I lead best when I lead as myself.
I’m pushing back against the notion of being confined to a single box. I don’t want to stay neatly within the lines; I want to explore, experiment, and create freely.
The Turning Point: Leadership & Innovation
During my Master of Culture and Arts (Creative Design Management) studies at Turku University of Applied Sciences, I took a Leadership and Innovation course that became a turning point for me. This wasn’t just another academic requirement—it was a structured deep dive into who I am as a leader, an innovator, and a professional.
The course challenged us to:
- Analyze our strengths and development needs as leaders and innovators, and develop our skills in a goal-oriented way.
- Use career stories and continuous reflection to clarify our professional values and goals, and to develop our professional identity and leadership style.
- Compare different leadership theories and models and evaluate their relevance for our own work.
For me, this meant I couldn’t hide behind generic titles or tidy labels anymore. I had to own my story.
As part of the course, we created a video project that asked us to bring our leadership identity to life. The narrative that emerged captured my essence perfectly:
“Try to put me in a box. I will color outside the lines.”
That line isn’t just a clever phrase—it’s my story, my leadership style, and my approach to CX.
From Finnish Forests to the Windy City
I grew up in Finland, surrounded by thousands of lakes, dense pine forests, and iconic brands like Fiskars and Marimekko. In that environment, I found happiness teaching sales, marketing, and customer service. I had carved out my own niche and built a comfortable bubble where life felt secure and predictable.
Then everything changed when I moved to the Windy City—a place of immense opportunity, but also stark realities. What initially felt like an adventure quickly turned into a constant test. I had to prove myself in a cutthroat environment where my past didn’t seem to count.
During my MBA in Customer Experience Management, reality hit hard. My professional background from Finland suddenly felt invisible. At 6-foot-1, I already stood out, but it was my accent people noticed more than my accomplishments. I realized I was different—and too often, that difference was treated as a disadvantage.
As I tried to reconcile who I was with what others expected me to be, I started to lose sight of myself: the girl from the woods, full of ideas, creativity, and passion. The constant questioning of my worth left me asking:
“Am I really not good enough?”
But deep down, I knew the truth. I have degrees, knowledge, and experience. I see things differently, and that perspective is valuable. My accent, my background, my story—they’re all part of my strength, not a weakness.
The Hardest Journey: Inward
The hardest journey is always inward—the one where you stop chasing someone else’s path and start charting your own. It’s easier to follow the crowd, to blend in, to avoid being the lone standout. Yet in facing that fear, I found clarity.
I am unique. And that is my superpower.
The Leadership and Innovation course helped me put language and structure around that realization. Through reflection, career stories, and theory, I saw that effective leadership isn’t about fitting a mold—it’s about understanding who you are, how you think, how you create, and how you genuinely care about people.
Living in a land of opportunities has shown me that I can embrace my differences and thrive on my own terms.
Look at me now. Still different. Still me. Boss lady. Founder and CEO of FINN-X. A lifelong learner and creator.
I’m still the girl from the woods with a Finnish heart—now thriving in the Sunshine State. My passion is helping and caring for customers, making sure that everyone I meet feels seen and valued.
Because you matter, just like I do.
This is where my personal journey, my studies, and CX come together.
The Question I Keep Getting: “What’s Your Niche?”
Recently, I’ve consciously embarked on a journey to discover my true self. What are my values? In which direction do I want to take FINN-X? What do I genuinely want to build and contribute?
My conversations with CX leaders and mentors have been especially inspiring. They’ve helped me sharpen my thinking—but they’ve also brought one recurring question into focus:
“What’s your niche?”
Recently, as I’ve embarked on this journey of self-discovery, my response has become more consistent and clear. In the past, my voice would shake and I’d second-guess myself, but now I can say with confidence that I have a broad skill set and can excel in many areas. I often say I can do it all—well, I can’t code yet, but as a lifelong learner, I’d love to, if the opportunity or need arises. More importantly, I refuse to be confined to a single, narrow role.
CX as an Umbrella, Not a Box
As a CX leader, I see customer experience as an all-encompassing umbrella, not just one department or a box to be checked. CX is the invisible thread that runs through every part of an organization.
It’s the invoice that gets sent out. It’s the tone of an email written by a customer service representative. It’s the AI chatbot that doesn’t quite understand what you’re asking. It’s the broken link or confusing journey on the website. It’s marketing, sales, executives, and the janitorial staff. It’s the look and feel of the building, the cleanliness of the restaurant, and even whether there is toilet paper in the restroom.
Every detail contributes to how a customer feels. Every interaction shapes their experience.
My niche is my ability to see that full picture—and lead from there.
My True Niche: Seeing the Whole System
The Leadership and Innovation course pushed me to analyse my strengths and development needs as a leader and innovator. What emerged was this: I’m at my best when I’m allowed to see the whole system, challenge assumptions, and bring people together around the customer.
With my unique, creative mindset, I can weave all of these elements into:
- A cohesive vision
- A practical CX strategy
- A cultural transformation where the customer is truly at the heart of everything
I draw on emotion, empathy, and storytelling—through video projects and career stories like the girl from the Finnish woods, the outsider in the Windy City, and the founder in the Sunshine State—to continuously reflect, refine my values, and strengthen my leadership style. This reflective practice is what makes my leadership intentional, human, and deeply customer-centric.
I Lead Best When I Lead as Myself
I help people across the organization understand that they all play a part in the customer experience—no matter how small or behind-the-scenes their role might seem. That is where I excel. That is what I’m passionate about. And that is exactly what makes me an effective, authentic CX leader: I lead best when I lead as myself. You can learn more about me and FINN-X on my About page.
Brand Me — Jonna
I will not be put in a box. I will color outside the lines.
Master of Culture and Arts, Creative Design Management–Turku University of Applied Sciences (June 2025)
Video project: Brand Me — part of the Leadership and Innovation class (taught by Pirita Juppi).