Stories

Meet Julia from Helsinki — a perfect example of how light entrepreneurship can be just the thing that brings freedom and meaning into life!

Julia is studying business, with a focus on marketing and psychology. Her work history began at just 14 with traditional telemarketing, later continuing with sales work in clothing stores. Eventually came the moment when Julia wanted something new — something where she could feel she was making a difference.

A friend tipped Julia off about a company called Gubbe that could bring that sense of meaning into her life. Gubbe is an elder-care service offering regular home care for older people across Finland. Julia jumped on board as a summer intern. Now she continues working in the office, handling customer management and marketing. And best of all, she's also a Gubbe companion herself. Her dog Romeo is almost always along on visits. Dogs are hugely popular among the sponsored elders, bringing joy and stirring up childhood memories for clients. Even walks become far more enjoyable with a dog by your side!

When Julia started her journey with Gubbe, light entrepreneurship entered the picture at the same time. At first she had a certain image of it in her head, and it sounded pretty intimidating. But on the positive side, light entrepreneurship turned out not to be some scary monster at all — quite the opposite, it's a versatile and flexible way to work.

Even though there are no entrepreneurs in Julia's close circle, and entrepreneurship had never really crossed her mind before, light entrepreneurship and Gubbe have opened up new possibilities for her in that direction. In particular, watching Gubbe's two strong female founders has inspired her to consider becoming an entrepreneur herself. Light entrepreneurship has shown her that her personality suits the entrepreneurial role well, especially when it comes to managing her own schedule. But most important of all to Julia is doing work that feels meaningful — even if she secretly dreams of one day opening a dog hotel.

In Julia's everyday life, light entrepreneurship blends in so naturally that it barely shows. She hasn't experienced any stress, and everything has gone smoothly. Sometimes Julia even forgets she's a light entrepreneur at all — and that's a good thing. Alongside her studies, light entrepreneurship has been the perfect solution. Scheduling her work is flexible, with no need to squeeze into a traditional 9-to-5 routine. Julia wants to stress that people should talk about light entrepreneurship more, since many still don't know much about it or may hold the wrong impression. In her view, light entrepreneurship really is worth it, and the opportunities it offers shouldn't be overlooked or left unused.

If you're considering starting out as a light entrepreneur, you could begin with one of the most meaningful jobs in Finland — as a Gubbe companion! Gubbe companionship suits everyone, anywhere in Finland. You don't need a specific background — all it takes is doing the work with heart and being present. That's really the whole thing, Julia sums up at the end of the interview.