Finding and defining your niche in which you have a special talent or a particular take is important in order to create a valuable identity for yourself and everyone around you, says founder and CEO Nikolaj Stagis in an interview by Branders Magazine for the Inspiring Founders issue.
What inspired you to embark on the entrepreneurship journey and become a founder?
I wanted to work more holistically with corporate branding, thinking about leadership, business strategy and cultural development as parts of the branding process, just as much as the art and craft of visual design, creative concepts and filmmaking. I also wanted to study film direction in the US and didn’t think founding a new agency was a big deal. I quit my ad agency job and just headed out on the journey as brand consultant and agency owner. I never went to film school.

Reflecting on your journey, what has been the biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?
Cliche as it may be, my biggest challenges have also been advantages. I am detail oriented and determined to a degree that will drive people mad. But in most professions quality is connected to the sum of details and how they play together. It’s taken me many years to find a balance between the depth of quality and getting things done NOW. Not feeling that your life depends on a particular project helps that balance.
Finding and defining your niche in which you have a special talent or a particular take is important in order to create a valuable identity for yourself and everyone around you
Nikolaj Stagis, founder
Could you share one or two key pieces of advice you’d give to aspiring entrepreneurs aiming to become successful founders?
Finding and defining your niche in which you have a special talent or a particular take is important in order to create a valuable identity for yourself and everyone around you. Try to find colleagues, partners and clients that you enjoy spending your time with. Not because you need to be friends with them, but because your life is too short and valuable to stick with toxic people.

In your opinion, what makes a founder a successful founder?
After almost 30 years of running my own business the idea of success has changed for me. I wanted my projects to make a difference all along but for many years I felt a great deal of pressure to perform and grow the business to a certain size. Now I’m much more concerned about the conditions that allow meaningful transformation to happen. I would rather work on a small project making a big difference than running a big project that gets cancelled by a committee at the end. A successful founder creates a business or a project that makes a difference for others. If you can make that difference the rest will follow – and you’ll feel happier at the end.
Interview by Branders Magazine for the “Founders issue” in May 2024.