Most people only see the moment when something works.

They don’t see the part before.

In this episode of Before the Lights Go On, Mariana shares the early story behind her entrepreneurial journey — from arriving in Denmark without speaking English to building two startups.

Before the success, there were small experiments, uncertainty, and a lot of learning along the way.

We talk about:

• learning a language while studying abroad
• starting a bakery without knowing how to cook
• selling pastries on the streets of Copenhagen to test demand
• the pressure and responsibility of building something from scratch
• why Mariana says entrepreneurship is organized anxiety

Today Mariana is building two ventures:

Natuga – bringing authentic Portuguese Pastel de Nata to Denmark
https://natuga.lovable.app/

Fusee – a platform designed to connect skills inside companies and help colleagues learn from each other
https://www.linkedin.com/company/fuseeapp/

This conversation is about the part of entrepreneurship most people never see.

The uncertainty.
The messy beginnings.
The moment before the lights go on.


🎙 About the podcast

Before the Lights Go On is a podcast about the early stages of building — before success becomes visible.

Founders, builders, and creators share the part of their journey that usually stays behind the scenes.

Subscribe if you enjoy real stories about building things from zero.

From zero network in Copenhagen to leading the Nordic India Startup Summit (NISS) at TechBBQ — this is the story behind the bridge.

In this episode of Before the Lights Go On, Harsha shares what it actually looked like when he landed in Denmark in June 2023 and couldn’t get a single meeting for three months — despite two decades of experience in financial services and cross-border work (US–India and UK–India).

We talk about the real obstacle: it wasn’t his script, it wasn’t his positioning — it was perception. The “Why India?” question exposed a gap between two mature startup ecosystems that barely interacted. Harsha then backed it with data, turned the gap into a mission, and started building awareness first — then density.

You’ll hear:
• What “starting from zero” feels like in a new ecosystem
• The perception gap between the Nordics and India — and how it blocks opportunities
• The data points that revealed the cross-border gap in VC activity
• Why perseverance matters when most doors stay closed
• Painkiller vs. vitamin: why most startups fail
• Why team + timing matter more than people admit
• Why there’s no founder playbook — only curiosity and adaptation

If you’re an immigrant, a founder, or someone trying to bridge markets and communities, this conversation will hit.
Watch the full episode, and subscribe for more founder stories before the lights go on.

Arlon moved to Sweden with no “path” — no personal number, no apartment, no safety net.
First a car. Then a basement. Now he’s building an AI company with one rule: make AI boring and profitable.

In this episode of Before the Lights Go On, we talk about what it really costs to rebuild from zero, why winners and losers can have the same goals, and how to use AI without falling for hype.

What you’ll hear in this conversation:
• Moving countries as an entrepreneurial act
• The Catch-22 of bureaucracy (and how he broke it)
• Car → basement → apartment: the invisible stages
• Why failure hurts most when you blame others
• “Make AI boring and profitable” (where to actually start)
• The square wheel vs round wheel problem (adoption is the real battle)
• Why humans must stay in the loop with AI
• Family, community, and the real “safe space” for builders

#beforethelightsgoon #entrepreneurship #AI #startupjourney

“I sometimes sit down and ask myself… would my 13-year-old self be proud?”

In this episode of Before the Lights Go On, Mari shares her journey from leaving her small hometown in Poland, chasing a career in animation, burning out in a competitive creative industry — and rebuilding her identity beyond one label.

We talk about:
– The pressure to prove yourself
– Creative burnout
– Moving abroad alone
– Letting go of old definitions of success
– Separating passion from career
– Growing beyond expectations

Sometimes growth isn’t about achieving more.
Sometimes it’s about realizing you don’t have to prove anything anymore.

This is a conversation about identity, ambition, and growing up — before the lights go on.

Projects Mari Mentions & Supports:

– Monkey Ranch (independent animated series funded by the community)
– Creators from the Vinesauce community

If you enjoy independent animation and community-driven creative projects, consider supporting them.

Most people think life starts after the dream works out.
After the role. After the business. After the plan.

In this conversation, Marija — former professional ballerina — shares what happens when life doesn’t wait.

From dancing in a national theatre to starting over in a new country, working survival jobs, and slowly reconnecting with her body, her curiosity, and her sense of purpose, this episode explores what it really means to keep moving when clarity isn’t there yet.

We talk about falling in dance as a way of learning, not failing.
About collecting “puzzles” that only make sense later.
About why adults lose touch with their bodies — and how dance can become a path to longevity, mental health, and joy.
And about daring to say a dream out loud before it’s ready.

This is not a story about success.
It’s a story about staying alive before the lights go on.

Topics we explore:
– Falling as learning in dance and in life
– Redefining dreams over time
– Dance, longevity, and mental health
– Building something before you feel ready
– Community, service, and being present

If you’re in a phase where things feel unfinished, uncertain, or quiet — this conversation is for you.

Most people measure their worth by what they produce.
Valeria explains why that belief quietly breaks us and how she had to unlearn it herself.

In this conversation, Val shares her journey from corporate roles across Europe to building her own coaching practice, but more importantly, she unpacks a deeper shift: why success isn’t about climbing faster, producing more, or proving anything — and why work should integrate your life, not replace it.

We talk about:

• Why worth and output get dangerously confused
  
• How inherited ideas of success shape our choices
  
• What it really feels like to step off the predefined path
  
• Why asking for help is not weakness, but leverage
  
• How to build something aligned without burning out
  
• This episode is for anyone who feels capable, driven and quietly misaligned.
  

Before the Lights Go On is about the moments before clarity, status, or recognition when decisions are still uncertain, and identity is still forming.

If you want to explore Val’s work
For those who resonate with this conversation and want to go deeper, here are a few ways to connect with Val and her work:

• Passion to Profit group coaching for expats turning entrepreneurs
  

https://subscribepage.io/sparkcoachin...

• Spark Your Expat Career (1:1 coaching) — for those navigating career direction abroad: https://tally.so/r/nPxXjb
  

Stay in touch with Val

• Website: https://sparkcoachingwithval.com
  
• LinkedIn:   / valeriakadelski  
  
• Instagram:   / sparkcoachingwithval  
  
• Email: [email protected]
  

Valeria Kadelski explains why that belief quietly breaks us — and how she had to unlearn it herself.

Most ideas don’t fail because they’re bad.
They fail because they’re never truly tested.

In this conversation, Charles and I explore what happens before success or failure is visible — when everything is still uncertain, messy, and unclear.

We talk about:

Separating signal from noise when advice is everywhere

Why discipline matters more than motivation

How feedback becomes a compass when clarity hasn’t arrived yet

Staying grounded while ideas are still fragile

This episode isn’t about winning fast or building loud.
It’s about learning how real builders keep moving forward when the path isn’t obvious yet.

If you’re building something, questioning whether to start, or stuck between too many options, this conversation will resonate.

Charles’ work

Charles is also involved in Nordic Africa Summit, an initiative focused on building meaningful bridges between the Nordic and African innovation ecosystems.

🔗 Learn more: https://techbbq.dk/nordicafrica-startupsummit/

Sometimes, the biggest shifts don’t start with a plan — they start with trust.

In this episode of Before the Lights Go On, I sit down with Julia Glazewska to talk about choosing alignment over certainty.

From leaving Poland as an au pair in the US with no roadmap, to questioning traditional definitions of success, Julia shares an unfinished journey of listening to what genuinely excites her — even when it didn’t make sense yet.

We talk about:

Breaking away from inherited ideas of “how life should look”

Navigating self-doubt and external noise

Building work that serves others, not ego

Redefining success around growth, integrity, and impact

This is not a polished success story.
It’s a real conversation about becoming — while still in motion.

If you’re questioning your path, your definition of success, or whether you’re listening to the right voice, this episode will resonate.

The conversation delves into the journey of entrepreneurship, challenges with traditional education, creating the entrepreneurial space, starting Learn Plus, the maturity of the space, the journey of failure, regrets and reflections, and embracing failure. PhD. Sudhanshu Rai shares insights on his entrepreneurial experiences, educational initiatives, and the importance of failure in the journey of success.

Takeaways

• Entrepreneurship requires creating the right space for ideas to flourish.
• Failure is an integral part of the entrepreneurial journey and is essential for growth.

The conversation begins with an introduction to the idea of transforming old clothes into lasting memories. It then delves into the process of moving from idea to execution and the importance of flexibility and adaptation in entrepreneurship. The key takeaways include the concept of transforming old clothes and the significance of flexibility and adaptation in business.

Takeaways

• Transforming old clothes into lasting memories
• Flexibility and adaptation in entrepreneurship