A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A GLOBAL DEAL MAKER
- Sten André Rigedahl
- Jan 8
- 2 min read
Updated: 9 minutes ago
The day starts quietly.
Wake up. Breathe. Meditate.
Cold shower to reset the nervous system.
Water, salt, clean nutrition, fuel the body before the mind engages.
Then the phone lights up.
A request comes in for EN590 in Ghana.
The numbers mentioned do not align.
So I pause.
This is where discipline matters.
Before excitement, before introductions, before movement; I check the fundamentals.
I review the numbers. I sanity-check the volumes. And most importantly, the people.
Then I reach out directly to a trusted refinery representative to confirm real availability, not hypothetical supply.
Because the real work isn’t sending deals around.
The real work is verification.
• Is the buyer real?
• Is the mandate clean?
• Is there transaction history?
• Has capital actually moved before?
• Can this be executed without friction?
Only when those answers are clear do I introduce opportunities to my vetted, verified suppliers.
That’s the line I’ve drawn.
There is a broker world of:
• recycled PDFs
• imaginary buyers
• “almost funded” stories
• and deals built on hope instead of proof
I’m no longer part of that.
I choose to work with a small circle:
• Verified buyers and sellers
• Family offices and funds with a track record
• Partners who execute, perform, and honour their word
Everything else goes by the wayside.
There’s no time to gamble relationships on a maybe.
So I focus on fewer things
Make them solid
Aligned
Clear
Purpose-driven
And most importantly:
Every deal must leave something good behind.
Capital should benefit communities, create employment, restore ecosystems, or enable progress beyond profit.
Money without meaning doesn’t interest me anymore.
This week ahead is exciting:
• A Family Office from Macao
• Art requests from A Swiss collector
• A global sports and music event in the US
• A luxury development eco-project in Ireland
• Massive sustainable energy projects across multiple locations, including the Maldives
• Discussing alternative funding structures to make these asset-backed projects bankable, scalable, and easier and faster to fund
I am carefully selecting and verifying quality partners — not rushing, not forcing
Because business is all about human interactions
It's about connections
It’s relational
It’s energetic
It’s spiritual
And if alignment isn’t there, nothing lasts.
I’m no longer interested in transactional relationships, in business or in life.
Only long-term, aligned, value-creating partnerships.
Being back in London after 2 weeks in Portugal, of “just being”, reflecting and enjoying life and all its beauty to the fullest.
Just recharging
It still feels strange to be back in London, and I’m not going full throttle yet, instead
Fewer meetings
Fewer events
Fewer projects
A smaller inner circle
Just a handful of meaningful things, done properly, with intention.
Slow is smooth
Smooth is fast
Here is to an amazing 2026, the Year of the Fire Horse and a year of alignment ❤️✨
If you want to join this journey with me, reach out to me at sten@stonecapital.uk
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