I first had a chance meeting with Farhana when I delivered a talk in London over the summer.
A former marketing professional in the music industry, she'd left her last role due to its negative impact on her mental health and finding the work no longer fulfilled her. She had found herself in a transitional period.
During the programme, she wanted to explore freelancing, potentially seek out temporary employment and pursue coaching training while keeping other career opportunities open.
When she joined the Take Messy Action programme, life felt like it was in limbo.
She had recently stepped away from her marketing role in the music industry - a job that no longer set a fire in her and was slowly draining her energy, taking a toll on her mental health. She knew it was the right decision, but now that she was out of it, she felt… stuck.
Without a job to anchor her days, her routine had disappeared. Mornings started slowly, and the rest of the day would often slip by in a blur of overthinking and Netflix binges.
“I felt frustrated, guilty even,” Farhana shared. “I’ve always worked since I was 16, so not earning or contributing financially just felt wrong. But at the same time, I didn’t know what I wanted to do next. I felt like I had no control.”
Dreaming of Starting a UK Business
Farhana wasn’t without dreams. She pictured a life where she had balance - a career that lit her up and still left room for boxing sessions, yoga, and spontaneous weekends away with her husband.
She wanted to explore starting her own UK marketing business, freelancing or maybe even taking a leap into coaching. But the ideas swirling in her head felt overwhelming, and the thought of taking action was paralysing.
It was great timing, as Take Messy Action was just about to begin - this is my programme designed to help women like Farhana, to stop waiting for the “perfect moment” and start taking small, imperfect steps toward their dreams of being self-employed.
The Shift Begins
Through the program, Farhana started to untangle her overwhelm and take control of her narrative. She realised that she didn’t need to have all the answers to move forward—she just needed to start.
One of her first breakthroughs?
Giving herself permission to stop job hunting.
“I’d been telling myself I needed to find a job, any job, to feel like I was doing something,” Farhana said. “But what I really wanted was to build something meaningful for myself. Deciding to focus on my own business instead felt freeing—it was like I finally gave myself permission to breathe.”
Farhana started experimenting with small actions, like creating content to showcase her expertise and testing ideas for marketing workshops. She embraced the idea that her “set-up phase” didn’t need to be perfect - it just needed to move her forward.
Finding Her Voice
As Farhana took these steps, she began reconnecting with herself and her values.
She rediscovered her passion for marketing - not just the corporate version she’d walked away from, but marketing that felt meaningful and impactful. She also started asserting her boundaries, something she’d struggled with in the past.
“I had this moment where someone wanted to jump into a collaboration with me,” she recalled. “In the past, I would’ve said yes right away to keep the peace, even if it didn’t feel right. But this time, I said, ‘Let's date first, before marriage! I want to do this my way first.’ That was huge for me.”
She also stopped second-guessing herself at every turn. “I’ve always asked other people what they think, but now I’m trusting my own instincts. This is my voice, and it feels so good to own it.”
Small Steps, Big Progress
Farhana’s relationship with “messy action” transformed during the programme. She realised that waiting for everything to be perfect was just a form of procrastination.
“Now, I think about it like this: Imagine if I spent all this time trying to perfect everything, and then it didn’t work anyway? I’d be back at square one. It’s better to take the step and learn as I go.”
She also found tools that worked for her, like the Magic 20 minutes, voice-noting her thoughts, and batch-planning tasks. These small, simple strategies became her anchors, helping her stay focused and consistent.
A New Vision
By the end of Take Messy Action, Farhana’s mindset had shifted completely.
She was no longer feeling stuck or guilty. Instead, she felt clear, confident, and energised about her next steps. She was creating content, building her personal brand, and laying the foundations for her business - all while reconnecting with the joy that had been missing from her daily life.
Her vision for the next 6 months? Paying clients, a thriving brand, and a routine that supports her energy and wellbeing.
Farhana’s advice to anyone considering this journey?
“Just start. Even if it feels messy or uncertain, the small steps add up. And you don’t have to do it alone—the encouragement and tools from this programme made all the difference.”
Check out her new venture on Instagram: @thesparkroomhq
Does Farhana’s Story Feel Familiar?
If you’ve been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure of where to start, know this: you don’t have to have it all figured out to take action.
Farhana’s story shows what’s possible when you stop waiting for the perfect moment and start trusting yourself. If she can do it, so can you.
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