Running Your Own Business: Honest Reflections

We're almost at the end of January already—that quiet, slightly sobering point in the year where the initial rush of "new year energy" has softened, routines are re-establishing themselves, and reality starts to creep back in.

For me, this moment always invites reflection. Not on grand resolutions or dramatic change, but on trajectory: Does this feel like the right direction? Am I building momentum in a way that feels sustainable, considered, and true?

As a founder, those questions carry extra weight.

The Reality of Working for Yourself: What No One Tells You About Self-Employment

The journey from being an employee to becoming self-employed is an acute learning curve, and it's one I was certainly not prepared for. In fact, if you were properly prepared, you'd likely never start!

The Gift (and Curse) of Autonomy

Autonomy is one of the greatest gifts of running my own business. The freedom to make decisions, to set direction, pick shows, to shape your days around real life rather than the other way around. But that freedom comes with a flip side.

Flexibility is both a blessing and a curse because you never really "leave" work behind.

There's no clocking off. No clean mental handover. No escape from emails. At 5am this morning, I was already mentally drafting new website banner copy—not because I had to, but because the business lives with you. Constantly. And it's your job to nurture it and help it grow and thrive.

The Discipline That Self-Employment Demands

Working for yourself requires discipline in a way I hadn't fully appreciated before. You are the one looking at the bills, managing cash flow, deciding when to invest and when to hold back. You're fully immersed—emotionally, mentally, and financially—in every choice the business makes. It's a pressure you don't understand or appreciate as an employee.

Balancing investment in product, shows, software, and technology against the very human desire to keep your bank balance looking healthy is a constant tug. Knowing that every decision has consequences, good or bad, sharpens your judgment. It means you have to view every investment from multiple perspectives. That tension never really disappears.

Personal Growth Through Business: Embracing Discomfort as a Path Forward

And yet, despite all of that, this journey has been the greatest personal development course I've ever been on. Having got divorced, I became more accepting of the idea that being uncomfortable and challenging yourself equates to growth. That is 100% the mantra of my business: push yourself, get out of your comfort zone, and you will move forwards.

Why Doing Shows Changed Everything

Doing shows, in particular, has been a huge personal challenge. I was genuinely terrified of putting myself out there. It's physically hard work—setting up in all weathers, being chipper and upbeat, talking to strangers all day, backing yourself and selling your work. It takes courage and guts to hear what people really think about your product.

But it has also proven something incredibly important to me: we almost always underestimate our own abilities. Push yourself, get out of your comfort zone, and you will move forwards. It might not be elegant or fast, but it will happen. (With the notable exception of reversing a trailer—that one remains firmly outside my skill set.)

The Community You Find Along the Way

The shows have introduced me to an incredibly diverse range of people: makers, founders, customers, organisers, all generous with their stories, advice, humour, and perspectives. It's been a privilege to learn from them and to get to know them.

Running a business as a one-woman band can be lonely at times. But the show "family" has been a source of genuine inspiration and friendship—camaraderie forged in mud, rain, early starts, freezing hands, flasks of tea, and mutual encouragement. There's something hugely comforting about being alongside people who truly walk the walk.

Business Books That Changed How I Think: My Essential Reading List for Entrepreneurs

Along the way, books have played a big role in helping me grow and think differently—not as quick fixes, but as steady guides I return to again and again.

A few that have been genuinely instrumental for me, which I'll be revisiting this year:

Alchemy by Rory Sutherland — So, so good. A great reminder that human behaviour, perception, and emotion matter just as much as logic.

Profit First by Mike Michalowicz — Transformative in how it reframed my relationship with money and sustainability.

Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller — Invaluable for learning how to communicate clearly and purposefully.

She Means Business by Carrie Green — Probably the first business book I read. I love Carrie's honest, encouraging, and deeply relatable tone as a female founder.

The Discomfort Zone by Farah Storr — This is probably my most loved book. A powerful reminder that growth rarely lives in comfort.

The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks — At the risk of sounding woo woo, this is the one I return to often when I sense myself holding back more than I realise.

None promise an easy path, but all have helped me feel more informed and less fearful.

Choosing Intention Over Perfection: My Approach to Building a Sustainable Business

As January draws to a close, I'm less interested in loud declarations and more focused on quiet consistency. On thoughtful decisions. On building something that feels sustainable, grounded, and aligned with the values that started this business in the first place.

If you're self-employed, running a business, or navigating a season of change, you may recognise some of this too: the autonomy, the pressure, the pride, the responsibility, the community that appears when you least expect it.

Here's to choosing a positive trajectory for the year ahead. Not perfect. Not painless. But intentional, considered, and moving in the right direction.

Sometimes, that's exactly enough.