I've decided to live
10 lifetimes in one.

Norwegian. Surfer. Consultant. Coach. Startup founder. People leader. Podcaster. Tech exec. Currently on lifetime number... I've lost count.

Based in Malaga, Spain. Previously based in the other 7 countries I've lived in.

The Full Story Work With Me
Ken Hellem
8
Countries lived in
55
Countries explored
4
Career reinventions
1
Bucket list completed
Ken with family in Malaga
Ken at Burning Man
Ken skydiving
Ken finishing a half marathon in Malaga
Ken hiking in the mountains
Ken surfing
Ken with his van
Ken backpacking in Southeast Asia
Ken reading a book
Called home
🇳🇴 Norway
🇺🇸 USA
🇦🇺 Australia
🇸🇪 Sweden
🇱🇻 Latvia
🇯🇵 Japan
🇩🇰 Denmark
🇪🇸 Spain
Worked with
GE Accenture Axholmen Aquis Serendipity 29k Google Oracle Ultimate Beauty
The Reinventions

I figured out what I wanted to be. Then I outgrew it. Five times.

Not drift ... design. Each chapter was a deliberate bet on where I'd learn the most. Consulting, startups, big tech, people leadership, coaching. The skills stacked. So did my perspective on life.

Ken in suit during consulting years
2005 - 2013

The Trainee/Consultant

GE. Accenture. Suits and strategy decks across Riga, Tokyo, Copenhagen, Stockholm. Got an MBA. Learned how big organisations think. Also learned I didn't want to be in one forever.

Riga · Tokyo · Copenhagen · Stockholm
Ken giving a startup lecture
2012 - 2017

The Startup Guy

Founded Seed Nordic. Built products at 29k.org. Tried a food startup in New York. Some of it worked. Some of it didn't. All of it taught me more than consulting ever did.

Stockholm · New York
Ken with Google team
2017 - 2021

The Googler

Google Cloud. Head of Startups for Northern Europe. Account exec for Spotify. The chapter where people started recognising the logo on my jacket more than my actual ideas. Useful. Also a sign.

Stockholm · Dublin
Ken presenting at Ultimate Beauty offsite
2021 - 2025

The People Leader

Went from Head of Remote to Chief People Officer. Led 60-75 people through a culture transformation. Discovered I'm better at helping people figure out their direction than managing their calendars.

Remote · Europe
Reinventing Ken journal
2025 - ???

Reinventing Ken

Left the CPO role. Spent six months in a van and backpacking across Southeast Asia, figuring out what I actually want to do the next time I grow up. Moved to Malaga. Started 50 Lunches. Now I help other people reinvent their lives.

Malaga, Spain 🇪🇸
TBD

The Moonwalker 🌙

Who knows what's next? First bucket list is done (55 countries, check), so it's time to dream bigger. One thing I know for sure ... I'm getting to space. And I'm going to moonwalk on the actual Moon.

The Moon · Low Gravity Lunch
The Proof

In case you're wondering if any of this is real (Mom, feel free to screenshot this).

🎓 BSc Computer Science
🎓 MBA from Australia
🏆 Best in class, GE IMPL
☁️ $300M client at Google
🪜 Google Extended Leadership
👥 CPO at Ultimate Beauty

Full CV on LinkedIn →

The Bucket Lists

Finished the first one.
Started a new one.

Travelled the world. Skydived. Scuba-dived with sharks. Saw the pyramids. Burning Man. Learned to surf. Built companies. Got fired. Started over. Checked everything off.

So I made a new list. Bigger, weirder, less reasonable. The kind of list that makes people say "wait, seriously?"

Seriously.

SkydivingSkydive ✓
Angkor Wat at sunset55 countries ✓
Burning ManBurning Man ✓
Ken surfing a waveLearn to surf ✓
✓ Completed Bucket List v1.0
  • Travel the world
  • Jump out of a plane
  • Scuba dive with sharks
  • See the pyramids
  • DJ at Burning Man
  • Learn to surf
  • Sit a 10-day Vipassana
  • Work at Google
  • Start a company
  • Host a podcast
  • Fall in love
  • Move to Spain
  • Help someone find their path
◯ In progress Bucket List v2.0
  • Moonwalk on the actual moon
  • Give a TED talk
  • Interview Simon Sinek
  • Write a book
  • Break a Guinness record
  • Go viral
  • Play a solo concert
  • See all 7 world wonders (1 to go)
  • Strong before 50
  • Help 100 people find clarity
  • Create a community that outlives me
How I Think

Frameworks, journals, and way too many coloured pens.

I've been bullet journaling since 2017. Every month gets a spread. Every day gets logged. Feelings, energy, habits, ideas... all of it. Not because I'm organised (I'm really not), but because writing things down is how I figure out what I actually think.

I'm the same way with frameworks. Ikigai, Wheel of Life, Dharma, Values Mapping... I collect them like other people collect vinyl. Not to have them on a shelf, but to use them. On myself first. Then with clients.

Ikigai Wheel of Life → Dharma Values Mapping Bullet Journal Resistance Mapping

Want a taste of how I work? This is how I start with every new client.

Take the Life Quiz Free · 4 minutes · personal report in your inbox
Mind map journal spread on terrace overlooking the sea
Weekly bullet journal spread with drawings
Journal open on table by the beach
Stack of colorful journals
The Adventure Begins journal page
Ikigai framework diagram from 50 Lunches
Now

What I'm actually doing these days.

Ken having a real conversation over coffee

50 Lunches

A project where I have real conversations with interesting people. No scripts, no interview format... just honest conversations over lunch. Started as a personal experiment. Turns out, a lot of people needed to hear those conversations too.

Watch the conversations →
Ken thinking on the beach

Coaching

I help thoughtful professionals who feel successful on paper but stuck in practice. The process is built on what worked for me... understand yourself, have real conversations, and turn that into a story you can actually use.

See how it works →
Ken playing guitar on the beach in Malaga

Life in Malaga

Running with the Founders Running Club. Acoustic guitar jams at El Muro. Padel. BBQs. The kind of life that makes LinkedIn people ask "but what do you actually do?" This. I do this.

50 Lunches

Real conversations. No scripts. Just lunch.

I sit down with interesting people and talk about work, meaning, and reinvention. Over actual food. Sometimes it gets deep. Sometimes it gets weird. Always honest.

From Trauma to 4.6 Million Trees: The Marvin Baker Story

From Trauma to 4.6 Million Trees: The Marvin Baker Story

Latest episode. Marvin went from rock bottom to planting millions of trees. One of the most intense conversations I've had.
Why High Performers Burn Out

Why High Performers Burn Out
Stop the Hamster Wheel

Stop the Hamster Wheel
50 Lunches Update

I Have 30 Days to Prove This Works
See all episodes on YouTube →
More Things I've Made

Writing, podcasts, and other projects.

Podcast

The Future is Remote

My earlier podcast on remote work, distributed teams, and the future of how we work. Born from leading teams across 8 countries.

Apple · Spotify Listen →
Medium

Writing on Purpose & Work

Articles on Ikigai, finding your purpose, Teal organisations, and what happens when your career stops making sense. Some of my earliest thinking on reinvention.

317 followers Read →
LinkedIn

Posts & Thoughts

Where I share short, punchy observations about career change, coaching, and what it's like to reinvent yourself in your 40s. Trying to earn that "see more" click.

Weekly posts Follow →
YouTube

What to Do in Malaga

Five years in, and I'm making videos about the real Málaga. Hidden streets, the churros locals actually eat, the caves, the markets. Skip the tourist traps.

@WhattodoinMalaga Watch →
Ken waving the Laos flag on a mountaintop
55 countries. 8 called home.

The world is too interesting
to stay in one place.

"Ken has this rare ability to read your energy and see what type of responses you need. He's not just a coach... he's a real partner in figuring things out."

Former client
6-Week Clarity Program
Work With Me

Something feels off? Let's figure out what.

I work with people who have the experience and the track record but can't shake the feeling that something needs to change. If that sounds familiar, here's how we can work together.

Start Here

The Life Quiz

A 4-minute check-in across 8 areas of life, built on the Wheel of Life framework. You'll see where you stand, what's feeding you, what's draining you, and three things worth focusing on next. Yours to keep, no call required.

Free
Take the Life Quiz

Life Diagnostic

A structured 90-minute session to step back and make sense of your situation. Values, priorities, what's draining you, and where to focus next. Best starting point if something feels off but you can't quite explain why.

€395
Learn More
Most Popular

6-Week Clarity Program

Six sessions. Understand yourself, have guided conversations with people in your network, and build a personal narrative you can actually use. Includes a personal narrative video.

€2,900
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Let's talk

I don't bite. Unless it's a lunch meeting.

Whether you want to explore coaching, come on the podcast, or just say hi... I'm always up for a good conversation. That's kind of my whole thing.

Book a Life Diagnostic Find me on LinkedIn