A Little Space to Think
Looking Back at Our June Small Business Reset
There’s something lovely about looking back at an evening and realising that it was about much more than the event itself.
Back in June, we brought a small group of business owners and practitioners together at The Space for an evening of conversation, ideas and reflection. We were delighted to welcome Alex from Align With Alex, who joined us to share her experience and perspective on building a business that feels aligned with the life you want to lead.
It was an opportunity to step away from the everyday running of our businesses and spend a little time thinking about the bigger picture.
Making space for a different perspective
When you run your own business, it can be very easy to become immersed in the day-to-day.
There are always emails to answer, decisions to make, clients to look after and another job waiting on the to-do list.
Sometimes, it takes stepping outside of that routine to actually think about how we're working, as well as what we're working towards.
Alex's talk gave us plenty to consider.
We talked about the realities of building a business, the choices we make along the way and the importance of creating something that works alongside our lives — rather than allowing work to take over everything else.
There wasn't one big takeaway or a formula for doing things 'the right way'.
Instead, it was about opening up the conversation.
Listening to different experiences.
Questioning some of the assumptions we can make about what a successful business is supposed to look like.
And perhaps most importantly, giving ourselves permission to pause long enough to think about it.
The conversations in between
As is so often the case with gatherings at The Space, some of the most valuable moments happened around the edges of the formal part of the evening.
Over drinks and food, conversations naturally continued.
People shared their own experiences, asked questions, offered different perspectives and found common ground in the challenges — and joys — of running something of their own.
There is something particularly valuable about being in a room with other independent business owners.
You don't necessarily need to be in the same industry to understand the experience.
The uncertainty.
The responsibility.
The freedom.
The constant decision-making.
And the fact that, when you're self-employed, there isn't always someone sitting next to you to ask, "What do you think?"
Creating opportunities for those conversations is something we really value at The Space.
Not formal networking for the sake of it, but genuine connection.
And then, we changed pace
We could have finished the evening there.
Instead, we moved through into the studio and finished with a restorative yoga session with Izzy.
It felt like a natural ending.
After an evening of talking, listening and thinking, we shifted our attention from the mind to the body.
The lights softened. We settled onto our mats and allowed ourselves to slow down.
There was nothing left to achieve.
Nothing to discuss.
Nothing to tick off the list.
Just time to breathe, rest and be still.
And somehow, that final part of the evening brought everything together.
Yoga as part of The Space
Yoga with Izzy is part of the wider wellbeing offering at The Space, with regular classes designed to help you move, breathe and create a little more space in your week.
Whether you're completely new to yoga or have an established practice, there are different ways to join — from group classes at The Space to one-to-one sessions tailored around you.
If this evening has made you feel like you could use a little more space to breathe, move and reset, you can find out more about Yoga with Izzy and explore the current classes and sessions available.
You can also view the regular yoga timetable at The Space to see what's coming up.
Work, then restore
This is something we've been thinking about a lot at The Space.
What if wellbeing isn't something we have to fit around our work?
What if the way we work can actually make space for it?
Our vision for The Space has always been about creating an alternative to the traditional working environment — somewhere people can focus, meet, collaborate and work independently, while still having access to the countryside, movement and wellbeing around them.
That doesn't necessarily mean taking a yoga class every time you work.
Sometimes it's simply stepping outside for a walk.
Having a proper conversation over coffee.
Taking five minutes away from the screen.
Or creating enough breathing room in your day to think clearly.
For us, rest is not the opposite of work.
It's part of creating a sustainable way to work.
Looking back
So, a little while on from that June evening, we're still thinking about some of the conversations that started there.
About the businesses we're building.
The lives we want them to support.
And the importance of creating enough space to step back, reflect and occasionally change direction.
Perhaps that's what stayed with us most from the evening: the idea that building a business isn't just about deciding where you want it to go, but also asking how you want to feel while you're getting there.
We're grateful to everyone who came along, shared their experience and helped make the evening what it was.
And we're particularly grateful that we got to finish it exactly as we like to:
with a little less doing, and a little more space.
With thanks to Alex
We were delighted to be joined by Alex from Align With Alex for the evening. Alex works with small business owners to help them build businesses with greater clarity, structure and alignment — creating growth that feels sustainable and works alongside the life they want to live.
You can find out more about Alex and her work at:
With love,
Lisa & Izzy
