What I’d do differently if I started my business today (10 years on)

When I started Picture News, I was on my third maternity leave, with three children under three. My main goals were to have the freedom to work for myself, on my own terms, and to do something that had a positive impact. I didn’t have much of a plan, growth strategy, or any real understanding of what running a business would actually involve.

After a few months, things were moving quickly in the right direction and I realised I wasn’t going to be able to work on my own for much longer – I needed some help. Retrospectively, this was a key moment within in the business, as it was the start of the biggest learning curve I’ve been on over the past decade, leadership.

If I think about what I would do differently if I were starting again today, it’s tempting to write a list of things I’d do differently. But really the biggest changes wouldn’t be in what I did, but how I thought. 

• Building a team

I’d recognise earlier that the team we have is at the centre of everything we do within the business. We’ve built a team that really care, about the schools we support, and crucially, about each other. I would never expect others to feel the same level of responsibility as a founder, yet so many of them go above and beyond every day. That’s not something I anticipated at the beginning, and it’s something I’m incredibly grateful for. If I started again, I would place even more emphasis on the people who work with us, not just in terms of skills, but in terms of values, relationships, and shared purpose. Because ultimately, that’s what holds everything together.

• Honesty

One of the hardest parts of leadership for me has always been having direct conversations. I naturally want people to feel comfortable and supported, and for a long time I thought that meant being consistently positive and avoiding anything that might feel difficult. What I’ve learned is that clarity is far more helpful than comfort. People don’t need constant praise. They need to understand what’s working, what isn’t, and what’s expected of them. The longer you avoid those conversations, the harder they become, and the less fair it is for everyone involved. I’m still working on this, and probably always will be. But if I started again, I would have those conversations much earlier, and trust that honesty, when delivered with care, is always a positive thing.

• Worry less about having all the answers

At the start, I felt a strong pressure to have the answers and to make the right decisions. I think a lot of this is about wanting to feel in control. But the reality is, you never really reach that point as there are always new challenges, different situations, and moments where you feel out of your depth. The key difference is that over time it’s not that you suddenly know everything, but that you become more comfortable not knowing. Some of the best decisions we’ve made have come from listening to others, asking questions, and being open to different perspectives. If I started again, I’d let go of the idea that I need to have it all figured out and instead focus on creating an environment where people feel able to contribute and shape things together.

• Protecting time 

As someone who has always found it hard to say no, inevitably starting a business with little experience, I said yes to everything! Any ideas, opportunities and requests all felt important, and I didn’t want to miss anything that might help the business. Over time, I’ve realised that this isn’t sustainable, and more importantly, it’s not always what’s best for me or for the business either. Not everything needs to be done, and not everything needs to be done by you. Learning to prioritise, to say no, and to protect time to think has been one of the most important changes. If I started again, I would be much more careful with my time and energy from the beginning. Setting priorities and ringfencing time for work that I know makes a difference.

•  Separating yourself from the business

At the start, the business felt like an extension of me. Every element and decision or setback felt quite personal. If something went well, I was happy and if we had a slow period of growth, or something wasn’t working it had the opposite effect. Whilst I don’t think that ever completely goes away, over time, I’ve learned that creating distance is important both for clarity with business decisions and also personally – it’s important to have a life and interests outside of work! 

• Patience

At the start I felt a lot of pressure to move quickly, looking for new school subscribers and more interest from teachers. Whilst there is an important need to grow to ensure business viability, some of the most important parts of the business, like building relationships with schools, developing their trust, refining resources, and growing the team, have taken time to get right. Looking back, there were definitely moments where I could have allowed things to develop more naturally, instead of trying to push everything forward. If I started again, I would still be ambitious, but I’d be more patient. 

The one thing that I wouldn’t change is starting before I felt ready. I believe that there is never a point where you truly feel ready to start a business, and not knowing everything at the start is a strength as it means you have to act, learn quickly, and adapt along the way. The greatest lessons are learned by doing, which means often failing along the way, getting back up and continuing, even when it feels uncomfortable or difficult.

After ten years of Picture News, I definitely don’t feel like I’ve worked it all out! If anything, I’m much more aware of how much there is still to learn. But what has changed is my perspective as I no longer see the business as something I’m building on my own. It’s something influenced every day by our brilliant Picture News team, their ideas, their care, and their commitment.