I took the leap!
A lot of people have been asking me lately… What happened? How did you decide to leave your job?
And the truth is—it wasn’t a snap decision. Far from it. This journey actually started for me over seven years ago!
The First Spark
It was 2017. I was living it up on holiday in Greece when I had a conversation with a friend’s very successful dad. I told him: “I think I want to go out on my own. Maybe do some consulting?”
He was immediately encouraging—ready to chat and offering to help. And what did I do? I freaked out. Pretended the conversation never happened. And a few months later, I took a job at Red Ant.
Luckily, that turned out to be an incredible experience. I learned so much — about contracts, clients, managing resources—all the things I need to know for this new venture.
Looking back, I probably wasn’t ready then. But even when I was ready, making the move still didn’t happen overnight.
It Wasn’t Just About My Family
A lot of people assume I have moved to self-employment because of my kids. And while yes, juggling two little rascals with a full-time job and structured hours is a factor, it's not the driving force behind my decision.
Figuring Out What I Actually Wanted
The moment things got real for me was in 2023. I had recently experienced the heartbreak of miscarriage and felt stuck in all elements of my life, particularly, my career. I knew my job wasn’t my forever job, but I was comfortable. And the last thing I wanted, was to jump into another role that felt exciting for a year or two, only for it to turn into “same, same, but different.”
Life at Red Ant was good. So if I was going to leave, it had to be for something significant.
With my coach (Mhairi Todd) by my side, we went deep—
🧐 What did I actually want?
🏆 What did success even mean to me?
✨ When was I at my best?
And we laid out literally every career idea I had, including:
✅ Wedding Planner
✅ Opening a Dog Rescue
✅ Café Owner
Maybe one day... 😉
But right there, sitting amongst them all, was consulting.
I knew that was the one. And yet, even then, when Mhairi asked, “What's stopping you?”—I hesitated. I still didn't fully believe I could do it.
The Moment It All Changed
Finally, at the beginning of 2024, I went on maternity leave. And for the first time in forever, I had space. Not just time away from work, but actual mental space to think about me and the life I wanted.
Quick interruption here to confirm for all the parents out there, it wasn't too much space—life with a newborn and a three-year-old is 🤯—but still. No back-to-back meetings. No constant project deadlines. No running to the next big initiative.
It wasn’t about my baby—though obviously, that was a huge life shift. It was about finally hitting pause and asking myself: What now?
And this time—it was about my family. Because I want my kids to see firsthand, that you don’t have to settle for the default path. You can design a life that makes you happy.
So, no more excuses. Time for me to decide what I wanted and go get it.
So, Here We Are
It's taken a long time to get here. Years of learning, questioning, overthinking, analysing... circling fear, before finally deciding… If not now, when?
If someone reads this and it sparks something in them—makes them think, maybe I could take that leap I’ve been putting off too—then I’ll consider that a success.
A Bit About Me
If we haven’t met before—hi, I’m Lydia. 👋 An operations expert and consultant.
I founded STWRT in early 2025 to help fast-moving, high-growth small businesses identify their critical goals and actually make them happen.
I’m a get sh*t done kinda gal, and I’m spreading that energy far and wide.
If you want to chat about streamlining operations, reviewing your business structure, or building a roadmap for 2025—reach out. I’d love to help! 🚀