Year In Review

Beacon began as a side hustle, dreamed up outside of my full-time job, in early 2017. I’d go to sleep thinking about what it would look and feel like, how we would be different, who our customers would be and how much fun I’d have creating and building something from the ground up. Working with growing companies, there’s a strong parallel between how we work to build internally and in turn, how we help clients create and build something great too.

2017 was my year of ‘yes’, of filling my brain to the brim with every piece of content I could until I was finally brave enough to take the leap. A year and a half ago, the company I was working for let me pursue my dream and go down to three days a week. The project I’d been managing was up and running and would start moving into the maintenance/steady operation phase, so it was a well-timed win-win. Still, I was so lucky. Part-time meant that I had stability while I took on two clients on the side and learned some early lessons in a low-risk way. I did things like bookkeeping, learning that sometimes a company’s payments are really, really late and cash flow is a very real thing. I honed managing my time like a ninja and how to effectively work remotely. When my clients were growing like crazy I made my first hire, who joined Beacon as a side hustle to her own full-time job. There are a lot of ambitious, driven people in this city and I was lucky enough to be referred to her, our amazing Keira.

January 2018 to now, marks one year of a full-time, pedal to the floor, building, and Beaconing! A few of my favourite parts: sitting down with a prospective client and seeing the lightbulb moment, when they understand that there’s an alternative way to recruit and manage HR, a better, more efficient approach, and better way to work; seeing my team live in a full, abundant, nearly limitless way where their work is so beautifully integrated into their lives; talking to moms and dads who have incredible work experience (we’re talking 20+ years working for amazing companies at very senior levels) who also have the lightbulb moment, excited that Beacon could be the best next career fit for them.

Some pieces of this year have come with ease and excitement, and some have felt plain hard, like heavy soul de-energizing hard. I’m ending this year feeling equally grateful for the easy/exciting, and hard/fearful moments. We’re heading into 2019 with wide eyes and big goals and we’re here to win, which means helping our clients win. We have an amazing team who’s jazzed about building something big, juicy, and beautiful, and we’re going to have a lot of fun doing it.

Thank you to everyone who’s lifted us up in some way this year, from a high five to random words of encouragement and of course, our amazing partners. These inspirational people have had an impact on me this year (sorry if I forgot anyone!) and I want to thank you SO much.

Keira Roets, Nooshin Towfigh, Madi Kot, Gabrielle Garon, Suzanne Kuhl, Barb Womersley, Jason Warner, Laura Crawford, Robert St. Jacques, Lewisa Anciano, Darren Butterworth, Sarah-Kelvin-Davies, Jeff Smith, Jordan Mara, Jacqueline Alexander, Jamie Rogers, Kathy Enros, Barb Agostini, Courtney Cheyne, Matias Marquez, Lauren Mew, Sarah Ciaccia, Igor Faletski, Jackson Mullins, Joe Corea, Jenna Herbut, David Berrington, Brittany Whitmore, Justin Nesrallah, Derek Yau, Steve Wallace, Glenn Hilton, James Basnett, Ashley Weissberg, Stephen Sidwell, Tanya Kensington, Chris Wilkinson, Mara Nastase, Shaina Ireland, Sam Thiara, Katie Dunsworth-Reiach, Katie Stevens, Natalie Botteselle, Shandele Cruikshank, Steve Barha, Ryan Volberg, Robert Safrata, Cory Sterling, Roey Nevile, Kanako Motohashi, Kevin Torpy, Christopher Stott, Mark Binns, Michael Vogel, Chad MacRae, Tim Butler, Dan Burgar, Mike Romaniuk, Katie Romaniuk, Ray Raggett, Jared Behr, Kevin Wood, Mike Rowlands, Debbie Bortolussi, Angela Bortolussi, Bel Pimentel, Navpreet Nijjar, Jayne Blank, Karly Cyr, Connor Flynn, Henrik Kuhl, Matthew Gruben, Joshua Tiong, Monica Murray, Erica Taylor, Anthony Taylor, Nadia Gillies, Maria Foo, Camila Louzada, Natasha Jeshani, Brianna Blaney, Taren Grewall, Kevin Topper, Tina MacGowan, Sarita DeVries, Dorah Barden, Devin McNulty, Natalie Davidson, Mom & Dad...