Currently...

Today I run Bike2Basics. I organise relaxed bike rides to festivals and cities in the UK. We strap music speakers to the back of our bikes, get the wind in our hair and follow the quietest routes we can find through the countryside. 

I now work to my own schedule, I run my own website, choose who I want to work with (recruiting and training tour guides is one of my favourite parts of the job) and I feel cheeky even calling 'researching routes' work.

Before I escaped...

Before I realised what I wanted to do with my life (or this section of it), I was a PA.

Organising somebody else's work diary, creating spreadsheets that I frankly couldn't care less about, watching the business world move around me whilst I was staying in the same place. 

My moment of truth...

I suppose it happened slowly, and then very fast. As I cycled more, went further, and encouraged more people to join me, an idea was certainly dawning.

Yet it was only when I arrived back in England at the end of a particularly stupendous bike-orientated summer, and friends of friends were already asking for tips as to where to go next year, that I realised I was sitting on something special.

It was then I sat down and decided to adopt a business perspective.

Planning for it...

I quit my job as a PA, but needed alternative work from somewhere, so started tutoring, which is fantastic hours and pay. Start up costs have remained pretty low, so I have managed to either provide the money myself, or gradually use the revenue from the tours themselves.

The worst and best bits...

The best is obvious: working for yourself, doing exactly what you want, with exactly who you want.

The worst is probably the brief feeling of drowning; at times I just don't know if I am heading blindly in the wrong direction or not.

But, I have learnt that this feeling is always transient and a good reason to stop and review your actions and your business. 

Whilst it sometimes can all be a little scary, that's what makes it exciting. 

Best advice...

I have been the beneficiary of many useful nuggets, but these have been the ones that helped me the most:

• To learn what you can yourself. No matter how steep the learning curve, and how difficult it may seem, it is always worth it. After a gruelling few months I am now making headway on things that once seemed incomprehensible - html, Photoshop, the different ways you need to present yourself to different organisations... the list goes on (and will continue to grow).
• Be persistent. Everyone is busy; if you don't make yourself noticed and keep reminding people that you're there, you'll quickly fall off their radar. 
• Only work with people you like. Things may get tense, and you want to ride those moments out with people you get on with. I am now fortunate enough to work with my brothers. We are able to completely speak our minds and point out each others mistakes without bad feelings ever getting in the way. 

Useful resources and information...

• http://www.wix.com/">WIX.com saved my bacon when I needed to get a website up fast. I did the whole thing for around £100, and I think its pretty good (if I dont say so myself). Massive money saver. 
• A book called http://37signals.com/rework">Rework by the founder of 37signals made the notion of starting up a company realistic and undaunting.
• Escape the City has been a constant source of inspiration and I have had great conversations with some of its members.