A koala’s birthday

It’s our fifteenth birthday! I would like to extend a big, warm THANK YOU to all of my customers, business partners, mentors and friends who have helped me build Koala Consulting and Training up from nothing into the recognizable brand it is today. 

It wasn’t always like this. Koala Consulting and Training was officially registered as a new business at the Finnish Patent and Registry Office, on 22 April, 2004. 

On that day, I didn’t yet have a logo – the cute koala head came later. There was only one client, who was yet to pay their first invoice. My contact list was short. It was a slow start, as it is for many fledgling businesses. 

It’s hard to believe that I’ve already been in operation for one and a half decades. Is it really so long? Those 15 years have flown by! 

There’s no party, but in recognition of this milestone, I’ve started “paying it forward” (as we say in English). This means giving pro bono guidance to others who need it to acknowledge the generosity I’ve been shown by my own teachers. Recently, I’ve been mentoring students attending the Design Factory at Aalto University in presentation skills. It doesn’t feel like work – it’s a lot of fun!

To wrap up, I once again would like to thank everyone who has worked with me throughout the last 15 years. Here’s to the next 15 years – may they be just as interesting, challenging and enjoyable, and hopefully, with you to join me along the way.