As we enter a new season, Simone celebrated her birthday ~ the last year of her 30’s.
Discover what this new chapter means to her, what she’s learnt over the past 12 months and how she’s planning her future.
How can you not love October? With a chill in the air, crunchy autumnal leaves and big woolly scarves, autumn is my favourite time of the year. I love doing a wardrobe clear out and getting a few new key pieces for autumn and winter, my favourite go to is a warm cardigan paired with vegan leather trousers and on days I need to move fast, trainers.
What makes October even more exciting is that it was my Birthday! It is safe to say that this year I celebrated it a little differently, however, this did not make it any less special.
As we grow older, most of us begin to dread our birthday, after all it signifies the passing of another year. When we are younger, we spend our time counting the years, but as we age birthdays seem to fly by, and we are more intent on making the years count. For me, birthdays are a special time to catch up with close friends and family to celebrate. I remember when I was 17 thinking my brother was old as he celebrated his 21st and then his 30th and all of a sudden, I am now a year away from my 40th.
As the saying goes “time is the most valuable thing a person can spend” I do believe this year this has become true for many.
As a child, I attended a very strict boarding school in Malvern so unfortunately birthdays were never really celebrated. My mum would drive six hours just to bring me a cake and she wasn’t even allowed to see me, I know if the school was open today this would not happen but this was back in the 80’s! This meant I didn’t celebrate many birthdays growing up or even as a young adult, apart from my 30th where I didn’t get home until 7 am – and I was still just about wearing my Jimmy Choo’s!
For me birthdays are the perfect excuse to have a mini break, which is why this year I was very lucky to spend the weekend in Cornwall enjoying the beautiful town of St Ives. It is a very special place for me, and I hope it will be my future home in years to come.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, I wasn’t able to have a party, however, I have planned to have four close friends come over for dinner where we’ll be enjoying an amazing seven-course vegan tasting feast created by Salt &Co. Food and friends, what could be better?
As I enter a new chapter in my life and 2020 draws to a close, I cannot help but reflect on all the changes that have occurred in the past year.
This year has been a rollercoaster and it has been hard hitting for most business owners like myself. There was so much I wanted to achieve which I haven’t been able to. One of my big goals was to see my products hit the shelves on the high street, I guess lockdown had other ideas. This is still something that causes me anxiety and upset and at times I even get overwhelmed. I am fortunate to have an amazing team around me who pick me up and make me see everything we have been able to achieve this year.
Despite its challenges, lockdown hasn’t been all bad as it’s given me the opportunity to start my podcast, ‘Living Life Well’! We have had some amazing guests on the show including Boxing Champion Chris Billam-Smith, Co-Founder of Salonology Hollie Power and Nutrition Coach Barbara Cox. It has been amazing to see this podcast grow and to watch the way in which it is helping so many people to address their health and wellness concerns. It’s recently hit the charts in the Health and Wellness category, and I could not be prouder. Watch this space as I will be talking with some interesting guests over the next few months!
This year may not have gone to plan, but it’s given me a valuable opportunity to work on myself, and the business. During lockdown I managed to refurbish the entire Simone Thomas salon, launch my podcast and my latest project NutriHome, which provides recipes tailored towards achieving a healthier lifestyle. Plus, it has given me more time to spend with my two amazing boys.
I have learnt a lot this year and I have made my fair share of mistakes (mainly through trying to do too much too soon), but that is what business is all about. I cannot wait to publish my first book, expand the Simone Thomas Wellness range, and see my business grow. It has been a crazy year and I think for many of us, it has made us realise what is important in our lives and for me that’s family, friends, and my business.