Tejs Broberg on Why Winning Isn’t the Point

This week’s episode of Inside Octus: People in Focus brings together three compelling themes: the evolution from competitive athletics to business leadership, the power of building genuine relationships over transactional networking, and the personal journey of defining “enough” in both professional success and life fulfillment.

---

The Making of an Olympic Mindset

Denmark may be the flattest country on the planet, but it produced an Olympic skier who would later revolutionize how investment professionals access private company documents. Tejs Broberg‘s journey began at age 12 when he made Denmark’s junior national team, setting a 10-year goal to reach the 1998 Nagano Olympics.

The path required leaving home at 16 for a Swedish ski academy, where Sunday phone calls were the only connection to family. Without cell phones, young athletes formed bonds that lasted decades, creating a foundation for understanding team dynamics and psychological safety that would prove invaluable in corporate leadership.

What set Broberg apart wasn’t just his athletic ability—it was his analytical approach to competition. While other racers waited for official results, he calculated international ranking points in his head, combining his love of numbers with competitive drive. This early integration of data analysis and performance optimization became a cornerstone of his leadership philosophy.

From Athlete to Entrepreneur

The transition from Olympic competition to founding Findox wasn’t accidental—it addressed a systemic problem Broberg experienced firsthand as both analyst and portfolio manager. Investment professionals regularly found themselves unprepared when markets moved, lacking access to critical private company documents and facing compliance gaps that left them looking like “deer in headlights” when portfolio managers demanded answers.

Findox solved document access and compliance tracking challenges, but the real breakthrough came through genuine relationship building. Broberg’s 10-year relationship with Kent Collier at Octus (formerly Reorg) created the foundation for strategic partnership rather than competitive destruction. The acquisition wasn’t just about product fit—it combined Findox’s data capabilities with Octus’s storytelling expertise, creating comprehensive solutions that removed client friction while building competitive moats.

The integration challenge revealed Broberg’s leadership evolution. Managing team uncertainty during acquisition required transparency about the “why” behind decisions, supporting team members through change, and maintaining psychological safety during periods of ambiguity.

Defining “Enough” in Leadership and Life

Broberg’s “door game” philosophy—choosing $25 million over $250 million to maintain authentic relationships—reflects deeper insights about leadership and personal fulfillment. The exercise reveals that beyond a certain threshold, additional wealth changes how others perceive you without increasing happiness or capability.

This philosophy extends to conflict resolution, where media training taught him that walking away during emotional peaks prevents regrettable decisions. His approach prioritizes calm, one-on-one resolution over public confrontation, recognizing that productive dialogue requires emotional regulation from all parties.

Personal growth through therapy at age 44 led to recognizing the difference between being chosen and actively choosing partners. This self-awareness translated into leadership practices that emphasize empowering team members to find their voice, make decisions within appropriate guardrails, and take ownership of outcomes rather than simply following directions.

Listen & Subscribe

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Produced and edited by Tanya Hubbard