To do a Helena

I started my company after my father died, my mother became blind and my children had great difficulty readjusting to Swedish school after three years abroad. For the first time in my life I felt that I didn’t want to work as much as before.

I wanted to have better work-life balance, to be home more with my children, to have time for my mom and my family, have more friends, and have a rich social life – while doing a really good job! My solution was to start my own company. I decided to no longer measure my success in money, expansions, or IPOs – but in time. If I was good at what I did, I would be able to free up time – to be a mother, daughter, sister, and friend, and achieve a better balance in my life.

I also decided not to hire, because after 20 years as a manager I knew that administration was not my strong side. Instead I contracted all staff and today Ståhl + Partners works with15 different coaches with unique talents and expertise.

I decided to only work with reputable clients who wanted to create a measurable difference in their companies, didn’t only look for a quick fix, and were willing to commit to working with us over time. Today our clients work with us for an average of 4.5 years.

I didn’t just want to make a difference with my company and at home, but also for those who will become our next generation of leaders and employees – our children and youth. Therefore, S + P donates 10% of the annual profit to selected projects that support children and young people.

We have the expertise to measure our clients’ return on investment of our training programs. We are also one of only a few companies that do this. We are bi-lingual, have clients in over 25 countries, we make sure that our course participants actually use what they learn in their jobs, and so far we have never lost a client.

I have never had an office or made a single paper mailing (we get 90% of our customers by referrals). For over 15 years I have run my business, and managed customers and coaches, from a virtual office.

And what happened to my goal of achieving a better balance? Well, I have been a single mother with two teenagers for the last 9 years and I have been able to take off work every day my children were off school – which is 4 months out of the year. According to my daughters, I’m an “involved and present mom who’s always there for them”. I am not rich but I live a rich life. I love my work and I hope that we have created a difference for all our clients – a measurable, visible, and positive difference in their organisations, employees, and managers.

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