“The human voice can never reach the distance that is covered by the still small voice of conscience”, said Mahatma Ghandi. There are certain people who enter your life to serve as that small voice; they are straight talkers, challenge you to clarify your position, despite the uncomfortable pauses and reiterations of thought. To me, Ms. Sofie Hyllén is that person; she doesn’t play around, always calling you out on bullshit. It’s highly annoying at times, because it’s highly needed, at times. We all need a Sofie - when else are we asked to really look inward and address the reasons behind our actions. I’ve had the pleasure of Sofie’s company for only a few years, below are friends who have known her for much longer; I’ll pass them the mic.” - Olga Shmaidenko, Founder of WOW Woman.

“When I think of Sofie, words like genuine, loyal and kindhearted come to mind. I was fortunate to work with her for five years, during which we became close friends. Sofie wears her heart on her sleeve and has a sincere and caring soul, which manifested in her creating Self-worth Safari, a movement with the aims of inspiring and guiding people on their life path. Sofie herself has walked a journey full of obstacles, which she has gracefully dealt with. She looks at life as a valuable gift, filled with lessons and opportunities; she constantly reminds those around her to take responsibility for their choices, but also to approach self with forgiveness and love. Sofie is adventurous, open-minded and has a great wit and a sarcastic sense of humor. Over the years, we have laughed and cried together a great deal. I am grateful to call her my friend.” - Frida Vesterberg, Cape Town, South Africa.

“I am grateful to have crossed paths with Sofie. During our time working together at Project Playground, we became more than colleagues. She is a giant in the coaching, personal development and leadership space. She had vision, purpose and passion for driving positive change in our communities, specifically in the lives of children and young people. Sofie is brave, daring, fun-loving, a straight talker, lifelong learner and a supportive friend. I will always wish her the best of happiness and many successes in life. I know she does the same for me.” - Phila Nkuzo, Cape Town, South Africa.

Kindness Warrior, People Motivator, Acro Yogi, Stockholm, Sweden

1. Name.

Sofie Hyllén.

2. Where is your hometown?

Stockholm, Sweden.

3. What is your profession/career/title/self-label/designation? What does your average day look like?

I am currently working as a People & Culture Manager during the day and work as a Mind Wellness Life Coach in the evenings. I am fortunate enough to follow me vision and mission in both places- motivating individuals towards self-awareness, self-acceptance & self-worth. I work with people, to help them lower their stress levels and increase their sense of inner happiness. I coach and lead organisations and individuals toward their key strengths and how to best utilize them. I coach managers in self-leadership and help them create mental well-being in the workplace. It’s a dream come true career for me, a place where I get to inspire many and see the trickle-dowh effect of my work every day. 

4. What did you study in school?

I did a one year master in Business Management focusing on Hospitality, I planned on starting my own restaurant one day back then. Little did I know where life would take me :)

5. What was the journey like to get where you are (in life and career-wise)? Write about some of the achievements that you are most proud of. What was the moment for you that changed your life (in your personal life and/or career?) that set you on the current path in life?

The day I am most proud of was the day I picked up the phone and called my mother’s manager and told him about her alcohol-addiction, asked him for help; it was the only way out for me. Pulling the rug from underneath her addiction did not only start her 15 years of sobriety but it kick-started my self-development journey which I have been on ever since. I realized all the strengths and weaknesses that came with my childhood and am slowly but surely working towards accepting and loving every single part of me.

I now get more out of my comfort zone and push my boundaries as my self-worth grows. This has set me on a path of self-discovery and openness towards myself and others. I believe that it all start with you, but it doesn’t end with you. I pushed my boundaries a lot when I moved to South Africa, in 2011. At the time, I was challenged by a mentor to follow my dreams now, and not at the retirement age. Four months later, I was on a flight down to a small town I had never been to, not knowing a soul there. It was a leap of faith and many people have asked me how I got the courage to pack everything up and leave. All I can say is that when the heart knows, you feel ready. And when you listen to that voice, the fear will be small compared to the excitement over the fact that you followed what you wanted and needed. If we tune in to our souls and stop listening to the doubts that we have about new beginnings (and also others’ doubts in us), we will most often know what is right for us. It is not easy to tune out “the voice” and the "what ifs" but it is so worth it once we manage to do so.

I am proud of myself, for ending up on one of the greatest adventures of my life, spending nine years in a special place, in South Africa, in a community, the culture and work environment so different from anything I ever envisioned for myself. I am proud that I didn’t chase "the career" but rather followed my heart and aimed to create a better world. My intuition took me to all the right places; as a result, I had one dream job after the next. I am proud to say that I knew what I wanted to do day to day, not where I wanted to end up at the end of my journey. Never did I have an eye on a target - to achieve this or that by the age 40- but rather tried to stay present in the now and try to be happy every week instead.

6. How is your life different from what you pictured at 20?

Oh gosh, at 20 I thought I would become a zoologist or a marine biologist, but at the time decided against it as I "didn’t want to live abroad as that’s where all the animals were". Little did I know I would spend almost a decade abroad. At the time I thought I would marry my then boyfriend, have kids and a house, all before the age of 30. I remember wanting a nine-to-five job, a career and what we Swedes call Svenssonliv (the way most swedes live). I could never have dreamt about the adventures that were coming, self-development I would go through and the happiness and pride I would feel with my achievements and the unique way of going about them.

Imagine where life will take me from here! 

7. Was there a time when life knocked you down or out and how did you get back up on your feet?

A large part of my childhood was a constant knock down. I did feel love and support from my parents but they went through their struggles, so I had to create my own life in many ways. I think my greatest tool for getting through all the hardship were love from the people around me and my own positive attitude. I don’t ever remember giving up even if at times it would have been good to let go rather than push on. “Life is still great" mentality and the gratitude for what I had helped me through.

I had a big breakup where I thought that life, as I knew it, would be over. The world crumbled before my eyes and I had to re-imagine what I thought I wanted and had to essentially re-create myself. It took me a good couple of years to find my footing but looking back now, I thank the universe for not letting me stay in that relationship.

Positive attitude and a big chunk of gratitude will get you through most of the struggles of life, I think. Lately, I have also adapted a belief that everything that happens to you in life is either to enjoy or to learn from. Life will never give you anything that you cannot handle so the harder the struggle, the stronger you will come out of it. We never learn about ourselves or what we are capable of by only living in happiness and comfort. 

8. Advice for other women?

See below.

9. Knowing what we know now in a current political climate, can women be "all that we can be" in today's world? What is the way forward, as you see it, for "feminist values"?

I am going to be honest and go out on a limb here, the biggest enemy of women getting what they rightfully deserve is not necessarily the system or the patriarchy but rather our inner attitudes. What I see and hear around me is too often women not standing up for their sisters, creating competition where there is none and generating rivalry rather than sisterhood. We, not the men, create our own biggest glass ceiling. I think it is because we walk around with a lack-mentality. We think there is no space for us all when there is; we have to start believing and acting like there is. That’s what men do, bringing in their brothers, always having their backs, even when there is competition.

We can be all that we want to be, but we need to stop focusing on what we lacked before and start focusing on the future, where we want to go. We must create sisterhood among ourselves, to make sure we get there. 

10. Where in the world do you feel “tallest” (i.e. where is your happy place)?

I would say I feel my tallest among the likeminded friends, people with whom I can be my truest self. I enjoy being among open-minded friends, those who listen with the intention to understand, rather than judge.

I feel my tallest when I am on stage, inspiring the audience to be the best version of themselves. I also get a positive jolt when a client gets a breakthrough in his/her thought pattern. I get goosebumps when a person moves toward self-awareness and self-appreciation. 

11. What extracurricular activities/hobbies are you most proud of? Why?

I am a gymnast but I was always a better coach. Today, I have incorporated gymnastics into a newfound passion - Acro Yoga! I am absolutely addicted to this sport; I love how it makes me not only physically strong but challenges me mentally. Acro Yoga triggers my need for a precise control, my inner perfectionist lets go in order to develop trust in your body and most importantly, trust in others. I also love the international communities of Acro yogis; they are open-minded, warm-hearted and crazy people.

So much of my life’s coaching practice goes into Acro Yoga and I in return, have learned many lessons through flying every which way, controlled by another person’s feet.

12. Have you travelled solo? If so, which were some of the most memorable destinations and why? Why do you travel and would you recommend it to women?

It took me 27 years before I dared to get out and travel by myself. Prior to that, I never saw the thrill of solo travel, as I loved sharing memories with my loved ones.

The first solo trip was a 7-week trek up Eastern Africa with an overland truck. It was the best trip of my life. I was meeting people but could also do things on my own. Travelling through Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, wind flowing through my hair, stopping for elephants, giraffes and kudus on the road and waving to the kids running after the truck. It was incredible.

13. What do you want to be when you grow up? Future goals/challenges?

I aim to grow up less and less for every year that passes by. I had to grow up fast as a youngster and my aim is therefore to re-discover my inner child. I think this is key to finding inner peace; I must accept and cherish the Young Sofie, to see her and acknowledge all her happy and sad moments. I want to bring out her vulnerability; and that is the greatest challenge at the moment.

14. What fears are you still hoping to overcome?

Fear of rejection, not feeling prioritized and the fear of feeling weak. 

15. Anything you'd do differently, if you had another go at life?

NOT. A. SINGLE. THING.

I am a firm believer that whatever happens in life is for a certain reason. Either you enjoy it or learn from it. Life is too short for regrets.

The only thing you should regret is what you haven’t done and I feel I have loads of time for that. 

16. What/who inspires you?

I once got the question who my role model was. It took some reflection to realize that I actually never really had one single person who fully inspired me. I had a lot of love and many ambitious and wise people around me growing up, however, one by one they also disappointed me in certain ways. I decided on a personal motto: be your own greatest inspiration! At the end of the day, you are all you’ve got. I’ve had to fight to be my own biggest role model when I could not find anyone else. It’s me who looks back at me every day in the mirror; I better make sure I like who I am seeing. 

17. What are some ingredients to a good life? How did the global pandemic change your perspective about the world, about your life, your goals and dreams?

The greatest lesson COVID has taught us was change comes rapidly; whatever control you thought you had over your life, can disappear quickly. Nothing is forever and we have to find a way to accept what is and enjoy the ride.

For me, as long as you have stability in some form you should be grateful and enjoying the present moment. COVID taught me to appreciate financial and geographic stability, celebrate my tribe of good friends supporting me in bad times and be self-aware.

20. What are you reading now? (what books do you gift most and what are your favourite reads?)

Leadership books, stress-relief books and books on self-empowerment and growth. 

21. Where can others find you/your work (links to websites, blogs, etc.)?

Website: self-worthsafari.com

Facebook: Sofie Hyllén Coach

Instagram: @selfworthsafari & @mindfulacroyogi

Bonus Quick Round Qs:

1. What and who is worth suffering for? One’s growth.

2. If you didn't have to work anymore what would you do with your days? I would still coach and inspire others to feel good about themselves. I would own an animal shelter on a big farm, garden all day and practice Acro Yoga all night.

3. If you could be anyone for a day who would you be? My future self, to see what will happen to my life!

4. What bothers you most about people? What do you love most about people? People who are so miserable with their own life that they feel the need to take it out on other people. That bothers me a lot! Most other things I love about people.