12/06/2026
One of those unexpectedly reflective Friday afternoons. 🧡
This week we’ve welcomed one of our neighbours into the Essex Stays team, and today we dropped some birthday flowers round to our lovely booking manager. It sounds like such a small thing, but it made me stop and think about how lucky we are to be surrounded by genuinely kind, good people.
And it got me thinking back to where we started.
A few years ago, when we were first bringing this old place back to life, we went through a period that tested our resilience more than I can put into words. At the time it felt huge, and if I’m honest, there were moments where we wondered whether it was all worth it.
But here’s what I’ve learned. You can’t control the people who try to bring you down. You can’t control the doubters, the negativity, or the people who project their own unhappiness onto others. What you can control is the people you choose to lift up, the people you build around you, and staying true to your own values.
Three years on, we’ve welcomed thousands of guests, built an incredible little team, made lifelong friends, and somehow this old place now has nearly 250 five-star reviews. More than anything though, we’ve built a community full of people who are kind, supportive and who genuinely want to see others succeed.
So if you’re building something, changing direction, raising a family, starting a business or just trying to get through a difficult season - keep going. Trust your own character. Stay kind. Work hard. Back yourself. The right people will find you.
Today just feels like one of those lovely little full-circle moments, and for that I’m incredibly grateful. ✨
