When a trusted right hand moves on. Gratitude, loss and the end of an era.

It's difficult to realise that it is 18 years since my former business manager married and emigrated (in an age where that meant "goodbye") and that, through a word of mouth recommendation, I found myself meeting Phillippa Goodwin in a cafe off the M5, to discuss whether or not we could work together.

Perhaps the shortest and least professional interview ever, as I knew in the first few minutes that we had "clicked" and that PG would be the right fit - for me and for the job.

Phillippa ran her own Virtual PA business, The Essential Personal Assistant, and I did have some initial reservations as to whether "being one of her clients" would be as good as having her on the payroll.

There hasn't been a moment in nearly two decades that I haven't felt as if I had Phillippa's undivided attention - I've sometimes wondered if she actually has any other clients, as response rates have consistently been immediate and effective.

Phillippa has travelled with me through thick and thin, through patches when my business has smelled of roses, and times when it has stunk.

She has seen my changes of identity, brand, affiliation and business model. She has seen all of my hair vanish and my waistline expand.

She understood the business systems I was operating when we first met and has, over time, reimagined those systems, improved them and has done what any great manager does - she has made 100 decisions a day, 95 of which I've known nothing about, 4 of which she has shared with me as a sense check and 1 of which she has deferred to me, because it's my business. Perfect.

She has been 80% Sgt Major, 15% Ward Matron and 5% Mother Superior. Perfect.

Perhaps most importantly of all.......

I remember a long time ago, in a galaxy far away (a.k.a. 1993) I lost my shirt in business, and my late father Charlie Barrow simply said "Well if anyone can get it all back, you can." - Still the best coaching I've ever heard - belief.

And there have been times in the last 18 years when another person's belief in me, whether it has been my wife, my children, my coach, my clients or my friends, has been the only thing that has kept me going.

Phillippa has been a senior member of my "believe in you" team throughout - even though that includes telling me occasionally when I was wrong. Perfect.

Praise indeed - but times and seasons change, and as I sold my business earlier this year to The Campbell Academy, there was a reality that becoming part of a larger group was going to change the organisational structure of Extreme Business going forward.

I'm not going to hold back - Phillippa's departure from "Team CB" feels like a bereavement to me, like a right arm being taken away. Last week was one of the toughest of my working life - and just like you, I've had tough weeks.

I know full well that, over time, the talented team at The Campbell Academy will assimilate me and my business into their structure, and I'm confident that they will do it well. But it doesn't make the loss any less painful.

The nicest thing that happened to me this week, was a message from a trusted friend and client that, having read our internal "press release", he had already taken the initiative and hired Phillippa to work for his organisation.

I hope others who read this will consider doing the same, because my departure from Phillippa's client base has created a vacancy - and that's an opportunity for anyone who could use some world-class support.

For now, a cliche if I may - "the end of an era" - for both Phillippa and I, a door closes, and another one opens.

I've been very lucky to have her as my right hand for so long - now, for both of us, the future.

Give her a call - https://www.essentialpa.co.uk/bookacallwithpg