about Cloud 9 to 5
About a third of our lives are spent at work, and with advances in technology and an expectation to answer emails or calls immediately, there's often no longer a clear divide between work life and home life. As our work and personal lives continue to become even more intertwined, companies need to rethink how they manage their most important assets - their employees. Can we really afford to be unhappy at work?
Everyone deserves to be happy at work and that's the driving belief behind Cloud 9 to 5. Besides, happy companies make more money.
meet the founder
Sheona McGraw
Happiness comes naturally to me, so needless to say I was pretty dismayed at some of the poor working conditions I encountered. With one company, I even had to bring my own toilet paper and light bulbs to work! But I was eager and passionate to make my mark on the world and as a new graduate, I tolerated some pretty harsh conditions and spectacularly sketchy work environments because I figured I needed to "put in my time" as an unhappy underling in order to land a job where I'd really be happy.
As I moved up the corporate ladder, things didn't seem to get any better. Then one day, I was offered a position with a high-profile organization. The position itself was fairly undesirable, but it was a great stepping stone into a position that I was sure would finally make me happy once and for all. So I took the job. And then an interesting thing happened. I actually became happy at work! I was happier than I'd ever been in this job, this job, this undesirable job that had nothing to do with my career path, that offered nothing glamorous or exciting and that, as far as anyone could tell, had nothing unique to offer, at least on the surface. And yet here I was, extremely happy at work for the first time ever, surrounded by a team of equally happy people.
Even more incredibly, I saw that my own productivity, innovation, motivation and resilience to challenges increased significantly, and I observed it among my colleagues as well. This was my personal wake up call. From that point on, I became fascinated with understanding the inner workings of what makes a company and its employees happy.
From some of the happiest and healthiest workplaces to some of the most toxic and unhappy environments, I've experienced it all. I've learned that the recipe for creating a culture of happiness in the workplace is actually fairly simple in concept (yet often challenging in practice).
I've seen the power of happiness at work firsthand, first as an employee, then as middle management, and later as executive director. I've seen an organization transform, for better and for worse, because of a few key changes that directly impacted employee happiness. After over a decade of research and exploration, I took the plunge and launched Cloud 9 to 5 with the goal of sharing this knowledge, and to help make happiness the new status quo for all organizations.
meet our mental health advisor
Dr. Chris Cronin
Chris is a family physician based in Toronto and has worked in a number of different settings, including rural and fly-in-only areas, inner city and suburban neighbourhoods across both Ontario and Australia. Chris has taken a particular interest in the assessment and treatment of anxiety, depression and other related conditions, as he finds it is one of the more rewarding aspects of his job.
His real-world perspective and experience help Cloud 9 to 5 ensure that mental health is always top of mind when developing our programs.
“Mental health issues are one of the most common conditions that family physicians see in their offices. Every single day, I meet with patients who are struggling to cope with mental health issues stemming directly from their workplace; in fact, workplace interactions and environment are often identified by patients as the main factor contributing to their issues.”
How we work
our vision
That companies everywhere are a source of good in the world.
our mission
To enable organizations and their employees to maximize their potential by creating a happier and healthier work culture.
our values
Commitment to the cause
We all have a responsibility to building a thriving society. There is strength in numbers and we will actively pursue opportunities to elevate the work of others if it contributes to our vision and positively impacts the community.
Accessible to all
We believe being happy at work is a right, not a privilege. Ensuring our services and expertise are accessible to everyone is central to achieving our mission.
Service excellence
We play a critical role in helping organizations and their employees tap into their potential, and we strive to always meet or exceed our clients’ expectations. We treat every client as unique and customize our solutions to suit their specific needs.
Reliable information
We are strong believers in following an evidence-based approach in our work. We strive to always present the most accurate, relevant, up-to-date and unbiased information possible.
Leading by example
At all levels, we act in a way that exemplifies what we expect of each other, our partners, and our clients. We are relentless in our pursuit of improving our own work culture and in creating positive impact in society.
Fun and entrepreneurial spirit
We are passionate, curious, fun-loving and not afraid to challenge the status quo. We will go out of our way to help our colleagues and ask for help when we need it. We are resourceful and demonstrate an ability to grow and learn. We bring joy, playfulness and optimism to work.
it's never too late to be a cubicle ninja of happiness