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IN THE BOARDROOM: REMOTE WORKING

Starboard’s boardroom is a little different, as amongst their working team are some of their sponsored sailors! Nico Prien has taken on the role of windsurf brand manager, whilst Oda Johanne and Lena Erdil manage the marketing side. So is it a dream job or the end of work-life balance? Oda and Lena gives us an insight into their working lives. 

PHOTOS : Mariano Arias, John Carter, Oliver Maier. // WORDS: Oda Johanne, Lena Erdil 

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Lena Erdil – Marketing Manager 

I started working for Starboard shortly after being injured for a while in 2019. During my lengthy recovery and rehab, I took the time to revisit university and earn a certificate in digital marketing and social media management on top of my bachelor’s in politics and philosophy. Having lived as a pro windsurfer for a while, being out injured made it clear to me that I needed another job that would allow me to keep spending time travelling and windsurfing, as well as being able to earn an income. Even before Covid, the concept of working remotely from anywhere, more or less flexible in time management, was one that had a big appeal to me.  

Digital nomad 

The so-called ‘digital nomad’ life of working on your laptop from anywhere the wind blows was one that I could see myself having. But what work exactly would I be doing? I had no idea! Writing, communication and content creation are skills that come naturally to me, but when I started learning the ins and outs of the more technical side of digital marketing, it really opened my eyes to how I could apply those skills more efficiently in a job working for a windsurfing brand – I guess the clever people at Starboard saw this as well and I got a job offer immediately after getting my diploma.   

I love working for a brand with such a strong focus on environmental projects. I want to have the feeling that what I’m doing is not just helping to promote the sport I love, but also helping to protect the planet and setting a positive example in the business world. But of course, it’s not all perfect waves and rainbows. Combining life as an athlete with a part-time job requires excellent time management.  

Timing 

During my winter training in Lanzarote, I devised a schedule and routine of morning exercise, followed by Starboard work, windsurf training and evening recovery exercises. That allowed me to work very efficiently, but also ended up leaving me with no free time. Having everything scheduled quite tightly left little room for unexpected things, and as soon as other stuff popped up, for example a training regatta that breaks the schedule, or an extra meeting, interview or media project, the missed hours quickly added up and left me feeling like I was constantly running behind schedule. Then again, working with such a great team at Starboard, where we all know we have each other’s back, and will go the extra mile, helps me deal with the stress. If something needs to be done, none of us care about what time of day it is, or whether it is a Sunday or not. Amongst the Starboard team we all live the same lifestyle, so we understand each other and know how to make it work. The passion we all have at Starboard for windsurfing is the biggest driving and uniting factor in everything we do. That’s also one of the reasons why much of the online content we share has become centred around helping people choose the right equipment for their needs and improving their windsurfing.   

Meetings 

What was difficult, but also a little funny was when we had to schedule meetings when Oda was in Brazil, I was in the Canaries, Nico Prien (brand manager) was in Germany and Svein Rasmussen (CEO) was in Thailand. With the time zone differences, it meant that most of the time poor Oda had to be up at 5 a.m. four our Zoom meetings – needless to say, she made it work somehow. It’s funny also when our designer George shows us his ideas for the new board graphic designs, and many times all three of us like completely different designs! 

Now for the rest of the year, we are all travelling frequently, and our schedules are changeable most of the time. Our meetings start with us having to figure out where each other is at the time. We make sure we have our weekly meetings, but outside of that, everyone schedules their own working hours and other obligations. What’s really great is when we finally meet in person again at an event like the iQFOiL World Championships in Silvaplana last year. In fact, that was the last time we were all together in real life!  

Oda Johanne – Content Manager  

I am a pro windsurfer and I have next to that worked in Starboard since 2017! I work in the marketing team with Lena and Nico. Some years after me, Lena was hired and last year Nico came into the Starboard family. One thing we have in common is the love and passion for the sport! Being in a team with Nico and Lena helps me improve my job and I have learned a lot from them as well. Our teamwork has really been amazing! 

In my first years competing on tour I had various jobs in Norway to save money for overseas training trips. In those days, I did not even think it was possible to work remotely. One day Tiesda You from Starboard called me and asked me if I wanted to help out as a content manager in Starboard.  

Content creation 

As a team rider for Starboard I was probably the rider making the most videos. Content creation has always been a big hobby for me. As a kid I bought my first camera when I was 11 or 12 years old. My brother and I made some clips, and the content was based on humour. The editing programs in those days were not like today. We made some animation videos also and I loved working on these projects as a kid. My main passion since I was 5 years old was handball. I always asked my dad to film my handball games. Like that I could watch the game after and analyse my team and myself playing. So I began using video cameras and editing clips at a young age and was always very dedicated to my art. 

Visual 

When I visualize something, I always see it in photos or videos in my brain. I guess that is why I loved being filmed, as well as filming others and using those videos to help me improve my skills. When I started windsurfing I also filmed a lot with my friends. We took turns and sailed in a circle so everyone got all their attempts on camera. In the evening we would have a nice dinner and watch the clips. We would always make edits from any epic trips. These videos are also the main reason I got many of my sponsors. 

Talking to sailors that are better than me, combined with watching the videos, helped me improve my sailing really fast. I believe you can learn windsurfing and improve if you watch videos and ‘think’ about windsurfing even when you are not on the water. 

Social media 

In the years when social media started growing, Starboard hired me to create and share content for them. As windsurfing content is one of my passions, I felt this job really fitted me. To be honest when I work with cool content and projects about windsurfing, I can sit for hours and hours, and still feel like it isn’t work Maybe that is why I think I have my dream job! 

You can look at social media differently. It sometimes takes your time, and after scrolling you feel that you have wasted your precious time. What we want in Starboard is to have a platform that inspires you to go sailing! And we want to inspire everyone who likes windsurfing, no matter your level. I think what shines through Starboard as a brand is that the company is driven by watersport people. Svein Rasmussen was a windsurfer himself, and he is still out there testing gear, and also keeping up with all the different Starboard crews. Every week we have a marketing meeting, where we discuss what to do next, what went well and what we can improve. We want to be the best in what we do. Have riders who win contests on the water, but we also want to be the brand with the highest engagement. I guess we are all competitive in the Starboard team and take this into our jobs in Starboard as well. 

Work schedule 

I have a great work schedule combining windsurf training with work for Starboard. I was born with a lot of energy, so only windsurfing would not be enough for me. As I said already, when you love what you do, you don’t feel uninspired. So let’s say the wind is super good one day, I will make sure I am on the water, and catch up on work in the evening or in the morning before training. I don’t mind if I work unusual hours. I like that I can feel that I can control my own time, and I do believe for people like me, we work more efficiently when we are free and motivated. I feel some kind of ownership to my working tasks, and I want to do it as well as possible, just like I do when I windsurf!