Shifting My Business to Embrace Remote Work and a Slower, More Balanced Life between the UK & France
Shifting My Business to Embrace Remote Work and a Slower, More Balanced Life in France
After 25years of juggling work, business commitments, and life in general, I’m finally making the small pivot I’ve been dreaming of: moving my business to a more remote-based model that allows me the time and freedom to focus on the things that matter most—like renovating my 200/300-year-old stone house in France, living more sustainably, and finding a healthier work-life balance while still keeping busy in a sector I am passionate about.
For years, my passion for construction, consulting businesses, streamlining company procedures, training teams, and managing projects kept me on the road, working late nights, and always putting my work first. As much as I loved the challenges and variety, my personal life and other passions took a back seat. The renovation of our historic home, which I’ve had for ten years now, was put on hold as work demands piled up. But the dream of a slower, more intentional life has always been there, just out of reach.
Now, I’m taking concrete steps to make that dream a reality—shifting my business to allow for more remote work and more time at home/office.
A Slow Renovation Journey
First things first: our French house. A 200/300-year-old stone structure in rural France that I’ve been slowly (very slowly) restoring, this place has become my escape, my sanctuary, and the anchor for my future vision. When we first bought it a decade ago, I had grand plans—full-on renovations, a cosy retreat, a little piece of history brought back to life. But life had other plans. My career demands kept me busy with deadlines, client meetings, and the daily grind of managing projects.
Over the years, my focus has always had to shift back to work, leaving the house as a “someday” project. I made progress, sure, but it was slow, often stalled by financial concerns or the sheer logistics of balancing a busy career with the needs of an ageing stone house.
Now, I want to change that. With more remote work in the mix, I’m aiming to spend more time here—working on the house, yes, but also cultivating the kind of life I’ve always envisioned: one where I work from home, spend time in nature, and create a daily rhythm that isn’t dictated by constant deadlines and client meetings but is still as important to me as this is not about being less busy its about changing the way I work.
The previous owner tried to make good the walls but has used the wrong mix - this needs to be a lime mix so need to dig this out and I need to re point the whole building anyway (A job for summer)
Remote Work: The Key to Balance
To make this work, I’m pivoting my business towards a more remote-friendly service model. I’ve always loved consulting, but the traditional setup of in-person meetings, travel, and on-site management of projects no longer fits with my vision for the future. Instead, I’m now focusing on what I do best, but in a more flexible, remote-friendly way.
My consulting work will still revolve around the core things I’ve always enjoyed— construction, streamlining company procedures, training teams, providing courses, and managing contracts and projects. But I’ll be focusing on delivering these services via online platforms, virtual meetings, and digital tools.
By utilising modern technology, I’m able to deliver the same high-quality services to my clients without needing to be physically present in the office or on-site all the time. This means more time working from my desk in France (or even from the garden, if I’m feeling inspired) or in the UK, and less time spent driving and stuck in traffic.
The goal isn’t just to make more time for the renovation or the lifestyle I crave—it’s about embracing a business model that truly reflects my values. Remote work means I can create my own schedule, manage projects on my terms with even more focus, and still have the flexibility to work with the clients and teams I love, while making room for the more important things in life, like growing vegetables, cooking from scratch, enjoying home ground coffee, and taking long drives and wlaks through the French countryside.
A Lifestyle Shift: From Overwork to Purposeful Living
This shift isn’t just about business—it’s about lifestyle. Over the years, I’ve learned that work can easily consume you if you let it. The idea of “just one more project” or “just one more contract” becomes a never-ending loop, where other priorities (like my Family, my health, and our French house) get pushed to the side.
But now, I’m committed to breaking that cycle in 2025. The goal is to live more off the land, with a focus on sustainability, simplicity, and intentionality. I want to cook meals from scratch using local, seasonal ingredients. I want to brew my own coffee from beans grown around the world (sourced locally). I want to savour life’s slower moments—longer walks, afternoon naps, evenings with friends around the table, and the satisfaction of seeing my house slowly transform into the space I’ve always dreamed of.
But I’m also committed to maintaining my work in a way that fuels my purpose and aligns with this vision. Consulting businesses is something I truly love, and helping organisations streamline their operations and empower their teams is deeply fulfilling. I’ve just realised that I can do this in a way that fits better with the life I want to live and offer my clients more work time as I will be travelling less which keeps my finger on the pulse for more hours of the day leading to better production and service for them - sometimes we even us consultants have to streamline our own procedures. I can work remotely, create courses, and offer my expertise in ways that allow me to travel less, and spend more time balancing the things I need to do in my life.
The Challenges Ahead
Of course, transitioning to this remote business model and a slower-paced life won’t be without challenges. There will always be financial hurdles to navigate, and I know it will take time to fully shift my business. But I’m willing to embrace the uncertainty because I believe this shift will ultimately lead to greater fulfilment, not just for me, but for my clients and my family as well. By embracing a more flexible way of working, I’ll be able to offer even better service because I’ll have more time to work hours that suit my clients and also offer longer hours. This is not about working less as I will still attend sites and developments when the client or contract requires it, my business will just be more consultant based while still providing the core values of the business with less onsite time.
I also know that the house renovation will continue to be a slow process—it’s been ten years already, so what’s another few years? But with more time being able to be spent at our French house, I can make consistent progress, enjoy the process, and feel connected to the space in a way that was never possible when I was constantly on the move. This shift within my business wont see any changes on the surface for my clients as my administration service already has been done in all a manor of places from a motorhome to a beach in Mexico and from a layby in Maidstone to a service station at Dartford. My job requires me to be able to adapt take meetings from strange places and and keep projects moving, but I can do this with less site time thanks to procedures and tracking procedures we put in place and with this information feeding back to me I will be able to act faster completed administration tasks quicker and will also be able to actively save my clients money in their service.
Looking Ahead
As I start in 2025 to work on the best way and process to pivot my business and embrace a new way of life, I’m excited about the possibilities. It’s not about abandoning the work I love, but about creating a life that truly aligns with my passions and priorities. More time at home means more time for the things that truly matter: family, creativity, and the joy of building something beautiful, both in my business and in my home.
In the end, it’s all about balance, I could never not be busy, my mind requires me to be pushing forward, deadlines and streamlining processes. I’m learning to prioritise the things that bring me joy, peace, and fulfilment while still working in a sector I’m completely passionate about. It might not even be that bigger change, but a small one that feels right. Here’s to a slower, more balanced life in 2025 —with a little more French countryside, a lot more home brewed coffee, and the satisfaction of seeing our house finally come to life.
