Meet Lina HAgstrom

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lina HAgstrom. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lina, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

I don’t think confidence is something you “achieve” once and then you’re done, it’s a lifelong practice. I still have moments where I don’t feel particularly confident, and on those days, I’ve learned that sometimes you just have to act confident and tell yourself that you’ve got this until your feelings catch up.

I’ve also found that action builds confidence, so whenever you try new things, step outside your comfort zone, or do something difficult, you’ll have concrete evidence that you’re capable of doing all those things.

A big part of my self-esteem comes from seeing myself as an equal to others – not better, not worse. That mindset has helped me pursue my dreams. When I look at people doing great things, I remind myself: if they can do it, so can I.

And finally, confidence isn’t just mindset, it’s also preparation. Good research, putting in the work, and building experience all help. Every time I gain a new skill, complete a project, or try something new, I add another brick to the foundation of my confidence.

So for me, confidence is a mix of inner belief, continuous action, and practical preparation – and I remind myself that it’s a lifelong journey.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m originally from Finland, and I moved to New York City to study Film and Media at Parsons School of Design. After graduating, I spent nearly a decade in branding and marketing, working with leading AI-driven companies across multiple industries.

While I loved marketing (still do!), film has always been my first love, and I saw a gap in the market: professionally crafted, deeply personal biopic films. After a lot of thinking, research, and advice from people I trust, I decided to bet on myself and that’s when I launched Sunday Child Entertainment. Today, we create cinematic, personalized biopics for individuals, families, and founders who want to preserve their stories and leave a lasting legacy for generations.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, the three qualities and skills that have shaped my journey the most are curiosity, optimism, and relationship building.

Curiosity: I’ve always been curious about people, the world, and new ideas. That curiosity has guided many of my decisions (like moving abroad at 19 or moving to the other side of the world, twice!) and opened doors I never even knew existed. When you stay curious, life becomes a continuous learning journey, it keeps things exciting and invites unexpected opportunities. My advice: ask more questions than you think you need to, explore new environments regularly, and never assume you already know enough.

Optimism: I naturally tend to see opportunities rather than obstacles, and I truly believe most things are possible with the right mindset, timing, and effort. That optimism has helped me take risks, stay resilient, and move forward even when the path was unclear. If optimism doesn’t come naturally, surround yourself with people who think that way and study how they approach setbacks, uncertainty, and ambition. Optimism is contagious, and you can learn it through proximity.

Relationship building: I’ve never felt fully comfortable in big networking environments, and for a long time I thought that meant I wasn’t doing it “right.” Eventually, I realized that my strength is in building genuine, 1:1 relationships. I may not know thousands of people, but the relationships I have built are strong, meaningful, and long-lasting, and many have even grown into friendships. My advice: prioritize quality over quantity, follow up consistently, and treat networking as human connection, not a numbers game.

We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?

That’s a great question, and one I’ve reflected on often. I personally believe it’s best to go all in on your strengths when it comes to skills and knowledge, because that’s where you’re able to create the most value, stand out, and gain momentum. For example, if you’re naturally strong at writing, design, or data analysis, doubling down on that area can help you become exceptional rather than simply “good enough” across many things.

However, when it comes to personal traits and behaviors, I think it’s worth investing in areas that don’t come as naturally. Qualities like confidence, communication, emotional intelligence, public speaking, or listening skills can significantly elevate your strengths and unlock opportunities you might not otherwise reach.

For me, understanding this difference was important. I’ve always been more comfortable one-on-one than in larger groups, but I realized that if I wanted my strengths, storytelling, creative thinking, and strategic work, to have an impact, I needed to become more confident sharing them publicly. So I’ve made a conscious effort to share my work and thoughts on different platforms.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sundaychildfilm.com
• Instagram: linamariaisabella
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linamariahagstr%C3%B6m/