Why start another blog?

It starts all over again

Blogging used to be my sanity. My release from the hectic world of small children and running my own business.

It led to everything that has made me successful in the last 15 years.

By that, I mean I have six books to my name (three traditionally published), a strong reputation in my field, and, without realising it, my way of doing therapy. It gave me a release and a way of processing the madness and pressure that was going on around me. After all, only a mad woman starts a business in the middle of the deepest, darkest recession with two children under 3.

Oh, and with no expertise to be my own boss other than a strong sense of optimism and the ability to learn quickly.

In the last four years, I’ve stopped blogging. It became a chore.

If I am honest, I stopped writing for pleasure many years ago. The business got to the point where I no longer had the time to write. I have a great content writer who creates great articles every month that are finely tuned to ensure Google ranks our websites highly. Writing to order - which I still do 2-3 times a month - doesn’t fill me with joy.

Why start writing again?

I miss it.

My life is entering a period of transition. This brings with it mixed emotions: the hope that comes with a new chapter and the sadness that comes with closing a chapter.

My babies are leaving the nest—right now. My eldest flies off to university in four short, agonising weeks. Twelve months from now, my youngest will finish school and start an apprenticeship. Add to the mix the necessity of spending more time supporting my aged parents, and change is here to stay.

The problem is never change itself; it’s always the large helping of uncertainty that comes with it. I need a way - that I haven’t needed for many years - of doing that therapy and processing again.

The last four months have been difficult, personally and professionally. I’ve needed to adapt to the first steps of ‘life after children’ and have experienced a lot of stress from my life as a councillor.

I have felt drawn back to blogging in a way I haven’t since I started writing back in 2009. I aim to use this blog to give readers a window into what it takes to grow AND scale a small business. I’ll use this blog to tell stories from my life in politics and as a small business owner. It will help me get back into the habit of writing for pure enjoyment but also for practical reasons. Next year, the 10th anniversary of my book Poised for Partnership will be published, and my long-suffering business partner wants a 4th edition!

The topics I know I will cover in the next few months will include my musings on bouncing back from betrayal, dealing with emotional baggage, building resilience, creating followership, reinventing yourself, etc. Ultimately, this will be my personal journey into what it takes to scale your small business so that you can exit knowing you have left a legacy.

What is my commitment to you as a reader?

I will write a blog post a week chronicling my journey to scaling my business and preparing it for exit. I expect that, at times, it will feel raw as I bare my soul. But that’s the risk I am prepared to take.

Finally, to ensure I go back to basics, this will be an AI-free zone. It will just be me, my thoughts, the research to back up my advice, my stories and my takeaways for you.

I’d love for you to subscribe and join me on the journey.