Why it's never too late to follow your dreams

It can sometimes feel like life is set up for you to follow one particular narrow path, with all the decisions you’ve made so far in life pushing you towards making safe, sensible choices in the future. But it doesn’t have to be like that. Inspired by SEAT Arona’s "Do Your Thing" spirit, we met three people who took the leap.

In 1996 Mark Bury sold his City-based information technology company and, at the age of 40, used the money to follow his dream and buy a dilapidated farm in Devon. “I wanted to do my little bit to change the post-war intensive farming practices and to improve the soil, give traditional breeds a new chance, and restore the habitat,” he explains.

Mark’s friends thought him “crazy”. “They said there was no money in farming, and that it was just hard work,” he continues.

Now, with the help of his children, Anna and Hamish, Eversfield Organic is a model farm and multi-award-winning meat-box business. And this Christmas the farm is part of the Soil Association and the Organic Trade Board’s #FeedYourHappy campaign.

Mark adds: “The farm and butchery business are finally moving into profit after 16 years. We are also building our new charcuterie factory which we hope to open at the end of January. To other over-40s unsure about following their dream I would say: it is a luxury you deserve, so just do it.”

For Lisa Forde 2004 was a life changing year, in more ways than one. Firstly she wed, before deciding to travel extensively and leave behind her old career in a management role in the travel industry. After returning from abroad Lisa was determined to follow her passion and set up her own special-occasion stationery company.

“Following my desire to start my own company was hugely rewarding,” says the Shropshire-based founder of Dotty about Paper.

Lisa adds: “Although I have had to make sacrifices along the way to launch my own enterprise, the reward of controlling my own destiny and seeing my business flourish outweighs it all. As a person I have become tougher and more self-disciplined, and worked hard to improve any weaknesses.

“It’s never too late to follow your dreams."

Up until 2012 Mona Shah was a governance manager for a National Health Service mental health trust in Cambridgeshire, and her husband, Shaz, was a digital design engineer for Samsung. It was their autistic teenage son, Ash, who inspired a drastic career change. Mona was alarmed to discover that 85 per cent of autistic people at working age in the UK are unemployed. “We were worried about what Ash would do,” she says.

A visit to a chocolate shop while on holiday in Scotland proved the catalyst Mona needed. “I found a perfect way of combining my passion for creating positive change for people with autism with my love of chocolate,” she continues. “Our chocolate shop, Harry Specters – a name Ash came up with – now involves young people with autism in every aspect of the business, from making and packaging the products to administration, design and photography. Because the processes are structured, it works well.”

But, just as importantly to Mona, the employees are empowered. “Hundreds of young people with autism have a brighter future,” she continues.

"Every business needs a lot of hard work, especially when starting up. What kept me going through the initial pains, though, was my passion for creating meaningful lives for people with autism. This passion of mine always got encouragement from friends, colleagues, my own family and whoever I met to introduce my business. It also helped that I had a passion for working with chocolate!”

The all-new Arona is the ideal car for those who make their own decisions and hold full control of their lives. Wherever you are in your journey, the SEAT Arona is the perfect urban crossover for those who do their own thing and live life to the fullest.