In the first year of my former company, an ironic moment occurred on Christmas Day. Our staff wondered if we would close for the holiday, a sentiment echoed by my family, who couldn’t understand why I had to work. They were using internet services like Amazon, enabled by the gift certificates I had bought earlier that day, yet seemed unaware that the internet and our servers don’t pause for Christmas. At that time, 60% of our clientele were from the U.S., with others globally dispersed. Despite the holiday, server logs indicated active use and content updates, and we even received two orders that day. By the year I exited the business, U.S. clients comprised only 30% of our base, a shift not from losing American customers but due to expanding our international presence.

Over 11 years in the hosting industry, I managed customer service, staff, and suppliers across four companies. I’ve observed the rise and fall of many hosting companies and the ebb and flow of software trends. This year, I chose to step away from the industry, transitioning from provider to customer.

My departure wasn’t due to business failure but because I had been working relentlessly for over a decade. Initially, my intention was to fund my education, possibly in zoology, but I got caught up in the industry. The continuous dedication to our clients, starting in my mid-twenties, impacted my health. I transitioned from an active lifestyle to a sedentary one, anchored to a desk, managing operations across multiple screens, and attending to emergencies round the clock. Eventually, I sold my stake in the company to pursue other ventures with more flexible hours.

Navigating server outages was particularly taxing. Balancing customer relations during these episodes while technicians worked on repairs was a high-pressure task. Customers often wanted to speak directly with the technicians, not realizing this would prolong the outage. Each incident of downtime, though rare, felt protracted and stressful.

My friends and family didn’t fully grasp the demands of self-employment, especially when serving customers across all time zones. They thought my schedule was flexible, not understanding the necessity of prioritizing the business. Advances in wireless technology eventually provided some relief from being tied to my desk.

Now, I am still self-employed, but with more control over my time, I can take necessary breaks, achieving a better work-life balance. In my free time, I’ve dedicated myself to a personal mission: exposing the misleading practices in the fake hosting review industry. Drawing on my extensive experience, I aim to bring clarity and honesty to an area riddled with deception.