All things Purple the Festive 2024 Edition.....

What a year 2024 has been! Being a founder of a business is a unique position to be in and yet I love it! I love the challenge, the unpredictability but most of all I love that get to make the rules and make a difference.

2018, was the most stressful and traumatic year I had ever had within my career and that is saying something. Over the years I have managed physical violence in pubs (the days when ashtrays were missiles), I have been a single parent at a time when there were not many females doing my job but I have always been resilient! In 2018, that changed! I had reached the highest point of my career and was broken! My resilience was at an all time low and I was in a pretty dark place - that year involved suicide from a colleague, bullying and harassment and a level of responsibility that would have broken anybody! I became the scapegoat!

Whilst I would never want to relive it and nobody should ever have to go through what I did I emerged stronger than ever and built a company! Not just a job but a company that gets to make a difference! As I sit here at the end of a busy year ready to go and pick my Christmas food shopping up I just thought I would write a newsletter and share my top 10 learnings and habits for 2025!

There are so many people facing redundancy and change in 2025 - especially in hospitality with the looming NI increase that I want to help people go into Christmas with a sense of reassurance that it will be ok!!!!!

“A (Professionally) Rebellious Guide to Holiday Sanity: 10 Habits for Thriving Through the Season”

Tinsel and deadlines. Jingle bells and job woes. As the year-end chaos approaches, it’s way too easy to slip into a spiral of stress and self-doubt. But fear not—I’m here to remind you that you’ve got a choice in how you roll into this festive frenzy. Ready? Let’s do this, rebel style.

1. Adopt a Rebellious Positivity

What It Means Positive thinking isn’t fluffy wishful thinking—it’s armour for the tough stuff. If you believe in good outcomes, you’ll spot the doors that open for you (even if they creak).

Rebellious Reminder Yes, life wobbles. But for every wobble, there’s a sunrise. And after every rainstorm, there’s a rainbow.

2. Chase Your Crazy Ideas

What It Means We spend so much energy talking ourselves out of the “wild” stuff that could change everything for the better. Some of your wackiest ideas might totally flop—but you’ll learn from each one.

Rebellious Reminder You don’t need anyone else’s permission to give something a shot. Growth is messy and magical, all at once.

3. Find Your Voice and Own It

What It Means Speak up. Stand out. Shout (if you must). This isn’t the moment for shrinking into the background.

Rebellious Reminder Don’t wait for an invitation to share who you are and what you stand for. Boldness is your new superpower.

4. Do Something You Love (Yes, Really)

What It Means A pay check matters, but it’s not the only thing. Life’s too short to burn out doing what you hate. If you feel a nudge to leap—do it. You might land on a bigger cushion than you think.

Rebellious Reminder Stop measuring your success in only hours or years. Every day is a fresh page—fill it with work (and life) that lights you up.

5. Leverage Your Network

What It Means Don’t treat your contacts like long-lost second cousins. Build up your social capital and actually use it. People want to help—give them the chance.

Rebellious Reminder A quick coffee catch-up, a holiday message, a LinkedIn ‘hello’—whatever works for you, make it authentic and consistent.

6. Stop People-Pleasing & Embrace the Haters

What It Means Someone, somewhere, is not going to be your biggest fan. Let that be okay. In fact, let it fuel your drive.

Rebellious Reminder Prioritising everyone else’s approval often means neglecting yourself. Make you #1. No guilt.

7. Make Time for the 3F: Friends, Fitness, & Fun

What It Means Your mental and physical health are the engines of your professional success—especially during the festive rush.

Rebellious Reminder Schedule that workout, plan that coffee date, sing out loud to Mariah Carey in your kitchen—whatever brings joy, do it.

8. Rebel Against Conformity

What It Means You don’t have to play by someone else’s rulebook. Figure out the game you want to play, learn its rules, then break or remake them.

Rebellious Reminder A cookie-cutter approach leads to cookie-cutter results. Dare to be different.

9. Ditch Perfection—One Growth Step Each Day

What It Means Perfection is the enemy of progress. Learn one new thing that sets you apart every day.

Rebellious Reminder Imperfections spark curiosity, creativity, and resilience. Embrace the process.

10. Start Fresh: No Badge of Honour Required

What It Means Years of experience are great, but they don’t define you. You can reset at any moment without explaining yourself to anyone.

Rebellious Reminder You don’t need to see the end goal to begin. Get on the road, be brave, and let new chapters unfold.

A Festive Poem to Tie It All Up

T’was the season of hustle, with change in the air, Deadlines and dinners—excitement and dare. But you held to your courage, your voice burning bright, Ditching all doubt to step into the light.

Crazy ideas? You chased them with glee, Found joy in the journey, let your spirit roam free. You said “No” to the drama and “Yes” to new starts, Focused on health, on friends, and on what fills your heart.

No quest for perfection—just learning each day, No badge for the hours that whittled away. You built stronger connections, you bravely stood tall, Even if certain critics said “Who do you think you are?”

But for every rainstorm a rainbow appears, And for every wobble a sunrise draws near. So be brave, get going—don’t fear the unknown, Because Christmas is magic for rebels full-grown.

Here’s to a bold, brave, and rebelliously refreshing holiday season. May you wrap up the year on your own terms—and step into the next with your spark fully lit.

— Karen Turton

Finding Balance in a Chaotic and Extraordinary world

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For as long as I can remember I have been asked how do I do it? How do I manage to keep all of the so called balls up in the air all of the time. These balls are children, work, caring for a family home, running etc etc etc. Every time, I am asked the question, I answer I don’t know I just do! What a pants response that is to someone who really wants to know.

So, I started to think about what it was that I did so that I could share it with anybody that was remotely interested just in case it actually helped.

I am not a “juggler” but I do “balance” really well

Juggling requires energy and concentration and conscious thought to keep all of the balls up in the air at any one time. I used to juggle with the best of them, quite often with hilarious consequences, particularly the one time I was at the school gates trying to convince the breakfast club to let me in 5 minutes early whilst on a conference call! Of course I was muted…..(hmm no I wasn’t!) However, after reading a superb book written by a Buddhist Monk I realised that I was perpetuating a constant sense of energy into keeping those balls up in the air.

Now I balance. It’s calm and centred and if a ball drops it drops, I do not suddenly go into a meltdown I simply pick it back up and balance it with all of the others. Balance (once you feel comfortable doing it) becomes second nature and part of you!

I’m clear on my “big rocks”

Stephen Covey wrote many years ago about “Big rocks” and making time for these first otherwise the sand and silt gets in the way. I realised early on that I could not have or do everything and there had to be compromises. My “big rocks” are family, career, learning and health and well-being. Note I did not include friends in here as this is not one of my big rocks as it is my compromise. My work colleagues are my friends. As long as my “big rocks” are given the space and room they need I find my balance, of course now my children are adults the size of my individual rocks change and that allows for me to constantly evaluate my priorities.

The world stopped being chaotic when I stopped making it chaotic!

So many times we say to ourselves the world is so busy or when is the world going to slow down or even when does the treadmill stop? For years, I felt like I lived in a chaotic world around me without realising I was the one causing the chaos. The world cannot be chaotic, it is made chaotic by the individuals within it! So as soon as you push the stop button on chaos and consciously realise it’s your chaos and you can choose to stop it everything becomes that little bit simpler! Now I approach situations with a sense of calm and logic (still at pace obviously) but never in a chaotic manner (or at least most of the time as I am still consciously learning as well)!

Purple Story was my brainchild for helping businesses make more money through their people! helping people break their chains to stand out and be remarkable - we call this purple! Make 2025 the year that you go purple!

Have a fabulous Christmas and see you on the other side!