Meet Ingunn Bjøru, COO of Avidly Agency, HubSpot global partner of the year 2019
Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare.
- Angela Duckworth, Grit
Ingunn Bjøru is one of the most inspiring women I know. Almost 3 years ago, she and Barbro Fagerbakk took a leap of faith and founded Inbound Norway, an inbound marketing agency. Starting as a duo, they grew the agency to about 15 employees, with Ingunn as CEO. They then scouted and joined forces with three agencies, Katalysator in Denmark, Zeeland Family in Finland, and Doidea in Sweden, to form Avidly Agency in 2018. In 2019, the Avidly family expanded into the DACH region by adding NetPress GmbH to the roster. Avidly was recently named HubSpot’s Global Partner of the Year 2019 and an Elite HubSpot Solutions Partner, one of only 6 in the world. Avidly helps its clients achieve and exceed growth goals with HubSpot.
Before becoming COO of Avidly, Ingunn served as Country Manager for the Norwegian office. She held this role alongside the COO role before transitioning to focus primarily on the COO role. Before co-founding Inbound Norway, she worked as a freelance consultant at tobecontinuedcontent and as the CEO and IMC Manager at Inbound Group. Ingunn was a Digital Marketing Consultant at Idium and a Project Manager at Findexa Forlag. She also worked as a Marketing and Project Assistant and Translator at Fountain Partnership and as an Advertising Sales Marketer and Marketing Intern at Archant.
Ingunn graduated with honors from the University of East Anglia with a Bachelor of Arts in Society, Media, and Culture. While at university, she took French classes and played on the handball team. She likes the quote above because it shows that success and growth require more than passion or excitement. It won't always be easy, but when it goes well, it is well worth it.
What does a typical day as a Founder, CEO, and then COO look like?
There is never a typical day. As someone who always plans ahead, it is perhaps strange that I love this job, which is full of surprises.
When we first founded what is now Avidly's Norwegian office (formerly Inbound Norway), days ranged from assembling furniture to executing customer projects, reporting on our financials, or pacing the office floor, hoping we would survive another month.
Today, as COO of Avidly’s international venture, I do less project execution for clients. I'm lucky to still stay in touch with our clients so I can keep my finger on the pulse of what they need to succeed. I spend more of my days on video calls with team members across our five countries, helping them connect with the right people internally, keeping progress, reporting to your management team, and communicating in general. Maintaining a smooth flow of information is perhaps my most important task in helping others succeed.
What are you passionate about? (In your work, personal life, or other)
I am passionate about chasing the same feeling both in and out of work: growth, whether it is learning something new, being challenged, or figuring out something that seemed impossible. I am also passionate about helping others grow. I have been lucky to work with some awesome people, and even having a small role in helping them reach the next level (whatever that means for them) is something I am really passionate about.
Outside of work, I love to work out, and it's best when it is so challenging that my brain has to switch off work and focus on it. Here, I also appreciate learning new things. But I have always loved being active. It might even match my passion for eating ice cream.
What do you find most challenging about being a Founder, CEO, and then COO?
With offices in five countries, I find it challenging not to be present in all of them more than every other month, if not every quarter. Seeing the team face-to-face is essential. Luckily, I work with excellent country managers and team leads that/who have strong connections with their team. That way, I can maintain a relationship, even when I'm far away. As mentioned, I also talk to team members in every country on video nearly every day.
What do you find most enriching about being a Founder, CEO, and then COO?
We are back to the growth element again. I don’t think I could have learned more, been more challenged, or grown faster than in the combination of roles I have had over the past four years. I also love helping others grow. If I can help anyone else take the next step in their career, I am here!
How did you find yourself in your current career?
When I was younger, I had completely different career plans: firefighter, conflict journalist, and other perhaps more temporary ideas. But I have always been intrigued by starting something myself.
Meeting Barbro Fagerbakk (co-founder) was a stroke of luck, and I think we were a perfect match for starting something new.
When faced with big life choices, I have made my best ones by saying “yes” before worrying too much. There is plenty of time for that later. So when Barbro asked, “Should we start our own agency?” “Yes” came quickly. When they asked me to take on the challenge as COO, I said yes before I even really considered what that meant.
There are so many things to worry about, and I worry a lot. However, you will never grow if you say “no” every time something scary comes along. You can always figure things out after.
Co-founders, Barbro Fagerbakk and Ingunn Bjøru
Words of advice for anyone who wants to pursue this career?
You need a good bit of grit. I think motivation is a fleeting concept, and I haven't relied on it much in my career. Of course, it is lovely to be motivated, but there is no hiding that being a founder, and now a COO, can bring tough days and tough decisions. A decent dose of grit will carry you through.
To learn more about Ingunn's career trajectory and her leadership and inbound marketing philosophies, visit her LinkedIn page or the Avidly agency website.
Thanks for reading!
