Ulrika Gustafson of Ulrika Gustafson Advisory on Executive Coaching and Leadership Authority

Ulrika Gustafson of Ulrika Gustafson Advisory on Executive Coaching and Leading with Authority Under Pressure

Ulrika Gustafson is the Founder of Ulrika Gustafson Advisory and an Executive Coach and Strategic Advisor who works with senior executives and women founders navigating high stakes leadership environments. A former attorney, City Manager, and C suite executive, Ulrika brings decades of experience leading through political pressure, organizational turnarounds, and complex decision making environments.

Through her advisory practice, Ulrika helps leaders stop second guessing themselves in rooms where they already belong. Her coaching is grounded in lived leadership experience, supporting executives and founders as they strengthen their authority, decision making, and executive presence under real pressure.

Please share a brief introduction and your business:

I'm Ulrika Gustafson, a certified Executive Coach who helps leaders stop second-guessing themselves in rooms where they already belong. I work with senior executives and women founders who are trusted, capable, and quietly questioning themselves more than they should. My approach is grounded in lived experience—I've led through political warfare, organizational turnarounds, and high-stakes environments where one wrong move could cost everything. I don't coach from theory. I coach from having been in the seat.

Do you have a co-founder?

No co-founder. I've always built alone. My companies in Sweden are now run by my ex-husband and his wife—which works because we trust each other's judgment and have no need to perform or pretend. But I've never shared founding authority. I've learned I operate best when decision-making is clear and I don't have to negotiate vision.

Are you a mamaprenista?

No, by choice I'm not a mother. But I am a wife and a dog mama to two Goldens (Elsa and Theodore), with three others at the Rainbow Bridge. My family structure looks different, but the principle is the same: you can't sustain work that requires you to disconnect from what grounds you. David and my dogs aren't "support"—they keep me steady when the work gets heavy.

Take us back to when you launched? What was your marketing strategy?

I didn't have a marketing strategy for my law firm—I had timing. EU law was about to become essential in Sweden, and I was one of the few people trained in it. The firm took off because the need was there and I was ready. When I founded Ulrika Gustafson Advisory in the U.S., I had to rebuild authority from scratch. My strategy was reputation—people who knew what I'd survived started referring others facing similar situations. Word of mouth is still my primary strategy. I'm not looking to scale - I'm doing this because I know I can help other leaders and founders achieve what they want. I'm living proof that it's possible for women to have it all—and I want others to have it too. That's what I get a kick out of. That's my passion and my legacy.

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Yes and no. I come from a blue-collar family of business owners. My granddad raised and sold horses and traded in the lumber industry. My grandma ran the household and cooked for the ranch hands. My dad has his own timber house construction company. My mom worked as a nurse's aide. Business was in my blood, but I was also the first in my family to earn a college degree. I didn't set out to build multiple companies—I just kept seeing gaps I couldn't unsee.

What accomplishments are you the most proud of to date in your business?

Staying available to my clients in ways that matter. I don't disappear between sessions. I'm there when they need to think through a decision, reframe a conversation, or steady themselves before a high-stakes moment. That's not typical in coaching, but it's how real relationships work. I'm proud that clients from years ago still reach out—not because they need coaching, but because the relationship held. That's the work I care about.

What is one thing you wish you had known when you started your Entreprenista journey?

That I didn't have to rebuild alone. When I moved to the U.S. and started over from scratch, I felt isolated in ways I hadn't experienced before. I'd left behind established credibility, familiar systems, family, and a professional network I'd built over decades. I joined other communities looking for connection, but most felt transactional or disorganized—more noise than support.

Entreprenista is very different. The structure, the intentional programming, the diversity of founders and businesses—it's rare. Women here aren't performing success or competing for visibility. They're actually showing up for each other. If I'd known this community existed when I first landed in Texas, it would have changed everything. I wouldn't have felt so alone during one of the hardest transitions of my life.

When hiring, what is your go-to interview question?

"Tell me about a time you held the line on something that mattered—even when it cost you." I'm not looking for conflict stories or hero moments. I'm looking for whether someone knows the difference between standing firm and being stubborn, and whether they can reflect on cost without regret. I hire for judgment and steadiness, not energy or likability.

What did you go before starting your own business?

I'm a former attorney, City Manager and C-suite executive. I founded one of Sweden's first EU-law firms straight out of law school, then was headhunted into the public sector and became one of Scandinavia's youngest female City Managers. I led through political pressure, media scrutiny, organizational turnarounds, bomb threats, mass casualties, union demonstrations, and mass layoffs. I also held C-suite roles and turnaround assignments before moving to the United States and rebuilding my career from scratch in a completely different power culture.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

I didn't take a leap with my first business—there wasn't really any other option. I'd specialized in EU law combined with business law in law school, when no one in Sweden was hiring for it yet. I saw the need for it coming, had a great professor who supported my unconventional approach, and started my firm because it was the only path forward. Years later, after leading through politically charged environments and repeated turnarounds, I moved to the U.S. and founded Ulrika Gustafson Advisory. I'd learned something most people only theorize about: how to lead under real pressure, how to hold authority when the system is working against you, and how to make clean decisions when loyalty, optics, and timing all matter at once.

Do you have any recent wins?

I launched Recalibrated, a 12-week program for women leaders and founders who are tired of performing confidence instead of feeling it. For years, I'd been doing pro bono coaching for female leaders and founders who didn't have access to an executive coach because of the high costs. When I took over what's now Ulrika Gustafson Advisory, I wanted to create something that could actually serve them. Many of my former pro bono clients had expressed interest in continuing but weren't in a financial position for 1:1 executive coaching. So I created Recalibrated—an intensive group program that's intentionally capped at a small cohort size and includes private 1:1 coaching sessions for every participant. It's essentially a compressed, high-touch version of my executive coaching work, offered at a heavily discounted price so more women can access it. Watching my first clients rebuild internal authority after years of questioning themselves has been one of the most meaningful parts of my career.

What's one app on your phone that you cannot live without?

Instacart. When I'm working intensively with clients, the last thing on my mind is shopping. Instacart gives me time back without compromising on what I need. It's efficient, practical, and lets me stay focused on what actually matters.

Who are your customers?

I work with two groups. First, senior executives—Managing Directors, General Counsels, COOs, Chiefs of Staff—at Fortune 500 companies who need to recalibrate their executive presence, influence, and authority when their scope expands. Second, women founders whose businesses have just got off the ground, stalled or declined—not because they're not capable, but because they've lost confidence in their own judgment. They're ready to stop performing and start trusting themselves again.

What's your top productivity tip?

Don't confuse motion with momentum. Most "productivity" advice is about doing more. I focus on doing less—but with precision. I block time for thinking before deciding, not just executing. And I protect my containment. If I'm scattered internally, no system will save me. Clarity first, then action.

What's your favorite business tool?

Google Workspace. It's everything in one place—email, calendar, docs, drive, quick meeting possibilities—and it's easy to use. I don't want tools that require me to become a tech expert to function. I need systems that just work so I can focus on my clients and fun things, not on managing platforms.

What's your approach to work-life balance?

I don't believe in balance—I believe in integration with boundaries. My work and my life aren't separate. They inform each other. I split my time between North Texas, northern Sweden, and Thailand. Each place serves a different part of how I live and work. I stay available to my clients in ways that matter, but I also protect the space I need to think, reset, and stay grounded.

How do you avoid burn-out?

I don't avoid burnout by doing less—I avoid it by living lagom. It's a Swedish concept that translates to "not too much, not too little, just enough." In Sweden, work-life balance isn't a hack or a trend—it's built into the culture. There's fritid (leisure time), fika (coffee breaks with others, not at your desk), and a deep belief that time in nature, with family, and disconnected from work isn't a luxury—it's essential.

Here's what I've learned: burnout happens when effort and meaning disconnect. Most people think they need better systems or more discipline. What they actually need is clarity on who they are, what truly matters, and the integrity to protect that. You can have it all—but only if you stop comparing yourself to everyone else's version of "all" and define it for yourself. Trust your instincts. Trust your body. Let go of performing. The Scandinavian way isn't about grinding harder—it's about living sustainably so you can keep showing up for what matters. I split my time between three homes on three continents, I have two Golden Retrievers, a husband who steadies me, and I stay close to my clients in ways that matter. That's my version of having it all. And it's possible—but only when you know who you are and stop making it harder than it needs to be.

What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?

Don't dilute your authority to fit someone else's expectations. The market is loud, and there's pressure to sound like everyone else. Build from who you actually are, not who you think you should be. Your authority is a signal. Protect it.

And most importantly, know this: you can have it all. Not someone else's version of "all"—yours. But it requires knowing who you are, what truly matters to you, and having the integrity to protect that. Stop comparing. Stop performing. Trust your instincts. It's possible—but only when you define success on your own terms and stop making it harder than it needs to be.

After founding one of Sweden’s first EU law firms and serving as one of Scandinavia’s youngest female City Managers, Ulrika Gustafson rebuilt her career in the United States and launched Ulrika Gustafson Advisory. Today, she works closely with senior leaders and founders seeking clarity, confidence, and sustainable leadership.

If you are a woman founder looking to grow your business while connecting with a powerful network of female entrepreneurs, Entreprenista provides the community and resources to help you scale with confidence. Learn more about joining Entreprenista League.