Today we’d like to introduce you to Elke Govertsen.

Hi Elke, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

When I was 10, I lived in an abandoned fur farm in Alaska with no running water or electricity. We lived in an old mink pen. My mother was an artist, my stepfather a fisherman/ boat builder, and my father in Montana was a physics teacher. This combination meant I was raised with a lot of figuring out how things work, to adapt and fix them, and how to make them beautiful.

My career has the same Venn diagram of function and beauty. I founded Mamalode Magazine in 2008 to connect parents around authentic first person stories. Print, online, events all were opportunities to elevate the experience. It reached over 2 million parents and built an organic and important movement.

I now do consulting work at the intersection of content/community/culture. I am lucky to do work that matters with people I adore. My sons are now in their 20s and thriving. I call it “open nesting” since we all come and go, together, apart, always connected. Up next: I wrote a book about the mink pen and I am excited to nurture that into publication.

Our family also has started a boutique charter company in Alaska on a 68 foot private yacht for family eco/wildlife tours, fishing or hunting, or get off the grid adventures exploring Southeast Alaska. We also host retreats (for executives, teams, specialty groups) which are my speciality. It is the full circle moment for my career– Alaska is really one giant metaphor for business, strategy, experience, and life. That company is called “Thanks, Alaska” because the attitude is gratitude.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

Are there any smooth roads in the world?

In my 20s I had typhoid which escalated into a cascade of emergency surgeries and a near death experience (that is a whole story on its own) and since then I have had to balance energy, health, goals, setbacks and opportunities. The gift of understanding borrowed time so early is that it made taking risks really not feel so risky.

I had a surprise pregnancy which simultaneously derailed and defined my life. He is now 22, has a brother and they continue to shape me more than anything else.

My mother lived with our family for the last eleven years of her life and being her caregiver and raising my sons at the same time was the most beautiful work of my life. Work stuff is just work stuff, lots of ups and downs, adventures, flops, home-runs– it is love that really is the ride.

In the work department I was always bootstrapping so money was a challenge. The creative constraints made for some remarkable solutions, but it was difficult to scale. If I knew then what I know now I would have built for growth.

Sometimes I long to not have to be resilient, but that is just not how it goes. Especially when trying to build something special.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

I work as a consultant, facilitator, and speaker. (And now writer!!!)– whether it is hosting retreats on our boat in Alaska, curating an event in the middle east, facilitating strategy, creating change in culture, all of the projects are similar in that it is about a shared experience where people can show up fully. I get hired for projects to design the experience, shape the outcomes, and inspire belief.

I think what sets me apart is joy, very out of the box solutions, creative concepts, execution. I am equal parts strategy and heart and am able to help teams find that balance too.

It seems like trust is the rarest of commodities, and building it is my specialty.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?

I love working at the messy space where plans/problems intersect with people. Human behavior is always unpredictable– what shows up on a survey doesn’t always hold up when a person is scared, irrational, vulnerable, inspired. We are impacted by our circumstances, by each other.

I love how vital culture is in the outcome of any venture.

I love how storytelling and art moves the needle.

I love how showing up curious and open has allowed me to work with teams and projects that are changing the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://elke.substack.com/
• Instagram: @elkegovertsen
• LinkedIn: @elkegovertsen
• Other: www.thanksalaska.com, www.mamalode.com, www.elkegovertsen.com