Office = open!
Of course, we’ve been settled for a short while now. But this Thursday, we introduced our new office to our customers, relations, partners and friends during a very nice office warming. It was a good moment to thank them for their engagement, and show them our beautiful new spot above the IJ-waters. But we also took this opportunity to reflect on the first year of people like us. Because Thursday, it was also exactly one year ago that Agnes and I decided to work together.
ON A SUNNY TERRACE IN UTRECHT
During a sunny day in September, Agnes and I met for lunch on a terrace in Utrecht. While enjoying the food and a glass of wine (or two), we shared our vision on our work and our ambitions. These proved to be very much aligned: we both wanted to innovate companies in a social way, by taking personal growth as the starting point for sustainable business growth. And we wanted to make as many people as possible aware of their natural talents and (unused) potential, and support them in how to use this in their work. To accomplish working together on shared goals with more inspiration and in a smarter way. I had just left my first company, which focused on innovation and concept development, in order to give the employee a more central role in change processes. Agnes is an HR expert, but was also trained in business coaching, in order to guide business development in organizations. That’s a very fine combination, we thought. Let’s DO something together, we concluded around 7 pm, when we finally lifted from our seats.
READY FOR TAKE-OFF
As so we did. Soon we had a nice client, whom we were able to help and facilitate in a number of steps with our own growth program. In 2018 there were soon a number of beautiful assignments, we developed our new brand together, built a clear proposition and launched our website. People like us was born. Hardly any time to reflect on what we were doing, but intensely enjoying working together with our clients to contribute to their success and to build together a sustainable company with great ambitions for the future.
FOLLOWING THE TRACK OF OLD AND NEW
Places like Dauphine and Aristo didn’t do it for us anymore, so we went looking for a suitable office. We found it in Amsterdam-Noord, at the old NDSM shipyard. The Kraanspoor building, freshly renovated by Regus, had a spot with the most beautiful view of Amsterdam for us.
Kraanspoor is the icon of the NDSM shipyard, a place where old and new come together. From where the most modern ships were delivered at the beginning of the last century for distant trade travels, now gave birth to the creative breeding ground of Amsterdam. Innovation and regeneration, while preserving history and cultural heritage.
Besides this beautiful view that never get’s boring, the place also reminds us of our own work. Innovating organizations from the inside, with the use and preservation of the culture and all the good things we find already there.
