The version of success I was sold
For years I did everything right. I collected certifications, climbed the ladder, worked for consultancies and big organisations, delivered complex programmes for household names. I was good at it. On paper, I was successful.
But the reality looked different. Long commutes. Missing bedtimes. Spending my best hours solving problems for someone else's business while my own life ran on autopilot. I was trading time I couldn't get back for a salary that felt like it should buy more freedom than it did.
The worst part? I knew I could do this on my own. I had the expertise. I had the relationships. I had the track record. What I didn't have was a clear path from where I was to where I wanted to be.
What actually changed
Going independent wasn't a dramatic overnight decision. It was a series of small, deliberate moves. I started by understanding what I was really worth in the market. I learned how to position my expertise so that clients came to me rather than the other way around. I built systems and processes that meant I could deliver enterprise-grade work without needing an enterprise behind me.
I founded Yobah, a consultancy that now works with organisations like the Co-op, MoneySupermarket, and global financial services firms. We deliver cloud strategy, cyber security, and IT architecture at the highest level. And I built it from a standing start, without venture capital, without a big firm's brand to hide behind, without permission from anyone.
Along the way I discovered something that changed everything: technology is the great equaliser. The right tools, systems, and AI-driven workflows meant I could operate with the output and polish of a much larger firm. A single consultant with the right setup can now genuinely compete with teams of ten. That's not a theory. It's my Tuesday.
What I learned the hard way
Nobody teaches you this stuff. Not the financial planning for your first quiet month. Not the loneliness of working alone after years in busy offices. Not how to price yourself without underselling or pricing yourself out. Not the IR35 headaches. Not how to handle a client who wants everything for nothing.
I made every mistake you can make. I undercharged. I overdelivered to the point of burnout. I said yes to work I should have walked away from. I spent months building things nobody asked for instead of picking up the phone.
But each mistake taught me something, and over time I built a practice that actually works. One that generates serious income, serves clients I'm proud to work with, and still leaves me present for my family. That combination isn't lucky. It's designed.