2 Years!

Wow....

2 years ago, I walked out of my full time role and life career as a Recruitment Agency Manager in Temporary Healthcare Recruitment. In the throws of COVID, lock downs, travel restrictions. With f*ck all money as had spent a load of time on furlough on reduced pay in the previous year with no monthly bonus that I had been accustomed to!

I walked out wearing office clothes and not worn them since.

My work attire now consists of either cargo pants and walking boots, or my dry suit.

I worked in an office with up to 30 people in one company I worked with.

Now, my office is either underwater, next to water or at the dive centre where the most amount of people I am with is 4 instructors at an absolute max and all the time doing admin is in the home office or the dive centre by myself turning it into the dream (working progress!)

My alarm was set at 5am every morning, up walk the dogs, gym then work for the 9-5 followed by on call quite a lot of time including over weekends.

Now, I set my own work hours and what I will be doing in the day. Which most weeks, includes evenings in the pool, and over the weekend and haven't been to the gym in a very long time and getting used to the seasonal fitness diving brings

I used to have loads of ideas on building the business I worked in, which was blocked at every stop working in the corporate world.... even to a point of not being allowed a Facebook page for the team.

Now I do whatever I want, does all of it work? Absolutely not. Do I still keep trying new things to see what works? Absolutely!

Do I make more risky decisions now? Yup because whats the worse that can happen? I mean I already decided that COVID was a perfect time to start a UK diving business - surely that's the most risky thing I could do (Please note.... no risky decisions are made with the actual teaching of scuba, just with the building of the business!!)

Have I spent a full day doing something I thought was an amazing idea and turned out it was a waste of time..... I have - numerous times and will probably waste more time in the future doing the same!

I used to spend all month waiting for pay day and that sweeeeeet commission so I could go and blow it. Eventually... blowing it all on dive gear and turned work into something that paid the mortgage and bills and the rest into escaping what was otherwise a very mundane life broken up with diving and holidays.

Now.... I pay my bills and the rest all goes into the business improving kit and facilities for the students and members

I spent years on medication for depression and anxiety and hating everything about my life which on the outside was amazing - loads of money, holidays, great job prospects.

Now - I just get stressed because running a business is f*cking hard work but no medication required. Will that change in the future? Maybe, who knows. Does depression and anxiety ever actually disappear?

What people think I do.... go take selfies with seals

What I actually do... Admin, teach scuba, sell training, market the company, do the accounts, do the payroll, manage the social media, answer queries by text, email, phone, whatsapp, messenger, fill spaces at the pool night, get stressed because i cant fill enough spaces at a pool night to cover the cost, plan training schedules, recruitment, health and safety, work until 11pm at night, days out of the water are not days off, cleaning the centre, washing kit down, managing stock, servicing equipment, building things, fixing things, paperwork, more paper work, making a new form for something because the one i made the day before when I was tired is rubbish ... the actual teaching of scuba is a very small part of the job.

Life feels like it has meaning for the first time, I have loved building the business from absolutely nothing to what it is now. The amazing feedback we get from parents, students, club members makes all the hard work absolutely worth while.

Everyone thought I was mad leaving my old life behind.....I regretted it sometimes along the way too because it felt easy in comparison to now... but I wouldn't of changed the last 2 years for anything!

I have met some of the most amazing people along the journey, from other instructors who I get the pleasure of teaching alongside of, the students who have all been amazing and I have loved introducing every one of them to the wonderful world of scuba from the try dives and those who became certified divers, the other people in the industry I have had the pleasure of meeting who are truly inspirational for various reasons, the idiots who have just shown me exactly what we would always be the opposite of.

To everyone, thank you so much for making the last 2 years absolutely unforgettable and the most amazing 2 years of my 36 years (I think.... I am at an age now where I forget ) on earth.

And here is to many many more with Palaemon Divers!