My new book being released in 2023

I’m very excited to let you know that my new book will be published at the beginning of 2023.

"Quote on Quote”

'Stories of Serendipity, Life and Entrepreneurship' by Kristian Aartun.

I’m sharing an exclusive excerpt with you as a thank you for following me and for your support.

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“I have not failed. I've found 10.000 ways that won't work”

Thomas Edison

When I was barely nineteen, I started managing the edel records Norway AB office in Oslo. Even the national newspapers were writing about me as 'the youngest music director ever appointed'. Edel was originally founded by Michael Haentjes as a mail order record company in Germany in 1986 and later became a very successful pop music label.

Ever since I started DJ-ing at the age of twelve at school parties and later as a 13-year old when I started volunteering at Radio Aktiv in Askim, my personal mantra had been one and the same: I want to work for a record company, I want to work for a record company, I want to work for a record company ….

Due to family circumstances, my parents sent me to Folkeh?gskole (Folk High School) in Kirkenes at the age of sixteen, far up in the North of Norway where I took courses in photography and journalism. As a sidekick, I arranged parties for my fellow school students and also had a weekly radio show called ‘Kristian’s Inflatable Friday’s Party’.

By that time I had become quite a decent talker and was capable of building trust with people. I made a habit of frequently calling music labels and record companies to ask for promotional copies of the artists they were pushing and asked them to put me on their ‘golden list’. This was a list of DJ’s and radio presenters to whom they would automatically send all their newly released records. To give back, I would play them for my fellow students.

My parents, who are both academics, wanted me to start studying more seriously again and after my stay in Kirkenes I had to return home and attend the gymnasium in Askim.

It really wasn't my thing. I was accustomed to practical learning and studying by finding my own way rather than from books. One day I simply could not do it any longer and I raised myself up in English class saying: “I apologize but I’m officially quitting. I can no longer do this!”. I walked downstairs towards the Principal's office. “Mister V?gmo, I’m sorry but I'm quitting school today.” I told him. He looked at me sternly, sighed and said:”Aartun! I thought you had already quit ages ago! What on Earth are you still doing here?!” This was the end of my school career.

Understandably my parents weren’t happy with me dropping out of school. My father was working for the Child Protection Services and insisted I’d do something ‘useful’ with my time, so I drew up a plan and started ‘Spirit Radio’, a radio concept broadcasting from Monday to Friday at Radio Askim between three and six in the afternoon.

At the office, Radio Askim had a subscription to ‘FARO Journalen’, a magazine for the music industry in Norway. One day during my Spirit Radio show I browsed through it and saw an article about edel Music AG opening a brand new office in Oslo and seeking to hire a manager. My heart jumped!

I applied in English, with the help of my mother, and printed my application on orange paper so it would stand out. I also enclosed some posters of dance parties I had organized and some tapes of radio shows I had done. A couple of weeks later, I received a fax from the director of international business development in edel GmbH and we arranged a meeting in Oslo for an interview, He mentioned he would be wearing a green cap so I would be able to recognize him.

I’m still not sure what was going on that day of the meeting but while I was walking along Karl Johans gate in Oslo I saw people wearing green caps everywhere! Was this some sort of a cosmic joke?

We finally found each other at the Sebastian Rock Cafe (now TGI’s) and had a good dialogue. A few weeks later I received a call from David Rowley at the edel Denmark Office and he told me I got the job! My mantra had been effective and I was over the moon! I was going to work for a record company!

The following years turned out to be one of the steepest learning curves of my life. I went in blue-eyed, passionate, enthusiastic, enormously driven and fearless. I pushed and pushed and pushed in order to achieve great results and make everyone proud.

I must admit we did really well at edel Norway. There were weeks where we had 25% of the top 20 singles chart in our portfolio. The Party Zone compilation CD’s often reached nr. 1. We released Peter Cetera and made him Platinum and nr. 2 in the charts under Modern Talking. So many successful stories and also many challenges and many lessons along the way for a young kid like me. It is still one of my most treasured journeys.

Knowing what I know now I would have done some things different. I would have worked more on myself to be a better leader for the team. I would have analyzed more. I would have taken more rest. I would have spent more time with my loved ones and less money. Just to name a few.

" This is not the original book cover "