Final Report for the Kaospilots

CORE
PILOT PROJECT REPORT
Andy Sontag & Mikkeline Kierkgaard
Kaospilots Team 18
Assaults 86.237
Reviewed by: Mikkel Pilgaard Madsen

NARRATIVE INTRODUCTION
THE TALE OF GROWING TREES
Once upon a time there were two swallows,
that lived in the Forest of Fog. While flying
around between the tall trees, the two little
birds noticed a strange phenomenon. All the
trees talking about growth, - which of course
is the most natural thing for a tree. But, more
and more trees were getting sick, and some-
how the fog between them seemed to get
thicker day by day. In fact, the fog was already
so heavy now, the trees could no longer see
their own roots in the soil and the branches
were breaking off so they could no longer
reach each other.
The swallows wondered what was happening
and started listening to the monologues of the
growing trees: “I must grow faster and higher,
I must reach towards the sun”… Scarily, the
more the trees grew, the sicker the soil got,
and the sicker the soil, the foggier the air, and
the foggier the air, the more the trees suffered
and wanted to grow taller. The birds flew from
one forest to another, but the same fog was
everywhere. “There must be a better way for
the trees to treat themselves and the earth.”
On their journey the two birds discovered
something beautiful happening in the middle
of the fog: From time to time, they would meet
a gardener, who seemed to have a magical ef-
fect on the sick trees, wherever the gardener
touched would start shooting green sprouts
from the dry bark. And not only that - each
new sprout seemed to nurture the ground
and clear the air. Delighted, the two birds flew
on. They met more and more gardeners, one
in this woods, one in another. Each gardener
had developed a unique ingredient to help the
trees re-discover their ability to bloom. Yet
they did not know each other. Imagine the fer-
tilizer they might be able to create together!
The two swallows looked at each other and
without a word, they agreed what needed to
be done: “We must make a big circle to gather
all the gardeners!” With their small feet, they
jumped around, leaving an image of a big cir-
cle on the ground. They flew from one forest to
another, finding the best gardeners in all the
land, singing a song to them of the most beau-
tiful garden of possibility.
In the circle that the two swallows marked,
the gardeners gathered to share their dreams
and methods, mixing the best of all their inge-
dients. What happened next was an extraor-
dinary sight, even with closed eyes. With the
collective care from the gardeners, the trees in
the circle started popping out yellow, purple,
orange and red flowers. A fresh breeze caught
the flowers, and a beautiful radiant colourful
mist started clearing the fog. Trusting the flow
of the wind, the two swallows smiled at each
other, imagining how this powerful flower-
dust would spread to many other forests far,
far away, reminding the trees one by one, of
their natural wisdom of what growth is actu-
ally about.

MAP
How to read the report……………………………………………………………......................................................……………………………………....................................1
Executivesummary……....…………………………………………………………….................................................................………………………..……………...................1
COMPASS
Theoreticalfoundation……………………………………………………………………………….…………………......................................................………...........................3
Corebeliefs…………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………......................................................………….............................4
Core values …………………………………………………………………………….…………………......................................................……………………...............................4
Core challenge...........................................................................................................................................................................................................4
DESTINATION
CONCEPT & PRODUCT
Conceptvision…………………………………………………………………………………...………………….................................................................………………...……….....5
Conceptdescription(3spheres)…………………………………………………………………………................................……………………………………..…..........................6
Product idea, description and features (3-step model)……………………………………................................…………………………………….....…..........................8
NEED & TARGET GROUP
Needs the concept is meeting (3 core needs and trend research)……………………………………………………………………..............................……………………10
Targetgroup………………………………………………………………………………………...................................……………………….........................................................13
BUSINESS IDEA
Salesconcept……………………………………………………………………………………….....…………………………………….......................................................................14
Branding and identity……………………………………………………………………….....……………………………………......................................................…................14
BusinessModel&SWOTAnalysis……………………………………………………....………………....………………..............................................................................16
Business Model visual…………………………......……………………………………......................................................................................................................17
Business Model Canvas............................................................................................................................................................................................18
BlueOceanStrategyCanvas…………………………………......……………………………………......................................................................................................19
Team/organizationalstructure.…………………………………………………………….......…………………………………….....................................................................21

JOURNEY
SUMMARY OF RESEARCH & MARKET OPPORTUNITY…………......................................................……………..............................………………………...........22
Towards the why…………………………………………………………………......................................................……………..............................………………………...........23
Towards the what………………………………………………………………......................................................……………............................…..............……………........23
Pilot project timeline (research phases)……………………………......................................................……………............................…..............…………….........24
Towards the who…………………………………………………………………......................................................…..............................…………………………………..........26
Towards the how…………………………………………………………………......................................................……………………………………........................................28
CORE Board……………………………………………………………......................................................……………………………………......................................................29
PROCESS
Internal workstructure………………………………………………………………….....................................................…………………………………….................................30
Impact measurement..................................................................................................................................................................................................31
Impact story …………………………………………………………………......................................................……………………………………...............................................32
DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Developmentstrategy“CoreSeasons”………………………………………………………………………………….....................……..........................................................33
CORE 2 year plan visual …………………………………………………………………………………..........................................……..........................................................34
Core Seasons project plan (Blueprint of how to produce)……………………………………………………………………….................................................……….........37
REFLECTIONS
Mikkeline’s individual learning journey and reflections………………………………………………………………………………………………………....................……...........38
Andy’s individual learning journey and reflections………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....................................43
Individual journey visuals............................................................................................................................................................................................48
Individual onward learning goals.................................................................................................................................................................................49
CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………………………………………......................................................………………………………….............50
APPENDIX
1. THEORY OF CHANGE…………………………………………… 7 EXAMPLE OF INTERVIEW………………………………………………
2. BUDGETS…………………………………………………………….. 8 STRESS STATISTICS……………………………………………….........
3. ROLES…… …………………………………………………........... 9 IMPACT MODEL CANVAS................................................
4 CORE FRAMEWORK……………………………………………... 10 STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK...............................................
5 FEEDBACK SHEET LEADERSHIP EXAM…………………... 11 READING LISTS.................................................................
6 EVALUATION CRITERIA & FEEDBACK…………….......... 12 BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................................
13 THANK YOU.....................................................................

1
MAP
CORE is an exploration of the captains, Andy
and Mikkeline’s combined agency in this world
- this text is a compendium of our journey thus
far, our plan and vision for the continuation of
our explorations in the future.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
We are starting the social enterprise CORE,
with the vision of unfolding human potential
by connecting people to their values. During
our Pilot Project period, we have laid a strong
foundation for our business to be built upon.
We have explored where our passions and
talents meets a need in the World, and de-
fined a concrete concept. Now have a plan,
a vigorous passion, and the relationships and
HOW TO READ THE REPORT
Dear reader,
We are excited and grateful to be able to share
this “Declaration of Possibility” with you!
We’ve divided the report into 4 overall sections:
MAP: Fly with us above the ocean to get an
overview of it all (narrative & summery).
COMPASS: Get a feeling of our fundamental
navigation system (theoretical background).
DESTINATION: See the clear image of the ship
we’re building, and the destination we’re set-
ting sail towards (concept & product, target
group & need, business idea).
JOURNEY: Listen to the stories from our path so
far, get a taste of the planned journey ahead
and hear our personal journeys (summary of
research & market opportunity, development
strategy and personal learning reflections).

2
resources to launch it. We have assembled a
board to help us create a business engine and
a movement. Mikkeline and Andy have both
realized our most valuable gift to the World is
our sense of possibility and our ability to build
profound relations. Thus, it has become clear
to us our role is to create frames for possibili-
ties to emerge. We will bring people together
around the purpose of connecting people to
their values to unfold human potential.
The need we are committed to meet, is the
growing epidemic of stress, or as we prefer to
state it: stifled human potential. Our hypoth-
esis is that experiences, which enables people
to connect to their values - what truly matters
to them - will unfold the individuals ability to
realize their own capacity, preventing stress
and resulting in a flourishing human being.
A thriving society is build on thriving individu-
als in thriving systems. We need organizations
that enable people to use their full potential,
steered by purpose driven and flourishing in-
dividuals. We believe that the greatest oppor-
tunity - creating the most impact - is to target
individual transformation within big organiza-
tions.
CORE brings value through 3 separate and yet
synergistic spheres:
1) a board of experts
2) a process for companies, and
3) an intention of catalysing a social move-
ment.
1. We’ve gathered a board of transformational
experts to co-develop the content of a 3-step
transformational process for businesses, to
unfold human potential and to create a proac-
tive response to stress.
2. Offering this 3-step process for businesses
will be our key to creating a sustainable busi-
ness. We call the 3 steps Departure, Journey
and Arrival. The 2nd step, Journey, is a retreat
in nature, where min 200 employees collec-
tively immerse into a transformational jour-
ney, facilitated by the experts on our Board.
3. In the fall of 2014, we will create a ‘fuss’
in the media, telling the story of how stress
is stifling human potential and challenging
businesses to take an appreciative proactive
response. We aim to attract the 100 interna-
tional business leaders who are most com-
mitted to answer the question: How can we
structure work and the workplace so that it
contributes to human flourishing? We will
partner with other international organizations
(B Team, Purpose, B Lab…) to take a stand for
growing people, not profit. We want to gather
and publicize the list of these business leaders,
creating a web platform for them to commu-
nicate about their journey, and finally gather
them in the fall of 2015. We will set the vision
and give away ownership.
We have beautifully stitched together all ac-
tivities of our enterprise into a 1-year action
research project, CORE Seasons. Running be-
tween Jan. 2015 and Jan. 2016, we will do 4
executions with clients, carry out academic re-
search and develop methods with our Board
of experts. The 100 businesses leaders will all
meet at a gathering at the end of CORE Sea-
sons, communicating to each other and the
World what they have learned.
We see possibilities and dream BIG. Instead
of cutting down our ambitions to fit the short
timeframe of this Pilot Project (we began
working together in January), we’ve decided
to go for the big dream, but expand our time
perspective. Our first real scale execution
won’t happen until the beginning of 2015, and
we aim to have a validated tested business of-
fer by the end of 2015. This pilot project has
been focused on building a fundament, an
action research period leading to our defined
concept and business start-up plan.

3
OUR THEORETICAL FOUNDATION
Everythought,action,andnotionwehaverests
on certain underlying assumptions, which of-
ten unconsciously colors our world. These un-
derlying assumptions are always present, and
they make us see certain things while letting
other things go by unnoticed. In the creation
of CORE we have identified an appreciative so-
cial constructivist perspective as the most suit-
able worldview for us to understand the pro-
cess of personal, organizational development
and societal development.
We have used the social constructivist world-
view to understand the world. A friend and
mentor, Carsten Hornstrup writes: “A construc-
tionist epistemological paradigm is a mindset
or a system of ideas that are based on the no-
tion that our world or reality does not exist in-
dependent of us but only as it appears to each
of us as the result of a construction process.”
(Hornstrup, 2013) tThis has guided us in the
creation of the relationships that has has and
will fuel CORE.
The following assumptions and beliefs have
formed a common purpose that has guided
the creation of CORE.
BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT OF
CORE
PERSONAL
DEVELOPMENT OF
ANDY & MIKKELINE
COMPASS
On our journey we have had good winds, beau-
tiful sun, but also the occasional storm. Having
a compass and map is always important, but in
a storm with low visibility, having a navigation
system is crucial. This section is where we ex-
plain our fundamental navigation system, our
theoretical background, our values and the be-
liefs that have guided us thus far and are carry-
ing us strongly forward. No system is perfect,
and our navigation system also has shortfalls,
the first step to overcome these is to be aware
of them - we will also touch upon the challeng-
es that we have identified.

4
CORE BELIEFS
- People are innately good.
- We all have an inner wisdom that we can
learn to access.
- Our experiences shift our perception which
shift the nature of what we experience.
- Individuals and society have far more poten-
tial than we are currently using or aware of.
- A paradigm shift is happening in the World,
based upon people evolving their level of con-
sciousness.
- The evolution of human consciousness is the
most powerful way to create a society that will
build a sustainable future of healthy, happy
and thriving individuals.
- The World is not broken and does not need
fixing.
We have created CORE to shape an intentional
frame for this purpose. A frame in which we
can bring together those that share these as-
sumptions and collectively accelerate a shift in
consciousness, which is needed and already
happening.
CORE VALUES

- Framing Possibility
- Simplicity
- Relation
- Love
- From the core
We want to go to the CORE of what is causing
the current situation. We realize stress is also
just a symptom of other culturally embedded
challenges. Yet, we choose to target stress, as
is it a growing mega need that is causing an
unfathomable amount of human suffering,
and will give us a strong business case as an
entry point to make the CORE perceptual shift
process appealing to companies.
We are beginning to develop our own lan-
guage around the field of personal and organi-
zational development. Our current terminol-
ogy can be abstract and is only scratching the
surfacecompared to the depth that we would
like to go to in the coming years. What does it
mean to be connected to your values? What
does it mean to ‘unfold your potential’? Below
is our brief answer to these question:
To us, “unfolding human potential through
connecting people to their values,” means to
be connected with what is most important/
drives you. To live from your passions, not
based upon the expectations that society plac-
es upon you. It means to live from purpose/
love rather than from fear.
We have many more thoughts, and are also
deeply excited learn so much more about
these questions in the coming years. We see
our individual development as interlinked with
the development of CORE, this is part of our
strategy for CORE Seasons.
CORE CHALLENGE
We want people to flourish. We people to nur-
ture themselves, each other and the natural
system we are a part of. If we aim at a shift
of perception only in individuals, the system
which was part of fostering their stress, will
still be the same. This is why we want to work
with organizations to make a systemic change
in the structures that organize human endeav-
our - though we know these systems are op-
erating in even larger systems, it is a synergy
to work simultaneously with individual and
organizational change. To do this we need to
be able to effectively sell our service to organi-
zations in a current paradigm focused on eco-
nomic growth.
An appealing selling point in the current para-
digm is to make people more effective, to make
them more resilient dealing with the current
systems - for organizations to save money on
sick days. We want to change the system that
make people sick in the first place. We want
the system and the people to change simulta-
neously, towards a new paradigm of human-
centered businesses.
We realize that there is a paradox in getting
these organizations to pay for our service, that
we hope will alter clients perception, making
behavioral change that may not always be in
the best interest of the bottom line (possibly
causing employees to quitting their job etc.)

5
DESTINATION
Here we will outline our vision for our journey,
the ship that we are on, how and with who
we will trade with. (concept & product, target
group & need, business idea).
CONCEPT & PRODUCT
In this section of the report we will first take
you through the overall vision of CORE (WHY),
followed by a concrete concept description
and the three mutually beneficial levels of our
social enterprise CORE (WHAT). Lastly we will
briefly describe CORE Seasons, the one year
action research plan that stitches all layers of
our concept together into an ambitious, whole
and realizable concept (HOW).
1. CONCEPT VISION/ WHY
CORE VISION
We unfold human potential through connect-
ing people with their values.
The ambition of CORE is to globally drive the
evolution of the human minds and human sys-
tems toward a World where people are con-
nected to their core values and actively build-
ing a just, equitable and sustainable society.
We believe that we all have the capacity to
flourish through acting in accordance with our
authentic selves and true values. The social
enterprise CORE is a bridge between co-creat-
ed imagination and reality, the frame for pos-
sibility to emerge through connecting around
this shared purpose.
We want to use experience based personal
development as a driver for systemic global
change. If people evolve their understanding
of how to be in the World, our culture, our
man-made institutions and systems will follow
that change. Donnela Meadows says that the
most powerful intervention in a system is at
the level of paradigm (Meadows, 2008). Joan-
na Macy describes the importance and role of
individual transformation towards a desirable
future society: “Shifting consciousness is the
third dimension of how to contribute to the
Great Turning. In the past, changing the self

6
and changing the world were often regarded
as separate endeavors and viewed in either-or
terms. But in the story of the Great Turning,
they are recognized as mutually reinforcing
and essential to one another” (Macy, 2012).
We focus on personal evolution, but we col-
laborate with organizations that are driving
organizational evolution. We believe that
organizations can truly elicit and cherish hu-
man initiative, allowing increasing autonomy
driven by a shared purpose. We will create
partnerships that can carry on our work with
individuals to drive organizational change.
2. CONCEPT DESCRIPTION/ WHAT
3 SPHERES
CORE Board, Experiences and Movement
We are developing a social enterprise with
three interconnected and mutually benefi-
cial spheres, all undividedly focused upon our
core purpose: Unfolding human potential. We
have brought together a Board of experts to
co-develop new solutions, and are creating se-
ries of Experiences where new solutions will
be tested and researched. The Experiences
with the content created by the Board will be
the business that will fuel our larger vision,
a Movement of unfolding human potential.
Through personal experience and research
about the most effective social enterprises, we
have crafted the idea to have our enterprise
be “partially a business, and partially a move-
ment” (Hornstrup, 2013. Alvord 2004) We are
intentionally blurring the lines between busi-
ness and social movement, with a sharpened
focus upon purpose.
Board:
We have brought together some of the most
qualified advisors in personal transformation
to help us create the content for CORE Experi-
ence process. We are providing the frames for
them to connect around their shared purpose
and offering them an arena to collectively
bring their gifts to the World, as they will be
facilitating the Experiences.
We are also intentionally creating frames for
whatever is seeking to emerge between these
experts. See our theory of change (Appendix
1) to see how the competencies of the Board
match our purpose.
CORE Seasons:
3. SOCIAL MOVEMENT
2. CORE EXPERIENCES
1. CORE BOARD
An international board of 7 experts in personal transformational processes
will co-create the..
A 3-step process for organizations, which can become a business
engine and accelerate the....
A social movement for 100 business leaders with the
purpose of unfolding human potential
CORE SPHERES

We are developing a 3-step process that we
offer to 4 businesses of around 200 employ-
ees, starting January 2015 as a part of a global
1-year action research project. During 2015,
we will organize 4 processes, one for each sea-
son. The intention of the processeses is to con-
nect individuals to their values to unfold their
potential.
A research institution will study these experi-
ences and their effect on the stress levels of
those participating. The content of this 3 step
process is being co-created in collaboration
with our Board.
Movement:
We intent to find collaboration partners to
provide the frames for 100 businesses to
come together to answer the question: How
can we structure work and the workplace so
that it contributes to human flourishing? The
intention of this sphere of CORE is to empow-
er business leaders to help each other to un-
fold the innate potential of their employees.
The rapid escalation of stress, cause this to be
a very important issue for businesses. We hold
a process to select the businesses that have
the strongest desire to change how they oper-
ate, and provide an online platform for them
to discuss, as well as a meet up for all of the
business leaders in the fall 2015, at the end of
our Core Seasons research project.
7
“Soil, soul and society are aspects of the same reality.
We must care for all three.
We must expand our conciousness to say
I am a mircocosm of a megacosm.
Let’s rememeber diversities are not divisions!
Our modern mind is dividing,
not celebrating the diversity in our unity”
- Satish Kumar

8
PRODUCT IDEA, DESCRIPTION AND FEATURES
THREE-STEP MODEL
Departure, Journey and Arrival
Our overall purpose of CORE is in perfect co-
herence with the intention of this product of-
fering: To create experiences, which enable
people to connect with their values to unfold
their potential. This process uses personal
development as a driver for organizational
evolution, where we also want to unfold the
ability of the individuals from all levels of the
organizations to be able to unfold their own
and their colleagues potential. A natural out-
come of this is a flourishing organization with
lower rates of stress (a hypothesis being test-
ed through CORE Seasons). We have framed
this product as a 3-step process:
Phase 1. Departure:
What potential do you have that you are you
committed to unleash?
In phase 1, participants engage in a meaning-
ful experience to challenge their assumptions
of what is possible and have a dialogue about
human potential and working from a core pur-
pose driven place. We will also give the em-
ployees powerful tools and exercises, to work
with together until the next phase.
We present tools for both rational and crea-
tive thinkers. We run a process that looks at
some of the challenges that the employees
are currently facing around realizing their po-
tential, the dream in the challenges and what
CORE can offer as next steps. We host genera-
tive dialogues, giving a place to talk about the
difficult things, like stress and what they feel.
To move onto the next phase, participants
must have a clearly stated desire to grow and
change.
Intention: Clients feel called to explore their
full potential. Participants have learned help-
ful and powerful tools to work on in groups
until the next phase.
Desired Outcome: Employees want to at-
tend the second phase of the CORE process.
Employees have learned something new and
powerful. That each client has a clearly stated
desire to change.
Phase 2. Journey:
What insights emerge when you experience
what is at your CORE?
Phase 2 is an inspirational experience that
moves participants from awareness to insight.
Participants are magnetically pulled into the
experience of unfolding their own potential.
A place to be strong together and turn spark
into fire. In the stillness of nature, our inner
fire burns brightest. We organize a 3 day/2
night retreat in a beautiful location in nature,
where we gather some of the Worlds cutting-
edge experts, to help people connect to their
values and work with personal transforma-
tion. The actual process for how this time un-
folds will be co-created with our Board. We
use experience design to make this experi-
ence “cirque du soleil” extraordinary and tie
the experience together with a beautiful crea-
tive ritual.
Intention: Providing clients with frames and
processes to discover their authentic values. It
is a space where each participant can engage
in their intention to make personal change. A
space for them to meet and share with other
people on the same quest.

9
RISE OF PURPOSE
ESCALATING RATE OF
CHANGE AND RISE OF
COMPLEXITY
STRESS -
STIFLED POTENTIAL
Desired Outcome: Participants have begun a
journey of personal transformation by experi-
encing what is really important to them. They
have a direction based upon deepened self-
understanding. They have built deep meaning-
ful relationships with other people during the
retreat.
Phase 3. Arrival:
With new insights, how will you BE and flour-
ish in your full potential?
The third phase is where the values are taken
into the world. The process is anchored and
participants supported in making behavio-
ral change. We host a 1-day workshop in the
organization to reflect, celebrate and provide
frames for peer-to-peer support structures
for participants. We bring back up the topics
that were brought up during our first phase
and anchor the insights from the participant’s
experiences. We look forward on the continu-
ous process of personal development in the
organization.
Intention: Participants support each other in
making behavior change, they become ambas-
sadors for living a values driven life, centred in
human flourishing.
Desired Outcome: The experience is strongly
anchored, and the business begin a process of
creating frames for the employees to flourish.
A journey of personal evolution has begun,
and will be supported by the organization and
through peer-to-peer groups.
HOW the product is developed:
We are initiating a one year action research
project CORE Seasons, running in 2015, where
we will create 4 executions with clients, carry
out academic research and develop methods
with our Board of experts. This will be de-
scribed in detail in the “Development Plan”
section of the report.
““The success of the intervention
depends on the interior condition of the intervener”
– Bill O’Brien

10
NEED & TARGET GROUP
The World Health Organization has called
stress: “Health epidemic of the 21st century”
(Smith, 2014). Stress is the tip of the iceberg,
you can statistically (see below) see that or-
ganizations today have a critical and escalat-
ing problem. Our target group is international
medium and large sized businesses serious
about better harnessing the potential of their
employees, as they have the largest need and
resources for taking a proactive response to
stress.
CORE Seasons is focused on meeting the fol-
lowing needs:
Stress - Stifled human potential
- Danes who feel stressed in their daily lives
almost doubled in 10 years: 2000: 7,8 % to
2010: 12,8% (Statens Institut for Folkesund-
hed, 2010)
- Stress is estimated to cost Danish society
14 billion DKK every year due to lost work
days and hospital costs (Statens Institut for
Folkesundhed, 2010)
- Stress has been called the “health epidemic
of the 21st century” by the World Health Or-
ganization and is estimated to cost American
businesses up to $300 billion a year (Smith,
2014)
- Stress and depression are foreseen to be
the main sources of illness in the EU in 2020
(OSHA, 2013)
- Almost 60 percent of EU workers believe that
work has a negative impact on their health
(OSHA, 2008).
What does $300 billion dollars say in terms
of human suffering? Why is this happening?
What is the underlying cause of this growing
epidemic? If stress is a symptom, what is the
cause of that symptom?
Through all of our desk research and inter-
views with HR Managers, we have come to
believe that no one really knows the answers
to these questions, and their attempts to stop
stress are like to trying to aim at a moving
target with a blindfold on. Most current re-
sponses are trying to fight the symptoms, but
not addressing and changing the core causes.
Organizations today are a burning platform,
unable to put out the growing inferno right
under their feet. As the numbers rise and the
costs sore, the need to take this issue head
on, and take a proactive and appreciative ap-
proach is growing. We believe that one of the
hesitancies in taking the issue of stress head
on would call into question large taken for
granted beliefs about the way that business
‘should’ be done. The pressure is building on
the leadership of companies and coming from
another powerful and interconnected force:
Increasing complexity.
An Escalation of Change
and the Rise of Complexity
Think of the things in the world that are chang-
ing at an exponential rate? Lets just cite a few
(Hamel, 2011):

11
- CO2 emissions
- Internet connections
- The amount of Data storage
- The amount of mobile devices using the web
-Theamountofgenesthatwehavesequenced
This are new challenges that have profound
impact on organizations today. Organizations
are stuck making meaning in the Newtonian-
mechanistic paradigm, with a dismally thin fo-
cus on financial value and control – is dying
and a new way of making meaning – an en-
ergetic, purpose driven holistic exploration of
value creation - is being born.
There is a paradigm shift in the very structure,
purpose and potential of organizations that is
driven by an unrelenting escalation of com-
plexity (Hamel, 2011. Hornstrup 2013). This
will necessitate a paradigm shift in the organi-
zational model as we know it, launching us out
of the mechanistic paradigm into a paradigm
that is supporting organizing around purpose,
individual autonomy and creativity (Haque,
2011).
IBM conducts biannual global surveys where
they ask 1,500 CEOs and senior public sector
leaders what they identify as their main chal-
lenges and thus their top leadership priori-
ties. In the 2010 survey they found that: “…a
rapid escalation of ‘complexity’ is the biggest
challenge confronting them. They expect it to
continue – indeed to accelerate – in the com-
ing years.” In the 2012 study they found that:
“CEOs see greater organizational openness
ahead.” As a result of, “…complexity of in-
creasingly interconnected organizations, mar-
kets, societies and governments.” The escala-
tion of change is imminent, now the question
is how will organizations deal with it?
Rising complexity demands a shift in organi-
zations towards flat structures, increased au-
tonomy and emerging organizational struc-
tures like Holacracy. People must evolve their
understanding of how to be in an organization
before the organization can harness the true
benefits of structural change. Robert Keegan
says, “The world needs a service that delivers
an overhaul of the way that individuals make
meaning in organizations today” (Keegan,
1982). A bold challenge, that we hope to take
on.
Seth Godin says it bluntly, “For the first time
ever, everyone in the organization - not just
the boss - is expected to lead” (Godin, 2008).
Daniel Goleman writes about the new skills
required for people to thrive in organizations
today, in the recent cover article, The Focused
Leader, from the Harvard Business Review. He
then calls for business leaders to meditate, to
gain sharpened self-awareness, have height-
ened empathy for their co-workers as well as
expand their attention to the systemic view of
the wider World (Goleman, 2014). Just to em-
phasize this point: The HBR is calling for busi-
ness leaders to meditate!
The Rise of Purpose
“Purpose is increasingly being touted as the
key to navigating the complex, volatile, am-
biguous world we face today, where strategy
is ever changing and few decisions are obvi-
ously right or wrong.” (Craig, 2014)
Workers are no longer happy to spend all of
their devoted time to something that is me-
diocre. Yet, most organizations are locked
into a way of doing business that is myopi-
cally focused on increasing the bottom line.
There is a growing global movement of social
entrepreneurs, and the businesses that don’t
adapt will/are suffering. A recent Gallup sur-
vey showed that 71% percent of workers are
“not engaged” or “actively disengaged” from

12
their work (Gallup, 2011). Seth Godin writes
that, “Many people are starting to realize that
they work a lot, and that working on stuff they
believe in (and making things happen) is much
more satisfying than just getting a paycheck
and waiting to get fired (or die).”
Where does CORE fit in?
All of these needs have the common core of
the need for a consciousness shift in individu-
als leading and working with organizations.
We know that connecting individuals to their
values has been proven to reduce stress re-
sponses (Cresswell, 2005). We are curious to
explore the possibilities of enabling people
to make perceptual shifts. We are positioning
CORE to be a front runner in helping individu-
als organizations make a fundamental shift
in their perception through working from a
value driven place, lowering employees stress
and increasing individuals ability to thrive in
change.
TREND RESEARCH
“What’s good for us as individuals is also good
for the bottom line.” - Arianna Huffington,
2014 (Huffington, 2014)
The name of our company CORE, is inspired
by an international trend forecast for 2015
(see in Branding Section). We have also been
continuously looking out for clues leading us
towards a growing need in society - where the
need for a product or service will be growing
as the company develops. We see a plentitude
of indicators of the good timing of CORE Sea-
sons. We believe that there will be a growing
need for organizations to holistically support
their employees ability to thrive, through con-
necting individuals with their values in rela-
tion to the magnetic organizational purpose.
“In the realm of possibility
we gain knowledge by invention”
- Benjamin Zander
Some examples of trend indicators that point
us towards CORE meeting a growing need:
- Global: The Karololinska Intsitute has opened
a Centre for Social Sustainability with the ob-
jective to: Map factors (values, notions, struc-
tures and processes) that facilitate or obstruct
the development of functional social systems.”
- Global: Yoga and mindfulness are being syn-
ergistically brought into mainstream culture,
businesses, leaders, individuals all embracing
mindful living. (Gregoire, 2014)
- European: International Partnership for
Transformational Learning takes shape 2013
with 8 leading organizations sharing methods
on “Hosting Transformation” at a Changemak-
er Festival
- Danish: A TV Show in 2014 shows how BS
Christiansen takes 4 women to Canada to
work on personal development in nature to
get off antidepressive medicine
- The rapid rise of purpose driven social enter-
prises, especially among the younger genera-
tions.

13
TARGET GROUP
The target group for CORE Seasons is HR Man-
agers at medium to large sized organizations
globally who have a strong need (defined by
the percentage of employees who are sick,
and burned out from stress) to take a pro-
active response to stress and fit our four re-
quirements. We wish to attract companies
on the cutting edge of future organizational
structures, already sensing the needed shift
and willing to proactively support this change
and actively try to connect with their values
both an individual and group level.
During the first year we are only selling to 4
businesses that will enter into a paying col-
laboration. We have created a list of require-
ments, to help us find the right organizations
to work with during CORE Seasons. We want
to create a magnetic and attractive offer for
businesses, to draw them to CORE Seasons.
Here are our requirements:
- Businesses that have a serious statistical
challenge with stress
- An authentic desire to build an organization
that truly trusts, honors, and cherishes its em-
ployees.
- Openness to learn with 3 other businesses as
part of a research project
- Willingness to have the story told in the me-
dia
“People don’t resist change.
They resist being changed”
- Peter Senge

14
BUSINESS IDEA
In this chapter we go into the different aspects
of our business idea.
SALES CONCEPT
“I really want to be part of this. I will set you
in contact with my HR network – they would
LOVE this! We have no clue what to do about
it (stress). And I don’t think we know how to
prevent it.”
- Sophie Olsen Grand
(HR manager Unity studios)
“Sounds very interesting. I will bring this up
during the next (leadership) group meeting,
please send more info.”
-Line Hojer Fogde
(Work climate responsible
at Jyst Bank, 4,200 employees)
If I was a leader of a larger company I would
say yes yes yes to your offer, because it in-
volves international cutting edge experts. It
sounds very interesting.
- Helle Kibskov
(Founder of BladbjergKibskov,
leading Danish stress prevention consultancy)
Through interviews with our target group, HR
Managers of medium and large sized organi-
zations we have identified that the challenge
of stress is creating a burning platform for or-
ganizations. When we have sailed our boat
within talking distance of these organizations,
they have beckoned us closer as they need a
boat to take their people off of their burning
platform.
The sales that we will be making during the
first year will be limited to 4 processes. CORE
Seasons we will make it attractive to business,
through being part of cutting edge research,
having access to international experts, and
because they have a need. We will frame the
sale as collaboration between the business,
the researchers, and the experts. Our sales
concept has five main steps:
1. Networking from Mikkeline and Andy
2. Leveraging the network of our Board
3. Media coverage, that will the branding ap-
peal of being part of CORE Seasons to compa-
nies.
4. Movement attention, and media coverage
of the gathering of 100 business leaders
BRANDING & IDENTITY
Branding is about storytelling. We have cre-
ated our brand and identity to as authenti-
cally represent the story of the change that
we want to spark in people and the world.
Our brand is about connecting people to their
CORE, it is about living a meaningful, purpose
and passion driven life. However this is an area
that we have gotten professional help, and we
still need to much development on this front.
The name CORE comes from a fashion trend
forecast for the summer of 2015. This was our
first inspiration for the visual identity.
We brought in Kristina Bonne, who has devel-
oped the current visual identity of CORE. Kris-
tina brought up the complexity and has given
our logo a more nuanced feel:
BRAND ELEMENTS
The Board
An important aspect of our branding is to be
conscious about the people that represent
the brand. By having an international and re-
spected board on our website, we hope to be
able to position ourselves as a trustworthy
and exciting brand. Through time we will build
up our legitimancy.

The Research
We see research validation of our process, as
a key aspect of the brand of CORE. We see the
research as a bridge that will enable us to be
able to bring alternative practices, such as Lisa
Arie’s work with horses to corporate culture.
CORE Seasons
We believe in making everything we do so at-
tractive that people are magnetized to it, and
want to be a part. This is commonly referred
to as the pull strategy. We will use this tech-
nique to boost our brand through the creation
of CORE Seasons, which we believe will result
in international publicity, through collabora-
tion with many prominent and influential peo-
ple and institutions, and unique research.
On this page you can see our CORE logos,
typefond (Graphik) and colour scale.
Above is the trend forecast for summer 2015,
which inspired our brand name CORE.
15

BUSINESS MODEL
…we haven’t even scratched the surface of
what’s possible through the act of exchange.
In fact, the boundaries of human exchange are
vaster than we often conceive of, and within
them lies an enormous continent, still wide
open for discovery, exploration, and settle-
ment.
- Umair Haque
Business Model Innovation:
Social Movement
We want to utilize the potential of all people
that share our purpose, and see no reason why
we should close our doors when there are mil-
lions of people that potentially believe what
we believe. Mikkeline’s experience with 100 in
1 Day, and Andy’s experience with Good For
Nothing have inspired this social movement
inspiration. The writing of Daniel Goleman’s
The Power of Tribes, and Rick Falkvinge’s book
Swarmwise, have also deeply informed this
piece of our business model. Mikkeline has in-
troduced a powerful model for creating move-
ments based upon three spheres: Mentality,
Locality and Action. This frame has helped us
create our idea for the business movement.
STRENGHTS WEAKNESSES
OPPORTUNITIES THREATHS
We have personal relations to all board members
The research project is creating a validation and
pull strategy for our buisness
We have the courage to share and follow a big
vision
The content of our service will be co-created
We have a 2-year business dev. plan
The project is global
We highly personally committmented
to the project
The concept only works large scale
so MVPs are difficult
Being in nature is inconvenient
(added cost and time consumed for clients)
The content of our service is yet undefined
Our first execution wont be until Jan 2015,
until then we must finance project expenses
Flexible location requires us to work with new
stakeholders for each process
No ownership of the content
as it is co-created
The project is global
CORE enables us to use our strenghts in
connecting and framing possibilities
CORE is a platform for the founders development
We have the freedom to steer our own ship
We may enable a lot of people to feel substantially
better
We are living and working in a way we want and
that may inspire others
Sales of 4x1.000.000 DKK might be unrealistic
The board won’t help with sales
The startup budget of 600.000 DKK is a risk
if we dont get an investor and cant sell
Board or founders are essential to carry out
project, and they can get sick or quit
The board can be too busy to meet
and facilitate the executions
Our process is based upon selling to
1 company of 200 participants
for each experience,
it won’t work for many
companies at once
CORE SWOT ANALYSIS
BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY CANVAS
(see visuals page 19-20)
We have mapped out other players in our
field, all providing value propositions similar
to CORE.
Looking at the Canvas we realize the CORE
concept is combining the what we find the
most appealing aspects from ideas from:
- Burning Man, a large scale event where co-
creating around a shared purpose
. Pathfinder, a 3-step process only accept very
committed people
- Baravara, a course gathering experts within
personal development
- No Minds Festival, a festival in nature for in-
dividual interested in personal growth.
Inspiring current offers for individual trans-
formation are based on collective processes,
extraordinary experiences, and inputs from
various experts. We found a way to offer this
to businesses. The benefit of high relational
building among the employers also differen-
tiates CORE from other stress-preventing ser-
vices for businesses.
Pricing:
Compared to other players on the market we
offer our service to a low price per participant,
which is possible when we have a higher num-
ber of participants at the same time.
16
BUDGETS (See Appendix 2)

BOARD
of 7 experts
co-creation
gathering
of board
CORE
SEASONS
research
project
CORE
Mikkeline
& Andy
FOUR
ORGANIZATIONS
of 200
employees
CORE VISUAL BIZ MODEL
RESEARCHER
Learning
Content
Validation
THOSE
WITH A NEED
THOSE
WITH EXPERTISE
Money
17
Participants
Connection to values
Money
Insights
Frames
Connection to other experts

REVENUE STREAMSCOST STRUCTURE
Businesses paying to be part of CORE Seasons:
1.000.000 DKK for full 3 step, 1 month long CORE process.
Investor Funding
Salary:
For founders - 25,000 Dkk per month
Temporary employment:
Transformational change experts: 15,000 Dkk for 2 days
Organizational change experts: 20,000 Dkk for 2 days
project manager: 25,000 Dkk per month
Cost of renting retreat center + food: 120,000 Dkk per
100 people
CORE BIZ MODEL CANVAS
COST STRUCTURE
Who are our key partners?
Our board
A research institution (Carnagie Melon,
Århus University and the Karolinska
Institute)
Companies
Retreat centers in nature
Which key resources are we acquiring
from partners?
From the board we are acquiring the
expertise that the companies need
From the research institutions we are
acquiring validation of our CORE process,
and heightened legitimacy of CORE Sea-
sons from all other stakeholders.
From companies we are acquiring fund-
ing and participants
Which key activities do partners
perform?
The board will be facilitating the second
step of our CORE process and helping to
sell our process in their network
The research institutions to research
The companies give us their employees
and funding.
VALUE PROPOSITION
What do we deliver to the customer?
We create a synergistic program of work-
shops and a retreat to help businesses
unleash their workers potential and take
a proactive approach to fighting stress.
We bring together world experts in
transformational change at an immersive
retreat in nature to connect our clients
with their values. We help organizations
become more adaptive and purpose driv-
en, through using personal development
as a driver for organizational change.
KEY ACTIVITIES
What Activities does our Value Proposi-
tions require?
To clearly communicate a compelling vi-
sion to bring all partners onboard
To design effective processes for co-creat-
ing with collaborators (board, businesses
and researchers)
Our Distribution Channels?
Our network
Our boards network
Through the media
Our Customer Relationships?
Holding a compelling vision for all stake-
holders
Bringing the whole board together in the
beginning and end or CORE Seasons
Creating publicity around our project to
make it more attractive for companies
Revenue Streams?
Delivering transformational processes
that actually lower stress levels in organi-
zations.
KEY RESOURCES
A pool of experts in transformational
change
Talented and respected researchers
A website that compellingly and power-
fully communicates our vision and social
media that shows our values and vision
in action
COSTUMER RELATIONSHIPS
What type of relationship does each of
our customer segments expect us to
establish and maintain with them?
Businesses (HR Managers) -
We deliver - Employees that are more
connected to their values and less likely
to go down with stress.
We receive - Payment
Board -
We deliver - A network of likeminded
professionals and frames for emergence.
To provide the context for them to meet
and create together, secondly clients for
them to professionally work with.
We receive - Expertise, legitimacy, an
amazing network to distribute our prod-
uct and generate publicity from
Researchers -
We deliver - They will be paid
(100,000.00 DKK, from Innovation Fund).
It is an inspiring test case that will con-
nect them with companies and expert
practitioners.
We receive - Validation of our idea, and
the ability to communicate ‘fluffy’ ideas
in concrete result oriented academic
research.
Which ones have we established?
We have established relationships with
the board
How are they integrated with the rest of
our business model?
All of the relationships meet around our
vision of unfolding human potential, and
helping to solve the challenge of stress.
CHANNELS
Through which channels do our customer
segments want to be reached?
Through their existing trusted networks,
followed by face to face meetings
How are we integrating our channels
with our customer routines?
COSTUMER SEGMENT
For whom are we creating value? What
needs are we helping to relieve? What
problem are we helping to solve?
HR Managers
Need - Increasing rates of stress, employ-
ees potential unused, and inability to
deal with increased rate of change on an
individual and organizational level.
Board members
Need - A network of likeminded profes-
sionals and frames for emergence. Clients
for them to professionally work with.
Researchers
Need - Research cases that will build up
their career, and give them access to ex-
perts and subjects in their field of study.
18

PRICE PER-
PERSON
CONVENIENCEDRAW OF
LOCATION
PROVEN
EFFECT
BURNING MAN FESTIVAL
1 week in Nevada, USA
PREVENTSTRESS.DK
4 hours company workshop
WEEKEND MINDFULLNESS RETREAT
www.mindfulness-denmark.dk
outside Aarhus
HIGH
LOW
EVALUATION
CRITERIA
PROVIDERS
with simular
value proposition
CORE BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY CANVAS
BARAVARA
5 day course in Sweden
PATHFINDER
3 modules of 4-5 days
NO MINDS FESTIVAL
5 days in Sweden
BLADBJERGKIBSGAARD
2X2 Stress coaching/workshops
1 WEEK MEDITATION TRIP BALI
www.munonne.dk
TIME
CONSUMED
INDIVIDUAL
CONTACT
EXPERI-
MENTAL
RELATION
BUILDING
120.000 DKK
13.000 DKK
14.000 DKK
10.000 DKK
7.500 DKK
15.500 DKK
5.000 DKK
3.500 DKK
3 x 4 days
4 hours
10 days
1 week
4 days
5 days
3 days
19

PRICE PER
PERSON
CONVENIENCEDRAW OF
LOCATION
PROVEN
EFFECT
EVALUATION
CRITERIA
TIME
CONSUM
PERSONAL
CONTACT
EXPERI-
MENTAL
RELATIONAL
BUILDING
HIGH
5.000 DKK per person
200 participants from 1 com-
pany at the same time
phase one: 1 day
phase two: 3 days
phase three: 1 day
CORE BLUE OCEAN POSITIONING
extrodinary
nature location
international experts,
eventually high proven effect
and validated methods
research project
cutting edge methods,
co-created by renown
experts in personal
transformation
concious pull stratgey
importance of location
trumps convenience
personal
development,
in a mass process
capacity building
within the individual -
group sharing, learning and
growing together
WE CREATE
Experience Design
Combined int. experts
Co-creation of content
Festival, mass process
for businesses
Research focus
WE
REDUCE
Cost per participant
Convenience
WE RAISE
Expressed commitment
to change
Number of participant at
the same time
Building relationships
Power of experience
Time consume
WE
ELIMINATE
Coming to clients
Participants
as receivers of
Individual processes
20

CORE AMBASSADOR OF INTENTION CORE AMBASSADOR OF POSSIBILITY
ANDY MIKKELINE
RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT
VISION AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
TEAM/ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
CORE is a Holacracy inspired fishnet organi-
zation. All three distinct spheres of CORE are
guided by the overall organizational structure
that is led by Mikkeline and Andy. Holacracy
has inspired us to work with areas of account-
ability, this doesn’t mean you have to be the
one watering the plant, but only that you must
make sure that the plant is watered. We try to
make sure that someone is made accountable
for all tasks. This structure is inspired by the
organizational structure of 100 in 1 Day.
Roles
We are both equally accountable for the vi-
sion, organizational development and build-
ing/maintaining relationships. One of us is
always accountable for task, or task areas.
Additionally, Andy is mainly responsible for
business development and Mikkeline for
product development. Our roles seem to
emerge naturally from our different interest
areas and strengths. See a detailed break-
down of our roles in (Appendix 3).
Decisionmaking
Mikkeline and Andy are the leaders and have
equal responsibility to the overall vision of
CORE. We use our areas of responsibility to
delegate decision-making in all areas that
do not radically alter the course of CORE.
We have bi-monthly vision development in
beautiful nature, where we step out of the
playing field, ascend to the mountain top to
get an overview of CORE.
In summary
We have shared with you our destination, a
magnetic motivational force pulling us for-
ward in our work. Even if the days are long,
the salt burns under the hot ocean sun, the
beauty and deep purpose of our destination
is all that we need to sail onward.
21
“If you are going to have a story
have a big story
or nothing at all”
- Joseph Campbell

JOURNEY
Now we will take you on the journey that we
have been on to construct our craft CORE. The
journey of an explorer begins in himself, with
finding the courage and passion to embark out
into the open ocean towards unknown lands.
In this section we will take you through the
journey so far (our process, summary of re-
search and market opportunity), our onward
journey (business development strategy) and
finally our personal journeys (learning reflec-
tions and conclusion).
SUMMARY OF RESEARCH
AND MARKET OPPORTUNITY
This part is a summary of our research process
leading to the current concept, that is filling
the market opportunity we have discovered.
Our research has primarily been action re-
search, inspired by the Lean Start-up, focus-
ing on minimum viable products (MVP) and
accelerating our learning loops (Ries, 2011).
We have also done academic research and
qualitative interviews with our target group.
Our continued conversations with our group
of mentors and advisors, has given us a real
depth to the research and market opportunity
research.
We divided our research into four phases: We
started at our own core with the purpose:
“Towards the WHY”. After defining our com-
mon shared purpose, we started prototyping
to find the product to fulfill that purpose. This
second phase was “Towards the WHAT”. As
we were getting closer to the format of the
product, we were exploring different target
groups this might serve and possible collabo-
ration partners. We call this third phase “To-
wards the WHO”. Finally, when we were clear
about our concept, we started scoping and
finding the best strategy of how to get there.
The fourth phase was “Towards the HOW”.
22Kaospilot Team20 at Outdoor Exam

TOWARDS THE WHY
CORE PURPOSE
Research Question: “What calling is at our
own core?”
The research leading to finding our core pur-
pose has (and probably still will be) been
somewhat a lifelong process. We had both
started different projects in the beginning of
this final year, but decided it was not exactly
what we wanted to do. In December 2013,
we were both experiencing a low point and
where without a project, and through our
conversations we realized we both feel drawn
to the same overall purpose and big dream.
Looking at Neil Crofts “living on purpose”
model, we mapped out our talents (exp. de-
sign, change process frameworks), frustra-
tions (unused human potential) and passion
(nature, enabling people to grow) (Croft,
2014).
Insights:
- We have a shared purpose: To support a
shift in human consciousness towards more
life nurturing behaviour.
- We have a shared passion: We’d love to cre-
ate experiences in nature with this purpose.
We have a shared talent: We are skilled in ex-
perience design and creating frames for pos-
sibility.
SYNTHESIZING INSIGHTS:
DECISION 21/1: We are starting the company
CORE together, structured like a social move-
ment, driven by our purpose of shifting human
consciousness. Our first focus was on experi-
ences in nature.
TOWARDS THE WHAT
CORE FRAMEWORK
Research Question: What theoretical founda-
tion can frame transformational experiences?
We wanted to compare and combine 5 dif-
ferent change frameworks to understand the
core mechanics of transformation. We were
inspired by all the different change frame-
works we’d learned during our years at the
Kaospilot (Theory U, Narrative work and He-
roes Journey), and different Native American
frameworks which Mikkeline had come along
during her personal transformation journey
and research about this field (Disciplines of
Peace, Wheel of Life).
By extracting the essence of each phase in dif-
ferent frameworks, we came up with our own
CORE framework with 8 phases, built on the
stages of all the combined frameworks:
1. Attention
2. Presence.
3. Depth
4. Pattern
5. Clarity
6. Possibility
7. Creation
8. Wholeness.
This CORE framework was the fundament to
define the intention of each phase in the de-
sign of our nature experiences.
Insight:
- When comparing many different change
frameworks, an overall pattern occurs, describ-
ing of the general phases of a transformation
(See Appendix 4).
OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP EXAM,
Kaospilot Team20, February 3rd-5th 2014.
Research Questions: How can we create experi-
ences in nature that enable a shift in peoples
consciousness? Does our framework create
impact in 4 desired areas? Which part of the
experience creates our desired impact?
23

1. TOWARDS THE WHY 2. TOWARDS THE WHAT 4. TOWARDS THE HOW
Outdoor Leadership Exam
Experience Dinner Aarhus
DECISION 12/3:
Our value proposition is a
3-step process for organisa-
tions incl. an expeirence
retreat in nature facilitated
by experts
2013 2014
Meeting Lasse Zäll
Meeting Carsten Hornstrup
Academic research/ trend indicators
Failed Boat Experience
Start Up Weekend
Focus Group dinner in Amsterdam
3. TOWARDS THE WHO
CORE Framework
Interviews with HR managers
Meeting with biz advisors
Board meeting
DECISION 21/1
We want to collaborate on starting
a company with the purpose of
helping people get in touch with
their core.
DECISION 28/3:
We target HR managers
of progressive organiza-
tions taking a satnd for
proactive responses
to stress. We make
the year long biz dev.
project “Core Seasons”,
organizing 4 experiences
co-created with a board
of experts.
DECISION 22/4:
CORE Seasons will be a
global research project
running in 2015.
We aim to get clients
and define locations
from the possibilities
emergeing though the
board.
In the fall 2014 we will
gather the board to
develop the content
TOWARDS THE WHAT
TOWARDS THE WHO
TOWARDS THE HOW
TOWARDS THE WHY
Both ending initial pilot projects
and in perosnal crisis
CORE PROJECT TIMELINE
JAN FEB MAR APR MAYDEC
24

After connecting around our shared purpose
and creating the CORE framework, we want-
ed to create an MVP as soon as possible. We
asked to be part of designing and facilitat-
ing the 3-day outdoor leadership exam for
Team20, in the forest of Rold Skov. It was a
perfect learning opportunity as the practical
frames were already set, and both the school
and the students were very open to let us test
our idea and give us feedback afterwards.
We designed the overall story of the 3-days,
creating a narrative and an experience design
to bind together the trip, focusing sharply
on our intention of enabling a consciousness
shift. Adding to the program that was already
scheduled, we designed 8 exercises/experi-
ences, one for each phase of our CORE frame-
work. We handed out feedback sheets to all
students on the bus home (See Appendix 5),
and had an evaluation meeting with the over-
all responsible of the trip, Jon Tangen.
Insights:
- The common purpose we’ve formulated is
meaningful to us. We LOVE to facilitate pro-
cesses in nature. It works (we had incredible
feedback from both the students and Jon (See
Appendix 6).
- The purpose we’ve formulated is meaning-
ful to others. Our framework and experiences
have potential to reach our purpose of shifting
consciousness.
MEETING WITH CARSTEN HORNSTRUP,
founder of MacMannBerg consultancy,
February 12th
Research question: What is the best way to
give CORE a business engine?
We met with Andy’s business mentor Carsten,
as he is one of the leading thinkers within or-
ganizational development, and has followed
Andy’s progress for two years. We presented
our idea to get feedback and advice on the
business opportunity he saw in CORE.
Insights:
- Focus on the value creation for the company,
more than what and how you will bring them
to that result.
- Companies want high performing employees.
“A TASTE OF CORE” DINNER EXPERIENCE
in Aarhus, March 1st 2014
Research question: How can we create an
urban experience, which makes people inter-
ested in our nature experiences? How can we
create experiences which enable our collabo-
ration partners to experience what we do?
We wanted to explain to our possible busi-
ness partner Carsten Hornstrup and our visual
identity designer Kristina Bonne, what CORE
was about. We wanted them to experience it,
instead of telling them. We decided to invite
a group of 8 interesting people we know, to a
3-hour experience dinner in Mikkeline’s apart-
ment to experience CORE and to get feedback
on our idea. We requested feedback in a mail
questionnaire and had individual feedback
meetings with most of the participants after-
wards.
Insights:
- Don’t force change! A transformational pro-
cess needs to be a free choice.
- We are not the experts. With our experi-
ences and exercises we might be able to open
up for something profound, but we are not
trained to “hold and support” people in and
out of such deep change process.
- Don’t put ourselves in a position where we
have to prove/deliver to the participants, find
a way to include them in the process, bring
them into the dialogue and development.
- The most valuable things for the participants
was the connection between them.
25

MEETING WITH LASSE ZÄLL,
Founder of Pathfinder, March 16th
Research question: How do we successfully de-
sign, sell and communicate transformational
processes for businesses?
We met with Lasse, as he is one of the most
successful examples of selling transformation-
al processes to Danish companies with more
than 20 years of experience. We were curi-
ous about the ingredients to this success and
wanted his advice for our business develop-
ment.
Insights:
- “Mød mennesket hvor mennesket er” (quote
Søren Kierkegaard). Meet people where they
are. Gradually getting people interested and
committed in the change process works. Ad-
dressing both the rational and creative mind
is important.
- The 3 step model. Pathfinder successfully
uses a 3-step model: In the 1st step meet-
ing people in the company on a theoretical
level, in the 2nd step taking them into nature
embodying the learning, and in the 3rd step
opening the heart.
- We scale up the amount of participants to
100-500 people gathering around the same
purpose. This is a key way we innovate and
make our business viable.
TOWARDS THE WHO
“DE FOCUS/RE FOCUS” FOCUS GROUP
in Amsterdam, March 24th 2014
Research question: Who needs transforma-
tional nature experiences?
With our clarified concept of WHAT, we want-
ed to get feedback on this concept and ex-
plore who would be the best target group. We
spend two weeks in Amsterdam learning from
Meike Ziegler, Creatuals. She offered to invite
people in her network that were related to
experience design and stress to a focus group
dinner in her studio. Nine people attended.
We presented our current idea using Nick Jan-
kel’s “Breakthrough V” model, explaining: the
current state of stress, the current solutions,
the current underlying belief, the new belief
we build our concept on, the new solutions
needed and our new concept.
Finally we facilitated a dialogue around the
currentneed(alsobasedonthe“Breakthrough
V”) to hear their inputs on current underlying
beliefs causing stress, and got feedback on our
concrete idea.
26
Focus Group in Amsterdam

Focus Group insights:
- Co-creation works. The participants showed
huge engagement in the topic.
- Focus in unfolding potential, not preventing
stress.
- There is a huge need to change organization-
al structures.
INTERVIEWS WITH DANISH HR-MANAGERS
(9th-23rd April 2014)
Research questions: What is the current state
of and best solutions around stress preven-
tion? What do HR managers desire? What
would make our concept attractive/challeng-
ing for a company to buy in on?
We did qualitative interviews - inspired by
Carsten Hornstrup’s ‘generative interview’
technique - with a series of HR managers from
different sizes of companies to explore the
current situation, the need, and start validat-
ing the market opportunity for our concept.
We spoke with:
- Sophie Olsen Grand
HR manager Unity studios, educated coach,
private company in Aarhus, 30 employees
- Helle Kibskov
Founder of Bladbjerg Kibskov, leading Danish
company in stress prevention for companies
- Line Højer Fogde
Work climate responsible at Jyske Bank, 4200
employees
- Karina Boldsen
Previous HR manager at Vestas, author of
“Happy Chefs”
- Anne Molbeck-Kunskner,
Lundbeck, global Pharmaceuticals compa-
ny, leading 2-year project “Mental Health at
Work” 6000 employees worldwide, 2000 in
Denmark
- Maj Morgenstjerne Bek
Aarhus Munestipalicy “Magistrat for Sundhed
og Omsorg”
Key Insights (See Appendix 7 for a sample in-
terview):
- Current stress handling methods are largely
reactive and not going in depth. There is big
space and a need for innovation
- Focusing on mental health at work is used a
branding
- That taking time to do processes with compa-
nies is a big problem
SYNTHESISING INSIGHTS:
DECISION March 24th 2014:
For WHO: We decided to target HR managers
in organizations, who are dedicated to make
an organizational shift towards unfolding hu-
man potential.
DECISION April 3rd 2014:
- With WHO: We decided to invite a CORE
board of 7 experts to be our advisors, plus co-
creators and facilitators at the nature experi-
ences.
- New vision “We unfold human potential by
connecting people to their values through
a 3-step model” (workshop, nature retreat,
workshop).
- We are the frame holders not the experts.
2627
Mikkeline and Chené in Amsterdam

TOWARDS THE HOW
MEETINGS WITH BUSINESS ADVISORS
(8th-11th April 2014)
Research question: How can we best sell/
market our concept?
We felt we needed some advice on our sales
and marketing strategy, so we organized
individual meetings with some people in our
network, whom we admire for their skills in
the field of business. We presented our ideas,
asked for feedback and inputs on sales/mar-
keting.
- Jesper Krogh Kjeldsen, Kaospilot Team17
- Mads Poulsen, owner of Drudenfuss
- Carsten Hornekamp, founder of MacMann-
Berg consultancy
Insights:
- All three expressed the concept was very
clear and promising, really hitting a mega
trend need and they believe we can sell our
product.
- A possible strategy is to make a “desired
change or money back” sales strategy to get
our first customers on board.
- A great selling point is the added branding
value a company gets through media etc.
when they are part of this 1-year cutting edge
project.
BOARD MEETING online April 22nd 2014
“How can this initiative be most valuable for
the board?”
We send out an invitation to the board on
April 3rd inspired by Gunter Pauli’s strategy of
“letting everyone say yes individually, before
asking them all”, we mentioned all of their
names and framed the possibilities and ad-
vantages in this initiate. They all agreed and
even though they are all very busy people we
managed to find a date where 6 out of the 7
could to meet online. April 22nd we hosted
the first 2-hour board meeting on Skype.
Insights:
- Connecting the board members is of huge
value to them. They are committed to be part
of the 1-year research project.
- They expressed great desire to all meet
in person to share methods and co-create
among each other, at first without partici-
pants/clients.
- Coordinating schedules of 7 busy experts in
different timezones all over the World is chal-
lenging.
- Sensing a tremendous possibility of ideas
and impact, which could emerge if they
would meet face to face.
SYNTHESISING INSIGHTS:
DECISION 28/3: We are creating a 1-year re-
search project called CORE Seasons collabo-
rating with the board on 4 executions within
a year.
DECISION 22/4: We decided to make CORE
Seasons global. We see this aligning with the
global movement that we have the intention
to start and see a great possibility to make
the 4 sales through the board’s international
network.
OVERALL SUMMARY OF RESEARCH
We believe that our research has led us to a
concept that is realizable, attractive and rel-
evant. We have identified a mega need (see
full stress statisics in Appendix 8) and a pro-
cess for developing a solution to this need.
But most of all this process has strengthened
our shared vision and intention with CORE.
We have learned about the importance of
taking decisions/action to get feedback that
moves us forward in our development pro-
cess, a learning that we will take forward as
we develop CORE.
“Wisdom without knowledge is blind,
knowledge without wisdom is empty”
- Immanuel Kant 28

Meike Ziegler
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Creatuals
www.creatuals.com
Innovative change through
creative rituals
Megan de Bayer
Cape Town, South Africa
Ecological psychology
www.megandebeyer.com
Pshychologist and Master in
Holistic Ecology
Lisa Arie
Colorado, USA
Stillpoint Experiences
www.vistacaballo.com
Fast Company call her
“the CEO whisperer”
Göran Gennvi
Stockholm, Sweden
Nature Academy
www.naturakademin.se
Enabling leaders re-connect
to nature and themselves
Nick Jankel
Lewes, UK
Breakthrough Leadership
www.nickjankel.com
Inspiring companies world-
wide to live purpose driven
Manuel Manga
San Fransisco, USA
Evolutionary Leadership
www.evolutionleader.com
Training leaders to conciously
shape our future evolution
CORE BOARD
Chené Swart
Johannesburg, South Africa
Narrative work
www.transformations.co.za
Re-Authering the World
through narrative work
2829

PROCESS
INTERNAL WORK STRUCTURE
FOCUS ON WELLBEING
One of our key values is “from the core”, which
also means starting with ourselves. For us it
is not enough to be messengers, we want to
BE the message. We wish for people to con-
nect to what truly matters to them, to become
conscious co-creator of their own lives and
our collective reality. We want organizations
to nurture the growth and wellbeing of each
individual - so we start with ourselves.
CORE PRACTISES
We have developed CORE practises, which we
do everyday for an embodied connection to
our values and preparation to be in an optimal
state to begin our workday:
INTERNAL CORE PRACTISES
1) Dancing freely to a piece of music we
choose to get us into our bodies (practising
our value: Love)
2) Meditating 5-10 min. individually (practis-
ing our value: From the core)
3) Looking each other deep into the eyes for
1-2 min in silence. If we feel like it we share
how it made us feel, appreciating each other
and our connection (practising our value: Re-
lation/co-creation)
4) Holding our arms out to shape a half cir-
cle each, with our eyes closed imagining our
shared vision between us. Sharing afterwards
what we have seen (practising our value pos-
sibility)
5) Writing down our intention of the day and
tree top priorities that day (practising our val-
ue: Simplicity)
These practises have worked surprisingly
well for us. It is especially interesting to share
with each other the images which comes up
while “holding the vision” between us. This
is inspired by the Poetic Organization Theory,
that calls for, “authentically focusing on values
through conversation and process” (Auster,
2013). The results of this process are different
day to day, deepening our shared vision, clari-
fying the focus points of what is currently most
appealing for to us to work towards and giving
us inspiration.
WORKFLOW
We have had a simple structure for our plan-
ning and decisions: We start the week with a
Monday Morning Meeting where we set goals
for the week, plan our schedules and divide ac-
countability areas for each task. At the end of
each week we have a short Friday Evaluation,
where we look back to see if we’ve reached
the goals of the week and talk about where we
are at. After each meeting or execution, we’ve
been gathering our insights using the “Stop,
start, continue” tool.
30
“I feel my life is like a river that has
been leading em to this shore”
- Lisa Arie
at the first board meeting

IMPACT
MEASURING OUR IMPACT
We would also like to tell the story of the im-
pact that we have had thus far in our process,
as well as illuminate the impact that we have
the ambition to create through CORE Seasons
and beyond. We are aiming for breakthrough
innovation through our scalable concept that
is tackling one of the worlds growing mega-
challenges. There is inherent complexity in
designing impact measures for CORE Seasons,
which will create perceptual shifts on multi-
ple levels (individual and organizational) and
on several layers (Board of Experts, Clients/
collaborators and 100 Business Leaders). We
have created a number of components to
evaluating this impact. You can also see the
measurement system that we used for the
Outdoor Leadership in Appendix 4.
We will use a positive performance rating sys-
tem to rate the impact that we create in the
world. We do not need to reinvent the wheel,
and will leverage existing, measurement
systems such as: (New Profit Inc. Balanced
Scorecard Methodology, B Lab GIIRS, The Acu-
men- Mckinsey Scorecard, AtKisson Compass
Assessment for Investors, and OASIS). We will
become registered as a B Corp, from B Lab Eu-
rope when we can after one year of oppera-
tions. This will give us a holistic measurement
of the impact (social, environmental, and fi-
nancial) as a company.
The Impact that We Will Create:
Scalability: We have developed a model that
only works at scale. We believe that because
of the size of the need we are working with,
the ability to scale is of paramount impor-
tance. Our business model becomes more
profitable as we scale the size of gatherings
up. We are starting with 200 participants, but
we plan to scale to above 1000 participants
per gathering in the next 7 years. The ability
to scale is essential to creating breakthrough
innovation (Jankel, 2013).
Relevance to Mega-Trends: We are focusing
on the “health epidemic of the 21st century”
(Smith, 2014), which makes what we develop
extremely relevant for our time. This will en-
able the impact of our enterprise to scale as
rapidly as we can maintain the quality and the
delivery of value to our customers. We will be
able to offer our services at an even cheaper
price, and thus be able to reach more people
if we scale up the amount of participants that
we take through each CORE Experience.
Transparency: We will have complete trans-
parency about our environmental, social and
financial performance. Our finances as well
as our environmental and social impact and
yearly goals will accessible to the public from
on our website. We will strive to be an exam-
ple of good business, through the practices
that we keep as an enterprise.
Action-oriented: Actions speak louder than
words. We evaluate what is done above what
our policies are – continually trying to lessen
the gap between these two.
31
Bringing Chené and Meike
together in Amsterdam

OUR IMPACT STORY
OF CATALYZING CHANGE:
Our primary impact to date has been to cata-
lyze change, helping individuals sense new
possibilities. For Team20 we created a pro-
cess in connection to their outdoor leadership
exam, enabling them to see new possibilities
within themselves. For the board we created a
framework enabling them to see new possibil-
ities in their collaboration. We have tried to be
the change that we wish to see in the world.
Board Members
Our biggest impact so far and largest potential
future impact has been connecting the board
members. One week after bringing Meike and
Chené together in Amsterdam, they were al-
ready collaborating on a big project in Cape
Town,the“TableofHope”.Byconnectingthese
cutting edge experts within transformational
processes, we are creating an impact that can
rocket our purpose powerfully into the world.
Connecting these 7 board members, has been
a deeply powerful personal experience for the
Board members. One member cried during
the first group call, saying that, “I feel my life
is like a river that has been leading me to this
(the constellation of the board) shore.” Anoth-
er said it was a miracle. The common senti-
ment from all was that they wanted to meet
in person. We believe that them meeting in
person will be a tremendously powerful thing
for the world.
Kaospilot Team20
Our process with T20 has impacted a genera-
tion of future change leaders - the new pos-
sibilities that they see in themselves ripple
out to all those that they touch. The feedback
from the Team20 students: “As a result of this
experience I reminded myself of what I really
want to do in my life.” See more of the feed-
back in the (Appendix 5). The feedback clearly
showed that we have had a significant impact
from our 3-days with them. We were asked to
be part of designing the trip again next year,
so we will possibly have an impact on future
Kaospilot outdoor leadership exam formats as
well, adding more focus on experience-based
personal transformational processes.
IMPACT MODEL CANVAS (Appendix 9).
32
“A mind once stretched by new experiences
can never go back to its old dimensions”
- Oliver Wendell
Facing fears during Outdoor Exam
Kaospilot Team20 at Outdoor Exam

DEVELOPMENT PLAN
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY: CORE SEASONS
Starting a social enterprise requires patience.
We have decided to let our Pilot Project be the
first part of our 2 year start-up plan. The next
half year will be preparations for our first busi-
ness year, which is a 1-year research project
to test and validate our business. We call the
research project CORE Seasons. It synergisti-
cally weaves together the separate strands of
CORE into one whole, relevant, and attractive
concept. This allows for the continuous busi-
ness development of CORE, and the personal
development of the founders.
We are the frame holders, connecting to-
gether those with the need (the individuals
in organizations), with those able to meet
the need (the board) and those interested in
learning about and validating new solutions
(the researchers), around a magnetic shared
purpose: Taking a proactive approach to the
growing epidemic of stress.
CORE Seasons is a global research project
where we, organizing 4 CORE experiences,
one for each season, over the duration of one
year: Winter 2014, Spring 2015, Summer 2015
and Fall of 2015. We will find 4 international
organizations that will each pay to send 200
employees to go through our 3-step CORE
process. The board will also help us reach out
for these clients.
We will get a professional academic research
institution to research how connecting people
with their values can unfold human poten-
tial and be a proactive approach to stress. A
research project makes it more desirable for
both the Board and companies to be part of,
and will be a major competitive advantage for
our future business, as it will be a validation of
our value proposition and methods.
The CORE Season crew (researcher, board and
4 companies) will communicate the findings
to the World, throughout the year, for inspira-
tion and to spark interest in future CORE ex-
periences. The format of this communication
will be co-created with the stakeholders.
THE CORE BOARD
“Never doubt that a small group of thought-
ful, committed citizens can change the world;
indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
- Margaret Mead
From our personal experience with initiat-
ing “100 in 1 Day”, we know that gathering a
small, engaged core group around a shared
33

100 leaders gathering
NOV 2015
Board co-creation
gathering
OCT 2014
FALL
CORE SEASON
# 4 FALL
OCT 2015
WINTER
CORE SEASON
# 1 WINTER
JAN 2015
SPRING
CORE SEASON
# 2 SPRING
APRIL 2015
SUMMER
CORE SEASON
# 3 SUMMER
AUG 2015
Board evaluation &
gathering OCT 2015
CORE SEASONS JAN-DEC 2015
1-year action research project testing
and validating business
through 4 executions
BIZ START-UP PHASE JUL-DEC 2014
Preparations and content development
for CORE Seasons
PILOT PROJECT PHASE JAN-JUN 2014
Defining concept and biz start-up plan
CORE 2 YEAR PLAN
““Everything can be trained.
We become what we train”
– Lasse Zäll
34

purpose can leverage a global movement.
Throughout our education at the Kaospilots
we’ve had the privileged to connect with and
learn from truly extraordinary inspiring people
within the field of personal transformation.
We both have a natural desire and talent for
connecting to these masters. We have both
established deeply personal and meaningful
relationships with our mentors.
We have reached out to 7 of the most inspiring
people we know within personal transforma-
tion processes, and all 7 have gladly accepted
our invitation to be part of our international
CORE board and our one-year action research
project CORE Seasons.
(See board presentation on page 29)
During the first board gathering, they will
share among each other their methods by
bringing each other through their unique pro-
cesses. In this case we are really focused on
creating frames for emergence. We are fully
committed to connecting them around our
shared purpose, yet we are also consciously
unattached to the shape the outcome might
take. If we aim too concretely for a certain
outcome, we might stand in the way of what
is truly seeking to emerge between these ex-
traordinary people.
There are several benefits for the board mem-
bers to be part of this initiative. We have com-
mitted to inviting them to be paid (travel +
15,000.00 Dkk for 2.5 days) to facilitate a pro-
cess, at one or more of the 4 CORE experienc-
es, which we will organize. We offer a frames
for them to focus on what they are best at,
bringing both the participants and the col-
laboration partners (other experts).They are
also connecting to other experts with similar
visions.
“I have found a hope in me a that is bigger
than the pain I see. To be able to create frames
for other to sense possibility of change, I my-
self needed a team around me, who ensured
my state of being hopeful and positive.”
- Bliss Brown
RESEARCH PROJECT
We have decided to make CORE Seasons a re-
search project:
- To learn about how processes that are pre-
ventative of stress.
- To have a magnetic shared purpose to gather
people around.
- To rigorously validate or process
- To make it attractive to businesses
We are interested in working with David
Cresswell from Carnegie Mellon’s Health and
Human Performance Laboratory or the Karo-
linska Institute - Center for Social Sustainabil-
ity. We have been in contact with a Danish In-
novation Fund, for 100,000 Dkk for doing new
research. They seem excited about our pro-
ject, we hope to be able to fund the research
through this fund.
CORE SEASONS FOR COMPANIES
The companies who decide to be part of this
research project will benefit on many levels.
First of all the will get the nuanced value of
our 3 step process, hypothetically reducing
the huge cost of people being sick with stress.
They can brand themselves as front-runners
through participating in a global research pro-
ject on preventative methods for stress. We
will provide a frame for the business leaders
from the 4 companies to meet, and share in-
sights about the process.
35

“The place I’m stuck in my own success, is the place we’re stuck
in our cultural development’s success,
and its the place human consciousness is stuck overall.
From this point of view, working on my
personal limitations, becomes an impersonal,
yet tremendously meaningful project”
- Peter Bastian
36

2014
NOV/DECJUL AUG SEP/OCT
CORE SEASONS ACTION STEPS AND GOALS
2015
MAY JUNJAN FEB MAR APR
OCT NOV DECJUL AUG SEP
ACTIONS:
- Reach out to investors
- Hire a brilliant campaign and branding agency or individual
- Hire a project manager
- Release Website
- Contact partner organizations for 100 Biz Leader Movement
- Get 100,000 funding for research from Danish Innovation Fund
- Get research institute on board
- Plan first board gathering
ACTIONS:
- Organize and facilitate first physical gathering of all 7 board members
- Co-develop with them the content of the CORE 3-step process
- Our campaign master is creating a “fuss” about stress in companies
and the need for a proactive response, driving attention to CORE
- Seasons and attracting companies, who can “apply” to be part of this
exciting research project.
HOLIDAY
CORE SEASON
# 1 WINTER
ACTIONS:
- Organize the first CORE Season experience (possibly in Cape Town Jan. 2015)
- Organize a gathering for the leaders from all 4 companies in Jan. 2015
CORE SEASON
# 2 SPRING
CORE SEASON
# 3 SUMMER
CORE SEASON
# 4 FALL
100 LEADERS
MEETING &
Board Evaluation
CORE SEASON GOALS by Jan 1st 2016:
- We have organized and executed 4 CORE Seasons
processes for 4 international companies, each
paying for 200 employers
- The research has been published and shared
- CORE has a process of connecting people to their
values, that has been tested and validated
GOALS by Sept 1st 2014
- Researcher on board
- Financing secured for first half-year pre-income phase
- Branding expert hired for to launch our creating a “
fuss” campaign about CORE Seasons
- Collaboration with least 2 really strong organizations
(Purpose, B Team)
GOALS by Nov 1st 2014:
- The board has met for 4 days on Lisa Aries ranch in Colorado
- We have a clear idea of the content of the CORE 3-step
process
- Our researcher has been connected to the board
- We have sold the 4 CORE Seasons processes to 4 interna-
tional companies, who will each send 200 employers through
the experience in 2015
- The 4 companies have paid min 25% of the fee up front
GOALS by Jan 1st 2015:
- All logistics set for the first CORE
Season execution
- All content of the 3-step process of
the first execution is ready
- Leaders of the 4 companies have met
to share their current state, desires and
expectations before entering the
research project
37

REFLECTIONS
MIKKELINES
PERSONAL LEARNING REFLECTIONS
OVERALL MEANING
AND RELEVANCE OF THE PILOT PROJECT
One year ago I burned out. I sat by the ocean
every day for a month to let nature be part of
my healing. Today, I’m returning to the same
spot by the water - with tears of gratitude for
the journey I’ve been on the past years. After
going down with stress, I’ve realized that nur-
turing myself is essential if I want to be a Life
long Activist (Rettig, 2006).
I’m committed to use my own experience to
enable others to step out of the “spinning
wheel”, and start nurturing all life, starting
with themselves.
“At følge sit hjerte rimer også på smerte”
(following your heart also also painful)
- Kristin Birkeland
In the fall I experienced one of the most diffi-
cult times in my life, caused by a private crisis.
I had just returned after a year off with burn-
out, and it was really frustrating to call off my
project with Samsø Energi Academy to take
time off again to recover. But from the empti-
ness and deep frustration, a tremendous de-
sire to create “near-life experiences”emerged.
And on a stormy night, I created the CORE
framework, as if it just came to me. I consid-
ered joining other projects, but deep down I
knew I just wanted to follow my own calling,
roaring stronger than ever in me. I’ve been so
blessed to team up with Andy. Having some-
one to create a flow with, someone sharing
my vision, supporting and challenging me, is
indescribably valuable. It has been tough as
times too, especially because this vision is so
personal to me. Coming from the core, makes
the vision strong, but also very precious and
vulnerable, like a baby. Before we decided on
changing our roles to frameholders and not
38
“After going down with stress,
I’ve realized that nurturing myself is essential
if I want to be a Lifelong Activist”

experts, I put a huge pressure at myself for our
executions. I missed the high level of exper-
tise and necessary in-depth preparation I felt
was needed to deliver something matching
the potential I saw in the concept. It was diffi-
cult to combine this desire of mine with Andys
urge for action, prototyping and his feeling of
being “behind” starting much later than our
classmates.
Looking back, I understand how our different
angles were both so important to develop the
concept we have now. It was so important for
us to start doing right away, to get feedback
and start the learning loops. But it was also
important to realize something was wrong
with our initial idea of being experts - sensing
there was a greater possibility hiding behind
our frustrations.
Be the message.
This year has indeed been a journey towards
my own core. I’ve been working with a psycho
therapist regularly throughout this year, to ex-
plore my underlying core beliefs. I have been
practicing daily yoga and meditation, and been
on a weeklong OSHO retreat to connect to my
body’s wisdom. I’ve been through a one-week
intense personal transformation process with
Meike Ziegler, going “through the pain” as she
describes it. I was confronting suppressed past
experiences and in the end creating a creative
ritual for myself to re-conciliate with the pain
of the past. I could write a whole report just
on this process. “Become a midwife for con-
sciousness – remember to pay attention both
to what will be born (the ideas) and those who
are giving birth (myself).” – Bliss Brown. I re-
alized the most inspiring people I know have
not only impressed me with their actions, but
much more with their way of being. It reminds
me to continually work on myself, to BE the
message, not only the messenger.
“The succes of the intervention depends on
the interior condition of the intervener”
– O’Brian Santa Fee Institute
Frames for emergence.
Two years ago I was part of initiating the
project “100 in 1 day” in Bogota, which has
since grown into a global movement of active
citizenship. I’ve seen what it takes to engage
people in a shared dream which can grow by
itself . What worked was the CORE group, as
we called it. We gathered a small group of the
most engaged people. A vision hitting a big
need, a concrete big goal and frames for peo-
ple to gather and co-create. I’m still learning
the fine art of framing emergence. The frame
must be clear and attractive for people to step
into it, yet loose enough to open up for much
more than I could possibly imagine emerging.
39
Creatual execution in Amsterdam
Mentor and dear freind Meike Ziegler

I’m aware now of my gift in seeing possibilities
and enabling people to see their own possi-
bilities, in themselves and the space between
them. While creating the frame for the board
to co-develop new methods, I’m simultane-
ously framing an optimal space for my own
learning to emerge, to step by step build up
by own expertise in leading transformational
processes.
“Invite people into a space of possibility, where
they see their own potential, meaning and
ability to contributed”
– Bliss Brown
Committed unattached.
I feel I’ve build a fundament in myself, an
AGENCY as entrepreneurial leader. This year
has given me a new clarity and freedom: Now
I know my field is transformational learning. I
know my vision is to enable people to get in
touch with life and what truly matters. I know
my role is to create frames for possibilities,
and connecting people around a shared pur-
pose. I have a network of strong relations to
co-create with and learn from. (Meike has of-
fered me to live and work with her, Lisa said
I am welcome to visit her and learn from her
anytime, Megan want to develop programmes
with us, Im learning to facilitate a nature quest
with John P. Milton and Göran summer , and
I’m co-creating a Womanity circle with Chené
in Oct). I have an inspiring idea as our start-
ingpoint. I have my wonderful project part-
ner Andy, driven by the same core vision and
beliefs as I am, yet we’re supplementing each
other. I feel I’m driven from a deep place of my
own core purpose. I’m fully committed, I can
not NOT do this. Yet, I feel unattached to the
shape of future outcomes and the path of the
journey ahead. I know I can not know where
this will take me, but I feel equipped for the
unknown.
“A breakthrough leader is fully committed,
yet unattached”
– Nick Jankel
Rooting AND rising.
To me, this year has been about landing in
myself. I’ve often felt split between conflicting
desires: The upward thriving energy of vision-
ary ideas and responsibility to contribute to
the World, and the downward seeking energy
longing to belong, simply BE and be loved un-
conditional of achievements. Now I realize it
is not about choosing between ambition and
well-being, as both are needed in this World
and to make me fulfilled. I no longer feel self-
ish when focusing on my own learning, happi-
ness and health – and I am no longer afraid to
“loose myself” in my dedication to contribute
and shaping ambitious visions.
I am experiencing what Joanna Macy calls “a
wider sense of self”, starting to embody my
new understanding that the World and I are
the same.
“In the past, changing the self and changing
the World were often regarded as separate
40
Collage process in Creatual Studio

Final Report for the Kaospilots

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