[quote style=”boxed”]Trust your own feelings and know that some people do not wish the best for you – sometimes even people who are close to you.[/quote]
Mads Duzenius Christensen, 38, is co-founder and CEO of the Danish advertising agency Anew. Mads has worked for numerous international advertising agencies, most recent Saatchi & Saatchi where he met Rune Degett who is the Creative Director and other co-founder of Anew. The agency Anew has existed for three years now, and are currently reaping the succes of the creative campaign for the danish energy supplier Vestforbrænding. In this campaign Vestforbraending turns energy saved into pizza in a common residential area. The company opened up a pizzeria that ran on the energy and heat saved by its customers. To show people that saving energy actually makes a difference, – the more energy that was saved, the more pizza was served for free.
What are you working on right now?
Right now I am focusing on new business. The Vestforbraending case has opened the eyes to many potential clients, who would also like to have a high-impact campaign for a relatively small investment.
Where did the idea for Vestforbraending come from?
The idea was to give something back to the costumers. From the very beginning of the project, we planned to make an idea that would catch the interest of the public and thus the media. The idea is quite simple, the more heat & energy you safe, the more pizzas we make.
How do you make money?
We are an advertising agency, and we are paid to create good ideas by our clients.
What does your typical day look like?
I wake up, take a run, og go to the gym. I am at the office at nine a.m., and I always start the day replying e-mails. I am quite involved with the day today business and I usually attend 2-3 meetings a day. At five p.m. I attend my e-mails, and prepare for the next day. When I leave the office at 6.30-7 p.m. I stop reading e-mails on my phone. I never work at home at night or in the weekend.
How do you bring ideas to life?
We have our main focus on our clients businesses. Actually we are not very interested in winning creative prizes and all. We get off on making our clients businesses grow and finding the pains and solutions. The idea comes from understanding a clients business.
What’s one trend that really excites you?
Goodvertising is quite interesting. I am not a philathropist, but I like the idea of companies taking stands on issues and benefitting from the sympathy of the public. It is good for causes and good for business.
What was the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it?
Once I had a job picking up trash from the floor in a shopping mall. It was very educating to me as I found out that I better do good in life, or I might end up here.
If you were to start again, what would you do differently?
I am glad that I was naive, optimistic and brave. This virginity is godsend, and I wish I could have it all over again. I wish that I could shake of these learnings and experiences.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Trust your own feelings and know that some people do not wish the best for you – sometimes even people who are close to you.
People who care about you will try and protect you from making mistakes that is a mix of ignorance and love. Embrace it, but dont let it knock you out.
Network and friends are all that matters.
It isn´t as hard as someone makes you believe.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
Sometimes I focus too much on the goal and not on the process. I have recognised this, and I try every day to focus on the here and now. Once a month I take myself time to look at the big picture.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
The convenient food market is growing rapidly. Make a healthy concept that also taste good and you are golden.
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be and how would you go about it?
The list is so long.
Tell us a secret.
Key to success: 20 % is talent, 80 % is hard work and perseverance.
What are your three favorite online tools or resources and what do you love about them?
I love Dropbox and Google Apps. They are great when you start up, and easy to up- and downscale.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
The Perfect Pitch by Jon Steeel. Really old school, but the key message is to simplify things instead of making it complicated.
Three people we should follow on Twitter and why?
The only social media I use is LinkedIn, so I really cannot help here.
When was the last time you laughed out loud? What caused it?
This morning, when I was driving in my car. I feel I have everything I need in life.
Who is your hero, and why?
Richard Branson. Starting up multiple businesses and succeeding with most. Respect.
How much time do you spend on social media.
Almost no time at all. I also prefer a phone call over an e-mail, and a personal meeting over a phone call. Personal contact between people is something we are losing to a lot of the new services that are brought to market. That is a bit sad I think.
Connect:
Mads Duzenius Christensen on LinkedIn:
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.