Let Your Past Be Your Compass
When business feels heavy, look behind you, not ahead. Running a business in this trade can feel like a storm. One day, you're fixing a belt sander. The next day, you're trying to chase payments, quote a job, book your next load of lacquer, and make sure the van's still legal.
You're not just a floor sander. You're the bookkeeper. The repair guy. The marketer. The dad. The one everyone calls when something goes wrong.
I get it because I live it too.
And lately, I'd felt like the tank was getting empty.
Not in a dramatic way. Just that quiet sense of wear and tear. Like when the machine still works, but something's starting to grind that little bit louder than it should.
Then came Dad's 80th birthday.
A Trip North, and Back in Time
Instead of buying him something wrapped, we gave him something remembered: a family trip to Scotland.
He didn't know the details. Just that we were taking him somewhere special.
What we didn't realise, not entirely, was that we were all going to be reminded of something bigger.
You see, our ancestor Jacob de Wet was a painter in the 1600s. He came to Scotland to paint more than 100 portraits for King Charles II, which still hang today in the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.
We stood beneath them, in that long gallery, listening to the guide explain how King Charles wanted his story told through those paintings. Each face on that wall was a reminder of lineage, of legacy, of belonging.
And as I stood there with my own dad, I realised:
This wasn't just history.
It was homecoming.
What We Build, We Become
Something about that room clicked something back into place.
When you've been on the tools — or running teams who are — for years, it's easy to lose sight of the why. The vision gets clouded by VAT, by weariness, by trying to do right by everyone.
But there, standing in the Palace, I saw it clearer than I had in months.
In the same way Jacob de Wet painted stories onto walls, we, in this trade, craft stories into floors.
Every job you do becomes part of someone's life. Their child's first steps... The hallway they'll carry their bags through for decades...The living room where Christmas happens...
It's not just about finishing oak or fixing machines.
It's about helping people, literally and figuratively.
And that matters.
The Hidden Weight We Carry.
There's a reason this hit me hard. Earlier this year, I sent out an email that was different from the usual polished marketing piece. It was just me, early in the morning, sitting in a quiet office, telling the truth.
About how hard it can be.
About the pressure to wear all the hats.
About how lonely it can feel, even when you're surrounded by people.
And the responses I got… well, they reminded me I'm not the only one who feels it.
If you're reading this and thinking, "That's me right now," - know this:
You're not alone either.
If You're Feeling Spent, Go Back
For me, this trip to Scotland, the paintings, the castle, the quiet, did something I didn't expect.
It reminded me of what I'm made of.
And maybe that's what I want to pass on here.
We all reach moments when the pressure builds. Where your hands still work, but your heart's not quite in it. Where you wonder if it's time to pivot, pack up, or push through.
My honest advice?
Look back before you look forward.
Not just at your numbers or mistakes, but at you...Where you came from? What you've already survived. What your dad showed you, or maybe didn't, but still shaped you.
There's fuel there.
A fountain you can drink from when the well runs dry.
Pride in the Present
Since that trip, I've felt more grounded and more proud. Not just of where I come from, but who I work with.
I see what Cameron's built here at Ultimate Floorcare. He runs this place like it's his own. The way Simon jumps on breakdowns to help tradesmen stuck on site. The way Michael ships out urgent kit like it's life-or-death, because sometimes it is.
I see the dedication Tracey brings to supporting Cameron with marketing, videos, and content, and how dedicated she has become to her Content Creators Apprenticeship, which she is soon due to complete.
And the feedback from our clients keeps coming in:
"Amazing company. I was stuck on a job, and they went out of their way to help me. Needed a specific tool, contacted them mid-afternoon and somehow they got it to me before 10am the next day."
"Great course. Cameron explains and demonstrates so well, encouraging all to get involved. Highly recommend, I've learnt a great deal and look forward to putting it to good use!"
All this is what keeps me going.
Not the awards. Not the numbers.
But the people. The legacy. The daily quiet acts of care.
Your Compass Might Be Closer Than You Think
So here's where I land this story.
We all get tired. But tired doesn't mean done.
Sometimes, you just need to go back. Remember what started you. Who backed you? What values shaped the way you work?
It might be a person. It might be a photo. It might be a memory of your first solo job and how proud you felt as you walked away from it.
Whatever it is, let it guide you.
Let your past be your compass.
You don't need a blog to tell you what to do next. You probably already know.
But maybe you just needed someone to say:
Stop.
Breathe.
Look back for a minute.
Then carry on with purpose.
If this story hits home, feel free to drop me a line. Or pass it on to someone who might need it. No sales pitch. Just a hand on the shoulder to say I know it can be hard, I feel it too sometimes. - If you feel spent, go back to where your fire was first lit
You're not on your own. Not really. Together, we're stronger than we think.
Pierre de Wet
If any of this spoke to you, feel free to hit reply. No pitch. Just a steady hand if you need one.
And if someone you know is carrying the weight... maybe send this their way.