The short answer?
No… but you do get a nicer office view every now and then. ☀️💻
When people hear you’re on holiday, they imagine you’ve disappeared for a week. Phone off. Emails ignored. Cocktail in hand from breakfast until bedtime.
The reality?
Well… today’s office happens to overlook a swimming pool.
Running a family business is funny like that. You don’t really clock off – you just swap the office for a laptop, a coffee and the occasional interruption from a seven-year-old asking if you’ll race her to the pool, while a one-year-old is determined to press every button on your keyboard!
And honestly? We wouldn’t change it.
Don’t get us wrong, this holiday has been exactly what we needed. Time together as a family is priceless, especially when life at home is usually a blur of school runs, site visits, supplier calls, customer meetings and trying to remember who’s supposed to be where (and when!).
But if you’ve ever run your own business, you’ll know that your brain never really goes on holiday.
You’ll be halfway through the pool thinking…
“Did I reply to that email?”
Then at dinner…
“I must remember to order those patio slabs when we get back.”
And just before you fall asleep…
“I wonder if James has seen the quote yet…”
It’s not because we have to.
It’s because we genuinely care.
Every email is someone trusting us with their home. Every quote represents a family saving for a dream bathroom, a garden they’ve always wanted or an extension where they’ll make memories for years to come. That’s something we never take for granted.
Of course, we still make time to switch off.
We’ve laughed until our stomachs hurt, watched the girls make friends with children from all over the world, eaten far too much ice cream and reminded ourselves why we work so hard in the first place.
Because at the end of the day, this business isn’t just about bricks, patios and bathrooms.
It’s about creating a life we’re proud of—for our family, our team and our customers.
So yes… there may have been a few emails answered from a sun lounger this week.
But there have also been cannonballs into the pool, bedtime cuddles, sandy feet, tired smiles and memories we’ll keep forever.
Running your own business might mean you never completely switch off…
But if you’re lucky, you learn that success isn’t choosing between work and family—it’s finding little moments where both can exist together.
We’ll be back soon, refreshed, full of ideas and excited to get stuck into the next projects.
Thank you for supporting our family business. It genuinely means the world to us.
Karolina & Lorant
Marlborough Build & Garden 🏡💚
