A letter to my past self. Ten lessons for ten years in business

My lessons learnt from years in business have taken on a different tone in 2025. This is the year The Balance Collective turns 10! Like the queen, my business has two birthdays. I have an anniversary marking the date of my first paying client. But the one that I stick to more is the 2^nd of November. On that date in 2015, The Balance Collective was my only job, my only source of income! That means this month marks 10 years in business. As my original plan was to “give it a year and see what happens”, I’m super proud that I’m able to write this, celebrating my “tin” anniversary.

Before I get into the bones of this week’s blog, I want to say a special thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey since then. I wouldn’t be here without you! For every client who has trusted me, every person who has read my blog, shared my content and championed my work. I am so grateful!

This year, I wanted to do something a little different with my lessons learned. I want to write not to you, dear reader, but to my past self. You may know that I love the rocking chair exercise, where the future you is talking about what you have done, seen and achieved. This time I want to do something different and have the experience of the past ten years talk to past me. I’m often afflicted with bouts of nostalgia, and this milestone hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Hopefully, this letter to my past self will give you some insight to my entrepreneurial journey, and maybe encourage you to do a similar exercise.

Dear Clara of 2015

It’s Clara from 2025 here. I’m sitting at our desk in our home office (yes, you read that right, we have a home office!) on the tenth anniversary of launching The Balance Collective. That risk we took, to give it a year, paid off. I’ve decided to share with you the ten things that I have learnt over the past decade. To reassure you, we made the right decision!

So, here we go …

1. You expected peaks and troughs in the business, and whilst you can see a pattern, there are more than you can imagine. So, try to save more money; every little bit counts; your buffer was never enough!
2. I know you are worried about getting lonely, without a team to work with. You will not only meet like-minded people but also make loyal, solid friends for life.
3. The benefit of you working from home and working flexibility will be priceless in ways you won’t even consider; remember that in the moments of doubt.
4. It will feel terrifying at times, but the risks you take will keep life interesting. You will wish you had done it sooner and will tell everyone who is considering entrepreneurship to do it as quickly as possible.
5. You will regret your rebellion against data. I know right now you never want to see another spreadsheet, database, outcome reporting form or target. But trust me, once you start collecting that again, it will bring more into your life than take away!
6. Don’t get caught up in the smoke and mirrors of the online world. It will impact your confidence, and you will come to discover how fake a lot of it is!
7. I know you don’t believe me right now, but ten years will fly by, A decade in you will still feel very grateful and lucky, and occasionally still like a “start-up”. Take that energy and use it!
8. You will get even more passionate about what you do. That will help you hold steady when things feel difficult.
9. I know you are worried about the tech and the money. Even though you’ve lost your IT Department, Staff Training Department, and Accountant, you will find the people who bring the skills and the knowledge you need. You will still be able to learn A LOT.
10. Finally, technology will evolve beyond your imagination, and it will scare you. But you will try to understand it, whilst sticking to your morals and ethics. That will make sense in 2025!

So, before I go, I’m going to take these lessons learnt, and apply them to my life right now; and maybe future Clara will thank me!

What would your letter to your past self include? You may even find it helps you feel better and more compassionate toward yourself! If you do share one, please tag me in it!