A colourful procession passed along the banks of ‘the Gulp’ – a mostly friendly river crossing the border of Belgium and the southeastern tip of the Netherlands. Veterans, young starters and everything in between. From the outside it was difficult to grasp what connected them but from the inside they were all aware.
The journey started seven years ago. Two men from The Hague went on an adventure. They had an idea about communication with impact. Along the way they met many interesting people, some of which joined their party. Because they admired their idea, liking the challenges attached to it, and definitely because of the company. Five years ago, there were five.
The journey was not easy. The ground was sometimes rocky, usually still soggy from the summer floods. With their feet in the mud, a few wearing a bit too urban shoes. We went up into the hills.
We started conversing with an increasing number of people. Italians, French, Germans, Bulgarians and people from Amsterdam joined the Dutch team. The lockdowns hadn’t stopped us. We had missed the physical meeting and the real conversations. Many of us were finally able to get to know each other. Because by now the company had grown almost exponentially to about 35.
The rain didn’t bother us in the green scenery of Limburg. We went to ‘De Smockelaer’ Inn to warm ourselves by the fire and a local glass of blended St Martinus – or a more familiar Valpolicella. After seven years we paused to take a good look around.
Hague had grown fast. We had already visited four cities in three countries: from The Hague to Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris. We had explored many routes and abandoned some of the trails, but with lessons learned, we kept moving forward. We had gotten to know many other organizations, their dilemmas and their ideas. We worked together to move forward, innovate, and contribute to solving societal challenges.
We sat down at the table eagerly. The courses were served one at a time. Not by others, but by ourselves. Young and old worked together in the kitchen to create the tastiest dishes. All based on our own insights, but with joint effort and results. The food was delicious, the atmosphere cosy and warm. It was Hague’s party, a long evening, at this 7-year-milestone.
The next day we moved on. After all, we had just started our journey. We are excited. What keeps us moving? Curiosity. Powerful ideas. Colleagues with all kinds of backgrounds and knowledge. And combining each other’s strengths.
But above all, it’s who we meet every day that drive us. In the first place these are our clients, who ask us to travel along with them for a while. They challenge us every day to create better version of ourselves (and them). They give meaning and purpose to our journey. They are our travel companions.
From milestone to milestone: we hope to have an interesting journey with each other and with you for a long time to come. Cheers!