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inspired to inspire...

As we celebrate co-founder Helen being recognised as one of Industry Era's 10 most inspiring women leaders of 2021, here we share her interview from their online magazine, which also shines the spotlight on how The Happy Learning Company is helping to create happier places of work around the world.

'The Creative Influencer'


Helen Lawrence, Co-Founder & Chief Happiness Officer at The Happy Learning Company, always had an enthusiasm and passion for people. Truth be known, animals and children too, but as the saying goes, 'never work with animals and children.'


As a team sports fanatic and sports coach, she discovered an aptitude and passion for leading people and building successful teams. A career in hospitality, HR, and Learning & Development over 25 years has enabled her to continue to inspire and help people achieve great things. Her authentic leadership style and energy help inspire the team to deliver their very best work, and her mantra that ‘why be good when you can be great?’ helps unlock the full potential in people and ensures all their products and services are delivered to the highest possible quality. It’s these attributes that help achieve happy colleagues and happy clients.


Helen is highly purpose-driven and is incredibly passionate about the topic of happiness and how it can help transform people’s lives personally, employees' and customers' experiences, business performance, and the wider communities they serve. She’s often described as lighting up a room when she walks in it and is fondly nicknamed ‘happiness Helen.’ Helen advocates for happiness at work to feature on the strategic priorities of organizations to ensure all businesses are a force for good, not greed and profit at all costs. A happier place of work is a successful one. These values drive The Happy Learning Company’s approach and customer promise.


The Happy Learning Company’s products and services are incredibly innovative, pioneering, and creative. This is fuelled partly by Helen’s creative streak, which stems from her passion for art. At school and college, she studied art and was offered a place at a London art school to pursue a career in natural history illustration. While her true passion for sport and sports science took her down another path initially, she’s managed to find new ways to utilize her eye for design and creativity and now uses it to help create bespoke learning solutions. Helen loves nothing more than to theme a learning or engagement program and is famous for her mood boards and creative briefs in the form of sketches!

(Just one of Helen's many sketches as she tries to bring her visions to life... all great ideas have to start somewhere right?!)


Helen is passionate about inspiring others to take positive action and fulfill their full potential. It’s what she gets out of bed for. As a woman in the sometimes complex and diverse world of work, she has always been determined to be a positive example to others, inspiring and helping to empower fellow women entrepreneurs - whether through giving advice and encouraging friends, colleagues, and clients to set up their businesses or go for the next available promotion - or to step out of their comfort zone to show their sometimes-hidden talents to thrive in life and their careers. Having been inspired by many women, role modeling being a courageous, resilient, and confident leader is really important to Helen as she aims to show others that you can achieve whatever you want to.


The Happy Learning Company recently developed a highly empowering blended development program for senior women leaders in an amazing global gaming and entertainment company. It was designed to help women leaders working in the very male-dominated tech and gaming industries unlock their power to influence others. It was part of a wider diversity and inclusion initiative. In true Happy Learning Company style, it was called the ‘Kick-Ass’ Influence program, playing on the concept of kicking through the glass ceiling. Helen and her colleagues worked passionately to bring the project to life and make it a success, and it was a brilliant opportunity for Helen to share her passion for empowering women by developing a program that showcased the incredible work and achievements of many women from all different walks of life.

(Kick-Ass influence - a programme we are especially proud of as it helps fly the flag for diversity and inclusion is a really positive way!)


In line with Helen’s beliefs around the importance of creating happiness and finding joy in achieving your full potential, she believes that women should thrive in the face of challenge, lifting, inspiring, and supporting each other - and showcasing their talents.


Helen on being recognised:


"The best thing about being recognised for an award such as this is that it puts the spotlight on diversity and inclusion in a way that uses the power of storytelling to inspire others to take positive action. If I can inspire other women to 'go for it' and achieve their full potential, it will be worth the embarrassing headshot and having to talk about myself! The award is for the team though really - they inspire me everyday and all our solutions really are a team effort. So, this is one for the team."



Check out the other inspiring women leaders of 2021 and see if their stories might spark any new ideas within you!


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