Three years of Happy Experts. Turns out, happiness takes work.
Three years ago, Jim and Sofie, decided to start a consultancy company. They had years of experience, a shared ambition, complementary skills and one slightly crazy idea: what if consultancy could be both seriously good and genuinely fun?
That idea became Happy Experts.
Today, three years later, we're looking back on a journey filled with exciting opportunities, unexpected challenges, plenty of lessons learned and, fortunately, still a healthy dose of happiness.
It started with a click. And a shared ambition.
Before becoming business partners, we were already friends. We knew each other's strengths, weaknesses and probably a few embarrassing stories that are best kept away from LinkedIn.
We had both spent years working in consultancy, and somewhere along the way, we'd started asking ourselves the same question: couldn't we do things differently?
We believed consultancy had become a little too serious. Somewhere between delivering projects, meeting deadlines and solving complex problems, the fun had gotten lost.
And we wanted to bring it back.
Not by compromising on quality or expertise, but by creating an environment where professionalism and personality could go hand in hand. Where people could be themselves, enjoy their jobs and still deliver excellent results.
At the same time, we knew that joining forces would allow us to achieve things that would be much harder individually. We wanted to take on bigger challenges, work with larger customers and combine our functional and technical expertise.
But we didn't want to lose the personal approach, flexibility and authenticity that mattered to us. So we decided to build the kind of company we'd want to work with. And work for.
Apparently, we also thought starting a consultancy company would be a relaxing way to make that happen.
Spoiler alert: it wasn't. 😅
Our secret sauce? Trust, differences and a few questionable jokes.
People sometimes ask us why we decided to start a company together.
The answer is pretty simple: we clicked.
We shared the same values, mindset and ambition, but we also brought different strengths to the table. One of us tends to approach things from a more functional and diplomatic perspective, while the other brings a more technical and assertive approach. We'll let you decide who's who :-).
We challenge each other. We question each other's ideas. And no, we don't always agree. But that's actually one of our biggest strengths. Because building a business together isn't about agreeing on everything. It's about trusting each other enough to disagree, knowing that you're both working towards the same goal.
And of course, being friends means there's never a shortage of jokes, laughter or the occasional questionable idea.
But beyond our partnership, there's something else that connects everything we do: our belief that happiness matters at every level of business. Not just between colleagues, but also in our relationships with customers, decision-makers and everyone involved in making a project successful.
Because to us, good business is built on good relationships.
Three years of highs, lows and unexpected learning curves.
So, has building Happy Experts been what we expected?
Yes. And absolutely not.
We knew it would involve hard work. We expected exciting projects, new opportunities and the satisfaction of building something together. What we probably underestimated was just how many different challenges we'd encounter along the way.
One moment you're discussing complex IT architecture with a customer. The next you're dealing with contracts, recruitment, finances or an administrative task that somehow turns into a three-day adventure.
And then there's people management.
Building a team, understanding different personalities, managing expectations and finding the right people has probably been one of our biggest learning curves.
Some surprises have been wonderful. Others? Let's call them valuable learning opportunities.
And growing a consultancy isn't quite as straightforward as it looks on paper either: find customers, hire consultants, deliver projects and repeat.
We've had our fair share of ups and downs. We've made mistakes, faced difficult decisions and learned things we probably couldn't have learned any other way.
But would we do it all again?
Absolutely.
The biggest wins don't always show up in a spreadsheet.
Of course, we're proud of the customers we've welcomed, the projects we've delivered and the opportunities we've created. We've managed to take on challenges that would have been difficult to tackle individually. We've built relationships, earned trust and turned an idea into a real company.
But when we look back on the past three years, some of our proudest moments have very little to do with numbers.
They're the moments when we see our people grow, take ownership and genuinely enjoy what they do. When we're together during a coworking day or teambuilding and see everyone interacting naturally, helping each other, sharing ideas and cracking jokes.
When a customer trusts our judgement, not just our technical expertise. Because that's another thing we strongly believe in: being a good consultant doesn't mean simply telling customers what they want to hear. Sometimes it means challenging an idea, questioning an investment or giving honest advice that might not be the easiest answer.
We want to be the kind of partner customers can genuinely rely on. And the kind of company where people feel comfortable being themselves.
Seeing those things happen in real life is probably the best confirmation that we're building something worthwhile. And after three years of challenges, surprises and occasional headaches, we're still doing what we love.
With a lot of happiness.
That's a pretty big win in our book.
The next three years:
bigger ambitions, same identity.
The first three years were about building our foundations, figuring things out and learning what works and what doesn't.
Now it's time to build on that experience.
Of course, we want Happy Experts to keep growing. We want to reach more customers, take on interesting projects and embrace new opportunities. And there are plenty of those ahead.
Technology is evolving incredibly fast, and AI in particular is changing our industry in ways that create exciting possibilities.
But while technology continues to evolve, we believe the fundamentals of good consultancy will remain the same. Understanding people. Solving real problems. Delivering value. And building relationships based on trust.
For us, growth has never been about collecting as many consultants as possible or becoming the biggest company in the industry.
“We never set out to build the biggest consultancy company. We wanted to build a place where great people do great work, and actually enjoy doing it.”
We'd much rather be known as one of the best places to work, with talented people who genuinely enjoy what they do and customers who enjoy working with us.
That means continuing to invest in our team, finding people who share our mindset and protecting the culture we're building.
Because growth only makes sense if we can stay true to who we are.
Happy People, Happy Business.
Three years in, and just getting started.
Three years ago, we started Happy Experts because we believed consultancy could be done differently.
Today, after three years of building, learning, adapting and occasionally wondering what we'd gotten ourselves into, we believe in that idea more than ever. Not because everything has been easy. Not because we've figured it all out.
But because we've seen what happens when you bring the right people together, give them the freedom to grow and create an environment where expertise and happiness go hand in hand.
That's what Happy People, Happy Business means to us.
It's not just about keeping customers happy. It's about building a company where people genuinely enjoy their jobs, feel valued and bring that positive energy into everything they do.
Because when people thrive, the business benefits too.
And none of this would have been possible without the people who've been part of our journey.
To our team, our customers, our partners and everyone who has believed in us over the past three years: thank you.
For your trust, your commitment, your support and all the happy moments we've shared along the way.
Here's to three years of Happy Experts.
And to many more years of great projects, great people and probably a few more questionable jokes.
Happy People, Happy Business.
Jim & Sofie
Founders of Happy Experts
