A surname opens doors. You still have to work the rest of the day

In the illustration, EVA MINGE is pulling the strings. Sometimes it's worth showing literally how easily we imagine someone else's life.

A famous surname, a few phone calls, and that's it. Projects finish themselves, clients queue up and deadlines move out of respect for the family.

I need to find out why that feature doesn't work for me.

I'm Ewa Minge's son. I'm proud of it. And I won't tell fairy tales about a surname not helping. It does, though not always. It draws attention, makes the first conversation easier and sometimes opens doors others have to wait outside for a long time.

Pretending we all have the same starting point would be dishonest.

But after the first conversation comes the second. The one where you have to show what you've done.

Then the idea has to make sense. The project has to work. And the person opposite has every right to ask, “Fine, but what does Oskar bring to this partnership?”

My surname is in my email signature. I still have to write the message.

There's another side to this story too.

For many people, my Mum means a brand, fashion shows, interviews and a familiar face. I also see the work behind it all. Responsibility, difficult decisions, revisions. Everything that happens before the photograph and continues long after the camera is switched off.

When you see that up close, it's hard to believe success is mainly about posing well for photographs.

I can be proud of what she has built and build my own things at the same time. Use the opportunities I've been given and take responsibility for what I do with them.

I have someone to thank for my surname.
I also want something of my own to sign with it.

And the strings? Just for this cover.
Tomorrow I'll have to get myself up for work again.

Oskar Minge. Every day.

#oskarminge #evaminge #PersonalBrand #Entrepreneurship #BehindTheScenes