Every business has a story. Behind every logo, website, social media page and networking introduction is usually a reason someone decided to take the leap in the first place. Sometimes it is about freedom. Sometimes it is about necessity. Sometimes it comes from frustration, burnout or simply wanting a different way of life.
For Escape the Village founder Liz Graney, the “big why” behind the business was never simply about starting another marketing agency. It was about making a genuine difference. The journey behind Escape the Village is built around redundancy, health challenges, family priorities, rural life, lived experience and seeing just how many brilliant small businesses struggle to be seen.
Because the reality is that many incredible businesses are still “well-kept secrets.”
The Meaning Behind the Name Escape the Village
People often assume the name Escape the Village is quirky, humorous or simply linked to countryside life. But there is actually a much deeper meaning behind it. Liz and her family live in a rural village and genuinely love rural life. The countryside, village communities, local events and independent businesses are all part of what inspired the business in the first place.
At the same time though, rural businesses often face very unique challenges. Many become extremely well known within their immediate area but struggle to grow beyond it. Liz often explains it using a simple comparison.
If you walk into your local village shop, people know who you are. They know your name, your family and probably what you do for work. But if you walk into a large supermarket in a nearby town or city, suddenly you are simply another face in the crowd. Small businesses often experience exactly the same thing. They may be trusted locally and have loyal customers, but beyond that immediate circle, hardly anybody knows they exist.
That is where the inspiration behind Escape the Village came from. Helping businesses escape being “just locally known.” Helping them reach wider audiences. Helping them gain confidence in their marketing. Helping them stop being hidden gems that nobody outside their village or town ever discovers.
A Career Built on Experience
Before launching Escape the Village, Liz already had more than 30 years of experience across marketing, consultancy, training and business management. Her background included national and international marketing roles, previous businesses and experience across multiple industries. Over the years she had worked with businesses of all sizes, from corporate environments to small independent organisations.
But despite the experience and career progression, something increasingly no longer felt right. Corporate life often meant long hours, delayed decisions and endless approval processes. Ideas and projects could sit waiting for sign-off while opportunities passed by. Like many people in demanding roles, Liz found herself giving huge amounts of time and energy with very little balance in return.
At the same time, her health was beginning to suffer. Ironically, during the COVID work-from-home period, she noticed something important. Without constant commuting, stress, office pressures and regular exposure to coughs, colds and infections, her overall health actually improved.
It became clear that the traditional corporate lifestyle was no longer sustainable.
When Life Changes Direction
Escape the Village was not launched because everything was perfect. In fact, quite the opposite. The business was created during a period where several major life challenges collided together. Liz was dealing with ongoing health struggles herself while also supporting her daughter through life-changing medical conditions and hospital appointments. At the same time, the company she worked for was facing serious financial difficulties.
Then everything changed almost overnight. After a brief management update first thing in the morning, staff were informed during a Teams meeting that the business was ceasing trading immediately. Salaries had not been paid, and suddenly there was enormous uncertainty about the future. For many people, redundancy at that point would have felt devastating.
Instead, it became the moment Liz decided to fully commit to building something of her own, initially by herself and later with her daughter Izzy.
Seeing Small Businesses Struggle
The inspiration behind Escape the Village did not come from theory or trends. It came from real life. Liz’s husband runs his own business, and many of their friends are also small business owners. Over the years, while working in corporate marketing roles, she had regularly been approached by friends and local businesses asking for help with marketing, websites, social media and visibility. Many were brilliant at what they did but struggled to promote themselves.
Some relied purely on word of mouth. Some had outdated websites. Some felt overwhelmed by marketing terminology. Others simply did not know where to begin. The reality is that most small business owners are experts in their trade, not in marketing.
- A fantastic gardener may not understand SEO.
- A talented equestrian business owner may struggle with content creation.
- A local café owner may not know how to optimise Google Business listings or improve online visibility.
That does not make them poor business owners. It simply means they need the right support. That became a huge part of the “big why” behind Escape the Village. Providing honest, experienced and understandable marketing support to businesses that genuinely need help.
Building a Business Around Real Life
One of the biggest differences since launching Escape the Village has been the improvement in work/life balance. The business was intentionally built around real life rather than life being forced around work. Hospital appointments no longer create panic or stress about asking permission for time off. Family priorities come first. Health matters.
Liz now has the flexibility to structure her work around her life rather than the other way around. Some mornings start later, often around 10am, allowing for better pacing and wellbeing. Friday afternoons are protected for family time, trips away or volunteering with the Army Cadets.
Ironically, having healthier boundaries has actually created greater productivity, creativity and enjoyment in work. The business has become not just a source of income, but a better way of living.
More Than Marketing
Escape the Village was never intended to simply become another agency selling marketing packages. It was created around values, understanding and community.
Liz’s own lived experience as a disabled veteran, rural business owner and someone balancing family health challenges means the business understands the pressures many people face behind the scenes. That understanding shapes how Escape the Village works with clients. It is also why community support, sponsorships, charities and supporting veterans, disabled business owners and local organisations remain such a huge part of the business.
Success means more when it helps other people too.
Your Big Why Will Be Different
The truth is that everybody’s “big why” is different. For some people it is about freedom. For others it is about family. Some people want flexibility. Some want financial independence. Some simply want to build something meaningful after years of feeling stuck. But understanding your “why” matters because it becomes the reason you keep going when business feels difficult. Because every business owner will face challenges at some point.
There will be setbacks. Stress. Self-doubt. Unexpected problems. But when a business is built around genuine purpose, values and lived experience, it becomes much easier to stay focused on the bigger picture.
For Liz, the big why behind Escape the Village has always remained simple:
To make a genuine difference to struggling local, rural and small businesses through honest, experienced marketing support while also giving back to the communities and people that matter most.
Lets discuss your why, and how you can build that into your business and ultimately your marketing!
Over the last thirty years Elizabeth has start up and run a number of successful businesses in a variety of industries including events management, restaurant, webdesign, business training and gardening! This has led to extensive knowledge of business startup, management and marketing.
She is also a qualified and experienced business and life coach with a passion for supporting small business owners. In addition to all of this she is an experienced and qualified further education lecturer, having taught face to face courses and workshops across England, as well as a range of online courses in a range of business and marketing topics .