Get To Know Johan Boholm
"Since joining the Smart Break team I have been working very closely with Johan. He is someone that can urge you to grow and think outside the box. He is so positive and encouraging in my growth in this company and my career. He pushes our team to stay consistent and works hard to help us prosper our ideas. He would not admit to this but he is a real jokester as well. He is just good people," stated Lawrence Smith.
“His door is always open. I know that no matter what the issue is I can go and speak with him. He pushes me to think outside of the box and look at my work from a different perspective. This has both challenged me and helped me perform better at my job. He constantly supports and drives both Lawrence and myself to be our best all the time. I'm fortunate to work day in and day out with somebody like Johan who is caring, passionate, and dedicated”, comments Chelsy Swackhamer.
If you don’t know Johan Boholm, you should.
From Data – Science to the wellness industry, he has seen it all. Nearly 20 years ago, Johan co-founded Raisoft Oy with the mission of making the world a healthier place. After much success and helping to grow the company internationally with over 50 employees, he decided to take a turn in his career and get more involved in the wellness industry.
Is what you’re doing now what you always wanted to do growing up?
I can't recall having a dream job as a kid, but as a teenager, I became very interested in electronics, which later on made me interested in computer stuff. When I was 19, I purchased my first computer, the Commodore 64, and since that, I've been hooked ????
What motivated you to get involved and start Smart Break?
Raisoft, a software company I had co-founded, started to have issues from excessive sitting and static work. More than half of our workforce were software developers, and many of them had neck and shoulder problems, lower back symptoms and headaches. In the management team, we wanted to find a way how to get rid of these issues, so we contacted an occupational physiotherapist who had a solution for us - a three-minute exercise that we were supposed to do twice a day. I volunteered to be in charge of that project, which later on resulted in a web-based software solution called Smart Break.
You’ve been apart of the start of both Raisoft and Smart Break. Were you faced with any similar challenges in both of them?
Mostly yes. In both cases, we had to be innovative when creating the software, as we wanted it to be very intuitive and easy to use. For both solutions, there was also the uncertainty factor, i.e. how well the solutions are going to be received on the market. For Raisoft - in the year 2000 - I did the programming part myself, but for Smart Break I was mostly specifying how the software should work. Both projects have been very interesting.
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to somebody who’s wanting to start a company in 2020?
Have persistence. Everything takes a lot longer than anticipated. Multiply the original timeline by pi (3,14) to get a more realistic one. Also, surround yourself with people that share your passion - that makes co-operation a lot easier in the long run.
What are some of your hobbies outside of work? How important do you think it is to have a healthy work-life balance?
I relax by going out for a run, a mountain bike ride, or by snapping photos of the beautiful nature in Finland. I believe it is very important to have hobbies that generate positive energy - in that way it is easier to cope with all the challenges at work.
