Hey, I'm Anna.
I'm a systems strategist and the founder of Project Joy Systems - and I help growing service-based businesses build the operational infrastructure they need to scale without burning out.
That probably sounds straightforward. The path here was anything but.
My sharpest lessons didn't come from a boardroom.
I spent over 25 years inside complex, high-stakes environments - government agencies, financial institutions, enterprise IT - managing multi-million-dollar projects and leading teams across North America. I was good at my job. Really good. I was also doing it while navigating something most of my colleagues couldn't see: raising a neurodivergent child, largely on my own, in a workplace that wasn't built for people carrying that kind of load.
I learned early that I couldn't afford to be the single point of failure at work. So I built systems - documented workflows, clear ownership, full project visibility - so that when life called me away, anyone could step in. Nothing would fall through the cracks. No one would be scrambling for context.
What I couldn't understand was why more organizations didn't work this way.
Throughout my career, I witnessed teams burn hours chasing status updates, re-doing work that was never properly handed off, and relying on one overwhelmed person to hold all the context. I managed complex projects with cross-functional teams using Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and Outlook or Teams threads -tools that were never designed for how teams actually work.
I kept thinking, there has to be a better way.
There is.
What I do now
I work with growth-stage businesses - typically teams of 5 to 20 - that are successful on the outside but operationally overwhelmed behind the scenes. The revenue is there. The demand is growing. But the internal systems haven't kept up, and the founder is still the answer to every question.
I fix that.
My work spans the full implementation lifecycle: operational audit, workflow design, system build, team training, and adoption support. I bring deep technical fluency in Asana, Microsoft 365, and Google Workspace - and the change management experience to make sure teams don't just have a new system, they actually use it.
The result? Founders who can take a vacation and leave their laptop at home. Teams that know what they're working on, who owns what, and what happens next - without having to ask.
My philosophy
Systems don't need to be complex to be effective. In fact, the best ones are simple enough that anyone can pick them up on day one.
If your business only works when you're available for everything - that's not a capacity problem. It's a systems problem. And it's one worth solving.
A little more about me
I'm based in Edmonton, Alberta, and I work with clients across North America. When I'm not knee-deep in workflow architecture, you'll find me outside - road trips, trails, fresh air. I'm a proud mom, a dog person, and someone who genuinely believes that running a business should not cost you your health, your family, or your joy.
That last part is kind of the whole point.
Ready to build something that actually works?
2025 The Project Joy Co.