So, this summer I did something I haven't done in 8 years. I went on holiday. A proper one.
3 weeks in Malaysia with my husband and our son Bowe, who's 3. We travelled from Kuala Lumpur up into the Cameron Highlands, on to Ipoh, then Georgetown in Penang, Batu Ferringhi and finally Langkawi. And for the first time since I started Avo, I didn't have to think about who was packing the orders.
Why it took 8 years
For the first 7 years of Avo, I packed every single order myself. From the back bedroom, then the garden office, sometimes with Bowe in a sling. Every parcel went through my hands, and honestly, I loved that.
Last year Mary-Beth joined me and she took over packing for almost a year (thank you Mary-Beth, I couldn't have done that year without you 💛). When she graduated from uni this May and moved back home, I had a decision to make.
The scary bit
In May, I moved Avo's orders to a fulfilment centre.
I'm not going to pretend that was easy. Almost 8 years of doing it myself is a big thing to let go of. It isn't just packing. It's keeping an eye on stock, trusting a new team to care about your parcels the way you do, and teaching them how you handle returns. It felt like handing over a little piece of Avo.
But it also meant that, for the first time, the business didn't need me standing at the packing table every day.
Emails with a view
I won't lie and say I switched off completely. I checked my emails and DMs every day. But it was an hour each evening, once Bowe was asleep, and that was pretty much it.
Bowe had his own room at every stop. That was a non-negotiable for my husband and me when we planned the trip, and it's what made it all work. He got proper sleep, and I got a quiet hour to catch up without missing any of the day with him.
My favourite "office" was our balcony in Langkawi, looking out over the sea. Emails with a view. Bliss.
And the business? It ran. Summer is always a quieter month, but every order went out and nothing went wrong. Not one thing. (I kept waiting for something to, if I'm honest 😅)
Learning to switch off
The hardest part wasn't the business, it was me. My husband is a freelancer too, so we both had to force ourselves to put the laptops away at times. It felt so strange not having mine within reach.
But once we settled into it, we fully immersed ourselves in the trip and in Bowe. It was the first time the 3 of us had spent 3 whole weeks together since he was a newborn. I'll treasure that forever.
What I packed (of course)
You didn't think I'd go without my Avo, did you?
✔️ Demi Hoodie and Cleo Short for the long-haul flight
✔️ Senara Crop Top on the beach
✔️ Avo leggings and crop at the hotel gym (yes, I found the hotel gym, of course I did)
There's something really lovely about wearing pieces you designed yourself on the other side of the world.
What I came back with
More than anything, I came home knowing I want this to be part of our life, not a once-in-8-years thing. My husband is a primary school teacher as well as a videographer, so trips like this during the school holidays could actually be within reach.
That feels like a big shift for someone who spent years thinking the business couldn't run without her.
So thank you. Every order you've placed is part of how Avo grew to the point where I could step away for 3 weeks and trust it would be ok. Big things really can come from small beginnings.
Ally x
