My story.
From Overwhelm to Ownership: How I Built a Business That Works Around Real Life (navigating the sh*t along the way)
Some people are born knowing they’ll run their own business. That wasn’t me. For years, I played by the rules. I had the marketing degree. The jobs. The meetings. The sense of security that came with a steady salary. But deep down, I always felt this pull for something more – not more stuff, just more freedom. More ownership. More space to live life on my terms.
I didn’t know what that would look like at first. But what I did know was that I was tired of putting everything – my family, my sanity, my dreams – second.
Lessons From The Boardroom to The Kitchen Table – This Isn’t My First Rodeo
Before I started my own business, I spent over a decade in marketing communications – 12 years climbing the ladder in senior roles, managing brand reputation and comms strategies for big organisations. It taught me loads: how to build trust, how to put proper systems in place, how to navigate the numbers, and how to think big-picture. But eventually, I hit a point where I was done working myself into the ground just to make someone else rich. From my working-class roots, I’d tried to better myself, went to uni, strived for promotions and tried to find a place. I knew I had more to offer – and I wanted to use everything I’d learned to actually help people.
So I walked away from the salary and security, and shifted gears. No more nodding dog, no more trying to bust my balls in the corporate PR world to satisfy an industry full of fake arseholes (well not all of them, but a good chunk). Since then, I’ve been working behind the scenes with all sorts of AMAZING business owners – helping them get clear, get organised, and build businesses that are set up to last. I’m not here to sell you a dream. I’m here to teach you the stuff that works – based on 20 years of real experience, not guesswork. If you’re ready to build something solid (without losing your mind), I’m your gal.
Life Crap Can Tank You
Life doesn’t always go the way you thought it would – and mine took a hard turn early on. I went through a horrendous breakup that nearly broke me, personally and professionally. My fiancé at the time was living a double life, and the fallout from that nearly killed my career. It was one of those moments that shakes everything – your confidence, your plans, your sense of self. It was my lowest point. But those tough chapters taught me perspective. I learned not to waste energy beefing over things I can’t change – to take the lesson, find the strength, and keep going.
Not long after, I met a soldier who turned my whole world upside down – in the best possible way. It was fast, chaotic, and full of big feelings. During our first tour as a couple, we saw each other for just a handful of days on R&R… and I fell pregnant. That moment changed everything. Suddenly, I was navigating motherhood, military life, and trying to build a future that could bend and stretch with all the moving parts. The logistics changed. My priorities changed. But one thing stayed solid – we’ve always held each other up, through the tough and the simple things. That’s what real-life harmony is to me. Not perfection – just showing up, building a life that works for your reality, and making peace with the messy bits. Lifestyle & business aspirations go hand in hand – they MUST work together.
Service Life Changes Everything
Like many military spouses, I quickly learned that flexibility isn’t a perk – it’s survival. We move. We solo-parent. We pick up and start over more times than we can count. And somewhere in all of that, we try to hold on to a sense of identity and purpose. I lost count of how many jobs I left behind with each posting. How many career conversations ended with a polite “thanks, but no.” And for a while, I convinced myself that maybe this was just the trade-off. That I’d support from the sidelines, keep the home fires burning, and put my career on hold. But the truth? That never sat right with me.
Christmas, YouTube, and One Big Leap
It was one Christmas holiday, somewhere between wrapping presents and clearing up crumbs, that I finally decided to stop thinking about starting a business – and actually start. I opened YouTube and taught myself how to build a website. That was it. No grand plan, no blueprint. Just a quiet decision that I’d stop waiting for perfect timing and figure it out one step at a time. That scrappy little site became step one of launching my own VA agency. The Fear Was Real!
I wish I could say it was all confidence and clarity from there – but honestly, I was terrified. What if I’m not good enough? What if no one hires me? After years of being employed, I had no idea if I could make it on my own. You are almost conditioned (well, I was) to believe being a business owner is not for people like me! But I also knew this: nothing changes if you don’t start.
So I did. And 90 days later? I was fully booked, purely through word of mouth and reputation.
No ads. No funnels. Just good work, human connections, and a commitment to showing up. I’d bought a domain and the legal bits and took a leap of faith!
That business gave me freedom. It gave me confidence. But more than anything, it gave me proof that it’s possible to create something that works around your life instead of against it. Over time, my mission grew. I saw too many other military spouses stuck in the same cycle – full of talent, weighed down by self-doubt, unsure where to begin. That’s why I created Homefront Hub.
Why Homefront Hub Exists
This isn’t just a blog or a business support site. It’s a space for spouses like me (and maybe like you) who want to build something of their own – something that fits around deployments, nap times, last-minute moves, and the sheer unpredictability of military life.
Homefront Hub is here to cut through the overwhelm, help you get started faster, and build something that feels right for you – on your terms. Each one of us has our own definition of success. For some, it’s building a 7-figure empire. For others, it’s creating a steady, flexible income that fits around nap times and school runs. There’s no one-size-fits-all dream here – what matters is building a business that works for your life, your pace, and your priorities.
You don’t have to settle for minimum wage on someone else’s terms. And you definitely don’t need to get swept up in scammy online sales gigs promising the world and delivering nothing. There’s a better way – one rooted in your real skills, lived experience, and a plan that actually fits you.
Because you don’t have to choose between your family and your future. You don’t have to pick between purpose and practicality. And you sure as hell don’t have to do it alone.
My Hope for You
If you’re feeling stuck, unsure, or a little bit scared – I see you. I’ve been you. And I’m here to tell you that you can absolutely do this. You can build a business, a lifestyle, and a sense of self that doesn’t get left behind at every posting. My family are the reason I go after this with everything I’ve got – and helping this brilliant, bold, and beautifully chaotic military community (that’s you) is what keeps my heart in it.
Start small. Start scrappy. Just start. Your story gets to change from here.