| Three Years In: Loving the Work, Living with the Headaches, and Growing with Intention The other day, while I was packing away tools at the end of a job, a client asked me a question that stopped me in my tracks. “Rory, it’s been three years now since you started Earthly Comforts. Do you still love what you do? Or do you have regrets? And if I asked you what your top five headaches and challenges were, how would you answer?” It wasn’t asked critically. It wasn’t nosy. It was one of those gentle, curious questions that deserves a proper answer. So I thought I’d take the time to give one. |
| Earthly Comforts officially began in October 2022. In those early days, it wasn’t just me — Suze was very much part of the beginning. She was the one who first started gardening, and together we explored what this business might become. By March 2023, it became clear that our paths within the work were different. Suze realised she was more of a tinkerer at heart, while I had quietly, and then unmistakably, fallen in love with gardening itself — the rhythm, the soil, the seasons, and the long-term care of living spaces. From that point on, Earthly Comforts became a one-person operation in practice: me, a small set of tools, and an obvious sense of how I didn’t want to garden. Since then, it has grown into something steadier, more defined, and far more values-led than I could have imagined at the start. Three years in feels like a good moment to pause, take stock, and speak honestly — not just about the joy, but about the friction too. |
| Do I still love what I do? Yes. Genuinely. And that matters. I still love: Working outdoors in all seasons Watching soil improve year on year Seeing gardens become calmer, healthier places rather than showpieces Building long-term relationships with clients instead of rushing in and out Knowing that what we do has a positive impact beyond just appearances. There’s a deep satisfaction in slow, consistent improvement — in tending rather than transforming. Earthly Comforts has never been about dramatic “before and afters. It’s about continuity, care, and respect for living systems. That said, loving your work doesn’t mean it’s effortless. Any business that’s built with intention will eventually rub up against reality — and that’s where headaches and challenges appear. |
| Headaches vs challenges — a useful distinction Over time, I’ve learned there’s a difference between a headache and a challenge. A headache is something that drains energy, recurs, and feels fundamentally wrong or inefficient. A challenge is difficult, sometimes uncomfortable, but ultimately constructive — it points towards growth or evolution. Both exist in my business. Here are the five that come up most often. |
| Being the standard — and trying to replicate it (Headache and challenge) Earthly Comforts is built on a particular way of working: calm, thorough, eco-conscious, and respectful of gardens, wildlife, and people. The headache is that I am the benchmark. Clients trust the work because they trust how I work. Replicating that standard with others takes time, patience, and careful selection. Not everyone who can garden can garden this way. The challenge is learning how to share responsibility without diluting quality — how to grow without losing the heart of the business. |
| Time, energy, and physical limits (Headache) Gardening is physical. Add long hours, variable weather, and the mental load of running a business, and no one can be the sole engine forever. I enjoy being hands-on, but I’m also conscious of sustainability — not just for the planet, but for myself as well. The headache isn’t the work itself; it’s knowing that energy is finite and has to be managed carefully if the business is to last. |
| Pricing fairly without losing accessibility (Challenge) I believe in fair pricing — for my time, my skill, and the experience I bring. At the same time, Earthly Comforts exists to serve real people: older clients, small gardens, town spaces, and those who value care over show. The challenge is holding that balance: Charging enough to sustain the business Without drifting into exclusivity And without undervaluing the work It’s an ongoing calibration rather than a one-time decision. |
| Systems lagging behind growth (Headache) As the business has grown, some systems have had to catch up: admin, scheduling, waste handling, and service structure. Nothing is broken — but not everything is streamlined either. A lot still lives in my head, and that’s tiring. The headache here is inefficiency, not failure. It’s a sign that Earthly Comforts has outgrown its original setup and needs sturdier foundations. |
| Green waste — the headache that keeps returning (Headache pointing to a bigger challenge) This is the one that frustrates me the most. Every week, green waste is removed from the business. Hedge cuttings, prunings, plant material — organic matter that should be a resource. Instead, it’s collected and taken away at high cost. The frustration isn’t just financial (though that adds up). It’s ethical. I work with soil. I care deeply about soil health. Paying month after month to remove organic material that could be composted, mulched, and returned to the land feels fundamentally wrong. The headache is a recurring loss. The deeper challenge is infrastructure. I don’t yet have a place where this material can be legally, safely, and practically transformed into compostable products. Until that changes, I’m operating with a missing piece — a gap between values and reality. That tension is uncomfortable, but it’s also clarifying. It tells me where the business needs to evolve next. |
| So… regrets? No. Not in the way people usually mean it. There are things I’d do differently with hindsight — systems I’d build earlier, boundaries I’d set sooner — but none of those outweigh what Earthly Comforts has become. This business has: A clear identity Strong local roots Loyal clients Ethical consistency And room to grow without losing its soul Three years in, Earthly Comforts feels honest. Earned. Still learning, still adjusting — but firmly on the right path. |
| Looking ahead If the first three years were about establishing the business, the next phase is about refining it: Reducing unnecessary friction Building better systems Turning waste into a resource Growing carefully, not unthinkingly I don’t want Earthly Comforts to become louder, faster, or more extractive. I want it to become more resilient, more rooted, and more aligned with the values it was founded on. So yes — I still love what I do. And yes — there are headaches. But they’re the kind that come from caring deeply, not from being in the wrong place. And that is a good position to be in. |
Earthly Comforts 
I’m really glad for you Rory! How time flies, 3 years already 😅
I wish you many more resilient years and I hope you’ll be able to fix the missing piece too!
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This is an in-depth analysis of how your business has grown and where you want to take it. Wishing you all the success my friend
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Wow! Three years already! I’m happy for you, Rory, especially because, you are doing something you enjoy. You’ve come a long way, my friend, and I wish you continued success.
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