Two years ago, on March 8, 2024, Leaps&Bounds officially launched.

I had no idea what the first two years would bring.

Since then, I’ve started a small tradition for myself: writing a “report card” at milestone moments to reflect on how things are going. My hope is that ten years from now I’ll look back on these reflections and remember what the early years of building this business actually felt like.

The short version of this year’s report card? It’s been an incredible year.

Our Team Is Growing

In March 2025, we had four full-time team members and one part-time. Today we have six full-time and three part-time team members, and we’re currently hiring again.

Every person who joins Leaps&Bounds raises the bar. Talent, experience, curiosity, and a deep care for our clients are qualities we look for, and I’m incredibly proud of the team we’re building.

Our Services Continued to Evolve

The first half of this past year was heavily focused on strategic planning, executive alignment, and leadership development.

In the second half of the year, we expanded our HR service offerings, including managed HR, outplacement, total rewards, organizational design and more. This area of the business has grown quickly and has allowed us to support organizations in a more integrated way.

We’re also continuing to develop new offerings. One example is ReBound™, our online outplacement program, which can be delivered as a standalone product or alongside expanded coaching support.

And coming soon, a new Leadership program designed for emerging leaders that will include both online and in-person learning components.

Expansion, Client Growth and Momentum

While Manitoba remains our home base, our work is increasingly national. Over the past year, we’ve expanded our client partnerships into Ontario, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan, and we welcomed our first Saskatchewan-based consultant to the team.

We’ve also seen meaningful growth in the number of organizations we support.

In our last fiscal year, we partnered with 33 organizations. Just six months into the current fiscal year, and we’ve already worked with 44 organizations, and over half of those engagements are with returning clients. I look forward to seeing what this metric is at the end of the fiscal year!

For a consulting firm, repeat engagement is the metric we value most. It tells us the relationships we’re building matter and that the work we’re doing is making an impact.

That growth in client partnerships has also translated into strong revenue momentum for us.

Investing in Growth

This year, we also intensified our sales and marketing efforts. We attended conferences, continued publishing our bi-weekly articles, and launched our Momentum Moment newsletter.

We also continue to work with a fractional Chief Marketing Officer who provides strategic guidance as we think about how to grow the business.

Later this spring, we’ll launch our first official marketing campaign, something that feels both exciting and a little daunting. There’s so much to learn!

A Personal Reflection on the Financial Side

Last year, in my report card, I talked about having to personally augment payroll for a couple of months during a slower period in late 2024. I’m pleased to report that it was a one-time occurrence, and our financial reserves are strong.

That said, I’m still not personally taking a salary. For me, this stage of the business is about reinvesting in Leaps&Bounds and investing in our people. If we want exceptional talent on our team, we have to create an environment that supports that, and my choice is to invest in our team members.

I also recognize that being able to make that choice is a privilege, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t once again thank my husband Ken, who carries the load in so many ways while I focus on Leaps&Bounds.

Lessons I’m Still Learning

One thing I’m continuing to learn as a founder is that building a business also means learning to let go of some things.

I’m still working a lot. Some of that is project work, some of it is Leaps&Bounds strategy work, some is networking, but a surprising amount is administration. That’s something I need to change this year.

We’ll also likely need executive assistant support because I’m not the only one who is busy. I often find myself doing things that probably shouldn’t be on my plate.

Another lesson I’m still working on is passing along more projects. The Leaps&Bounds team are incredibly skilled and experienced, and sometimes I take on work simply because I love the project or client (even when I could be passing it along to someone else who will provide an exceptional experience). I’m getting better, but there is still room for improvement!

 Protecting What Makes Us Different

As we grow, something I care deeply about protecting is the way we work with clients.

We never want Leaps&Bounds to become solely about financial metrics. When organizations grow too quickly or focus only on revenue, service quality and care can suffer. And to be clear, this doesn’t mean I don’t want the financial rewards of building a successful business (for all of us on the L&B team); I do 100%, but I want to achieve it the right way.

We want our clients to feel like we are part of their team, not simply a company they hired to complete a project. We also care about who we work with. We want to work hard, challenge one another, and work with people we genuinely enjoy.

Still Searching for “The Space”

One thing I had hoped to accomplish by now was finding our own physical space. It hasn’t happened yet, and not for lack of trying.

I have a vision for how I want the space to look and feel, and I’m confident I’ll know it when I see it. The challenge is that the space I imagine might still be slightly outside our budget ;-). It will come.

Growth Through Acquisition

Last year, I also mentioned our desire to grow through acquisition. There have been conversations and possibilities, but nothing concrete yet.

And that’s okay. If we do pursue acquisition, it has to make sense strategically, culturally, and for the long-term health of both organizations. It will never be about growth for growth’s sake.

Gratitude

To our team, thank you for being the most incredible humans. You bring your best selves to this work every day, and the care and support you show one another and me is something truly special.

To our clients, thank you for trusting us and inviting us into your organizations. We feel incredibly fortunate to partner with you and often feel like an extension of your team.

And to our broader network, thank you for talking about us and referring us. We appreciate all of it, big and small.

When I look back at this year’s “report card,” the biggest takeaway is simple: we’re building something special, with people who care deeply about the work and about each other.

Two years in, and still just getting started.

Let’s meet back here again in March 2027 and see what the next chapter brings.