Founder Story: From Tennis Courts to Trail Running to The VA Hub

Halfway up one of Hong Kong's highest peaks, running a 103km ultramarathon, I had the clarity I'd been searching for my entire life. But to understand that moment, you need to know where I started... 

Looking for the quick version of how The VA Hub started? Check out this post for the highlights.

Growing Up Between Two Worlds 

Hi, I’m Charlie, the founder of the VA Hub. I grew up in rural Kent, England, as one of four - a twin, with a sister and a younger brother. My childhood was full of contrasts. My parents separated when I was young, so we moved homes a few times, dividing time between two very different worlds. 

My dad was sixty when we were born – served in WW2, eccentric, and endlessly full of life. He filled our world with humour, music, and confidence. He'd hum Frank Sinatra through school corridors and have sing-offs with my music teachers. He was also the loudest cheerleader at every sports match - if Dad was there, I felt safe. 

But his love often came wrapped in pressure. Winning mattered - maybe too much. When we lost, we got the silent treatment; when we won, we were adored. It taught me that approval could be conditional. That mix of love and expectation built resilience but also made me hard on myself - a perfectionist constantly searching for freedom. 

Mum was our quiet anchor. Loyal, loving, and fiercely determined, she worked tirelessly to give us every opportunity, often sacrificing for us in ways I didn't fully understand until I was older. Later, she built her own small business — my first glimpse of female independence. Between Dad's charisma and Mum's grit, I learned both confidence and endurance. 

The Tennis Years 

Tennis became the heartbeat of our family life. My siblings and I played at county level for Kent, spending weekends on the road to tournaments and hours training after school. My stepdad — who came into our lives through tennis - was strict and disciplined, the polar opposite of my dad's warmth. Between his structure and Dad's high expectations, tennis became more pressure than play. It gave me grit but also a craving for freedom. I remember asking to take up horse riding instead of tennis - I'd had three years of riding for freedom and fun as a child before tennis got too serious, and I craved that feeling again. But tennis was non-negotiable. Looking back, that was the start of my lifelong desire to create life on my own terms. 

Finding Independence 

When I turned eighteen, it felt like a breath of fresh air! I went to university and embraced independence - the social shenanigans, the late nights, the adventure. After years of being the disciplined tennis girl, I wanted to experience everything. And somehow, I balanced it all and still did well academically. I learned you could be ambitious and still have fun - a lesson that's guided me ever since. 

After university, I travelled the world. I lived in Spain, backpacked across Southeast Asia, and spent two years in Australia doing every odd job imaginable; bar work, farm labour, door-to-door sales. Every experience built my confidence. I learned to talk to anyone, handle rejection, and keep showing up. Each time I failed and survived, I became braver. 

Corporate Life 

When I eventually returned to London, I joined the events company Informa, selling conference packages. It was my first proper corporate job with long hours, high pressure, big targets. Not enjoying the London grind, I interviewed and was promoted to Dubai to sell sponsorships for international exhibitions - a glamorous, high-stakes world that looked impressive on paper. Inside, though, I was still figuring out who I was. 

Dubai taught me courage. I was often the youngest in the room, battling imposter syndrome daily. But I made a decision: fear wouldn't make my choices for me. If something scared me, I'd say yes anyway. That mindset changed everything. Every uncomfortable "yes" became a brick in the foundation of who I am today - a woman who backs herself, even when she's terrified. 

Loss and Rebuilding 

Then everything shifted. My dad - my anchor - was diagnosed with cancer. Losing him devastated me. Around the same time, I was in a relationship that wasn't right for me, which compounded my grief. I broke down completely. Yet, in the middle of that darkness, I trained for and finished my first Half Ironman in my dad’s honour. Long solo rides and runs became my therapy. The physical pain was easier to handle than emotional grief - but step by step, I started to find strength again. 

Eventually, I returned to the UK, took a job as an Executive Assistant for one of the world's top hedge funds, and enrolled in a health coaching course. After my London and Dubai years, I found myself in debt - a result of living above my means and never truly learning how to manage money. Growing up, money wasn't something we talked about openly. Through studying wellness and mindset, I realised my biggest gaps weren't just spiritual, but financial. So, as I rebuilt myself inside and out, I also learned how to manage money - how to earn it, understand it, and take control of it. That process opened my eyes to how many women were never taught financial literacy. Today, that fuels one of my biggest passions: empowering women - especially virtual assistants - to not only work freely, but to become financially free too. 

The Trail That Led to Freedom 

That's when I found trail running - and it found me. It started as physical exercise and became something spiritual. Running long distances taught me resilience and mental strength in a deeper way. Every race stripped away ego and expectation until all that was left was presence and grit. On those trails, I felt closer to my dad and to myself 

Which brings me to 2019, and the moment that changed everything. 

During a 103km ultramarathon in Hong Kong, one of the toughest races I’d ever attempted, I had an epiphany that changed everything. Halfway up one of Hong Kong’s highest peaks, utterly exhausted, legs screaming - I realised I’d never felt more alive. The contrast was huge - this raw, natural freedom versus the suffocating office life I’d known.  

I didn’t just want to escape the office; I wanted to help others escape too. 

I’d been converting a camper van for fifteen months - wiring, sanding, sawing and building every inch myself - and it suddenly all made sense. Freedom. Creativity. Purpose. A home on wheels meant I could work from anywhere, live simply and design a life on my own terms. Now, I wanted to help other women do the same, women who’d been told to stay small, stay safe, or stay in the 9–5 box. 

The VA Hub is Born 

And that’s how The VA Hub was born - a playful, heart-led agency and community for women virtual assistants and business managers. A space for freedom, connection, and growth. A place where women can build flexible, fulfilling remote careers, supported by a community that truly cares. 

But our mission goes beyond empowering women - it’s about freeing businesses too. We help founders, consultants, and teams reclaim their time and headspace by managing the operations, admin, and processes behind the scenes. When we take care of the details, our clients can focus on strategy, creativity, and growth - the parts of business that light them up. 

Today, I run The VA Hub with the same energy my dad gave me - courage, humour, and heart - and the quiet determination my mum showed me as a woman founder herself. My mission is simple: to help women break free from the old rules of work, and to help businesses find freedom through trust, excellence, and support. I now lead The VA Hub from my camper van in summer - working remotely from coastlines and forests across the UK and Europe - and a home base in winter. It's proof that the model works: you can run a professional, successful business without being tied to an office. 

Because freedom isn’t just about where you work - it’s about who you become when you finally back yourself.