Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

I’ll admit it: my website has been somewhat neglected for the past ten months.  

I set aside half a day recently to take a proper look at it, work out what needed updating and, thankfully, discovered that it was still standing. It was a useful reminder that maintaining a digital presence is one of those things that is easy to put to the bottom of the list when there are plenty of more immediate things competing for attention.

And I certainly haven’t been doing nothing.

The past year has been a busy one, both professionally and personally. One particular highlight has been being a mentor on The Women’s Foundation’s Mentoring Programme for Business Leaders. In addition to working with my mentees, I was fortunate to be part of a lovely, close-knit subgroup as well as the wider cohort.

It has been rewarding for all sorts of reasons: learning from my mentees, learning from the other participants, sharing experiences and perspectives, and having the opportunity to contribute to the community as a mentor. There is something very special about being part of someone else’s journey and watching confidence, relationships and possibilities develop over time. It’s a privilege to witness that blossoming.

Another major focus has been building a life and professional presence in Hong Kong. Moving to a new country – and a new continent – takes time and energy. There is the practical business of establishing yourself professionally, but also the less tangible work of building relationships, finding your community and creating a sense of belonging.

My experience of Hong Kong has been overwhelmingly positive. People are generally open to connecting, there is always another event or conversation to join, causes to support and plenty of opportunities to learn something new. Building a network from scratch is hard work, but it is also one of the most rewarding parts of starting again somewhere new.

Alongside that, I’ve continued consulting in the UK. That has sometimes meant working into the Hong Kong evenings to accommodate morning calls in the UK, but it has been hugely rewarding to support my client through a period of significant growth and change. It has also given me the opportunity to stay close to developments in the UK, including the changes introduced by the Employment Rights Act 2025 – useful both for my current work and for keeping a foot in the UK market should I eventually move back.

So perhaps the neglected website is actually a fairly good reflection of the year: lots happening, just not necessarily much of it being documented online.

For me, new beginnings have always seemed to align naturally with the start of the school year. September brings that familiar sense of a fresh page – new routines, new priorities and an opportunity to decide what deserves more attention.

So this is my resolution to get back on the digital wagon.

Not because I think every thought needs to be published, (far from it)  or because I need to be constantly visible, but because writing is a useful discipline. It forces me to pause, make sense of what I’m learning and share some of the ideas and experiences that might be useful to others.

And after a busy year of doing, I think it’s probably time to spend a little more time reflecting, writing and sharing.

Here’s to the next chapter.