Why being a copywriter is so much more than being a good writer.
Being good at writing and being a good copy or content writer are very different things. It took me a long time to work this out. I first started content writing on a freelance basis well over a decade ago. I’d tried to change career and it hadn’t worked out, so I fell back on […]
Getting out there when you don’t fancy it much.
The world feels a bit on the brink at the moment, doesn’t it? On the one hand I’m looking forward to normality, on the other hand, I don’t feel ready at all. I remember having a diary that was a Tetris of social engagements and child sport lessons and gigs and birthday drinks. It feels […]
Six ways to write about what you do with confidence
These days, every freelancer or small business owner seems to be an expert in building their personal brand online. But here’s the secret. Even the people who show up online for their businesses and make it look easy don’t feel great about it ALL the time. It’s impossible to have that level of self-belief 24/7. […]
Why should we write?
Because writing can give us answers to our problems. Sometimes we find clarity. Sometimes we find relief. Sometimes we hit publish and make a connection with somebody whose brain fog matches ours, and it makes us feel less alone. Sometimes it’s just good to get The Stuff out so it’s not whirling relentlessly around our […]
Why side hustles are more than just extra cash
It’s 18 months since I started my freelance journey, but I’ve actually been running my business for two years this month. That’s because I started taking client work on the side when I was in-house. Deciding when to make the jump into freelancing is such a personal thing. Some people graft for years to build […]
You’re not rubbish at writing, it’s just hard work sometimes.
My paternal grandmother (a diminutive woman with a terrifyingly large presence and a beehive hairdo that increased her height by at least eight inches) was a stickler for doing a job thoroughly. Roughly once a year, she would announce that it was time to polish all the brass ornaments in the house, of which there […]
Your messaging doesn’t have to be all me-me-me.
We need to let go of this idea that telling the world about our work is all about US. Our why. What we say, what we do, the actions that we take. This hyper-masculine idea that we must always be thrusting forwards with our message is starting to feel really dated. Because we […]
Why being visible online feels hard in a pandemic. And what we can do about it.
Writing stuff online is a funny old thing at the best of times. Who will read it? What will they think? Should we go personal and risk oversharing, or go sharp and professional and risk seeming cold? At the moment, writing content to stay professionally visible feels more difficult and more significant than ever. Personally, […]
Maybe your niche isn’t what you do. Maybe it’s who you choose to do it with.
I’ve spent the last year wondering what my niche is, if I should have one, what it might be. As I’ve watched my business evolve, I’ve noticed the pattern isn’t in the sectors I’m working in. It’s in the people. The folk who want to work with me are Big Ideas […]
My best biz books of 2019
They didn’t all come out in 2019, but 2019 was the year I read ‘em. A round-up of my favourite reads for business, writing, creativity and all that good stuff. A Company of One – Paul Jarvis For: Small business owners . Essential reading for any ‘solopreneurs’ or small biz owners who prefer to focus on excellent service […]