The Hardest Thing I Have Ever Done

Thanks for all the messages after Almost…, last weekend’s blog. I think people could already sense that something deeper was going on. So I wanted to share where this really came from.

The truth is simple: these last few months have been really hard. Creating Navaia is, without exaggeration, one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

People see the adventures, the boats, the vision. But behind all of that is the reality of what it takes to walk away from a corporate life and try to build something from scratch — something you believe in, something you hope will matter.

Money first. It always starts there.

When I was working in corporate roles, I was careful enough to save and invest wisely. Without that, I genuinely couldn’t be doing what I’m doing now. And I made a decision early on: I don’t want investors. I’m my only investor.

As a family, we agreed on a set amount I can put into Navaia — money that has to last 2–3 years. Enough time to get the business off the ground and, hopefully, to break even. Because of that, I’m extremely careful with every pound. I don’t spend much on external costs except for what’s essential to prepare the boats for the adventures ahead.

And those costs… they’re big.
Both boats are in major refits right now.
Epiphany is getting a full lithium electrical system.
Bossy Boots is getting a new mast and boom.
Huge capital investments — but necessary ones.

And so to keep costs under control I do almost everything else myself.

I’m the CFO, the accountant, the bookkeeper, the marketing department — the one learning how to use social media, how to make videos, how to design posters, how to share what Navaia is and why it matters.

And then I’m also the mechanic, the painter, the one sanding, wiring, lifting, fixing. Every bit of free time goes into getting the boats perfect for next spring.

Thankfully I already have a few coaching clients and some bookings for 2026, so cashflow isn’t a disaster. But that keeps me busy too — sessions, planning, follow-ups. And on top of all that, I’m the go-to parent: school runs, drop-offs, volunteering, being there for the girls while Abi works full time as I build this dream.

And sometimes… I get tired. Properly exhausted.

And when things go wrong — and they do, constantly — it hits hard. Some problems are tiny, like figuring out which fire extinguishers meet the right standard. Others are massive, like deciding whether Bossy Boots really needed a new mast. (For me, the answer was yes. She may be over 50 years old, but she deserves to be perfect.)

In those moments, I doubt myself. I question every decision. I wonder if I’ve taken on too much.

But then I remember why I’m doing this.

And that’s why I wrote last weekend’s blog.

Because even in the hard days — especially in the hard days — I believe deeply in what Navaia stands for. Transformation through adventure. Helping people step out of the noise and find themselves again. Creating moments that change lives, because adventure changed mine.

And maybe… maybe that’s enough to keep going.

The hardest thing I’ve ever done — but also, somehow, the most meaningful.