FEBRUARY REFLECTIONS: Light Returning, Creativity Rising

A Month of Light and Renewal

Has it been a month already? I can hardly believe how quickly the time has passed since I wrote my last blog and reflected on the relief and change that January brought me. The new year arrived with promise, and February has deepened that feeling even more — building upon the successes that laid the foundations for Beau’s Best Friends at the start of the year.

The Hopefulness of February

There’s always something hopeful about February. The sun begins to break through a little more, the light stretches its gifts across the day, and it feels like magic unfolding before our eyes. The signs of spring — snowdrops, daffodils, and that gentle shift in the air — have kept me hopeful that the business I’m building with Beau’s will also unfold before me, if I simply wait, trust, and plan my time carefully. And the best part is… that is exactly what has happened.

Growing a Community, One Connection at a Time

This month has been all about building relationships within my local community, with a focus on increasing engagement, followers, and customers through active promotion of my business pages on Facebook, Instagram, and Google. I still can’t quite believe it, but I now have an active community of 1,200 followers on Instagram — compared to just 700 at the start of the month. Thank you to everyone who has clicked, liked, shared, or supported in any way. You have all helped make this happen, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

A Heartfelt Thank You for Your Support

I’m also incredibly appreciative of the 5‑star reviews I’ve received on Google. I’ve been blown away by the wonderful comments about my services. Getting feedback from you — my customers — means the world to me. Spending time with your pets is a joy, but hearing how much my work means to you has helped me rediscover my purpose. It has reassured me that making this huge life change was the right decision.

Finding My Place in the Local Business Community

I’ve also been overwhelmed by the support I’ve received from the local business community in and around Rugeley and Lichfield. Working from home can sometimes feel isolating, and although I adore the pets I spend my days with, it’s important to have that human interaction and space to share ideas. Through networking with The Hive in Rugeley, Lichfield Women’s Networking, and My Midlands, I’ve found a wonderfully supportive community who have welcomed me with open arms. They’ve shared encouragement, positivity, and enthusiasm for my business, and many have gone out of their way to promote my services — something that has helped me gain even more exposure.

A Creative Collaboration Takes Shape

This support has also led to a very exciting partnership this month. Beau’s Best Friends has teamed up with another local entrepreneur — Leah Jay Photography — to offer pet photoshoots alongside your usual dog walk or drop‑in. These photographs are a beautiful keepsake of your pet, and they help Beau’s stand out from the competition by offering something creative, soulful, and special. It just shows how many opportunities there are for collaboration, and how small businesses can truly lift one another up.

Creativity Returning: My First Published Ebook

Creativity has been flowing through me more than ever this month. For the first time in a long time, the fire of imagination has been present in my daily life. Perhaps it’s because my mind finally feels rested — no longer tired, but sparked by the world around me. This burst of inspiration has led to me creating and publishing my first ebook: “Wanders With Your Dog – A Guide to Local Walks in Staffordshire.”

The book offers advice to dog owners about the importance of walking — not just for your dog’s wellbeing, but for your own mental health too. It also shares my favourite local walks in the Rugeley and Lichfield areas: the hidden gems, the magical places, the everyday routes I know so well. I still can’t quite believe I’m now a published author. If this sounds like something you’d love — especially as the weather begins to warm and the mud (hopefully!) starts to disappear — you can find the link to purchase it through my Linktree:  https://linktr.ee/beausbestfriends

The Energy of the Fire Horse

This sense of renewal has been echoed by the arrival of the Chinese astrological new year — the Year of the Fire Horse. It is believed that the Fire Horse helps us shed the final layers of an identity that no longer serves us. With the brightness of this month, the new energy I’ve felt, and a growing belief in myself, I can feel that shedding happening. From here on in, things — in the words of D:Ream — can only get better.

Stepping Into Purpose

My soul has finally found its new purpose, and for the first time in a long time, I feel fulfilled.

If you’d like to follow along as Beau’s Best Friends continues to grow — or if you’re looking for caring, reliable support for your dog — I’d love for you to explore what I offer. From everyday walks to our new pet photoshoot sessions and my freshly published ebook, everything is gathered in one place on my Linktree.

Thank you for being part of this journey and for helping Beau’s Best Friends become what it is today.
https://linktr.ee/beausbestfriends

Finding Myself Again: Dogs, Nature, and a Leap of Faith — January Reflections

January: A New Beginning

The Myth of the New Year Reset

Wow! What a beginning to the year January has been. People always believe that when the clock strikes midnight on 31st December, the chance for a fresh start, a new beginning, or the magical opportunity to become a better version of yourself truly begins. There’s a magic in the air, a hopefulness that the new year will sweep away the old stuff — the bad habits and the relationships that continually pull you down.

My New Year Started With Fear, Not Fireworks

For me, on that date, I was full of apprehension, nervousness, and anxiety. Only weeks before, I had officially launched Beau’s Best Friends as my new business, taking the plunge into self‑employment after having a very secure job in the public sector for 18 years. I swear that when I told people what I was going to do, they looked at me as if I was mad — crazy, even — with thoughts of “I’m sure she’s gone insane?” This was usually followed by more serious and sensible questions like, “What about your pension?”

Now, to me, that is at least another twenty years away, and being the very middle‑aged person that I am at nearly 44, I thought — rather depressingly — that I only have half of my life left to figure it all out, so I have to make the most of it. Being an Aries hot‑head, the only thing I can ever do is live in the moment, and if the moment isn’t making me happy, then I have to do something about it — immediately.

Why I Created Beau’s Best Friends

Regarding the creation of Beau's Best Friends, it’s a question I’m asked about a lot. I absolutely love animals of any kind, and I love being outside in nature. The times when I have sought peace in my life, or have felt worried or out of control, I’ve always managed to put my mind back into a moment of pure joy and calm by putting on my boots, grabbing a lead, and wandering off down the canal towpath with my best buddies — my dogs, Henry and Beau.

There were many moments, particularly when Covid hit us all hard and walking became my salvation, when I wondered how I could turn this feeling — this action — into a career choice. After nearly two decades in a structured, demanding environment, I realised that the pace and nature of the role no longer aligned with the life I wanted to lead. It wasn’t about the organisation or the people — it was simply that my priorities had shifted, and I needed a different rhythm, one that supported my wellbeing and allowed me to reconnect with the things that made me feel grounded.

It became clear that something had to change, and I wanted that change to be on my own terms. So I took the leap.

Finding My Spiritual Path in Nature

Alongside all of this, something else was quietly growing in me — a pull toward spirituality that I’d never fully explored before. I’ve started embracing neo‑paganism and walking the path of a baby druid — still learning, still curious, still finding my way. It’s not about rituals or labels for me; it’s about recognising the sacred in the everyday. The whisper of wind through the reeds. The way the canal reflects the sky. The grounding comfort of mud under my boots. The sense that nature holds answers if you’re quiet enough to listen.

This spiritual shift has woven itself into my work without me even trying. Every walk feels like a small act of devotion. Every animal I care for reminds me of the interconnectedness of everything. And every moment outdoors strengthens that feeling of belonging — to the land, to myself, to something bigger.

Training, Leaping, and Launching Into the Unknown

I got myself canine‑trained, completed my Dog First Aid certification in November, and launched myself into the unknown full of expectation, excitement, and apprehension. Anyone would think I was an astronaut heading into space — not a dog walker!

January’s Gifts: People, Pets, and Possibility

So, January — why is it then that I’m thanking you for a new beginning? I’m thanking you for making me realise that my dream is more than a possibility, that there is real potential out there. I’ve managed to meet and greet some wonderful people from all different backgrounds, and all of them so far have become one of “Beau’s Besties” by joining my pack.

I’ve met a variety of dogs and cats with their own individual quirks, each of which has made me smile every time I’ve met them and every time I’ve walked them. They’ve helped me realise my self‑worth again — that I can change career at 43 and the world will not explode.

What’s more, the creative side of me is thriving. It’s as if the stress has been removed and my imagination station is in overdrive. I genuinely haven’t been this creative since my time at Bretton Hall twenty years ago.

A Message for Anyone Thinking of Changing Their Life

You may be asking — why is she writing this? Because if anything, on a positive note, there is a life out there, and you can make it what you want it to be. Go and buck that trend. Make those changes, however big or small they may be. Most of all — make yourself happy.

I’m not going to lie, financially things are a lot tougher than they were, but I’m also not as frivolous. I don’t need to cheer myself up by buying myself gifts; my gifts are now the wagging tails and the wet noses, the wind in my hair and the smell of wet grass.

So if you’ve booked your pet in with me over this past month, then I want to say a big thank you — this feeling of satisfaction and inner peace that I have is because of you. And to anyone who has clicked on a post, liked, or commented — another massive shout‑out for engaging with my content and helping me get the name Beau’s Best Friends out there. I couldn’t be in this position without you.

If you happen to still be reading this and are wondering if you can change your life too, I can assure you that you can. All it takes is little steps, just like a walk, and you will finally get to where you’re meant to be.