How can we do good, be happy and make money, all at the same time? That is the question The Happy Startup School has set out to answer. By connecting entrepreneurs who put happiness over profits and enabling them to overcome challenges together, the enterprise aims to transform the economic system for good. In Brighton, co-founder Carlos Saba tells us all about his change-making business.
The Happy Startup School
Whilst running a design and development agency, seven years ago Carlos found himself at a crossroad. Either he could attempt to take his successful business to the next level or he could pour all his energy into this thing called ‘The Happy Startup School’ – an at the time unprofitable project he had just started.
Happiness before profit
After some serious soul-searching in the French Alps, he and his best friend and business partner Laurence McCahill decided to go for the latter. And they’ve never looked back.
Since then, Carlos and Laurence have built a vibrant community of changemakers from all around the globe. By connecting people who are building a business to make a difference and enabling them to share ideas, inspiration and challenges, The Happy Startup School is amplifying the movement of entrepreneurs who put people and planet before profit.
“We don’t need to grow our GDP, we need to grow our understanding of self and the world around us.”
“Our mission is to turn the world into a place where happiness is at the core of everyone’s business model”, Carlos explains. “We want to show people that there doesn’t have to be a division between what we value personally and professionally.”
Purpose and connection
In fact, uniting the two brings great amounts of joy and satisfaction. “It’s about understanding what drives you”, Carlos says. “What makes you tick? Then try to turn that motivation into a sustainable business that creates positive change. Because if you work on something you truly believe in, it will give you that sense of purpose and connection so many people are longing for.”
Better together
However, this doesn’t mean that building a change-making business is a piece of cake. On the contrary. Trying to alter the status quo and contributing to a solution for a societal problem is a difficult task that requires heaps of courage and dedication.
Because of this, all the events The Happy Startup School organises centre around authenticity and vulnerability. “We want to create an environment where people can be themselves, so that they feel like they can share their challenges”, Carlos explains. “Because when you do that, you see that other people are going through exactly the same things and you’re not on your own.”
Connect and unite
The world is full of complex issues that no single person can solve by themselves. Now more than ever, we need to come together, connect and unite. Let’s turn the world into a place where not meaningless growth, but happiness is our true yardstick for success!
Looking for inspiration?
Check out the stories of purpose enterprises Elvis & Kresse and HISBE.
We’ve created this story together with Nadine Maarhuis and Phil Veloso from Behind the Change. Follow them on Facebook to stay tuned!