Success Isn’t Followers. It’s Freedom.

Success isn’t followers, aesthetics, or algorithms. It’s sleeping under the stars, doing what you love without faking a thing, and living a life that actually means something. This is a raw letter about chasing meaning over milestones — and finding freedom on your own terms.

Success Isn’t Followers. It’s Freedom.

They tell you success looks like numbers.
Followers. Booked-out calendars. Destination weddings that break the algorithm.
A feed that could land on the cover of a magazine.

But that’s not what saved me.
That’s not what kept me breathing.


When I started out, I didn’t give a shit about any of that.
I just wanted to not hate my life anymore.

I was waking up every morning thinking, "I really don’t want to be here."
Dragging myself into a job that drained hours from my life — hours I knew I’d never get back.
I could feel it in my bones:
This wasn’t living. This was waiting to die slower.

I needed out — not for luxury, but for survival.
I didn’t want more money.
I didn’t want a fancier title.
I just wanted to feel like my time on this planet actually meant something.

And back then, I was lucky.
My partner at the time looked me in the eye and said something I’ll never forget:
"I’d rather have a partner who’s happy and poor than someone who’s miserable and still broke."

Still the best piece of advice I’ve ever gotten.


I never cared much about money.
Honestly, it’s still a fight —
because being self-employed when you’re not great with money is like trying to sail a ship with holes in it.

But even then — even when I barely had enough —
I wasn’t chasing a paycheck.

I was chasing a life that felt real.
Therefore, every decision I made was about carving out something honest, even when it hurt.


Later, when the bookings started coming in, success looked different.
It looked like boarding planes to Sydney, New York, Iceland, Italy, London, Barcelona.
It looked like seeing the world with a camera in my hand.

And yeah — that part was amazing.
I still love it.
Travel will always have a piece of my heart.

But back then, I thought success needed to keep growing louder, bigger, shinier.
I thought it needed to be topped.

I remember writing a Facebook post in 2016 —
(back when Facebook wasn’t just a rage machine)
saying something like:
"Not sure how 2017 could ever top 2016."

Because I had lived the kind of year I once dreamed of.
Therefore, instead of sitting in it, instead of letting it matter, I immediately started thinking:
"How do I one-up this?"

But chasing bigger didn’t make me feel bigger.
It made me feel hollow — like every new milestone only made the hunger worse.


Then life did what it does.
It cracked me open.

Somewhere between canceled flights and a world standing still, I found myself next to Jana —
the woman who sees a better version of me than I see myself.
The woman who never measured me by my work or my wins.
Just by my heart.

And that changed everything.

I realized:

Success isn’t something you chase.
It’s something you define.

And sometimes, it’s quieter than you ever imagined.


Yes, I still love seeing the world.
But success now?

It’s strapping a sleeping bag to my bike, loading up a tent, and riding into nowhere with Jana by my side.
It’s breathing fresh air without a schedule.
It’s sleeping under a sky full of stars, feeling small and infinite at the same time.
It’s remembering that the best parts of life never needed a f*cking audience.

It’s shooting work that feels like an extension of my heart — not my ego.
It’s waking up knowing I get to do what I love without faking a damn thing for anyone.

That’s it.
That’s the gold.


Here’s the lie I’d burn to the ground if I could:

Success isn’t shooting the coolest people.
Success isn’t chasing the most cinematic cliffsides.

Success isn’t luxury vibes.
It’s not Instagram flexes.
It’s not polished aesthetics.

Success is being allowed to do what you f*cking love.
And sharing it with people who trust you to be yourself.

That's it.


If I could grab my younger self by the shoulders, I’d tell him this:

Don’t let your ego drive.
There’s no race.
There’s no leaderboard.
You don’t need to impress anyone except your clients — and maybe your own soul.

The world will try to sell you a thousand fake versions of success.
But you only have to believe one:

Making it is yours to define.
No one else gets a vote.
It’s your life.
You’re the one who has to live it.

Choose freedom.
Choose heart.
Choose you.

Hugs,
Bjørn

For the hearts still beating—keep creating, keep pushing, keep giving a damn.