Some careers are built on a specific plan. Others start with a spark of curiosity, a love for language, and a deep appreciation for the unexpected. That has been my story.

When I was younger, I thought my future was in the classroom. I studied French at the university, thinking I was going to be a teacher. But I quickly realized that life inside a traditional classroom wasn't for me. I wanted something more dynamic. Coming from Skagen, I grew up in a tight-knit fishing community where my grandfathers had always been fishermen going out to sea. So, I took a degree in business and office administration and ended up landing a trainee position at a fish export company. I would go to the fish auctions in Hirtshals with my boss, buying fresh fish just like the others, which we packed and sold to France, including the Rungis market in Paris. 

For eight years, I worked in this field, completely in French. It was an intense world. You buy the fish in the morning, and it has to be sold and out the door by the end of the day. I loved the energy, but when I had my first child, the grueling hours and early mornings just didn't fit into my life anymore. I had to pivot. That is how I found my way into the frozen food industry, where the pace was less frantic but the global scope was just as grand. More than anything, it was the chance to combine the French language with the vibrant, complex markets of Africa that pulled me in. 

Today, I have been working with the African continent for 17 years, the last 11 of them right here at ESS-FOOD as an Export Manager. 

Africa is a market that requires a very specific approach. It is entirely built on relationships. In French, there is a word we use constantly: confiance-trust. You don't just build confiance overnight; it takes years of showing up, proving your character, and keeping your promises. Anyone can send a quote over an email, but in my world, you have to get under the skin of the market. That is why I am probably the person on our team who spends the most of the time on the phone. My African customers talk loudly, and they want to feel your energy. I am driven by that information. Knowing exactly why a market is moving, who is buying, and where the doors are opening and closing. You don't get that kind of pulse from a text message. 

ESS-FOOD has given me the freedom to operate exactly the way I need to. I came here from a competitor over a decade ago because I wanted a culture built on flexibility and trust, not micromanagemnet. Our team on the Aalborg office knows what needs to be done, and we are trusted to just go out and do it. The environment allows you to take chances. Because of my background, I was able to help launch our company's fish department a dew years ago, and today I am still a part of it for the African market alongside three great colleagues. 

I am the only woman in our African department, and honestly, I love it. It is a no-nonsense environment with zero drama. We have a fantastic synergy in Aalborg. We are a mixed bad of young and experienced people, and we have wonderful atmosphere at the Aalborg office where we always help each other out whenever problems arise. But we also know that our business only works if everyone - sales, purchasing, shipping, and bookkeeping - pulls in the same direction. When we do, and when we fight through the tough bureaucratic barriers to close a major deal, it feels like a massive victory. 

The life of an export manager can be fast-paced and loud. To survive the buzz, you need to find your own balance. For me, that happens in two completely opposite ways. On the weekends, my husband, our two sons, and I dive into our passion for classic American cars. We own two American cars - a 1963 Chevrolet Nova and a 1972 Dodge Dart - and we love to cruise around and go to major car meets. The louder the V8 engines roar, the better. 

But to completely reset my mind after a week of shouting over long-distance phone lines and roaring engines, I practice yoga. I have done it for years. It is the one place where I can completely put my thoughts on a shelf and just find quiet. 

After 11 years at ESS-FOOD, I am still driven by the fact that I never know what Monday morning will bring. The unpredictability keeps me sharp, the culture keeps me loyal, and I am still just as excited to pick up the phone and hunt for the next piece of confiance.