Beyond the Business: My 9-Month Journey from Burnout to a “Future Life”
It’s been almost 9 months now since I started my retirement “future life” after closing the chapter on Tubblog – The Hub for MSPs.
At 49 years of age, it’s considered very young to be retired, which is why I used the term “future life“.
However, after a lifetime of building businesses, I have no plans to ever have a job or run a business again.
When I first stepped away from the world of work, I shared thoughts on “From Doing to Being: Thoughts From My First Weeks of Future Life.”
But what about since then?
Well, one of the lessons I’ve learned about stepping away from work is to sit with the discomfort of not doing the familiar. I feel like most of our identities are too wrapped up in what we do for a living, and as I was probably best known for blogging, I make a conscious decision not to publish anything for a while, to see how this felt.
This has led to people very kindly reaching out to ask me how I’m doing, so it felt like the time was right to start writing again.
So, what have I been up to in my “future life?”
Creation
I’ve come to believe that creating things isn’t just a hobby or a career choice, it’s practically a biological imperative. I genuinely think that creating, in whatever form it takes, is a fundamental part of why human beings were put on this earth in the first place.
For me, that drive to create has always flowed through a keyboard. Which brings me to what’s currently on my desk…
Books
So, I fully intend to continue writing books, albeit focused on subjects outside the IT space.
I’ll hope to soon publish book number 5. This book is aimed at helping any business owner understand the benefits of content creation.
And book number 6 is 90% written, and deals with how to deal with the dark, underbelly of putting yourself out there as a content creator.
Blogging
I always intended to return to blogging via my personal website RichardTubb.co.uk, but with one caveat. I now write purely for fun and self-expression.
You can expect to read more of my musings on personal development, spirituality, technology, gadgets, and anything else that I feel like writing about!
Podcasting
This Summer, I’ll also be returning to the world of podcasting, co-hosting a new show that bridges the gap between cutting-edge science and ancient spirituality.
Watch this space for more updates, soon!
Contribution
Throughout my business journey, I committed to donating 1% of revenue to charity. This gave me a compelling ‘why’ behind the growth.
While I’m no longer running a business per se, the drive to give back hasn’t changed. Now, the focus has shifted from revenue to time, experience, and connections.
Advisory and Non-Exec Director
After my exit, I was very flattered to be approached about a number of Non-Executive Director (NED) and advisory roles within the IT space.
But, as I suspected may have been the case, the Managed Service Provider (MSP) industry that I spent 25 years working within, is now in my rear view mirror.
So, I’ve recently been finding it very fulfilling to mentor and advise businesses outside of the IT industry.
These businesses have ranged from modern wellbeing, to non-profits, to retail and hospitality.
I became so comfortable with the rapid pace of change in the IT industry, and it’s amazing how transferrable the skills I learned are to other industries who aren’t as well prepared for this new fast moving world we find ourselves in.
For example, many businesses struggle with single points of failures, where the business can’t properly function without the business owner or another key individual. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), checklists and documentation can have a massive positive impact on any business.
If you’re interested in speaking to me about an advisory of NED role, get in touch.
Charity
I’ve been very open about my own mental health journey, and so in 2025, Paul Croker invited me to join the board of 404 – Stress Not Found.
404 – Stress Not Found is a UK-based non-profit aimed at raising awareness of and supporting mental health for those in the tech and cyber industry.
We held the first 404 meetup in my hometown of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, with the second Toon-based meetup scheduled for Thur 25th June, 2026. If you’re a tech or cyber professional (whether corporate or SMB) then please register to join us.
I’ve also been able to give more time to supporting Networkfour, a Birmingham-based charity supporting vulnerable people. We’d long supported Networkfour via Tubblog – The Hub for MSPs, and The Tech Tribe, but I’ve now been able to give more of my personal time to Networkfour’s 18four18 campaign. If you’re able to financially support Networkfour, then please do so. They do essential work for those who need the help the most.
Connection
My “future life” has given me the space to truly explore my curiosity without a commercial agenda. They say that if you ever find yourself as the smartest person in the room, it’s time to find a new room. I’ve taken that philosophy to heart and sought out opportunities to learn new things and meet new people.
Learning
Over the past few months, I’ve attended a wide-variety of talks and courses, ranging from bird watching with expert Michael Turner in the Lower Derwent Valley National Nature Reserve, learning about Dark Matter in the Universe, exploring the science-backed benefits of day-dreaming at the Lit & Phil, hearing the story of the Kittiwakes at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, and exploring how to grow microgreens.
Meditation and Spirituality
Recently, I’ve been exploring both my spirituality and meditation practice.
I’ve been meditating for a long-time, using both the Headspace and Insight Timer apps.
I participated in a 6-week group meditation course run by Lee Strasburger, a student of Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. The course was facilitated by the wonderful Kirsty Allan and her community, The IF Crowd, which supports Highly Sensitive People (HSP) like myself.
Most weeks, I’ve been joining Jane Crane for her wonderful online midday group meditations.
I went to one of Claire Lou’s wonderful beach retreats, which included mindfulness walks, meditation, drumming and more.
And, I also took part in the Nousana 40/40, led by the amazing Georgina Williams-Hodgson. 40/40 is a program consisting of two WhatsApp messages a day, micro-coaching via texts + voice notes that help you learn to be present, and appreciate yourself. I can’t speak highly enough about 40/40, and would encourage you to check it out.
I’m now a member of Georgina’s OMM (Open-Minds Monthly) Club and enjoy the conversation and learning around all sorts of topics.
Recovering from Fatigue and Burnout
The first few months after stepping away from work were learning to slow-down and deal with the onset of fatigue and burnout.
Until you fully stop, I don’t think you realise just how much we normalise stress in modern society.
I’m very grateful to have read the book The Cure For Burnout: Build Better Habits, Find Balance and Reclaim Your Life by Emily Ballesteros, and subsequently taken Emily’s Burnout Bootcamp. The book and course helped me ease into my “future life” at a pace that helped me regain my strength and wellbeing.
This included a lot of fun and relaxing, such as…
- I’m a lifelong fan of Pro-Wrestling, and have been attending both local indie shows and All Elite Wrestling in Manchester.
- I’ve started home brewing Kombucha and learning about foraging.
- I’ve been visiting friends around the UK, including my first trip to Whitby for Goth Weekend.
- Claire and I have been going to concerts such as Fozzy and The ELO Show.
Plus, I’m a hardcore geek, and in addition to visiting Arcade Club in Bury, I’ve been learning all about off-grid communication via Meshtastic, home automation via Home Assistant, we’ve gone all-electric at home with increased solar panels and home batteries, I’ve visited Northumbria Amateur Radio Club, and joined the North East Maker Space.
Conclusion on Future Life
If these past nine months have taught me anything, it’s that life doesn’t stop when you close a major professional chapter. If anything, the canvas of life just gets bigger. I’ve stopped doing what was familiar, and now, I’m doing what makes me feel happy and alive.
I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has reached out over the past few months to check in on me. Your kindness was the catalyst for me turning on the PC and writing this blog post today.
I’m excited to be back, and I hope you’ll join me for the next chapter of my journey by visiting my blog or subscribing to get my blog posts via email.
What have you been up to lately? Drop a comment below and let’s catch up. 🙂
