Entrepreneur,
business coach,
real estate investor,
world citizen
If we haven’t met yet, I’m Erkka Suvanto, but my friends in the US mostly call me EJ. I’m an entrepreneur, business coach, real estate investor, and dual citizen of Finland and the United States. I like to think of myself as a world citizen with a passion for health, wealth, and happiness. For nearly 15 years, I’ve been a full-time entrepreneur, after a global corporate career in telecommunications.
I’ve built three companies from the ground up, each reaching $5M a year in sales. I have built, developed and sold hundreds of properties in my career. I’m an expert in pivoting, starting from scratch, and relentlessly facing my own fears. My kids are my world - beyond them, I train, do business, and keep it simple.
Everyone is jealous of what you’ve got.
No one is jealous of how you got it.
With 15+ years of entrepreneurial experience, I help small business owners overcome challenges and achieve lasting growth. Let’s work together to take your business to the next level.
How I got here?
19
Won a green card and moved to the US.
23
Graduated with a BBA and started my first job in product marketing at a global tech giant
25
Began investing in real estate.
27
Moved to Germany for a role in program management.
29
Moved to California, took a position in business development.
31
Promoted to lead a global sourcing team.
33
Founded my first real estate development firm in Finland.
34
Left the corporate world and started a real estate firm from scratch in San Diego, scaling it to $5M/yr.
35
Became Chairman of the Board in my brother’s business.
39
Moved back to Finland and launched another real estate firm, scaling it to $5M/yr.
40
Negotiated a high 7-digit private equity deal for my brother’s business, stayed on as a board member.
40–47
CEO and Chairman of my own real estate firm. I also manage my own rental portfolio of 20+ properties.
47
Created my first piece of social media content.
Today
I have embarked on a new journey by starting a business coaching venture. This marks my third professional reset as an entrepreneur. I plan to share the ups and downs of this journey on my social media channels, documenting my life for others and myself to learn from.
I’m passionate about helping others, sharing what I’ve learned, and passing on my knowledge to my kids.
I’ve come a long way in both business and life, and now I’m here to share those lessons with you.
To me, living life on my own terms is everything. My goal is to have ‘no regrets’—to leave it all out there. Regret and the dreaded ‘I wish I had’ are what scare me most. I’d rather die on my own sword than live by someone else’s rules.
I’ve always been fearless. Starting from scratch, pivoting, and embracing the unknown are what I do best. When I’m gone, I hope to be remembered as the guy who gave it his all, mistakes and all. I have the utmost respect for those who make their own way, take action, and chase their dreams. Keep going—I plan to do the same. I can’t guarantee the outcome, but I promise one thing: I will never, ever quit!