The seeds of what would become Roots & Rivers Consulting were planted in 2018, when Founder and CEO Annelies Tjebbes was searching for a way to work that aligned with her dedication social impact. Working alongside social purpose organizations, Annelies witnessed firsthand the transformative power of values-driven partnerships. By working with clients who shared her vision of contributing to vibrant communities, she knew she was on a path to a more meaningful way of working.
Roots & Rivers has since grown from an idea into a thriving business with a team dedicated to supporting social purpose and public service organizations. As we’ve expanded, so has our commitment to building intentionally, ensuring we stay grounded in our core values and focused on creating positive impact.
Unconventional Decisions
In a blog post for Vancity, Annelies shared several practices that define Roots & Rivers’ unconventional approach and differentiate us from traditional consultancies. Here’s a closer look at four of these core practices:
1. Challenging the Hourly Rate
One of the earliest business decisions we made at Roots & Rivers was to move away from hourly billing. As someone trained in engineering, Annelies began her career tracking every fifteen minutes of work, which, despite being common in consulting, felt stifling. Instead, we use value-based pricing to centre the idea that the worth of our work should reflect the impact it brings to our clients, not the time it takes to complete.
Value-based pricing allows us to structure our work around outcomes rather than inputs. This not only energizes our clients—who can connect their investment to concrete results—but also empowers our team to work with autonomy. Free from the constraints of micromanaged hours, our team feels respected and trusted to contribute in ways that are meaningful and true to their unique working styles. It’s an approach that acknowledges that value isn’t about the clock; it’s about the outcome.
2. Aligning Business with Value
At Roots & Rivers, values alignment isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s the core of how we choose who we work with and what projects we take on. This focus means that every client we work with is doing work we believe in which supports us to bring our full commitment to each project.
Our team is energized by partnering with organizations making a real difference in these areas. Values alignment has been key to building a workplace where each member of the team can bring their lived experience and strengths to the table. We scope our projects with care to ensure that we bring value to our clients without overextending our team, staying true to our belief in the power of sustainable, well-supported work.
3. Prioritizing Rest and Recovery
It’s easy to fall into the “always-on” trap in consulting, where breaks are rare and burnout is common. At Roots & Rivers, we believe prioritizing rest and recovery for high-quality work and long-term success.
Our team receives comprehensive vacation time and benefits, along with a winter shutdown to ensure everyone can take a true break. Beyond this, we are piloting “Rest, Read & Recovery” weeks where we focus on slowing down on client work to allow team members to have time to focus on their own internal work and learning.
4. Building and Nurturing an Ecosystem
While some might consider solo entrepreneurship for greater control or efficiency, at Roots & Rivers we embrace an ecosystem approach. This model includes core staff as well as a network of consultants, each of whom brings unique expertise and perspective to our work. This setup has allowed us to be both nimble and collaborative, adapting to client needs while fostering an environment of mutual learning and respect.
Our ecosystem approach enables us to gather quarterly, both digitally and in person, to connect, share insights, and continue building the relationships that make us stronger. We are committed to professional development within our ecosystem and invest in opportunities for cross-learning, which adds depth to our team’s skills and strengthens our overall impact.
Learning in Community
As Roots & Rivers has grown, we’ve learned the value of connecting with other businesses that are committed to doing things differently. Annelies joined a WeBC Fireside Chat with other social entrepreneurs to discuss what is takes to grow a profitable business with a positive impact. Together with Allisha Heidt of Chickpeace Zero Waste Refillery and Lisa Hemingway of iilo Creative Alliance, Annelies explored how creating positive impact doesn’t have to come at the expense of profitability.
A key takeaway from the conversation was how decentering the founder’s role has been critical for Roots & Rivers. By intentionally building a strong team and infrastructure, Annelies enabled the business to thrive during her maternity leave, a rare occurrence for female founders. This approach has also encouraged new leadership to emerge within the team, reinforcing our belief in collaborative growth and in the power of a strong foundation.
Having a community of like-minded entrepreneurs to learn from and lean on has been invaluable. Peer learning helps us keep our commitment to continuous improvement and reinforces the importance of business practices that prioritize both people and purpose.
At Roots & Rivers, we’re proud to build a business that reflects the values we care about, challenging conventional practices and proving that it’s possible to grow sustainably while staying true to our mission. We hope our journey inspires others who are looking to create positive impact through business and to build with intention, one meaningful decision at a time.