Well after thinking 2025 was a rollercoaster of losing 2 close relatives and being made redundent, 2026 has said “hold my beer”! So while I continue to try get a money stream in, job hunting seems to be a case of constant rejection or near misses, and while there’s lots of good comment about my own consultancy nothing solid is on the horizon, while in the background the small amount of savings needed to top up what little benefits we get up is dwindling away I now have the news that at 51 I’m going to be a Dad again! Now one thing is for sure, despite all of this I can’t help but keep smiling and being that ‘fun guy’ while it appears the world is burning around me and my head is a scrambled mess trying to process all of this

Lost my uncle and a close friend in the last two weeks. Not gonna dress it up… it’s been heavy. And I know exactly what the old version of me would’ve done —straight back on the booze. No question. That would’ve been the answer.Numb it. Block it out. Pretend I’m alright. But this time… I haven’t touched it.And I’m not going to. Not because I’m strong or switched on or anything like that…just because I’ve been down that road enough times to know where it ends. And it’s not somewhere I’m willing to go back to. That, for me, is a win. Not a loud one. No big celebration.But it matters. Made me think though… What do you run to when things get hard? Booze?Food?Scrolling?Shutting yourself off? We all have something. But the real shift happens when you start catching it…and choosing something different. Even if no one else sees it. That’s the stuff that actually changes you.

Hi, I’m Nick, a Payments Consultant, just starting out on my own following redundancy. I’ve helped big and small business navigate the complex world of accepting payments be it in person or online in a career spanning 25 yrs. I don’t sell card terminals, but learn about your business and help navigate the fog that this part of doing business brings to give a recommendation. I’ve helped companies expand all around the world (where often card is not king) as well as working with companies here in the UK bringing a Swiss Army Knife of experience in this world to cut the noise! Many people over-complicate the process and with me I’ll aim to show you a simple way to solve the stress that taking payment can bring. Sometimes the best solution is the simplest one. Let’s have a chat and see if I can help you?