A man has admitted despite being able to take his wife away several times a year, it has impacted their relationship – and he has one message for the younger generation
A successful entrepreneur has opened up about the hard work he puts in, which allows him to whisk his wife away on six holidays every year – and has one savage message for those aspiring to do the same.
33-year-old Karl Hudson has laid out what it takes to launch a successful business, as well as some of the sacrifices you have to make. However, he also reaps in the benefits, which allows him to take multiple luxury breaks a year.
The Geordie-born businessman claims he makes seven figures a year from various investments and agencies, as well as his personal website and SEO company. But with the rewards and luxury of life comes hard work, which he admits has taken a toll on his marriage to Charlotte.
Karl admitted he struggles to “switch off”, sometimes working up to 18 hours a day, and said his laptop comes everywhere with him, including on his honeymoon. The entrepreneur, who grew up living in council housing in a ‘rough’ area, said extreme dedication is necessary for anyone who wants to succeed in business, and said he fears the younger generation has “lost that fire” to work, and instead Gen Z “expects everything handed to them”.
“My constant working can cause issues and arguments,” said Karl, who got married earlier this summer. “My wife knows that I can get absorbed in the job but that this is a sacrifice we have to make to live the life we now have. We’ve had six holidays in this year alone – visiting places such as Thailand, Poland, Vietnam, Spain and the Philippines.
“But the work doesn’t stop. If I have to jump on the laptop while we’re out there, then I’m going to do it because that money means the next trip will be even better. My work allows us to have the finer things in life, which she definitely enjoys. I’ll never change.”
Karl and Charlotte have been together for eight years, and he is also her employer as well as her husband. Charlotte works as a content manager for one of Karl’s companies Searcharoo – a backlink building company. The couple live in a £350,000 house with their two Yorkshire Terriers and are travelling in Australia and Bali during a four-week honeymoon, following their wedding in July this year.
It’s not just investments and holiday’s Karl spends money on, he also occasionally treats himself to lavish items such as cars, recently forking out £35,000 Ford Ranger Wildtrak, while his wife drives a £55,000 BMW X5. But this life of luxury is a far cry from his upbringing and it’s what has kept him “humble” despite his success. Karl explained: “Growing up in a rough area in a council home has always helped me stay humble. Despite the area we lived in, I had a great upbringing and my SEO journey actually started in that house.
“My dad, who worked as a life coach, needed help with designing a website and with 14-year-old me being a big fan of computer games, he called on me for some help. Back in those days it was a lot of trial and error, with a big emphasis on error – it was the perfect way to learn.”
Karl said times have changed, and when he first started out, you didn’t “need much” in terms of financial backing. He added: “My first website was launched from my parents’ bedroom. Throughout my career, I’ve been involved in multiple businesses and platforms, helping investors get their websites ranked.”
Searcharoo launched in 2018 and Karl said: “When I started SEO, it was hugely different [to how it is now]. You were capable of just spamming and things would rank, the trickiest part is all of the algorithm changes and trying to test what is working, because Google doesn’t tell you.
“So networking with other people, testing and sharing ideas, is what I’ve done for many years to help give me the edge, which has definitely helped contribute to my success.”
He also puts his financial success down to his dertmination to never give up when things get tough – and something he thinks today’s generation ‘struggles’ with. “I’ve had some days in my career where I’ve been working for 18 hours straight but it doesn’t phase me. I find it impossible to switch off as I love what I do. I’m not one to flash the cash, though – I’m actually quite a reserved person.”
The entrepreneur believes that the harder you work, the “more you get”, but it’s a belief he thinks people now lack. “Unfortunately, with how easy technology has made everything, I fear that the younger generation has lost that fire.
“Gen Z expects everything to be handed to them but that’s not the real world – I’ve got out exactly what I’ve put in. Younger lads wouldn’t dream of working on holiday but if they want a life like mine, it’s part of the grind.”
Do you have a story to share? Email niamh.kirk@reachplc.com
