Several seasons ago, one might have been soaking up the summer sun in the Nordics as a seasonal athlete looking for a wave to ride, a hot dog to nourish a depleted body, and a memory to bank away for the long, dark, cold winter to come. The day would have been punctuated by an encounter with a young man from the sea, exuberant in his unflappable confidence and eager to be someone in this world.

That young man would experience rapid success as an entrepreneur, unaware of the early dusk to his perceived dawn.

A series of early successes falsely proclaimed that this now-adult had arrived for the long haul. The Viking-like man, in appearance and bold personality, wasn’t riding waves of sustainable revenue. No. Konrad Bergström was sleeping in his car, wondering what had gone wrong, staring at a debt of over a half million Euros.

This isn’t a story about failure but one of second chances that shines a light on the importance of roots and the power of letting go.

As a reporter, I crossed the ocean to cover the Denniz Pop Awards and to get to know the larger-than-life entrepreneur who brings his Viking looks and electric vibe to every interaction.

Yes, Bergström hosted the Awards at his home, but this is about the man behind the locks, horizon-defining smile, and engaging glance. The account of a fearless man who is desperately and deeply connected to the sea and his young family.

Early Lessons

As the seven-year-old on the beach, selling candy and hot dogs matured, so did his appetite for business. Inspiration and tolerance for risk were embedded in Bergström’s upbringing.

He came from the small village of Norrskedika, Sweden. His mother was a theater director, and his father a math and engineering teacher. A man before his time, Bergström’s father left the classroom to pursue his passions for the ocean and boating. Bergström’s grandmother introduced him to nature, and his grandfather ushered in an entrepreneurial spirit authoring over 200 patents in the medical field.

Bergström may not have recognized it at the time, but his family’s roots and, more specifically, his father’s pivot from teaching to selling boats would prove to be a lifelong lesson in self-belief and the entrepreneurial path.

Fast forward, and at just 16, Bergström moved to New Zealand to pursue a professional windsurfing career. While his skills in riding waves didn’t match his passion, he quickly found his entrepreneurial footing by launching a distribution company for windsurfing gear called Thule Roofracks.

Early success in New Zealand propelled Bergström back home to expand his knowledge base. He studied economics at Uppsala University, and after his studies, at the age of 21, he became group commander in the Lapland Ranger Regiment, one of the Swedish military’s toughest divisions.

At the conclusion of his military duties, the western shores of Sweden became home to Bergström’s burgeoning surf shop.

The ideas continued to flow, and Bergström took the lessons from his surf shop, founding the lifestyle distribution company Megascine Agency and began distributing action sports brands such as Burton, Sector 9, and Liquid Force to the Scandinavian market.

He began understanding the power of brands and distribution quickly, working with over 30 brands across the Nordics. “I was learning from Quicksilver and other brands how to generate consumer demand from trends I was authoring,” says Bergström.

The character building of the military and several professional experiences positioned Bergström to weather the highs and lows that can accompany entrepreneurship.

Rough Waters

President Konrad (Bergström’s social media handle) embodies his public profile of living life hard with house money—a personality that evolved from overcoming massive setbacks. Several years ago, Bergström was broke, living out of his car and wondering how to right his professional ship post-bankruptcy. When his Megascine Agency failed, he found himself in unchartered waters

“At first, I struggled to understand the gravity of bankruptcy. It isn’t like going to a therapist and uncovering some hidden truth, but it [bankruptcy] is truly a mind-blowing experience,” shares Bergström.

The downside of having an engaging and uplifting personality might lie in the perception others have rather than the reality of a very personal and public experience. “I met people who thought my story was easy, that going through bankruptcy wasn’t difficult for me. Yet, I felt like the worst human being on earth.”

Bergström recalls the change in people around him during the difficult times and appears to wear the scars to this day. “People stopped saying hello to me. I needed human interaction, but people seemed to, unfortunately, label me at a time I needed them the most.”

Getting Back on the Boat

A chance encounter with a man he had known in his past rerouted Bergström’s next chapter. Typically cheery, Bergström responded to a general inquiry into his current state of mind with just an ‘I’m ok.’ The atypical response caused the colleague to remind Bergström of a key and unique differentiator. “He said to me, Konrad, remember one thing. No one person can steal your knowledge,” recalls Bergström. “That was a turning point for me. I went home and wrote the business plan for a future company that eventually found great success.”

Before starting the company that would unlock financial freedom again, Bergström joined the clothing brand WeSC and developed the world’s first fashion mobile phone. The connection between technology and fashion grew inside Bergström, leading him to initiate the WeSC headphone line.

Bergström, unafraid of the next step and with his business plan in hand, brought together seven friends and opened Zound Industries. The group, with Bergström as president, created an electronics giant.

Zound produced headphones and speakers, including brands such as Urbanears, and held licensing deals with audio stalwarts like Marshall and apparel legend Adidas. Over the next 10 years, Bergström led the way to over 20 million products sold in over 130 countries.

Living Success

The art adorning the walls at the Bergström home is eclectic, with architecture consciously designed to embrace natural elements and sight lines. Sculptures of Marilyn Monroe and animals host the circuitous path through the tri-level house, with the geometry of the rooms serving as three-dimensional experiences.

“The house doesn’t have straight angles because I want to live in an interesting space. It [house] is a bit like my brain. I don’t like thinking or living inside a contrived box,” posits Bergström.

The Denniz Pop Awards provided an opportunity for the home to be a three-dimensional reflection of Bergström’s personality for the international music industry to experience. The attendees naturally fit into the diverse tapestry of Bergström’s home representing music and entertainment, the culinary arts, investors, and technologists.

Bergström’s home is uniquely personal and welcoming at the same time. It is clear that Bergström embraces every square foot and, more specifically, inch of his home, noting minute details of care and design to this reporter. “I appreciate my home, and it is important to me that it means something more than just a place to live,” shares Bergström.

Remembering Your Roots

Bergström, now 51, finds that the days of centerstage are behind him. “Early in my life, I focused my gaze in one direction, forward. I now stop and think about the things that have meaning in my life—my children, my wife, businesses, and a community of friends. I used to be the face and voice on the stage, but now I enjoy helping others stand out.”

His portfolio of interests has expanded to include companies and collaborators driven to support mother nature as his grandmother might have wanted. Chef Jón Óskar Arnason, a friend and master distiller, sought Bergström’s advice for his distillery idea. The lunch among friends found Arnason realizing Bergström was not only a friend but the perfect partner for the venture to launch.

“I have been friends with Konrad for years. I sought his advice about the future of Ógin. I had a few interested investors, and I asked for his advice. Konrad pitched back to me my own vision and strategy for Ógin. A vision that I’d never shared with anyone before. After that lunch, we decided to partner up and make that vision come true,” recalls Arnason.

Soeder, like Ógin, keeps Bergström connected to nature and projects emblematic of his upbringing. At Soeder, Bergström serves as an advisor and investor of the Zurich, Switzerland-based soap company.

Ógin and Soeder appear to complement a man who can appreciate the subtleties of life as an entrepreneur and now parent. Bergström, back in 1996, thought about his now X Shore electric boat company looking for a sustainable option to navigate the seas he loved. It took a few years, but Bergström now enjoys founder status of the company while embracing fatherhood and a portfolio of professional interests that align with his rugged and storied career.

Throughout Sweden and the Nordics, he continues to be viewed as an award-winning entrepreneur with a flair for presentation. His passion for the ocean and marine conservation underscores his charitable work to protect the environment and wildlife. He has served as a United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Innovation Adviser. In 2018, Sweden’s Royal Patriotic Society awarded Bergström the highest honor for his achievements: The King’s Medal.

The self-professed stubborn man who embodies the motto, “Never give up,” exhausted his internal fortitude during the dark days to realize the fruits of today.

Many would find themselves alone in their car feeling, and rightfully so, quite pessimistic. But President Konrad recalls enjoying the quiet of the car.

“I leaned all the way into my ideas early on and ended up in my car. I kind of enjoyed it. I’m a positive guy, and even though everyone left, I still had my dog and my ideas.”

The sea can be unrelenting and cruel. It can also take ideas to distant lands and bring gifts to the shore. Konrad Bergström can confidently walk or surf into his future as a seaman weathered for the better, humbled by the past, and with the wind at his back for what is to come.

He only hopes others will navigate the currents of life with an unwavering commitment to ideas that can positively impact communities.

Regardless, Konrad Bergström’s boy-like optimism will continue to surf ideas of sustainability that impact consumers across the world.

Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.