As the world turns a shade of crimson this week and high streets from Solihull to Rugby fill with heart-shaped balloons and last-minute florists, our collective attention turns naturally to romance. We talk about sparks, about commitment, about the heady rush of new love and the enduring comfort of long-term partnership.
But for the entrepreneurs, founders, and business leaders of the UK—and particularly here in the beating industrial heart of the Midlands—Valentine’s Day often plays second fiddle to a different kind of obsession. It is a love affair that keeps you up at 2 a.m., not with whispers of sweet nothings, but with the glow of a laptop screen. It is a relationship that demands every ounce of your emotional resilience, your financial security, and your mental bandwidth.
We are talking, of course, about the love you have for your business.
In a week dedicated to passion, it is time we had a serious conversation about the role of emotion in entrepreneurship. For a long time, the prevailing wisdom in British boardrooms was one of stiff upper lips and cold, hard logic. “It’s not personal, it’s business,” the old adage goes. But ask any successful founder in Birmingham’s Digbeth Creative Quarter or the manufacturing hubs of the Black Country, and they will tell you that is nonsense. Business is deeply personal. And without a genuine, enduring love for what you do, the odds of survival—let alone success—plummet.
This article explores why reigniting that spark with your venture is the most productive thing you can do this February, with lessons from some of the Midlands’ most formidable heavyweights.
Part 1: The Honeymoon Phase – The Power of Obsession
Every great business, like every great romance, begins with a spark. It is that initial, electric realization that you have found something worth chasing. In the startup world, we often sanitize this by calling it “product-market fit” or “identifying a niche,” but let’s call it what it really is: obsession.
You cannot fake this phase. It is the fuel that burns when the capital hasn’t hit the bank account yet.
The Solihull Unicorn: Ben Francis
There is no better modern example of this in the UK than Ben Francis, the founder of Gymshark. Based in Solihull, Francis didn’t start a billion pound brand because he loved spreadsheets or logistical supply chains. He started it because he was obsessed with fitness.
In recent interviews, Francis has been candid about his origins. He notes that Gymshark wasn’t born from a grand commercial masterplan, but from a personal passion. He “literally started a business out of passion” because he loved the fitness industry and wanted to be involved in it.
This is a critical distinction for founders. If you are starting a business solely to “exit” or to make money, you are entering a marriage for the wrong reasons. When the “honeymoon” of the launch fades and the reality of the grind sets in, those who are in it for the cash often file for divorce. Those who are in it for the love of the game, like Francis sewing clothes in his parents’ garage, stick around long enough to build an empire.
** The Lesson:**
If you are struggling to find motivation this week, ask yourself: Am I still a fan of my own industry? If you’ve stopped being a consumer of your own passion, you’ve lost the spark. Go back to the gym, the workshop, or the sketchpad.
Part 2: The Marriage – Commitment When the shine Wears Off
Romantic love is easy when the champagne is flowing. It is much harder when the boiler breaks and the bills are due. Similarly, “loving” your business is easy when you land a major client or win an award. The true test of entrepreneurial love is resilience during the quiet quarters, the PR crises, and the sleepless nights.
This is where the concept of “grit” comes in, the business equivalent of a marriage vow: for richer, for poorer.
The Stoke Powerhouse: Denise Coates
Look north to Stoke-on-Trent, and you find Denise Coates, the joint chief executive of Bet365. While the gambling industry is vastly different from fitness, the underlying principle of commitment is identical.
Coates is famous for her “24/7” work ethic in the early days. She famously mortgaged the family’s chain of betting shops to fund the online venture, a move that, in romantic terms, is the equivalent of moving across the world for someone you’ve only just met. It was a gamble (pun intended) born of absolute conviction.
In a rare interview, she noted, “You start a 24/7 business and you work 24/7… I’ve worked harder than you can possibly imagine.”
This isn’t about glorifying burnout; it’s about recognising that deep love requires deep sacrifice. You cannot have a passive relationship with a high-growth business. It demands your attention, your energy, and your protection.
The “Seven-Year Itch” in Business
Statistically, many businesses fail around the 3-to-5-year mark. The adrenaline of the start-up phase has worn off, but the stability of a legacy corporation hasn’t kicked in yet. This is the “seven-year itch.”
- The Symptom: You dread Monday mornings. You feel resentful of your staff or customers. You daydream about selling up and opening a coffee shop in Cornwall.
- The Cure: You have to “date” your business again. You need to innovate not because the market demands it, but because you need a new challenge to stay interested.
Part 3: The Extended Family – Loving Your Community
A marriage doesn’t exist in a vacuum; it relies on a community of friends and family to support it. A business is no different. One of the unique characteristics of the Midlands business scene is its “pack mentality.” Unlike the cut-throat, solitary nature of some London sectors, the Midlands thrives on connection.
The Cheerleader: Henrietta Brealey
Henrietta Brealey, the CEO of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, frequently speaks about this collective energy. As the youngest CEO in the Chamber’s history, she represents a new generation of leadership that leads with empathy and enthusiasm.
She has described Birmingham as having a “sense of collective endeavour”—a feeling that the city is a team sport. Falling in love with your business often means falling in love with the place you do business.
If you are feeling isolated as a leader, it is likely because you have withdrawn from the “extended family.” You are trying to sustain the relationship entirely on your own.
- Networking as Dating: It sounds cliché, but networking in the Midlands—whether it’s a black-tie dinner at the ICC or a casual meetup in the Custard Factory—is vital. It reminds you that your struggles are not unique.
- The “Team Brum” Spirit: Leaders like Paul Cadman and other stalwarts of the region often emphasise that when one business in the region wins, we all win. Adopting this mindset takes the pressure off. You aren’t a lone wolf; you’re part of a pack.
Part 4: Why “Passion” is a Metric You Should Track
We track KPI’s, ROI, and EBITDA. But do we track our own Passion Index?
Lord Digby Jones, the Birmingham-born former Director General of the CBI and Trade Minister, has never been one to mince words. He often speaks about the dignity of business, how it generates the wealth that pays for our hospitals and schools. But he also speaks about the human element.
He has been quoted saying, “People who make things look easy work hard, prepare and take nothing for granted.”
When you love your business, the “hard work” doesn’t feel like a chore; it feels like a craft. When that love fades, the work feels like toil. From a purely economic standpoint, a founder who has fallen out of love with their business is a liability. They are slower to react to market changes, less inspiring to their team, and less convincing to investors.
The Economic Case for Emotion:
- Sales: People buy from people. If you don’t love your product, your prospect will smell it a mile away. Passion is infectious; apathy is contagious.
- Hiring: The talent war in the UK is fierce. Gen Z employees, in particular, want to work for purpose-driven leaders. If you can’t articulate why you love your company, you won’t convince a top-tier graduate to love it either.
- Mental Health: Entrepreneurship is lonely. If you strip away the passion, all you are left with is stress. Loving your mission is the buffer that protects your mental well-being.
Part 5: How to Rekindle the Romance (A Valentine’s Guide for Founders)
So, you’ve been in business for ten years. The spark is gone. The e-mails are piling up. You feel like an old married couple sitting in silence at a restaurant. How do you fall in love again?
Here is a practical, four-step plan to reignite the fire this Valentine’s week.
1. Revisit Your “First Date” (The Origin Story)
Go back to the beginning. Dig out your original business plan. Read your first few press releases. Look at the first positive review you ever received.
Remind yourself why you started this. Was it to solve a problem? To disrupt an industry? To provide for your family?
Action: Write down your “Why” on a Post-it note and stick it to your monitor. It sounds simple, but it anchors you.
2. Go on a “Second Honeymoon” (Innovation)
Boredom is the enemy of love. If you are bored with your business, change it. Launch a new product line. Rebrand. Enter a new market.
Look at the recent winners of the East and West Midlands Small Business Awards—companies like Bear Cool Honey Company or Team Prom. They radiate fresh energy. You need to inject that “Day One” mentality back into your “Day 1,000” operations.
3. Communicate (Talk to Your Team)
In relationships, silence kills. In business, it’s the same.
Have an honest “all hands” with your team. Tell them you want to bring the energy back. Ask them what they love about the company. Sometimes, seeing your business through the eyes of a passionate employee can remind you of what you’ve built.
Quote to live by: As Ben Francis says, “I’d rather have the 8/10 candidate who’s passionate about where we’re going.” Surround yourself with people who fuel your fire, not dampen it.
4. Buy Flowers (Invest in Yourself)
You cannot pour from an empty cup. Sometimes, falling back in love with your business requires stepping away from it for a weekend.
Burnout masquerades as a lack of passion. If you are exhausted, you can’t feel love, you can only feel fatigue. Take this Valentine’s weekend off. Properly off. No e-mails. When you return on Monday, you might find absence has indeed made the heart grow fonder.
Conclusion: The Ultimate Valentine
This week, by all means, buy the roses. Book the table at Opheem or Adam’s, cherish your partner. But spare a thought for the entity that likely consumes the other 80% of your waking life.
Your business is a living, breathing thing. It reflects your energy back at you. If you treat it with resentment, it will stagnate. If you treat it with duty but no joy, it will plateau. But if you treat it with love, if you bring passion, obsession, and care to it every single day, it will grow in ways you never imagined.
The Midlands has a history of changing the world, from the Industrial Revolution to the digital innovations of today. That history wasn’t written by people who “sort of liked” their work. It was written by people who were madly, deeply, inconveniently in love with what they did.
So, this Valentine’s Day, make a vow to your business:
To have and to hold, from this fiscal year forward, for better markets, for worse economies, in recession and in boom, to love and to cherish, until the exit strategy do us part.
Happy Valentine’s Day. Now, get back to work—and love every minute of it.
