Founder Story - Q&A with Kairi Kuuskor
Kairi is a thirty-something designer, founder and female entrepreneur. In her free time she loves sailing, japanese food and supporting equal rights. She has been running Bold Tuesday with her co-founder Markus for more than 6 years. This year the whole team turned a new page with a new product line – Vision Board Reimagined™
So here is a Q&A with Kairi about her experience and thoughts about vision boards overall. Let’s get right into it!
When did you first hear about vision boards?
I might have heard about vision boards before that, but the first time I learned the theory behind them and created my own, was five years ago.
Why did you decide to make one for yourself?
It was almost by accident, under the guidance of a business coach, for learning purposes. I had been part of a coaching group, where our fabulous facilitator introduced us to all kinds of interesting methods. And creating a vision board was one of them. We used the traditional DIY method - a large piece of paper, lots of magazines, scissors, and glue - cutting out images and texts that felt significant and symbolized our goals and dreams.
How many dreams from the first vision board have become a reality and can you name a few?
Honestly, I’m embarrassed to say I don’t remember everything that I had on the board. I made the typical mistake of throwing the board away before taking a photograph (which we now warn against). The large DIY vision board got pretty damaged with time - the glued clippings started to unstick, the paper started curling and it was tricky to find space for it, so when I moved homes I finally just got rid of it. These are all the problems that were trying to solve with our new vision board.
But back to the question. What I do remember is a picture of an old wooden house with a garden, a clipping from a sailing magazine of a team tacking in large waves, and a quote about teamwork. Probably there was something about good sleep, exercise, and drinking more water too - things I still have on my current board.
You might say that all of that has become reality in a way. I have bought an apartment in the old wooden house with a garden (although I don’t think the image on the board looked anything like it) and sailing has become one of my most beloved hobbies for the past four years (we are even competing every week). For the teamwork quote (I wish I remembered what it was exactly) I think it’s more of a question of creating good habits, than fulfilling a goal. I’m still totally committed to developing our team, and I think it’s something that will be on every single vision board I ever create.
What would you say is the biggest thing the vision board has helped you with?
Clarity. About what I want. I’m a restless soul. I want to try and experience everything. I can imagine myself living so many different lives, that it’s easy to get trapped in the feeling that whatever I’m doing, I should be doing something else instead. Creating a vision board helps me to consider all the options and then decide what I want and need in my life. And stick to it, without regrets and second thoughts. So I guess you could also call it peace of mind.
What role does a vision board play in your daily life?
I think daily it works mostly as a reminder and on this level the most important components are habits, which are like building blocks for dreams and goals. We all know that good sleep, exercise, and healthy eating habits are what keep us on our feet when things get really stressful. But when we start to lose our grip, we somehow forget it or don’t have the mental energy to keep on track. Then it’s really great to have something physical in front of your eyes as a reminder and motivator. Since I’m a very visual person, I find images much more helpful than just writing (but arguably we all humans are visual animals).
Who would you recommend a vision board for?
I think it would sound really cheesy to say everyone, so I’ll try to be more original. Although it is a really versatile tool. So it’s a bit like asking who would you recommend reading or writing for. 🙂 Anyone who feels they need to make some big decisions about their life. Or changes. People who feel stuck or anxious about their future. And vice versa extremely ambitious people. Also the ones who need to get better in touch with themselves. You can create a board for any field of your life - career, love life, family, social life, education, self-development, hobbies... The list is endless as are the possibilities.
That’s it. If you have any questions for Kairi you can DM us on Instagram @boldtuesday or write to her - kairi (at) boldtuesday.com
And of course, take a look at our brand new product - the Vision Board Reimagined!