Running a business, raising a family, and trying to hold everything together left Holly, 34, from the West Midlands, feeling like she was constantly treading water, until she found Ben.

"When I first got in touch with Ben, my life felt completely overwhelming. I had recently been appointed as a director of our family business, working with my dad and my husband (if you know those challenges – I see you!). At the same time, I was trying to be a working mum who was also at all the school concerts, a decent wife, and someone who occasionally knew what was edible in the fridge.

"Work was busy, home was busy, and I constantly felt like I was trying to swim against the current, trying to keep my head above water. It was exhausting.

"Through our newly implemented garage management system, I’d become part of a community of garage owners. It gave a space to talk openly about business life… the trials, tribulations, and the reality of trying to manage everything and earn a living. One day, someone mentioned Ben and the support they’d received. They didn’t make a big song and dance about it. They just said, “It helped. A lot.”

"I remember thinking: “How have I never heard of this?” We’ve been in the automotive business for over 20 years! Because the truth is, this industry is tough and not just in one way. It affects people making the tea, holding the spanners, people running teams of advisors, and people sitting in corporate offices making decisions that keep them awake at night. The pressures may be very different, but the weight is the same.

"I’d seen people struggle: my own Dad, clients, business connections over the years. Good, capable, hardworking people, quietly carrying far too much and, in tragic cases, it ultimately breaking them.

"But I put it off. I told myself I’d deal with it later. Then… I had a really bad day, the kind where I actually realised I didn’t have the energy to keep pretending I was managing any longer. I wasn’t falling apart, I was empty, and I needed to do something now. That’s when I reached out.

"From the very first conversation with the team at Ben, something shifted. There was no judgment. No pressure. No feeling that I had to explain myself or justify how I felt. What really stood out was how well they understood this industry and the pressures that go with it.

"And it wasn’t just one type of support that Ben was able to offer me... There’s counselling, life coaching, even financial support to name but a few.

"For Ben, it’s about meeting people where they are right at that moment and getting them the most appropriate support. I personally had life coaching, and it wasn’t about fixing me or telling me what to do. It was about working through the noise, the constant self-doubt and making things manageable.

"One of the most powerful tools which was suggested by my coach, which I really thought was a joke at the time - is a kid’s reward chart. This is in my office. And even now, I give myself a gold star when I do something I’m proud of. Big or small.

"Some days that star is for handling a tough conversation with a customer, seeing a new process working on the shop floor, or managing to eat some breakfast!

"And that tiny thing has helped me recognise wins on days where everything else feels like a loss.

"Getting support didn’t suddenly make life easy. But it made it clearer. Calmer. My ability to switch off from work has improved (not perfect but better), I am more present with my family and I can even manage a day or 3 without that nightly glass (or bottle) of wine.

"Since then, whenever someone I come across in our sector says, “I’m struggling,” or, “I don’t know how much longer I can do this”... I say, “Have you spoken to Ben?”

"Because this invaluable support Ben gives only works if people know it exists and if we’re honest enough to say we might need it. We all want to finish the day feeling like we’ve done a good job. That we’ve given our best – for ourselves, our employers and our loved ones.

"What Ben offers is something that truly benefits people, and the more it’s talked about, the more people it can help. And that’s so important, because this industry can be incredibly tough. If sharing my story helps even one person reach out and get the support they need, then it’s worth it.”