I have had a busy few days at Carfest South, before leaving Jade to manage things over the weekend. Then yesterday I drove across to the Edenbridge & Oxted Show where I’m on the stand for Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday.

The weather is glorious, so I expect trade to be brisk, which is always lovely! It’s a lot of work doing events, both physically and mentally. The days are long, and it’s hard not to ride an emotional rollercoaster depending upon the daily sales.

I remember last year when Valentte was teetering on the edge of going bust, the hardest thing in the world was to be on the stall, put a big smile on my face and sell, sell, sell.

The only way for us to get back on track was for me to deliver the high sales the business needed. It wasn’t easy. I couldn’t afford to have an “off day”, to be sick or tired or not give 100%. We were under so much pressure.

I had suppliers and show organisers chasing us for payments and my team back in Cheshire whose jobs relied on me making the sales. We came through those dark times, and I feel immense pride in the transformation the team, and I achieved.

Our lives are frequently marked by these intense periods of hardship. Maybe they are self-induced like mine, or perhaps they are created by events out of your control. Either way, you have a responsibility to yourself and those who rely on you to overcome the challenges you face.

It won’t easy. But then nothing worth doing ever is.

Create a plan, believe in your plan and execute it. Day after day, week after week and month after month, you must trust the processes you have created to get you out of the problem. Meet the challenges head-on. Face up to them. Stand tall and strong.

You can overcome whatever obstacles life throws at you, but only if you stay in the game, only if you keep fighting, only if you keep working and most importantly, believing that it is possible.

Together, we climb the mountain, not in giant leaps but one small step at a time.