Now that Adversity University is happily nestled in its new home with Top Hosting Center as its server, we are ready to move forward!
Moving on, this week we have our first international guest, Alexander Kjerulf from Denmark. Did you know the results of a survey done in Denmark revealed that the majority of the people living and working there considered themselves genuinely happy? I know it’s hard to believe but there’s ample evidence backing it up. It was an Internet news piece that was floating around when I first saw it. I’ll bet if you googled “Denmark, happiness” you’ll find some of those surveys.
Anyhow, I’d like to get on with the show now that Alex is with us. He flew all the way to Adversity University (we can pretend, can’t we? LOL) to be our special guest and I’ll bet you’re eager to learn more about a man who calls himself the “Chief Happiness Officer.”
Let’s welcome Alexander to the Stephen Hopson Interviews!
1. One of my favorite questions when I want to learn about someone is by asking them to give me their 5 second introduction when I pose the question: “What do you do for a living?”
I always say “I make people happy at work!”
Often followed by: “No, really, I do!”
Stephen’s Response: I’ll bet this gets many uncomprehending stares in return. People on the average probably find it hard to believe there is a such a thing as happiness in the workplace these days. You truly have cut out a niche for yourself Alex! Teaching people how to reclaim happiness in the workplace. Wow, that’s really cool.
2. Tell me in 3 to 5 sentences something we can’t read in your bio or at the “About Page” at your blog “Positive Sharing.”
I have a motorcycle but no car. I often arrive for important meetings or client presentations on my bicycle. Some people eat to live, some live to eat. I’m definitely in the latter category! MAN, I love food! I’m really good at doing what I’m good at. And avoiding doing things I suck at. I refuse to do things I don’t like.
Stephen’s Response: Ha! I love food too. I was recently in Las Vegas for a speaking engagement (ever been there?) and had the most delicious lunch AND dinner at Wolfgang Puck’s! I was absolutely in food heaven with my two meals. The first was just a sandwich but it was out of this world. The second meal was a steak platter with french fries. Even the FF were extraordinary! I mean, how many times in your life have you said you had the “best ever french fries?” Well, I lived to tell the tale at Wolfgang Puck’s!
3. How long have you been blogging at “Positive Sharing”?
I’ve been blogging for five years now. Casually for about 3 years and then seriously and with a huge readership for the last two years.
Stephen’s Response: That’s great. I myself have been blogging since April 2006 and have experienced a slow but steady growth, kind of similar to your experience until one day “Positive Sharing” exploded and took off like a rocket. 
4. How did you come up with that very interesting and eye-catching title?
I thought about how many blogs and websites are about rants and complaining. Now, I enjoy a good rant as much as the next person, but there are so many out there already. So I decided that my blog would be positive.
This also fits perfectly with my work. While all workplaces have problems and must become better at dealing with them, we should all also remember to appreciate what is good about work.
And to me, blogging is about sharing. Ideas, thoughts, tools, experiences, laughs, notions. To me, blogging is inherently about generosity.
Stephen’s Response: You echo a lot of what I believe and that is, “everything is a matter of perception.” If we can focus on the good, then we can bring it out in the workplace.
I agree that blogging is about sharing. I’m about to find out more about that concept this weekend when I go to Chicago for the SOBCon08 conference. I’ll be meeting other bloggers for the first time - it should be very interesting.
5. And even more to the point, how did you come up with “Chief Happiness Officer”?
Well there are a lot of CXOs, right? A Chief Financial Officer to handle the money. A Chief Technology Officer to deal with IT. A Chief Executive Officer to helm the whole thing. Every important area of the business has someone in charge.
So since happy employees are actually the most important success factor for a business today, someone should be in charge of that. i.e.. a Chief Happiness Officer.
Stephen’s Response: Well, you can be my Chief Happiness Officer anytime! What a cool tagline - actually I should say, what a cool branding name. It’s actually quite ingenious if you ask me! Not many people will forget that. Very smart branding move - most definitely!
6. Speaking of happiness, I read an article that people in Denmark are the happiest people in the world. How do you think they came to that conclusion?
There are a lot of happiness studies being done and Denmark consistently ranks at or near the top.
Most studies look at self-perceived happiness, basically asking people the question “All things considered, how happy are you with your life?”
And life in Denmark is good. Free health care. Free schools up to and including universities. A safe and secure society. Wealth in abundance. Of course taxes are high too, but it seems to be a good trade-off.
Stephen’s Response: Free health care? That’s awesome. Unfortunately in the United States we do not have that. The insurance companies, politicians and health care people are all enmeshed with the idea of making money - not there’s anything wrong with it but gosh, millions of people in America do not have health insurance! So, I am very glad for Denmark. Seems that the people there understand that high taxes is a worthwhile investment knowing that there’s free health care and free education. Wow, that’s amazing. Maybe one day America will look to Denmark as a role model?
7. What is the real reason you started “Positive Sharing”?
For the attention. I love attention :o)
To share! To give away as much as I can.
Stephen’s Response: Yeah, me too. Why do you think I’m an inspirational speaker? I grew up around the supper table largely ignored because there was too much going on and it was impossible for me to keep up with the conversation. But when I got older, I began to devise ways of getting some attention and I think I’ve managed to do just that through some of my achievements in business and aviation. It’s been an interesting journey, let me tell ya.
I love the last thing you said - “to share - to give away….” That’s the most powerful way to keep the gifts flowing to and from ourselves. When we give freely (without attachment), we get back in more ways than one. It’s a most amazing spiritual principle in existence.
8. One of the reasons why you’re being interviewed, Alex, is because you’re write with zeal and authenticity. There’s a note of positivity in your writings. You seem real. How did you become like this?
It’s been quite a journey. I’m not a naturally positive person. It’s just that I’ve discovered over the last ten years or so, that being positive and optimistic feels good. It makes me happy, more successful and a nicer person.
I’ve become what I am by following two ideas:
- 1. Life is about being happy
- 2: The best way to be happy yourself is to make others happy
Stephen’s Response: I agree that being positive and optimistic feels GREAT. There’s something about the energy of that kind of person. I’m not talking about those who appear “Pollyanna with rose colored glasses” but someone who is content, comfortable with him/herself, fulfilled and secure.
9. The reason Positive Sharing is so successful is because there’s a real human being behind it. If I were to ask you to dig a little further, how would you define who you really are?
Good question and I’m still discovering the answer to that question. Looking at my journey over the last 10-15 years, I feel like I’ve become more and more “me”.
And what is “me”? I could talk about my strengths, and say that I’m creative, a great speaker, open, friendly and a pretty good leader.
I could talk about what I like and mention snowboarding, wakeboarding, reading, sci-fi books, movies, travelling.
I could talk about what makes me happy and mention my wonderful girlfriend Patricia and my family.
Is that “me”? Good question!
Stephen’s Response: The beauty of this question is that there are no right or wrong answers. We are each unique in our own way and there’s no one else like us. So, GREAT answers!
10. What is the best advice you’ve ever received? Given?
Best advice I’ve ever given has got to be when I teach people to say “good morning” at work. Sounds trivial - but it works!
Best advice I’ve ever got? When a friend convinced me to quit my first ever job at a very prestigious Danish company, because I was not happy there!
Stephen’s Response: You’d be amazed when you say simple things to people like “Good morning” or “Nice shoes.” I think you already know about the power of words through the fifth grade teacher story. My fifth grade teacher said three words - just three words - that forever caused a ripple effect throughout the rest of my life. Who knew such simple words would do that? Words can be made to uplift or destroy.
Congratulations on having the courage to quit the position at such a prestigious company. I’ll bet you gained much from the experience and gotten even bigger and better opportunities because of it. That’s what usually happens - we are rewarded in proportion to the amount of risk we take.
11 What do you consider your proudest achievement in life?
Becoming increasingly me.
Stephen’s Response; So basically you are on a spiritual journey. You’re continually discovering who you are and refining your purpose on this planet. Would that be about accurate?
Thank you Alex for coming on the show with us! I had a great time learning more about you. I’m sure the community at Adversity University did too! We are all looking forward to seeing you again next week!
Turning to you, the audience: I leave for the SOBCon08 this Thursday, returning the following Tuesday. Since I do not have a laptop, unless I borrow one from someone else, I may not be blogging until I return next week. So please be prepared for that. The only exception is I will have a gratitude post for the end of this week (how can I not do that one?).
Thanks for all your support and for hanging around with me. I look forward to sharing the details of SOBCon08 upon my return.
This post (see link below) was written and copyrighted by Stephen J. Hopson at: Adversity University Blog
Stephen Hopson Interview with Alexander Kjerulf, Chief Happiness Officer from Denmark, Part I of II
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