An interview with Huldunótur founder R. Michael Hendrix
Reykjavík - 2 December 2024:
Svetlana Graudt of Raketta Studio interviews founder R. Michael Hendrix on the state of branding and creativity in Iceland. Excerpt and links to full interview in English and Icelandic below:What are the practicalities of working with Icelandic businesses?
“Þetta Reddast” can be freeing, but as you point out, may be exhausting for someone who likes to plan. It’s certainly forced me to let go of a lot of cultural professional practices from the US. I’ve gone from having my days fully scheduled for weeks to having nearly nothing on my calendar and just agreeing to meet people in that moment when they text. Things are much more casual in that sense, but it doesn’t mean planning is totally out the door.
You’ve heard Iceland called the land of fire and ice? That really sums it up. Everything here is hot then cold, urgent then absent, intimate then distant, all or nothing. Accepting this as the pulse makes things easier. Wanting it to be something else is just frustrating.
That is all personal, of course. From a branding perspective, I believe it’s a problem when it comes to business planning. Companies working internationally have found ways to even out this behavior. They may even make 3-year growth plans! But companies working exclusively domestically still struggle with it. The mental muscle memory is activated by rapid problem solving rather than deliberate, strategic growth planning. This is a difficult shift, but an essential one in this new competitive landscape.
That said, I don’t want to paint this as all bad. I believe this mindset has been critical to Iceland’s resilience and survival. So there is something we all must learn from it. We shouldn’t try to replace it. I just want to add some additional skills.
Read More:
Full interview in English and Icelandic.- hendrix@invisiblenotes.com