November 2018 I decided to hand in my notice, which was a massive step for me. Work had been a huge part of my life for the previous 13 years. Dare I say, the biggest part? My job became my identity and I fed from the long hours, increasing pressure, and promotions like an addict.

In the months after my son was born in 2018 I’d find myself daydreaming about work - leaving the house at 6:20am in my pencil dress and stilettos, walking up the stairs to my desk, coffee in hand, careful not to smudge my lipstick. My days were a mix of meetings, strategy planning, and focussing on building the most successful team. I loved talking about the fact we’d surpassed our annual target six months early and completing 10 year forecasts. But here I was at 10:30am, bleary-eyed from two hours sleep, baggy tracksuit and a newborn in my arms feeling completely lost. It felt like I'd been transported into someone else's body, and I had no idea which way was up.

To those outside my close circle I’m seen as a confident, tenacious and headstrong woman who takes everything in her stride. Little do they know that I’m an introvert with a massive fear of failure, and I constantly worry about how I’m perceived by others. Life outside work had taken a back seat for years while I chased the dream of ‘more, more, more’ – dream home aged 25, five holidays per year, beautiful car etc.

I knew the answer, and to be honest, I had for years. But it was too difficult to admit to myself as it seemed like failure. The pressure to go to university, to get a ‘good’ job and to be successful was overwhelming. Coming from a single parent family I was all too aware of the fact that I had to do all of these things to protect myself.

But in doing all of this; getting the job, the promotions, the house and the cars, had I lost my true identity? I was living someone else’s life, chasing the corporate dream and being swept up by the belief that I was doing exactly what I should be. I care more about making people happy than making people money. I care more about the wellbeing of the person sitting next to me than their KPIs.

Don’t get me wrong, I was happy, but I wasn’t being true to myself. I’d become a slave to the cycle so many of us find ourselves in.

Parenthood had brought all of this into sharp focus. Andrew was at the same juncture and asking the same questions. So we took a leap of faith, and that's when Vero was born.

We had a clear vision for what we wanted Vero to be. Not just another recruitment business - there are plenty of them around. We'd both witnessed an incredible shift in our own happiness both personally and professionally by making the right career moves. And we'd also experienced the opposite.

For me, the best part of my job day to day is having meaningful, and at times cathartic, conversations with the people we support and giving them confidence in their path ahead. Many of the accountants we support aren't 'actively' exploring job opportunities, but will benefit from impartial advice and guidance, as well as our expert knowledge and deep understanding of the local job market.

While Andrew ultimately takes the lead on the delivery of our recruitment projects, I look after the day to day running of our business. We each play to our strengths, and fortunately, we compliment each other well (I guess that comes from working with each other for over 16 years)!

I clearly remember the day Andrew turned to me and said "I think we should move to Dubai". It was 2008, the financial crash had just hit and everything was turned upside down. He had spent the first 5 years of his life living out here and always wanted to come back. You'll notice I say "here" because that's exactly where we are right now...it just took us 14 years to take the leap (we relocated in September 2022).

Andrew and I had clear personal goals when we created Vero and a huge part of this was travel. We love "home", we really do, but we both crave a bit of adventure and wanted to experience different cultures and travel more. That's where WFH came in, and when we launched in December 2019, I admit the concept felt like we were trying to push water uphill....well, for the first three months and then COVID hit us...

Suddenly, most of us were working from home and proving that it can be done. Everything was suddenly very clear - we really do have a chance to do this, to live our lives on our own terms, and curate the life we dream of.

Was it scary? Yes, I wont ever deny that. But now, one full year in, I can honestly say that the right choices really do make life better.