My habits increased my confidence

Hot topics are entrepreneurship, career switch, and self-development. In today's interview, we discuss these topics from the habits perspective. Our guest is Yodith Tessema, an inspiring entrepreneur who bravely decided to change her career and pursue her passion for the creative industry.

Yodith has completed the habit program with Frisk & Tidig and wanted to share her experience. You can read the full interview below.

F&T: Welcome to the Frisk & Tidig interview Yodith, and thank you for joining us!

Yodith: Thank you! It’s great to be the first person to tell a success story here!

F & T: Please tell us your story and why you became an entrepreneur.

Yodith: I’m originally from Ethiopia and immigrated to Norway at about seven years old. I’m now 38, so I have lived here for 31 years. Since I was very young, I have been passionate about creating things. I love art, photography, and design. I’ve been a hairdresser and makeup artist for 17 years. Hairdressing and make-up art was my passion - making people feel good from the inside and outside, and I loved my occupation. I liked it so much that I decided to be an entrepreneur to put more of my creative touch into the industry. I had my salon and business for eight years.

F&T: We saw some of your graphic designs, and we must say that it looks great! Graphic design is a creative industry, and you need to work hard to make it. Why did you decide to become a graphic designer?

Yodith: That is an exciting story. Back when I was 18, I planned to become a graphic designer or artist. At that time, it was challenging. You had to go to countries like the UK or the USA, which was very competitive, and you had to be among the best students. But when I was 19, I got pregnant, so I had to make a plan B: finish school as a hairdresser and find work as fast as possible. I had to put my dream of becoming a graphic designer on hold.

When the lockdown came because of COVID, I realised that life is short and that I had to work on what I wanted. Still, in the lockdown, I didn’t choose the graphic design route because people around me told me it was hard to make a career in graphic design. For that reason, I picked the ‘’safe route’’ of business school. After one semester, I felt that it was not for me. During this period, I took the habit program with Frisk & Tidig, which helped me start my graphic design education.

F&T: Your story can inspire people looking for an opportunity to switch careers but are afraid to do so.

Before you started the habit program with Frisk & Tidig, you had other experiences working with habits. Can you tell us about your previous experience?

Yodith: While in lockdown, I tried to work on myself by watching YouTube videos and reading self-improvement books, but I experienced loneliness and burnout. It was too much pressure, and it was stressful. So I tried to do things like: have a plan, meditate, take time for myself, and try to figure out what to do next.

F&T: Frode, your long-term customer, was your mentor for your career shift. Can you tell us how that happened?

Yodith: I have known Frode for 17 years. I’ve been his hairdresser all those years. Frode has always been a loyal customer. One day, Frode came to cut his hair, and I told him I was struggling with habits and did not know what to do. Luckily, Frode told me he had developed a habit program that makes it easier to form habits. Sometimes, the right people will come into your life with solutions exactly when you need them. I needed someone to coach me and guide me. I was sceptical about it because I was thinking about how this program was different. He told me it’s easier because it’s science, and it’s even fun to do it. I know how much Frode loves science and helping people. I trusted him and decided to try it.

F&T: Also, during the habit program, you were asked to rate on dice from 1 to 6 - How skilled you are with making habits and your answer was ‘’3’’, and at the end of the program, you said that it is ‘’4’’, which means that you have achieved a step up in your habit skills. How was your experience working with Frode, and what is the main thing you’ve learned from these sessions?

Yodith: The most crucial part was to get a clear strategy. Frode is very good at strategy and gave me all the pieces of the puzzle I needed to succeed.

F&T: There is one story that can illustrate our habits, and it is the tale about the Hare and the Turtle. At the end of this tale, the turtle wins the race, telling us that sometimes the fastest way to achieve goals is to go slow, step by step.

Now that you’ve finished your program with Frode, what would you say is your most significant achievement? You’ve managed to step up on the dice, so how would you describe that step up?

Yodith: When you mentioned the story about a turtle and rabbit, I guess I was a rabbit. I did things very fast, but he taught me to be gentle with myself and do things step by step. After this program, I look at Frode as my coach and a life mentor because he helped me regain my courage. He trained me and guided me to use my resources more effectively and find my strengths in my entrepreneurial background. He motivated me and helped me increase my courage and believe more strongly in myself.

F&T: Thank you for sharing this experience with us! You’ve managed to develop yourself one step up. When I say one step up, it is a big step, considering what effect this will have on your future life. Let’s wrap up this interview with your recommendation. Who would you recommend this program?

Yodith: My recommendation is for everybody, especially for entrepreneurs of small businesses. I also recommend this program for immigrants because coming to a new country, learning a new language, and meeting people with different cultures is challenging. You have a significant advantage if you understand your and other people’s habits better.

F&T: We would like to point out to our readers that if you’re ambitious and want to continue working on your dreams, then working on your habits can be a great place to start. The program is for individuals and teams, so we're inviting you to look at our website, where you have all the information you need to boost your progress towards your dreams.