The Ego Goes First: An Entrepreneur’s Journey
Stefan Lindberg-Jones has worn many hats: broadcaster, holistic masseur, production company founder, and now life coach. But perhaps his most powerful role yet is that of a resilient storyteller, someone who has climbed the entrepreneurial mountain, fallen from it, and chosen to rise again, this time, not for ego, but for heart. In this episode of Smart Route, Stefan sits down with Andrew Clark to share his journey through the highs of building a thriving business, the lows of watching it collapse, and the awakening that led him to a more purpose-driven path.
Climbing the Mountain
Stefan’s journey began in broadcast television, but his curiosity about holistic health and a move to Qatar opened the door to something entirely new. What started as a fresh start with Al Jazeera evolved into a freelance career, sports league organizer, and eventually, the founder of a production company, Ginger Camel.
“I always had this dream of running my own business,” he says. “But I didn’t know what that business would be until someone offered me the opportunity to start a production company.”
Over time, Ginger Camel grew into one of Qatar’s most recognized creative agencies. Stefan and his team delivered quality content and cultivated a culture built on trust, passion, and creative freedom.
The Collapse: When Passion Meets Burnout
In 2019, Ginger Camel scaled considerably: the team was strong, work flowed, and Stefan found himself on top of the metaphorical mountain. And yet, he says, he felt something unexpected: boredom.
“When you’re building a business, it’s all about the climb,” Stefan shares. “But when I got to the top, I didn’t know what to do anymore.”
Then came 2020. First, major clients cut their budgets. Then, COVID-19 hit. Cash flow dried up, tenders vanished, and long-time team members began to leave. Stefan describes it as a slow crumble. By 2023, he was on his knees. Emotionally. Financially. Personally.
Letting Go and Looking Inward
“I fell into a depression,” Stefan says candidly. “The ego couldn’t help me anymore. And I’m so grateful for that.”
In the stillness of that downfall, Stefan realized he needed to heal, and it led him to study coaching in early 2021. What started as a path to help others quickly became a way to help himself. Through tears, breakthroughs, and deep reflection, Stefan discovered what truly mattered to him.
“I tuned into this beautiful heart of mine,” he says. “And that changed everything.”
From Studio Lights to TikTok Lives
With Ginger Camel winding down and coaching lighting him up, Stefan made a bold pivot. He began sharing live sessions on TikTok—not with flashy dances, but with presence and authenticity.
“I wondered, is there space for coaching here? And I just showed up. Day after day.”
Despite early skepticism from family and friends, Stefan stayed the course. He now has over 30,000 followers. Most importantly, he says, it’s a space where people feel heard.
A New Definition of Success
“I’m not doing this for the ego anymore,” Stefan reflects. “I want to help people. I want to live from the heart. And I want to be open about the journey—even the hard parts.”
He credits his wife for being a constant grounding force, even during moments of fear and frustration. Their shared transparency, he says, transformed not just their relationship but their whole family.
Stefan’s Advice to New Creatives
“Believe in yourself. Tune into your heart. Learn who you are and what lights your fire,” he advises. “Be the experiment. What you were told growing up got you here, but now it’s time to write your own story.”
Where to Find Stefan
You can follow Stefan’s daily TikTok livestreams and coaching content at @SLJCoach or visit SLJCoach.com to learn more.
About Stefan
Stefan Lindberg-Jones is a confidence and branding Coach, business mentor, and former media entrepreneur who has spent over 18 years in the Middle East building and leading businesses. As the founder of Ginger Camel, one of Qatar’s most respected media production companies, Stefan played a pivotal role in shaping the storytelling landscape in the region. After 13 years of running the company, he transitioned into coaching, drawing from his experiences of resilience, reinvention, and branding to help others build confidence in their professional and personal lives.
Episode Transcript
Andrew Clark: Hi, everyone. This is Andrew Clark with another episode of Smart Route Podcast joining you today from sunny Millersville, Maryland, just south of Baltimore. We are blessed with a very special guest, somebody who is near and dear to my heart. ah somebody who I’ve worked with in the past.
It’s my former boss of mine, Stefan Lindbergh Jones, who is currently based in Doha, Qatar, which for some people you may need to pull out an atlas and see where that is. And it is pronounced “Qa-tar,” not Cutter, like so many Americans typically do.
But Stefan is an expat who relocated from the UK Almost now coming up on 18 years, he’s been in the region, both building and operating different businesses in the media production space. His flagship company was called Ginger Camel, and he’s recently made a trip professional transition into coaching, specifically with confidence and branding.
And I think we’re going to have a great conversation today talking about his journey from working in the UK and relocating to a place like the Middle East and raising a family there, but also building businesses and what he’s doing currently. Andrew Clark
So, Stefan, thank you for taking the time. I know we are dealing with a pretty sizable time difference. ah This is, I believe, the Smart Route podcast’s first international guest who isn’t based in North America.
So thank you for making this scheduling work. And I’ll turn it over to you. If you could just introduce yourself a little bit to our listeners and ah what you’re up to.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Yeah, thank you, Andrew. Thank you for that beautiful introduction. It reminded me of our times together.
Andrew Clark: Yes, yes.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Yeah, I, you know, as you say, I’ve been here for 18 years in the Middle East and it’s been a journey. It’s, as you know, when I first landed on these shores of Qatar 18 years ago, it was like the wild west, but I could see there was a lot of opportunities and, you know, I’ve been in broadcast in the UK for 18 years. i think it was about 18 years.
I had a marriage, which, you know, didn’t work out. I had two children, two sons, while I was in the broadcast industry.
And when I was going through through the divorce, I realized that, you know, I couldn’t spend my time watching other people live their lives. And that was my job. Basically, in transmission, I was watching everyone else live their lives. I was responsible for the output of Sky Television, ITV. These were the companies that I was working for before. And it, you know, I was looking at all the older people around me and I was just thinking, no, I can’t do that. I can’t live my life doing a job that when the time comes, you know, they pat me on my back and go, well done, Stefan, you, you know, you’ve sat in that chair, you’ve done a great job now, goodbye.
Andrew Clark: Hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: And, you know, later rest sort of thing. So I just thought, no—I saw other people who used their job as a means to support whatever they wanted to do outside of work. But I wasn’t wired that way at the time.
For me, if I had to work, then it needed to be something that truly satisfied me. So I started looking around—asking myself, “What am I actually interested in?”
While I was going through my divorce, I realized I had a real curiosity about holistic medicine. So I trained to become a holistic masseur. I thought that could be a good move—especially coming out of a divorce. I’d meet a lot of people, if you know what I mean.
Andrew Clark: Sure. Yes, absolutely.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: (Laughs) Right?
Andrew Clark: Oh wow. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: But during that time, I was assigned to train this young lady—who ended up becoming my future wife. That definitely wasn’t the plan!
Anyway, I qualified as a holistic masseur, but around that same time, she got a job offer with Al Jazeera in Qatar. It was for the launch of the new English-language channel.
So I told her, “Look, you go ahead and enjoy that initial setup. If our relationship is meant to work, then I’ll follow you in a few months.”
And that’s exactly what happened. About six months later, I proposed to her during that time—and I followed her.
Andrew Clark: Wow. OK.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: So the original plan was that I’d work as a holistic masseur. I had qualified, and the idea was to practice privately out of our apartment.
But when I flew over to Qatar, I quickly found out that was against the rules. You had to be registered and work out of a licensed location—like a hotel or a spa.
I still took on a few private clients here and there, but ultimately, I ended up getting work at Al Jazeera.
Long story short, I worked at Al Jazeera as a freelancer for about a year and a half. During that time, I organized things like the tennis league, squash league, and football league. I set all of that up to bring different departments together.
I knew that in a brand-new organization like that, departments could easily become isolated—you know, little silos where people just stick to their own groups and don’t mix much with others.
Andrew Clark: Silos, yeah. Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Exactly. But sport has this amazing way of breaking down barriers and bringing people together across all departments. So that’s what I focused on—creating that cross-departmental connection.
After a year and a half, though, the company came back to me and said, “Look, we can’t keep hiring you. You’ve had too many freelance contracts.”
And on top of that, they said they couldn’t bring me on full-time either—because my wife worked in the same department. And they had a policy against partners working together.
So when word got out that I was leaving, two editors approached me and said, “Hey, we’re thinking of starting a production company…”
Andrew Clark: Hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: They asked me, “Would you be interested in finding out what it takes to set up a company? We can see you’re a great organizer.”
And I thought—yeah, sure! That sounded like a great idea.
So it took me about three months. I found a Qatari partner—because in order to start a business in Qatar, you have to have a Qatari national as a partner.
Andrew Clark: Yeah.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: He was ready to sign on the dotted line. Everything was in place.
I went back to the editors and said, “Right, everything’s ready for you.”
And then they said, “No, we’ve changed our minds. It’s too risky. Too much commitment. We’re not going to go ahead with it.”
But honestly, that was my lightbulb moment.
I’d always had this drive to run my own thing. Maybe it came from working in transmission, but something in me always wanted to run a business. I just didn’t know what kind.
That conversation flipped a switch. I thought—why not a production company?
I’d already spent three months researching the market. I could see there was a need—clients were looking for high-quality production work. And Al Jazeera had plenty of experienced people I could collaborate with as freelancers.
So I decided to go for it. I ran the business on my own for about a year.
But it wasn’t scaling as fast as I’d hoped. That’s when I joined an existing production company and became their general manager. I wanted to learn the ropes—because I didn’t come from a production background. My experience was in broadcast.
And that kind of snowballed into…
Andrew Clark: Right. Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: After that, I partnered up with someone and we set up the first animation house in Qatar. It lasted about a year—but unfortunately, we went bankrupt.
And during that time, a friend of mine said, “Look, it’s clear you had a bad partner. He’s basically taken everything you worked so hard to build.”
Andrew Clark: Wow.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Yeah. So my friend said, “I believe in you. I’m going to invest in you. I’ll buy you the equipment you need because I know you can do this on your own.”
And that’s when Ginger Camel was born.
You were part of that journey—and you know how that unfolded. It turned into a really successful run… right up until 2020.
Andrew Clark: Right. And I just want to go back to something you touched on earlier, because I think a lot of our listeners—especially those not familiar with doing business in the Middle East—might not fully grasp how different that environment is.
It’s not like in Western Europe or the States where, if you want to open a business, you just make sure you have the money and know-how—and then you go for it.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Mm-hmm.
Andrew Clark: As you experienced—and as we’ve talked about many times—the kinds of obstacles you face when trying to start something over there? It’s no small feat.
Andrew Clark: Could you elaborate a bit on what was running through your head when you first landed—when you had these early ideas? What got you from that mindset to, “Okay, I want to open a business,” especially knowing how different the environment is?
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Yeah, it is a very different environment. But I think my mindset helped a lot. I’m a pretty chill guy—not highly strung. So I went into it all thinking, if it’s going to work, it’ll work. If it doesn’t, well, there’s always another day.
Andrew Clark: Hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: That kind of attitude—along with just keeping a smile on your face—can open a lot of doors. It can soften people’s resistance, even when they’re initially not on your side.
If you come in and say, Hey, I’m just here to learn. I want to understand how things work, people are usually willing to help. But if you come in arrogant, like you already know everything, they’ll shut you down fast. Door closed.
And as you know, doing business here—it’s all about relationships. Building trust.
Andrew Clark: Absolutely.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Yeah. It’s really about taking the time to build those connections.
And while yes, you technically need a Qatari partner to set up a business, there were also management companies that specialized in helping expats get started. They’d take care of the paperwork, ministry visits, all the bureaucracy.
I jumped on that opportunity—especially after meeting a couple of English expats who had already set up their own businesses. That helped a lot.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: I got involved with some international folks who had worked for companies that helped expats navigate the business setup process. Eventually, they set up their own management company, and I was probably one of the first clients they took on.
That was really reassuring.
They were like a mum and dad to me—genuinely looking out for my best interests. Any issue I had, they handled. Nothing was ever a problem.
Sure, they charged for the service, but it was worth every penny. It helped me get into the market and focus on the work, not the red tape.
Andrew Clark: Yep. And as you mentioned earlier, you started a couple of businesses. One, unfortunately, went bankrupt.
What was the business environment like at the time—specifically for media production?
You mentioned Al Jazeera being based there now. But what about on a smaller scale—agencies and businesses that support major players like Al Jazeera, or partner with ad agencies?
The Middle East is such a hub for advertising, as both of us know—and maybe some of our listeners do too. So all these supporting businesses—doing photography, animation, video—need to exist too. What was that landscape like when you first arrived?
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Yeah, that’s actually why I saw the opportunity for a high-quality production company.
At the time, the only company in town doing top-tier work was a place called DTM. That was it.
And when I was working at that first production company—just learning the ropes—we all looked up to DTM. They were the ones with the big villa, the solid reputation. Everyone aspired to be like them.
Andrew Clark: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: DTM had it all. They had the equipment, they had in-house studios—all within this big villa. It was impressive. We’d look at that setup and think, Wow, that’s what we want to be one day.
So that was the top end of the production scene.
And then, on the opposite end, there were all these Indian companies doing production work for really cheap. But the quality just wasn’t there.
So when I was working with that first production company, we clearly saw the gap in the market—an opportunity to offer high-quality production that sat somewhere between the ultra-premium and the budget end.
Now, the owner of that company was targeting the oil and gas industry. And of course, oil and gas had no issue with money.
Andrew Clark: Okay.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: But the videos we were producing were your standard, boilerplate corporate oil and gas videos.
Andrew Clark: Right. Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: What stood out to me, though, was the team—the directors, DOPs, cameramen—all expats who had come over looking for exciting creative opportunities.
But they were creatively drained.
They were being sent through endless security checks, made to wear overalls, and shoot in brutal heat under harsh conditions. And the work itself? It wasn’t creative. It was formulaic.
By the time they’d get back from a day on-site, they were just exhausted—mentally and physically.
So I made a decision: when I started my own production company, we’d steer clear of oil and gas. We’d look for creative opportunities elsewhere—work that actually inspired people.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones:
We were really fortunate early on. We got introduced to someone at an advertising agency.
Andrew Clark:
Oh wow.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones:
Yeah—and of course, there had to be trust. I mean, we were a startup. So understandably, they weren’t going to give us their big-name clients right away.
Instead, they said, “We’ll give you something small—just to test the waters.”
At the time, they were submitting for the Lynx Awards in Dubai, and they needed to create a showreel showcasing all the work they’d done that year. It required a bit of animation, some filming—little bits of everything.
And it was just me.
Andrew Clark:
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones:
I had brought over the animator from the previous company—the one that went bankrupt. He believed in me, and he decided to follow me to the new venture.
The great thing was, he wasn’t just a talented animator—he was hungry to learn. He wanted to pick up photography, video shooting… everything.
He’d spend hours on YouTube and other platforms teaching himself new skills.
And for me, as a business owner, it was like, Perfect. I can offer these services to clients now. It opened up a lot of possibilities.
Andrew Clark:
Yep.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: So we got lucky. The ad agency gave us the showreel project, but they only gave us—what—four days to turn it around?
And I remember looking over at my guy like, Seriously? Can we actually do this? And he just said, “Yeah, yeah—I can get it done over the weekend. Don’t worry.”
So I put all my trust in him—and he absolutely delivered.
The ad agency was blown away. I don’t even know if they won the Lynx Award, but they must have. What I do know is that we got personal acknowledgement from the CEO of Leo Burnett in Dubai. He sent us a message saying, “Wow, that’s amazing—thank you very much for your hard work.”
Andrew Clark: Okay. Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: I don’t even remember if we charged them for that job. We just wanted to get our foot in the door. We wanted to prove ourselves.
And it worked. After that, they started giving us smaller photography shoots. We gradually built up more trust and more work over time.
But they were always clear: because we were a local company, our budget ceiling was 500,000 Qatari riyals. Anything above that, they’d bring in their contacts from Lebanon.
So we knew that if we were going to work with ad agencies, we’d never get projects above that 500K mark.
Andrew Clark: Right.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: And honestly, I didn’t care. I was building my business. Anything under 500,000 riyals? I was like, Wow—that’s great!
Andrew Clark: And I think what really stood out to me—even more so when you launched Ginger Camel, which is where our paths crossed—is how focused you were on building something locally.
I mean, you gave me my first job in Doha back in 2014. And I was always amazed by how consistent you were in your commitment to local projects.
You really brought that local flavor into your work—and actively advocated for it. Like you just said, a lot of the time, companies would bring in teams from other markets to do work in Qatar, even for Qatar-based businesses.
Did you ever find that to be a major challenge? Was it detrimental to your business at any point? Or did you eventually see people come around and say, Oh wait, I should actually be giving this work to Stefan and his team?
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Yeah, that was the thing. What really frustrated me in the beginning was how little trust there was in local businesses—especially local production companies.
And to be fair, I understood why. If you looked at the lower end of the market, the quality just wasn’t there. They didn’t really care about quality—it was all about quantity.
Andrew Clark: Hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Even the company I worked for before I started Ginger Camel—it was all about chasing the next client. Win the project, move on, forget about delivering something meaningful.
There was no care about the actual production value. The attitude was, Well, the client paid for it, so just push it out. It felt like a factory. I really didn’t like that approach.
And on top of that, there was zero concern for the team’s wellbeing—no thought given to what staff needed, how they could grow, or what they cared about.
So when I founded Ginger Camel, I made a vow: we would be different.
We would hire the best people we could. We’d treat our team well and build a culture that prioritized passion for the craft—people who truly cared about their art, not just the paycheck.
Andrew Clark: Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: I was always looking for people who were in it for the love of the work—people who wanted to create something meaningful. And I made sure to support them in that.
It was always about this—If I have the opportunity to work with great companies and build my portfolio, then you’ve got me.
Andrew Clark: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: And I could see that in people. I benefited from that mindset—by saying to my team, Look, this is my dream. This is the vision. And I can create a platform where you’ll shine.
Yes, you had to invest in people—to a point—but they understood it was a two-way street. We were building something together.
Looking back now, I didn’t even realize at the time that I was “investing in people.” It wasn’t some deliberate HR strategy. It was more like coaching—giving people room to breathe, encouraging them to be as creative as they wanted to be.
I tried to create this kind of bubble around the company—something that shielded the creative process from the noise outside.
And people felt it.
When new people came into the company, they’d often say they could feel the energy. That meant a lot to me.
Andrew Clark: Thank you.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: That’s what I wanted—to create an environment where people loved coming to work. Where they could truly express themselves creatively.
That kind of energy—it carried through to the clients. It came across in the work. It came through to the audience watching the final product.
And that spirit kept driving us—right up until 2020, when COVID hit.
We really thought we were winning. We thought we were on the road to something huge—building toward the World Cup in 2022.
Andrew Clark:
Right. Right.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones:
But COVID came through and just knocked us off track. It was a real shame.
Andrew Clark:
Right.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones:
I had a friend who ran a similar business, but his approach was to invest heavily in equipment.
I never believed in that. I believed in people.
For me, it was all about building a team of good people—because they’re the ones who make things happen.
And you know how business works over there—sometimes clients just pop in with urgent demands: I need this now.
So I had to make sure the quality was always consistent. That meant having the right people in place, ready to deliver on short notice, and still hit the standard we promised.
Andrew Clark:
Yes.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones:
And when it comes to doing business in the Middle East, my philosophy for running a successful company was simple: be honest, be truthful, and show up.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones:
That last one—show up on time—might sound basic, but it doesn’t always happen.
Andrew Clark:
Yeah.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones:
A lot of people get used to, Oh, they’ll show up half an hour late, it’s fine. Not with me.
If you’re working with me, this is how it’s going to be: I’ll be honest. I’ll tell you upfront if we can deliver something or not.
I’m not going to lie to win a project, like some companies do—saying, Yeah, yeah, we can do it, just to get the deal. And then later, they disappoint the client when the deadline can’t be met.
So the client walks away frustrated—and empty-handed.
With us, I’d be upfront: No, we can’t do it. Better to set expectations than to overpromise and underdeliver. And when I’d say, No, we can’t do it, clients would respond, Well, when can you do it?
They were willing to work with us. Willing to shift the timing, adjust the delivery schedule—just so they could collaborate with us.
That meant a lot. It shouted volumes to me about the kind of trust we had built.
Andrew Clark: Oh, for sure. And I can definitely attest to that firsthand.
What you said about investing in people—that really hit home. If I can dip into my personal story for a second.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Thank you.
Andrew Clark: Your investment in me made a huge impact. Honestly, it helped shape where I am now in so many ways.
At the time, I was looking to make a professional career change. Like many expats, moving to Doha felt like a real opportunity to do something different.
I’ll never forget the contrast—from coming out of the U.S., where everything about the job application process is super formal, to arriving in Doha, which felt more old school. I was literally just knocking on doors and dropping into offices.
And I still remember the moment I walked into yours.
There you were—just sitting at a desk among the rest of the staff. I came in asking, Who’s the manager? Who’s the owner? And you popped up, said, I am. I’m Stefan. Come, let’s have a coffee.
And the rest is history.
Looking back, that was such a formative experience for me. It was the perfect transition into a new industry—and I still carry a lot of the lessons I learned from you.
Things like transparency, honesty, and truly investing in your team—those values stuck with me.
Andrew Clark: That kind of integrity—being transparent and investing in people—will always win in the long run. It trumps those quick wins where someone just promises the world to land a deal.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: No question.
Andrew Clark: It always comes back to bite you.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Absolutely. And you could see that with some of our competitors—how they operated compared to us.
But I’ll be honest, there were moments when I questioned myself. Especially when the cash flow wasn’t coming in the way I hoped. You start to wonder if doing the “right thing” is enough.
Andrew Clark: Right.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: I’ll never forget in 2016—we hit a really tough patch. Cash flow dried up, and projects weren’t coming in.
I reached a point where I knew I couldn’t keep it to myself. I had to be honest with the team.
So I sat down with each of them, one-on-one, and said, Look, this is the situation. I understand if you want to move on—it’s entirely your choice.
But because of the way I had treated them—how I’d invested in them and respected them—they responded with so much loyalty.
They were like, No, we’re here. We’ll help however we can.
There were a lot of tears. It was emotional. Nobody wanted to see the journey end.
And here’s the weird thing: literally a week after those conversations, we landed seven new projects.
Andrew Clark: Right.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: One after the other. Boom, boom, boom.
It was like the universe saying, Okay, I see you. You’re doing the right thing.
Andrew Clark: That’s incredible.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: It really taught me a lesson.
I had to face the facts. I had to sit down with my team, face to face, and truly feel what they were feeling. And honestly—if I hadn’t done that, maybe we wouldn’t have landed those seven projects.
It was something I had to go through. A kind of personal transition—proof that what we were doing came from the heart.
When we got the news about those projects, the team was elated. They were ecstatic.
But I had to be the practical one and say, Okay, amazing—but you do realize we still have to do all this work… and then wait three months for the payments to come in.
And they didn’t even flinch. They were like, Yeah, yeah—no problem. We’ll do it.
Andrew Clark: Right.
Andrew Clark: And just for context—for anyone listening—it’s important to understand that in a place like Doha, it’s not like you can just go out and grab another regular job to make ends meet.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: No, definitely not.
Andrew Clark: It’s not that simple. So I really applaud everyone on your team for sticking by you. And I think it says a lot about you that they did.
Now, you were already alluding to it—but by 2020, the business landscape was changing fast.
As many people will remember, Qatar was gearing up for the World Cup in 2022.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Yep—2022.
Andrew Clark: So much of what was happening in the country—even back when I was there—was building toward that one moment.
And then… the pandemic hit.
What was that like for you? How did you navigate that challenge? I mean, the whole world just felt like it turned upside down.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Absolutely. Like you said, everything was building toward the World Cup. Doha was literally a construction site—there was building work happening all over the city.
Andrew Clark: Yep.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Incredible infrastructure was being put in place. We lived through all of it in the lead-up to the World Cup—and now, the facilities and infrastructure they’ve created are amazing.
But at the time? It wasn’t always easy.
I’ll never forget my wife yelling out the window of our villa one night. There was this massive digger just outside our backyard, going strong until about 11 o’clock at night.
Our daughter was only two or three years old at the time, and my wife was just like, This is insane—there has to be a cutoff point.
Eventually, the government issued a directive that if construction was happening past certain hours, you could—and should—report it.
Andrew Clark: Oh, goodness.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: But yeah, up until 2020, it had been an amazing, incredible journey.
In fact, in 2019 we moved into a bigger office—a proper studio—because there was just so much work coming in. I remember thinking, This is it. This is amazing. We’ve nailed it. We’ve done everything right.
Andrew Clark: Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Honestly, in 2019, I felt like I was sitting on top of the mountain. I really did.
And to be completely transparent—I was even a bit bored. Because when you’re on that journey of building something from the ground up, being an entrepreneur—it’s like climbing a mountain.
At first, you’re in motion all the time, climbing hard. Then you start to gather your team around you, and they come on that journey too. They help carry the weight. So when I reached the top of that mountain in 2019, I suddenly realized—everyone else was busy.
I had built a system. The workflows were solid. Clients knew the team. They had direct contact with our staff, so they no longer needed to go through me.
And that left me sitting in my office like, Okay… what do I do now?
I wasn’t needed anymore.
But people still started coming to me—mostly interns or young professionals—asking for advice. They’d come in and say, I’ve got this problem, this situation.
And I’d think, That’s not really a problem. But if you want my advice, I’m happy to help.
That’s when I started posting short motivational videos on Instagram. Just informal clips offering perspective, encouragement, and support—mostly during 2019.
Then 2020 hit.
And it wasn’t COVID that hit us first.
It was the ad agency we’d been working with—the one that gave us about 70% of our business. They came to us at the start of the year and said, Yeah… for 2020, our budget’s been cut in half. So don’t expect the same amount of work you got in 2019.
Andrew Clark: Oh.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: I had built the team around that 2019 demand—so immediately I knew I had to make cuts.
I had hired a second team specifically to drum up new business while the main team handled our core clients. So the first move I made was to let go of the new business team and focus on keeping my core team intact. So we started looking for new office space. The place we had at the time was just too expensive—about 372 square meters, with a couple of studios. It was great, but it wasn’t sustainable anymore.
We knew we had to downsize.
And right in the middle of that process—COVID hit.
But because we had already started making those changes, it felt like COVID had reached us three months before it officially landed in Qatar.
Andrew Clark: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: So what did we do? We hid out in a private villa.
I thought, The world is freaking out—let’s find a space where we can store our equipment, stash the furniture, and still have enough room to work if we needed to.
And it worked… logistically.
But the experience really opened my eyes to something I hadn’t fully considered before.
When you work with advertising agencies, your business becomes reactive. You’re constantly responding to briefs—Here’s a storyboard, now go make it into a film.
We weren’t really being proactive.
Sure, once in a while we had clients who came to us looking for ideas. But most of the time, we were simply serving whatever the ad agency came up with creatively.
So when COVID changed everything—and it became our job to go out and say, Hey, do you need a video for this? We’ve got an idea for that—my team struggled.
Because if you think about it…
Andrew Clark: Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: The whole world was going crazy. And here I was, trying to ask my team to be creative—while they were worried about their families. Wondering if their mum and dad were going to be okay. Wondering where the next paycheck was coming from.
Andrew Clark: Right.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: It was chaos.
Total chaos.
I watched the company crumble around me. And I could see people holding on—not because they had to, but because they believed in the company. They stayed as long as they could.
Until eventually it was just too much. They came to me and said, I can’t do this anymore. We haven’t had a salary in three or four months. I have to find another job.
And what happened next? The production companies with deep pockets swooped in.
They said, Thank you very much, and hired away my people.
Andrew Clark:
Yep.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Where were you? Where were you when we were building something real?
Suddenly, I was left with a skeleton crew. Just the remnants of what Ginger Camel once was.
There was my accountant—still trying to keep the company afloat.
And my trainee editor, who had been with us since the early days. He’d grown, but he was reactive by nature. If you gave him a task, he’d do it. But he wasn’t a self-starter, not someone who could lead or chase opportunities.
So I found myself at this crossroads, asking: What now? What do I do?
And honestly—I fell into a depression.
I had spent years pouring everything I had into this business. Ginger Camel wasn’t just a company. It was my life. That business—that was everything I knew. That was… me. Or at least, what I thought I was.
And like I said earlier, I had climbed the mountain. But now, I found myself at the very bottom.
Andrew Clark:
Mm-hmm. Very much so.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: That’s why I went into depression. Because everyone around me kept saying, Don’t worry, Stefan. You’ll get back up there.
And in my mind’s eye, I was standing at the foot of that mountain again, looking up.
But I didn’t want to climb it again.
I’d done the work. I’d made the climb. I’d reached the top. That wasn’t exciting to me anymore.
People meant well, of course. They believed I could rebuild it, that it could be great again. But I didn’t have the energy. I didn’t have the drive.
Because that climb took nine years of my life. Nine years of building Ginger Camel.
And I had to ask myself: Do I really want to do that all over again?
The answer was no.
So I just stood there at the bottom—feeling lost. Feeling completely empty.
I didn’t realize at the time that I was in depression. It’s only when you look back that you can really recognize it for what it was.
Everything anyone said to me—it just bounced off. None of it landed. Nothing soaked in.
And somewhere deep inside, something said to me, You were trying to help people back in 2019 with your videos—remember?
This is something you can still do. But you need better tools. You need to help yourself first.
That voice inside told me: Go study life coaching. Do life coaching—not just to help others more effectively, but to help yourself too.
Andrew Clark: Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: So, in early 2021, I signed up for an ICF-certified course to become a qualified life coach.
The whole program was online. And out of a group of 18 people, I was the only male. The rest were all women.
And during those eight weeks… I was the only one who cried.
Andrew Clark: Oh wow. Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Yeah—I cried twice.
But honestly, I didn’t care. There was something in me that just needed to be released. And those tears—they were healing. It was like something deep inside was finally breaking free.
The power of it… it was incredible.
It felt like I was being reborn.
And there was one particular coaching session that completely shifted my mindset.
The coach said to me, You keep looking up at this mountain—but have you looked around you?
That question hit me hard.
In my mind’s eye, I’d been so fixated on this one idea of success—that single peak—that I never stopped to look at what else was around me.
So I did.
And what I saw in that moment was stunning—lush pine forests, rolling hills, calm lakes. A whole beautiful landscape I’d never noticed before.
Andrew Clark: Sure. Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: And I thought, Oh my God. That’s where I want to go. That’s what excites me now.
It was like something in me clicked. I felt free.
The very next day, I walked into the office—what was left of it—and told the remaining team:
We’re never going back to what Ginger Camel used to be. We’re going to completely change.
Andrew Clark: Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: We’re going to be lean. We’re going to be agile. We’re going to be more creative than we’ve ever been.
We’re done being this lofty production house. That era is over.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: We were going to shift completely.
I told them, We’re going to focus on being creative—but in a simpler, leaner way.
We wouldn’t build a big internal team again. Instead, we’d work with freelancers. The plan was to run the business more like an event agency—keep a small core team to handle day-to-day operations, and then bring in specialists as needed for bigger projects.
So don’t expect us to become a big production company again, I told them. That chapter is closed.
And they all said they were on board.
Andrew Clark: Right.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: But looking back… they weren’t really.
They were still stuck in the old way of thinking—how things used to be.
Andrew Clark: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: In a way, they kind of rebelled against the new direction. Sure, when there was actual work to be done, they’d do it.
But anytime I needed help building toward something—like creating promotional content or developing new creative ideas—I was the one pushing for it.
I’d be the one going online, researching techniques, saying, Look at this idea—let’s try this! And they’d nod and go, Yeah, yeah, sounds good.
Then I’d go out trying to drum up new business… and when I came back, nothing had been done.
Andrew Clark: That’s it.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: It got to the point where I was saying, Guys, what are you doing?
It was like the wind had been taken out of their sails. They were always dreaming about what was—but never thinking about what could be.
That mindset dragged all the way through to the World Cup. We managed to limp through it.
Andrew Clark: Sure.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: The World Cup itself was crazy. For three weeks, it was absolutely insane.
Agencies were overwhelmed—they started bringing in interns just to keep up. We had to do the same. We brought on interns to help manage the workload.
Andrew Clark: Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Freelancers were in high demand. But they were charging ridiculous rates. Meanwhile, we kept to our same pricing—which was actually hurting us.
So where we could have walked away with a decent profit, we didn’t—because our overhead stayed the same, while everyone else was charging premium.
And the interns… they were learning on the job. Both on our side and the agency side. So there were constant clashes, constant misalignment.
It wasn’t nice. It wasn’t enjoyable.
But it gave us a bit of income. It kept us afloat—for a little while.
Andrew Clark: Yeah.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: I didn’t realize that this is what usually happens after a World Cup—countries often fall into recession.
But I thought, No, not Qatar. They’ve got bags of money. Gas wealth. Why would they go into recession?
But it happened.
In 2023, the taps were turned off. Work dried up. We went into a nosedive.
At the start of the year, there had been so much demand. So many tenders were coming out. I remember thinking, 2023 is going to be amazing. We submitted so many proposals and proposals take time. They take money. You’ve got to do the research, the creative planning, the pricing, the pitch. We put it all out there.
And then we waited.
Andrew Clark: Where is it? Where’s the business?
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Exactly. We kept asking, Are they coming? Where are they?
We’d follow up, and every time the answer was the same: Sorry, the budgets haven’t been released yet. We’re still waiting.
That’s how the entire first half of 2023 went: Sorry, still waiting.
And when things finally started to move in the second half of the year, it was too little, too late. Not nearly enough to make up for everything we lost early on.
So going into 2024… I was on my knees.
Andrew Clark: Right.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: I had nothing left. No energy. No drive. No oomph.
And to be honest, when I was doing my coaching certification, I wanted to close Ginger Camel right then and there. I knew in my heart that this—coaching—was what I wanted to do.
I could do it 24/7. I could feel the power of it—not just for myself, but for everyone I coached. It was transformative.
It lit something up in me that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I thought, This is it. This is what I want to do with my life.
But my wife said, No—hold on. You still have Ginger Camel. You need to decide what to do with it. Don’t just walk away.
And then something stirred in me.
You’ve been working toward the World Cup for years, I thought. That was your dream. To reach the World Cup. You made it.
So what now?
When it actually happened—when I finally made the call to let it go—it wasn’t pleasant. It wasn’t nice.
But it was what it was.
So yeah, in 2024, I just decided: Enough’s enough. I can’t carry on like this.
And then—out of the blue—something unexpected happened.
There was a Qatari gentleman I had met a couple of times during my journey. We’d always gotten along, but hadn’t spoken in a long time.
That very afternoon—after I’d looked at our 2024 budget and realized we couldn’t afford the office, couldn’t afford the staff, and had to fully downsize—he called me.
Completely out of nowhere.
He said, Stefan, I’d like to meet you.
Andrew Clark: Okay, sure.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: It was like, Wow—it’s been so long. Where have you been? Where are you now?
Andrew Clark: Wow.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Every time I’d seen him in the past, he was working for someone else. This time, he said, I’ll explain when you get here.
And when we met, he told me—he had just retired. He had never run a business before. He had always worked in government ministries.
But now, he wanted to leave a legacy for his children.
So he started his own company.
Andrew Clark: Wow.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Yeah—he had launched a consultancy just a few months before, and now he said to me, Look, Stefan, I want to set up an advertising agency.
And part of me lit up.
Because deep down, I had always wanted to be part of an ad agency—really be part of building something like that.
So what he was saying… it resonated with me, right at the exact moment I needed it to.
Andrew Clark: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: So I sat down with him and said, Look, this is my situation. This is where I’m at.
I’ve got outstanding salaries. I’m struggling. I’m on my knees.
I was completely honest—I laid it all out on the table.
And he said, Don’t worry. Bring your team into my office. You don’t have to pay rent.
I’ll help you open doors, help you find work. Let’s see how we can help each other. You help me build this advertising agency, and I’ll help you drum up business so we can start clearing your debts.
And I thought—Wow. Amazing.
He even showed up with his dad’s 4×4 to help us move—just to save on costs.
He and a few of his team physically showed up to help us relocate.
And you know what?
Andrew Clark: No?
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: None of my team helped. Not a single one of them turned up.
And that really opened his eyes.
He looked at me and said, How long have these guys been working for you? And they’re not here to help you when you need it most?
Then when we moved into the new office, my team walked in and said, What is this?
And that’s when it hit me: They’re still dreaming of the old Ginger Camel.
They didn’t want to change. They weren’t ready to move forward.
Andrew Clark: Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: They weren’t—and now, I could finally see it clearly.
Two weeks after we moved in, my Qatari partner sat me down and said:
Stefan, you need to move out of the way. You’re their comfort blanket. You’re in the way now.
You need to move aside. I need to go in there—because they’re using you.
And when I stepped away… it was amazing.
It was like—wow. Such a relief.
Andrew Clark: Such a relief, I’m sure.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Yeah. Finally, I had the space to reflect.
And he started sharing things with me—things he had discovered about the team. And it hit hard. I felt used.
Because I’d always shown up for people. I always wanted the best for them. I always tried to support them.
So I never looked for the bad. Especially if someone said all the right things—I took it at face value.
But what I was left with were people who still wanted the old Ginger Camel.
They weren’t willing to help me move it forward or evolve into something new.
And he saw that clearly. He pointed it out.
It wasn’t easy to hear, but it was true. They didn’t like that I was now out of the picture. Because it meant they couldn’t lean on me as a blanket of security anymore.
They couldn’t do things behind the scenes without me knowing.
Andrew Clark: Right.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: So yeah… it wasn’t nice. But it was necessary.
Andrew Clark: That’s a lot. I mean… wow. Even though we’ve stayed in touch over the years, I never knew all of that. So thank you for sharing that story.
It takes a lot of guts to be that candid.
Because, you know, especially now—you’re so active on LinkedIn. And that’s where I want to go next, as our final segment—talking about what you’re up to now.
I’ve been seeing some amazing content from you and seeing your coaching career really take off.
Andrew Clark: You know, we’ve known each other for a number of years now. And something that always comes to mind when I think about you is this:
Here’s someone who’s fearless.
You moved halfway across the world, started businesses, took risks—experimented at every step—and always stayed open and honest. You never claimed to have it all figured out.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: No.
Andrew Clark: You were always learning along the way. And I think that’s what made such a difference for me.
As someone who worked under you, I didn’t just feel like an employee—I felt like part of a family. I had a mentor.
And thank you for that. It really helped set me up for success later in my career.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Thank you, Andrew. Truly—thank you for your kind words.
You know, having worked in broadcast, I was employed by a lot of companies. And over the years, I saw the best in people… and I saw the worst.
And I always told myself—if I ever got the chance to run my own business, I’d never become one of those bad bosses.
I made a promise: I’d learn from the good ones, and lead with respect and support. Because when you do that, the respect you get back is real.
Andrew Clark: Great.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: I always tried to put myself in my staff’s shoes.
How would I want to be treated?
I’d want to look forward to coming to work. I’d want to feel appreciated.
And how do you create that feeling of appreciation? You give people space. Space to be themselves. Space to take ownership.
Andrew Clark: Right.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: To me, there’s real power in that—giving someone the freedom to be their own boss, within a supportive environment.
That’s all I ever wanted—for my team to feel that way.
And I hope… I achieved that.
It is sad how things ended. But in some ways, I’m relieved. Because it needed to happen.
My marriage was starting to hit rocky ground. During COVID, I lost so many staff. And when you’re a small company, you feel everything. I didn’t have systems in place for things like end-of-service benefits.
Andrew Clark: Yeah.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: I hadn’t set money aside for things like end-of-service.
Any money we earned went straight back into the business—paying staff, buying equipment, covering operations.
So when someone left the company, I’d sit down with them and say, Look, let’s work out a deal. We’ll pay your end-of-service over the next three or four months, so it’s manageable for the company—and it’s like you’re still receiving a salary in the meantime.
Andrew Clark: Right.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: That helped us keep the lights on. Because whenever we wanted to bid for major projects—especially ministry tenders—we’d have to put up a tender bond.
That meant setting aside a lot of money and freezing it in the bank.
Andrew Clark: Yes, right.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Now, if you’re an SME—a small business—that’s money you simply don’t have.
Or if you do have it, it might be the same money you’ve earmarked for something like end-of-service. But the tender bond would get frozen until the project was completed, signed off, and then… you’d wait another two or three months before seeing it again.
So when COVID hit, I suddenly had 10 people leaving all at once.
And I didn’t have the money.
I went to my wife and said, I don’t know what to do. I don’t have anything left, and I need to pay out all these end-of-service dues.
And that’s when she reminded me—just a few weeks earlier, we had gone to the bank out of curiosity. We were interested in buying a rundown summer house in Sweden, and we asked the bank how much we could borrow.
They told us: About 300,000 QAR.
So she said, Look—we already know we can borrow that amount. Let’s do it. If you’re going to carry on with Ginger Camel, then, you know, we can all, Ginger Camel can pay for that loan you know on a monthly basis.
So that’s what we did.
We took out the loan—and we paid off everyone we could at the time.
But the reality was… because the market wasn’t great—during COVID and even after—it ended up being us who paid for that loan. Personally. As a couple.
That’s when things started to shift.
Before that, I had always been able to keep business and personal separate.
Andrew Clark: Right. Totally.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: But this changed everything. Suddenly, she was fully aware of how the business was really doing. There were months when the company couldn’t make the payments.
And when that happens… questions start getting asked.
Tensions rise. She’d knock on my door and say, What’s going on? And I had to be honest and say, Things aren’t going well.
That’s when she stopped being just my partner at home—she became my business partner too.
She’d say, You can’t keep doing this. How long are you going to fool yourself that things are going to get better?
And yeah… it was a lot.
Andrew Clark: It’s a lot. And honestly, just hearing all this for the first time—and knowing where you’re at now—I’m so happy for you.
Because it looks like you’ve come out the other side.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Let me just say this—I’m still in the process.
Andrew Clark: Yeah. You’re still on the journey.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: You know, I’m still on the journey.
As for Ginger Camel, we’ve officially told our sponsor that we’re no longer operating. Everything has been stopped. But now we’re in that long process of ticking all the bureaucratic boxes to formally close the business.
And honestly, that always pulls me back a bit—keeps me tethered to what was.
But in August of last year, we went on holiday. It was a big moment: my mum turned 80, and so did my father-in-law. We traveled around to celebrate both.
And during that summer—while reflecting—I made a decision.
Andrew Clark: Right.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Even though I’d been helping my Qatari partner with the advertising agency… I came back from that trip and told him:
I’ve done what I came to do. But my heart’s not in it.
Andrew Clark: Yep. Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: It’s just not in it anymore.
So I said, If it’s okay with you, I’d like to step away. I’ve given you everything Ginger Camel had. You’ve carried on with clients, you’ve got my database—emails are still coming in because of the reputation we built.
Do you mind?
And he said, No, not at all. You do what resonates with you.
And I told him, I’m going all in on coaching. That’s what sings to my heart. That’s what I can do 24/7. I’m passionate about it—and I know this is the right path for me.
I had actually started testing the waters the year before, in November. For some strange reason, I decided to try TikTok.
I’d heard it had 1.5 billion users, and I thought, I wonder if there’s space for me on there—as a coach.
Andrew Clark: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: I kept wondering… Is there space for coaching on TikTok?
I’d see everyone dancing and singing, and I thought, What if I just show up with silence, office space, calm energy? What kind of reaction would that get?
Andrew Clark: Mm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: So I started dabbling. I’d go live in the mornings, just before starting work at the office.
At first, I’d be on for half an hour here and there. Nothing big. Then TikTok started pushing notifications—saying, If you want to build your audience, you need to be on for an hour.
And I thought, An hour? I don’t know if I can do that… That feels like a long time.
So I kept dipping in and out, experimenting. From when I started in November the year before, by the time August came around, I had about 5,000 followers.
And then something shifted.
I had made the decision: The ad agency isn’t for me. Coaching is where I’m meant to be. Let’s go all in.
Andrew Clark: Excellent.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: So I stepped it up.
I said, I’m going to go live every single day on TikTok and see what happens.
And it’s been amazing.
Whatever happens—no matter what—I’ve made a commitment to always show up.
Andrew Clark: Excellent.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Whatever happens to me—whether I find massive success or not—I’m always going to show up on TikTok.
I got a lot of pushback, especially from family. Even from my wife. They were like, TikTok? Really?
Why are you wasting your time on TikTok?
Andrew Clark: Right.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: TikTok is a waste of time. Who takes TikTok seriously? No one’s going to take you seriously. You’re wasting your time.
But I kept saying, No, I’m not. I’m creating content. I’m building something.
This content lets people know I’m out here. I’m a coach. I’m available. I’m present.
But they couldn’t see it—not at first. It’s been a struggle, honestly… right up until just a few months ago.
That’s when things started to shift.
I started in November. By August of the next year, I had 5,000 followers.
Now? I’m about to hit 30,000.
Every day I go live, I’m gaining over 100–200 new followers. Every single day.
And the response has been incredible.
All I’m doing is giving people a space to get what’s in their head out. To feel heard. To feel seen.
And it’s powerful.
I had no idea TikTok would push my content regionally. So now, the majority of my followers are Arabic and African—and here I am, a white dude speaking English… and they’re listening.
And, you know, but they see they see that I’m showing up genuine. They see that there’s no there’s no um ego. And by the way, the ego got kicked out during COVID.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones:
When I went into depression, my ego couldn’t help me.
And honestly—I’m so thankful for that.
Andrew Clark:
You…
Stefan Lindberg-Jones:
Yeah. The ego was the part of me that wanted the business to be the best. It wanted recognition. Success. Growth.
But it was always my heart that wanted to look after people.
I never realized that until I was kicked off that mountain—and the ego was no longer there to guide me.
And I’m so glad it wasn’t. Because that’s when I had to go deeper. That’s when I truly started to discover who I really was.
I tuned into this beautiful heart of mine.
Andrew Clark: Right.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: And that’s the journey I’m on now.
When I chose coaching as that path, I didn’t care what pushback I got from family or anyone else. I knew where I was going. I had a vision. A purpose. A goal.
I want to reach as many people as I can—on whatever platforms I can.
Andrew Clark: Yeah.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: And from that, yes—I want high-paying clients too. Not to get rich. But so I can keep doing this.
That’s all I’m looking for. Nothing complicated. Nothing flashy. Just… real.
Andrew Clark: Right.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: It’s simple. It’s not rocket science.
You know, when I launched Ginger Camel, I knew how to make noise. All you had to do was show up.
Create content. Put it out on every platform.
Andrew Clark: Good.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: And that’s exactly what I did back then—and what I’m doing now.
The big difference? Back then, I had a team around me.
Now?
Andrew Clark: It’s all you.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Yeah. I have to do everything myself.
So now my wife’s looking at me like, Wait—you don’t know how to light things?
(Laughs)
What, you don’t know how to operate a camera? What, you don’t know? It took a good couple of months—a huge learning curve for me.
I was completely out of my comfort zone. I was rebelling against it internally.
The voice in my head was fighting me every step of the way:
Ugh, this is hot. I hate this. I don’t want to do this. I’d rather just hire someone!
But then the reality would kick in:
You can’t afford it.
And that turned into this constant internal battle. The discomfort, the resistance, the doubt—it was all there.
But I pushed through.
Because I had a goal. I had a vision. And I could see it so clearly that it didn’t matter how uncomfortable I was—I knew I was on the right path.
And now? Now I’m in a completely different place.
Andrew Clark:
Beautiful.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones:
Thank you.
And honestly, I couldn’t have done it without my wife.
She built everything behind the scenes. She also had to step out of her comfort zone—because she saw the drive in me. She could feel the energy.
But her head would still ask the questions:
Where’s the money going to come from?
How long will we have to wait before you actually earn something?
Why can’t you just get a normal job? Why does it always have to be another adventure—something that might not even work?
Andrew Clark:
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones:
And I told her—This is different.
I want you on this journey with me.
And this time, I’ll be open. I’ll be honest. I’m not going to hide things like I used to when I was running the business.
What you see now—this is me. This is who I truly am.
There’s no ego. No hidden agenda. Just me, doing what I’m here to do.
And she sees it. She hears it.
Sure, every now and then, her head still comes in—especially when money’s tight or something triggers that old fear—but she still believes.
You can feel it.
And now, she’s starting to echo the same things I say. She’s becoming a coach to her own friends. She’s picking up the language. She’s speaking the way I speak.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: And it’s affected our family as well.
There’s a completely different energy in the house now—a whole different vibe. It’s amazing to see the ripple effect.
Once you’re in tune with your heart, your soul… it’s incredible what shifts.
Andrew Clark: Well, I was going to say—I can’t think of a better way to wrap up this episode than on that note.
Talk about motivation.
Stefan, this has been such a great conversation. And I really want to thank you for being so candid.
Some of the things you’ve shared today—honestly, I don’t know if I could have gotten through all of that with the kind of grace you have.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Oh, I’m sure you could.
You’ve been on your own journey. I know you’ve been on your own journey.
We all have it inside of us.
Andrew Clark: Yes. Yeah.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: That’s the beauty of what I do when I go live.
It’s about helping people realize: You’re not who the mind says you are.
Just look at the incredible journey you’ve already been on. Look at the lessons you’ve learned.
You just need to find your direction—find what you want to achieve—and you’re going to nail it.
And I know you resonate with that.
Andrew Clark: A hundred percent. Absolutely.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Yeah.
Andrew Clark: And to wrap up the episode, I like to ask all of our guests this final question:
What advice would you give to someone just entering this industry—whether it’s media production, marketing, or even just starting a creative career?
What would you want them to know if they came to you for guidance?
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Believe in yourself.
There’s a reason you’re here. You have something unique to offer.
Tune into your heart. Don’t let your head freak you out or criticize you—that’s going to come from the outside world already. What matters is getting to know yourself.
Find what lights your fire—and really tune into that.
Andrew Clark: Mm-hmm.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Appreciate who you are. Learn about who you are.
And as I always say—be the experiment.
Whatever you were told by your parents, your school, your community—that’s autopilot. It got you here, but now it’s time to take control of your life and write your own story.
Believe in yourself.
Yes, there are so many players out there. Yes, technology is always evolving. But none of that matters if you don’t know who you are.
Self-awareness is everything. Because when you truly understand yourself—your strengths, your purpose—you can create magic.
Andrew Clark: Beautiful.
Well, thank you, Stefan, for a great interview. We wish you tons of success with your coaching practice.
Where can people connect with you if they want to follow your work?
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: My social handle is @SLJCoach—you can find me on all platforms under that name.
And my website is SLJCoach.com.
Andrew Clark: Very easy to remember—and we’ll make sure to include it in the show notes.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Just a heads-up—it’s still a work in progress, because I’m building it myself!
Andrew Clark: Fair enough!
Well, thank you again, Stefan. And thank you to our listeners—we really appreciate you tuning in.
Feel free to reach out with any comments or questions, and we’ll catch you on the next episode.
Take care.
Stefan Lindberg-Jones: Thank you, Andrew.