The origin story
Happy Work Club was started by me, Katy Carlisle. Hello!
I’ve run my own Squarespace web design and training business for 10+ years (alongside a lot of side projects). I’m originally from the UK but am now based in Canada, on Vancouver Island.
I really enjoy being a sounding board for my web design clients, solving problems creatively and seeing things from a different angle. So I’d been thinking about offering a service like this for a while, when I came across YET ANOTHER business book where the author casually mentioned their seven-figure business and held up people like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos as aspirational leaders 🤢
This led to a moment of rage at how often “success” is defined by having millions in the bank and a global empire, often at the expense of others.
But I know that there are plenty of people who want to run their own business in a way that doesn’t screw over people and the planet in order to line their own pockets. They want to do good, and feel good in the process.
If you’re reading this, chances are you might one of them. It’s bloody lovely to meet you.
We can do better
When I searched online for “create a happy business” there was literally an article on the first page called 12 Secrets to Keeping Employees Happy Without a Raise. Like, WTF?
I deliberately called this Happy Work Club and not the 10x Your Income Club or the Easy Path To Dominance Club for a reason. A lot of people focus on success = money but I think happiness is just as good, if not better, as a measure.
I want to change the way we talk about success and make our voices heard (literally) so I’m going to be recording a podcast where I’ll chat to different small business owners each episode about how they run their business, and what success and happy work looks like for them.