I instantly recognised the strong Yorkshire accent.

Fifteen years ago, it was that very same voice that said something that would change the course of my life:

"Yes, you can throw people down my hill in a giant zorb ball."

That voice belonged to Guy, a local farmer.

Standing there, catching up after all these years, I felt unexpectedly emotional. Maybe it was the sunshine. Maybe it was the cold pint. Or maybe it was the realisation that I was standing face to face with the person who gave us our very first opportunity.

Many people don't know how Live For Today actually started.

Today, people see us delivering events at prestigious venues, working with large organisations, and running experiences in some incredible locations. What they don't see is how many doors we knocked on before any of that happened.

Back then, there was no business. There was no reputation. There were no case studies, no websites, and certainly no grand strategy.

There was simply an idea.

Armed with enthusiasm and perhaps a healthy amount of naivety, we drove around Yorkshire knocking on farmers' doors, asking if they would rent us a field.

Most said no.

Some looked at us as if we'd completely lost our minds.

And to be fair, asking someone if you can launch people down a hill inside a giant inflatable ball probably isn't the most convincing business pitch.

But eventually, we met Guy.

He listened.

He understood what we were trying to do.

And most importantly, he said yes.

Even then, I don't think we quite believed it. We spent weeks checking he was genuinely okay with the idea before finally taking the plunge and ordering our first zorb ball from China.

That one decision started everything.

Over the following years, Guy became far more than just a landlord. He became one of the people who helped us survive those early days.

• When the fields became waterlogged, he helped with drainage.

• When we needed equipment moving, he was there.

• When we needed posts knocking in, his machinery saved us hours of hard work.

And when things inevitably went wrong—as they always do in a startup—he was often the calm, practical voice that helped us find a solution.

Those early years weren't glamorous.

There were no fancy offices.

No impressive venues.

No social media success stories.

Instead, there was plenty of shovelling cow muck, pulling vehicles out of muddy fields, digging customers' cars out of flooded car parks, fixing broken equipment, and figuring things out one problem at a time.

Looking back now, those moments are some of the most important chapters of the journey.

Not because they were enjoyable at the time, but because they taught us resilience.

They taught us that businesses aren't built through grand announcements or perfect plans. They're built through consistency, hard work, and an ability to keep going when things don't look particularly promising.

Eventually, we got our first major break.

Hazlewood Castle gave us an opportunity.

Then, a year later, we secured Ripley Castle.

The business began to grow.

The vision started to feel real.

And we made the difficult decision to leave the farm where it had all begun.

At the time, it felt like progress.

Looking back now, I realise it was simply the next chapter.

Because no matter how far a business grows, you never really leave your roots behind.

Meeting Guy again reminded me of that.

It reminded me that every business success story usually starts with somebody willing to take a chance.

Somebody willing to say yes when everyone else says no.

Somebody willing to back an idea before there's any proof it will work.

There's a quote I love:

"If you don't look back and cringe at the first version of your product, you waited too long to launch."

When I think back to those early days, I definitely cringe at parts of what we were doing.

The branding wasn't great.

The systems were non-existent.

The processes were made up as we went along.

But that's exactly the point.

If we'd waited until everything was perfect, we'd probably still be waiting.

Instead, we started.

And that simple act of starting created opportunities that never would have existed otherwise.

Today, we're fortunate to deliver events in some incredible locations and work with amazing clients across the country.

But I'll never forget the farmer's field where it all began.

Because every milestone, every customer, every venue, and every success can be traced back to a single conversation and a single opportunity.

A farmer saying yes.

So if you're sitting on an idea, a dream, or a business you've been thinking about starting, here's my advice:

Stop waiting for perfect.

Stop waiting until you know everything.

Stop waiting until the risk disappears.

It won't.

Take the first step.

Knock on the first door.

Make the first call.

Launch the first version.

Because fifteen years from now, you might just find yourself looking back and realising that everything you have today started with one person giving you a chance.

And one decision to simply go for it.