You know what, I’m actually pretty excited right now. A friend of mine is joining my business in a few months and it still feels a bit surreal when I really stop and think about it. We’ve got a start date, July 1st, and it’s properly real now. What makes it even crazier is that this time last year, it wasn’t even close to possible. I simply couldn’t afford her. She’s great at what she does and completely worth it, but for a long time it felt out of reach, like one of those things you say out loud knowing it’s a “one day” situation rather than something that’s actually going to happen anytime soon.

I remember speaking to her right at the very beginning, when I was going through FCA authorisation and just trying to get the business off the ground. It was proper early days, everything felt uncertain and I was figuring things out as I went along. But even then, I said it, one day we’ll work together. And I think I did believe it, or at least I wanted to. The problem is, as the months went on, that belief got tested. It became hard. Not dramatic, just constant. Trying to get the business moving, trying to generate enough turnover, trying to build something stable enough to even make hiring make sense. It felt like pushing something uphill with no clear sign I was getting closer to the top.

That’s the phase that really sucks. When you’re building something, there’s a long stretch where it’s just work, over and over again, with nothing coming back. No results, no real proof that it’s working. It’s quiet, it’s lonely, and no one really cares. It’s just you with a dream, starting to doubt whether you’re making any progress at all, stuck doing repetitive tasks that slowly drain you. There’s nothing glamorous about it. It’s not exciting or motivating, it’s just repetitive and hard. And I get why people stop there, because it’s incredibly difficult to keep going when you’ve got nothing to show for it.

But looking back now, something was happening the whole time. Every long day, every bit of pressure, every moment where it felt like nothing was moving, it was all stacking up. I just couldn’t see it at the time. And now, being in a position where I can bring someone into the business who I trust, who shares the same values and understands what I’m trying to build, it means more than I expected. Not just because of what it is, but because of what it represents.

There’s a saying that nothing really happens in two years but everything can change in ten. The older I get, the more I see how true that is. We expect progress to happen quickly, for things to click early, but the reality is that real growth takes time, patience, and persistence, especially when it feels like nothing is working. The foundations are always the hardest part. I know the next few months won't be easy and things are pretty crazy right now, but it feels different because I've finally seen that the effort actually leads somewhere.

And you know what? No matter how endless this phase feels, it won't last forever. It can feel like you're stuck doing work you don't enjoy, putting in effort without seeing much in return. But this stage will pass. If you've read my previous posts, you'll know how hard it's been. There were moments when I didn’t believe I would reach this point. And while I may still be very small compared to other businesses, this milestone means everything to me. It matters because of how far I’ve come.

So stay consistent. Keep showing up, even on the days it feels pointless. Hold onto your vision, no matter how far away it seems, and don't give up on what you're building. If you’re in that place right now, where the effort feels heavy and the progress is hard to see, keep going. Just because you can't see results yet doesn't mean nothing is happening. It's all taking shape in its own time. Stay committed, believe in yourself, and don’t stop now. One day, you’ll look back and see that every bit of it was worth it. 🩷