Building a startup is challenging at the best of times – but managing growth alongside unpredictable mental health makes things all the more difficult.
Former Manchester Evening News journalist and business editor Lucy Roue launched Time and Tide Content in 2022, a consultancy with specialisms in technology, LinkedIn campaigns and corporate events coverage.
“The motto of Time and Tide Content is: ‘Mental Health First. Work Second’. And there’s a good reason for that,” she tells BusinessCloud. “I have struggled with episodes of severe depression and anxiety since losing my Dad very suddenly in 2016.
“He would absolutely love the fact that I’ve started my own business; he was always a great cheerleader of my career, as is my Mam and brother. So I’m lucky really to have such a supportive network around me, especially when I’m struggling with depression.
“My other half Dan is super understanding. I couldn’t have started Time and Tide Content and got it to what it is today without them.”
Current clients include automations consultancy firm Agile Automations and gym startup Transform Hub – backed by the former AJ Bell co-founder Andy Bell – while it has just been named as the official content partner for pro-manchester events in 2023 and has also secured a contract with business coaching firm jjigsaw.com.
The business also works pro-bono for The Joshua Tree, which supports families with childhood cancer across the North West and North Wales.
Roue struggled with undiagnosed ADHD and bi-polar disorder for many years. She says it’s been a hectic few months setting up the business while managing her mental health to avoid burnout.
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“The last 12 months have been huge in terms of my mental health journey,” she explains.
“All of these ups and downs led to an ADHD diagnosis last summer after a particularly bad spell. I have since been diagnosed with bipolar disorder – last month – and had a complete change of medication.
“The diagnoses have had such a positive effect that I’m now comfortable with who I am and talking about it openly. I know many people in the Manchester business community struggle with their mental health, because I’ve had so many individuals approach me about it.
“I’d really like to normalise having a mental health condition. It’s not easy, especially when you’re running your own business, but I didn’t choose to be this way; it’s just one of those things and I’m trying to make the best of it.
“There have been down days where I’ve considered giving up Time and Tide, or felt too overwhelmed by the pressure, but luckily I kept going. And thank God I did because I have some really wonderful, understanding, clients who are totally fine with my conditions.”
Lucy Roue, Time and Tide Content (right) with pro-manchester CEO Sam Booth
The pro-manchester contract will see Time and Tide produce coverage of the membership organisation’s upcoming Trailblazing Tech and Health Tech Conferences, at which BusinessCloud executive editor Chris Maguire will host panels.
“I do also have another business venture in the pipeline, but it’s early days,” says Roue, who also offers her ‘secret sauce’ for success on LinkedIn. “It’s more in the mental health space and came from an idea I had during one of my down days.
“I’m hoping to flesh that out more in the summer for a Q3 launch. But, for now, watch this space.”