LYDIA ON LIFE

“In order to write about life first you must live it.”

Ernest Hemingway

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It’s me. Hi!

My last post was published over four years ago and since then life has taken me on an incredible journey, filled with the highs and lows that come with co-parenting, buying a home alone, and overcoming self-doubt. After a long hiatus, I am thrilled to be back, rejuvenated and eager to share my experiences with you.

Today, I want to share some of the life-changing events that have influenced the content I now create.

But before we dive in, let me reintroduce myself. I’m Lydia, and if you’re new to my blog, welcome. If not, welcome back (to both of us!).

Alright, let’s get into it!

Balancing Work and Family During COVID

In the early days of lockdown, like many others, I found myself navigating isolation and family dynamics. While we all faced a unique set of hurdles, as a single parent living with my own parents I found myself in particularly demanding situations that no one could prepare me for. From juggling work, co-parenting, and my mental health to navigating generational differences and conflicting parenting styles, life during that time left me feeling extremely overwhelmed.

Thankfully, I managed to survive this challenging period without contracting COVID-19, but it was undoubtedly one of the most demanding times of my life as a mother and a Christian. When the right time comes and the words to express the experience are available to me, I hope to share it all with you.

Navigating the Start-Up World as a Mother and Woman

One of the positive challenges that I embarked on during the pandemic was venturing into entrepreneurship. 

If you know me personally or have read my post about “10 YouTubers That Changed My Hair Journey ,” you’ll know that I’m deeply passionate about haircare. I had built a healthy relationship with my hair from a young age and had seen impressive growth over the years. However, when I experienced postpartum hair loss in 2019, it shook my confidence and self-esteem. This form of hair loss is common after childbirth due to hormonal changes, but the added stress of being a new mum and working full-time didn’t make the experience any easier. My hair continued to fall out and I was forced to seek professional help that eventually lead me to getting my hair care back on track.

The solution to my hair loss led me to co-founding The Good Hair Co, a digital platform and service that instantly connects women struggling with their hair to the haircare professionals, recommended products and trust-worthy information that can help them find long lasting solutions for their hair concerns.

The journey to building the business has come with numerous challenges. From learning about the intricacies of running a service based business and securing funding, to figuring out marketing strategy and partnering with professionals such as dermatologists, trichologists, nutritionists and hairdressers. Oh, and there’s also the imposter syndrome and mompreneur burnout that comes a long with it. I’m still working through them all but this time I want to share the journey with you along the way.

Taking a Leap of Faith as a First Time Solo Buyer

While building The Good Hair Co. and balancing motherhood, I never lost sight of my goal of becoming a homeowner by the age of 30. It was a dream I’ve had for a long time , and even tweeted about it in faith, trusting that by God’s grace it will come true.

I wasn’t sure where I wanted to buy my first home, and London, where I lived, was out of the question due to sky-high prices. All I knew was that the house had to be near London, have three bedrooms, and be in a diverse area where my son Matthew could thrive.

And you know what? God gave me more than I could have prayed for.

After three months of searching and 7 months of negotiations, I picked-up the keys to my first house on November 29, 2022 – six months after my 30th birthday.

The house had everything I had asked for and more – an open plan farmhouse kitchen diner, a spacious bathroom, a loft, a beautiful garden, and close proximity to everything Matthew and I needed to start this new chapter in our lives. After some minor home renovations and decorating, we officially moved in on May 1, 2023.

In spite of how complex the buying process was or how overwhelming renovating and furnishing an entire house on my own was, I’m grateful to be able to sit at my dining table gazing out onto my garden everyday, thinking, “I am living in an answered prayer”. Who needs a holiday when you have a garden like mine. All I need now is the summer sun, a sweet cocktail and one of these hammocks* outside to really enjoy how far I’ve come in the last few years.

So, this is where I am now. Not too bad, right?

I’ve been sharing snippets of some of these milestones on my Instagram over the last few years (check out my highlights) but I wanted to provide a more in depth perspective and some useful resources on my blog that have helped me along the way.

So I invite you to join me where we’ll discuss and celebrate the realities of solo homeownership, overcoming limiting beliefs, and parenting whilst building an impactful business and a fulfilling career. My hope is that this space can be an inspiring example of embracing change with an open mind and faithful heart.

Thank you for welcoming me back to your screens and here’s to new chapters, honest conversations, and the boundless possibilities that lie ahead.

With love and excitement,

Lydia x

P.S: Feel free to let me know if there is anything you’ve read so far that you would like me to share more of.