, always trust your intuition, because it always knows how to protect you.
