I’ve struggled to write an update recently for a couple of reasons. One is that there’s simply not been enough time and energy once I’ve finished everything else. The other is I wasn’t sure exactly what to say.

As you’ll know I’m doing the Daily Sib interviews with disability influencers and my daily (ish) Disabled Founders Journal podcast. So I am still saying a lot. However I feel there’s a place for these occasional written pieces.

Partly because it offers a different style of information about my inclusion work. Partly because some things get missed in those other formats. Partly because I find it personally helpful to articulate how I’m getting on with everything through writing.

Health and wellness

I hit a bit of an energy bump the past fortnight. I’d really pushed myself hard since we launched Purple Goat, and I definitely needed a day or two to recuperate and take stock of everything.

I’ll update on the business later, but this pause for reflection helped with my health and wellness immensely.

Separate to business, some anxieties arose around my care support and financial security (in particular the government funding of my care support). So I decided to speak with close family and friends about these worries. In simply sharing my thoughts and them being heard, the negativity I’d felt immediately lifted.

I’ve also got back in to my Mindvalley meditations, which I had neglected, and which help a lot with keeping a more positive mental state. More so I’ve kept up with consuming my daily dose of inspiring blogs, books, podcasts and vlogs. These are really powerful in keeping a glass half full perspective.

I’d also started to eat less healthily and have more comfort foods. Which makes sense with all those changes going on. Hello Covid19, rescheduled wedding and brand new business. So I’ve subsequently invested in some cool health food and supplements. I’m already feeling huge benefits from getting the right nutrients in my system. Not to forget sleep and exercise in the mix.

Body. Mind. Soul. Tick.

Independent living

With Covid19 it’s been very stressful managing my care needs, with having people come in my house posing a risk of transmitting the virus. Let alone the fear of the Care Act being suspended and the economic issues potentially effecting future social care funding. But as explained above I’m doing the things I can to stay positive and healthy.

I’ve had various equipment issues recently too. My wheelchair kept cutting out, and took a few attempts to find/fix the fault. Then Sunny accidentally broke the tray/armrests when coming near me for cuddles. Then my car lift broke down just as I wanted to start going out a bit further for dog walks. In the end it was uplifted to Lewis Reed in Liverpool and returned in working order.

Thanks Motability for arranging that!

In definitively good news, the house and garden is looking fantastic. We’ve fixed broken bits, freshened things up, painted the decking, I treated Kasia to a hanging garden chair, and we’re halfway through having a professional re-do the, previously wild, front garden!

Leisure and fun

There’s not been a whole lot of leisure for all of us for obvious reasons. Apart from the daily dog walk and a couple of garden visits to see family, my calendar looks very to different to last year.

Usually I’d be in London for meetings, around the country speaking to big audiences, and around the world blogging about my adventures.

Instead I’ve got myself back playing FIFA with the help of Special effects. They are the charity to support disabled people in to gaming. They helped me get my old but easier to use playstation 3 controller to work on my new laptop. Using various adaptions and softwares, guided by their experts.

I’ve also enjoyed playing battleships with Kasia and poker with some of my new work colleagues. Not to forget those lockdown Zoom quizzes and bingo nights!

Purple Goat

Unless you’ve been under a rock or on a complete digital detox for 3 months, you’ll know I co founded the Purple Goat Agency with my business partners from the Goat Agency.

Purple Goat connects brands with the $8 trillion global disability market with talented and dedicated disabled influencers.

As a quick reflection of the first 3 months I would say; hugely exciting, lots to do, lots to learn, lots of progress already made, impatient to achieve our potential, speaking to awesome and interesting people every day, we’ve integrated well in to a global marketing agency, really like my new colleagues, proud of the Disability Horizons team still growing with me being less involved, and enjoying helping disabled influencers get opportunities they’ve always deserved.

To keep up with the world of influencer marketing and my progress as a disabled founder of a new company, please do follow my daily posts on my social channels.

I’ll try to write again soon. Don’t forget to hit reply or comment with how you are getting on too!