When I first started out freelancing I organised coffees with some of my friends who I knew worked in the kind of industries and sectors I was interested in. I felt a bit nervous and thought that just having a chat with some people I already knew about something work-related would be a good place to start. And it was. I met up with a friend of mine who is a CTO. He was really encouraging, stating...
What Did You Buy From Instagram Today?
I’ve always loved this picture explaining social media through the medium of doughnuts. As you can see it is a little out of date – FourSquare has since pivoted its business model – but I’ve often thought that adding ‘doughnut eating’ as a skill on LinkedIn is a sure fire winner! For a long time Instagram was, to me, just a load of vintage/filtered pictures. It...
Freelancing is Like Running and Other Marathon Analogies
One of the things that I’ve consciously done since I started freelancing is to build my own virtual watercooler. As you can see from my previous posts, I was never the natural networker. In fact, I now often describe my networking at previous office-based jobs as ‘whatever events were offering free cake and time out of the office.’ As you can probably tell, I didn’t see...
Single-Tasking or Multi-Tasking? Just Don’t Forget to Task!
I love a good productivity read. Whether it’s a book or a blog, I’m there. 5 tips for a better morning routine. Yep. 5 tips to stop you checking your phone every 10 seconds. Click. 10 things all those people you want to be do before 5am. Check. I know that it is click bait, but I can’t help it, I’ll click every time. I don’t know what it is. I think I know myself pretty well, I think I’m self...
This Girl Can? How About #thiswomancan?
Listening to the radio this morning I heard a segment about the #thisgirlcan campaign run by Sport England. This campaign has been running for a while now. It is reaching out to women and encouraging them to be more active. Research showed that one of the main reasons that women don’t exercise is that they are worried about judgement and how they look when they do. This campaign aims to...
Freelancing and the Never Ending Salary Discussion
I read this article from Independents United about salary transparency with interest. I will fully admit that I have always been someone who never really wanted to talk about salary. I’m nosy enough to want to know what someone else earns but if that means I have to say how much I earn, suddenly I’m not so interested. However, having just started out as a freelancer, I’m also realising that...
6 Practical Tips for Your Very First Video Podcast (With a Guest)
In the last two weeks I’ve recorded my first video podcast and vlog. Here are 6 things that I learnt. I wanted to pass them on here so you don’t end up with outtakes like this — although to be fair I’ve warmed to the outtakes since I recorded them. 1. What Can Everyone See Behind You? I recorded my first video where I have all my video calls — from my dining room table with the window behind me...
Follow Me: Social Media Perspectives — Episode 1 with Kat Loughrey
I’m so pleased to share my new video podcast with you all. I’m always having such great conversations with people about social and content. I find new stories and perspectives so refreshing and inspiring so I’ve started my own podcast to capture them. Follow Me: Social Media Perspectives will feature a different guest each time to share their insights into their niche, how they create content...
Networking — not as big and scary as you think
There are lots of things that you tell yourself you don’t like. For me, at work, networking is at the top of that list. I’ve always felt like it is a skill that I don’t have whilst everyone else is just out there, meeting new and fresh contacts daily whilst busily following up with everyone they met last week and doing amazing ‘networking’ business I can never hope to access at glamorous...
My Reading List Highlights And My Quest For Quality Content
I’ve decided to start a regular(ish) round up of what I’m currently reading. Yes, there are so many similar lists out there. As content creators and marketers we all know the magic of the list post. Easy and quick to write, looks good with images and numbered bullets (translation: very scannable content) and quick to share. However, I’ve started to find it harder and harder to discover quality...