Now anyone who has read Out of Office will know that I’ve written about how to raise your prices, I have successfully raised my prices repeatedly throughout the years but this year it’s felt much harder and I was trying to unpick why that might be and I realised that being diagnosed with a chronic illness has had a major impact on my confidence as a business owner. Today I'm talking to Ruth Poundwhite about the work she does with clients around pricing and chronic illness as well as her own personal experience. Learn more about Ruth Poundwhite Follow Fiona Thomas on Instagram
All of the hard work, success, and achievement aren’t actually satisfying...You know you’re here for more. You might have tried therapy, coaching, self-help books, retreats, and personal development programs... You’ve made progress. But you’re still not where you want to be. You’ve got tons of insight… but the way you FEEL doesn’t change at the core. Leaving you wondering: What’s wrong with me? And the Answer is — Nothing. You’re brilliant. If you could have figured it out — you would have figured it out long ago. The problem is misdiagnosed. It’s not you, It’s Patriarchy Stress Disorder ( PSD ). Learn more about Dr Valerie Rein Patriarchy Stress Disorder: The Invisible Inner Barrier to Women's Happiness and Fulfillment - Buy now Follow Dr Valerie on Instagram Out of Office: Ditch the 9-5 and Be Your Own Boss - Buy now Follow Fiona Thomas on Instagram
Alison Powell is a freelance writer and creativity coach. She facilitates workshops and courses as part of Write Club, which I've taken part in recently and found invaluable as I write the first draft of my novel. In this episode we talk about: Why building a club for writers is important to Alison Why she pivoted from working for IBM to teaching English to facilitate workshops Alison's secret mission 🤫 Learn more about Write Club Sign up for my writing workshop: Stop Procrastinating, Start Writing
EDIT: Jo's book will now be published on Nov 4th 2021 Let me introduce you to Jo Love. She is a Trainee Psychotherapist, award-winning Mental Health Advocate, Artist and Author of Therapy is… Magic. In this episode we cover: Jo’s squiggly career journey from lawyer to business owner to trainee psychotherapist Why self-employment isn’t always the key to a healthy relationship with work What therapy really is (and isn’t) Things to consider when you think about getting therapy Follow Jo on Instagram Fiona’s books Get free journal prompts here: https://fionalikestoblog.com/resources/ About Therapy is Magic: In this part memoir, part mental health resource and how-to guide, Jo Love throws opens the door of her therapist’s office and shines a light on what exactly goes on in the therapy room. With the help of experts, including her very own therapist, Jo opens a rare window into the real world of therapy, unpicking the magical powers that enabled her to re-find her own voice, restored her resilience through the cloudiest days and ultimately saved her from her own mind.
In this episode we cover How I discovered I wanted to be a writer My journey through employment and how it all, abruptly came to a halt Facing challenges with confidence and overcoming external expectations set on us by society How social media has helped me create a community and build real human connections The impact of talking openly about mental health Find out more about Lorna here Fiona's links are here.
This week Jenna from The Bloglancer is sharing 5 steps to make money from your blog. This episode is perfect for anyone who has a blog as a hobby and is wondering how to monetise. Jenna shares her mindset tips, a simple way to make money as an affiliate and how to optimise your blog to work with brands. Follow Jenna on Instagram: www.instagram.com/jennafarmeruksocial Sign up for Jenna’s free blogging newsletter: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/5ec3f91b13c6b500267d8493 Blogging course sign-up: https://jenna-s-school-f673.thinkific.com/courses/thebloglancer Fiona’s links: https://fionalikestoblog.com/click-me/
Oh lordy it's been a bad spell for me and my mental health. But a girl gotta eat. And pay the mortgage. So we continue to self-promote. Here are my tips on how to make it work when you don't feel good about self-promotion. For mental health support call 116 123 or text SHOUT to 85258 Learn more about Inspire Write Repeat here. Buy Out of Office Follow me on Instagram
Do you ever feel like you're an imposter waiting to be found out? Like all your successes are just good timing? That you've got no right to be thinking about running a business? Today I'm sharing how I cope with imposter syndrome and push on without letting it get in the way. Learn more about Inspire Write Repeat here Follow me on Instagram Buy Out of Office
Corporate hangovers are more common than you think. Here are 5 habits that might be ruining your freelance life. Sign up to the Inspire Write Repeat waitlist here. All the other links you need are here.
I want to introduce you to Jo Hooper, my freelance pal and mental health mentor. She's an absolute rock and voice of reason when it comes to building a business that supports your wellbeing, and in this conversation, we cover a lot of ground. From my dwindling mental health and corporate hangovers, to why we need to set boundaries to create sustainable careers. Kick back and enjoy our chat and prepare for more mental health check-ins with Jo in the coming months. Learn more about Jo Hooper. All my links are here.
In this week’s episode, I’m talking to Jess from the Coworking Club about how to make the leap into freelancing. We discuss: Why side hustles are on the rise post-pandemic Blogging - is it dead in the water? How to manage your mental health when you go solo Where to find your first clients Fiona's links are here Learn more about The Coworking Club
Do you dream of seeing your name in print? But not got a clue where to start? The good news is that I've been there and spent years pitching successfully to publications, with my work printed in Grazia, Huffington Post, Happiful and Metro to name a few. Also, I offer 1-1 mentoring calls as well, where I can run over pitches with you, answer your specific questions in detail and have a good old chinwag about the freelance writer life. Anyway, here goes - here are your FAQs answered on how to pitch to publications. Blog post on pitching All my other links
Do you dream of seeing your name in print? But not got a clue where to start? The good news is that I've been there and spent years pitching successfully to publications, with my work printed in Grazia, Huffington Post, Happiful and Metro to name a few. Also, I offer 1-1 mentoring calls as well, where I can run over pitches with you, answer your specific questions in detail and have a good old chinwag about the freelance writer life. Anyway, here goes - here are your FAQs answered on how to pitch to publications. Blog post on pitching All my other links
I'm all for offering practical advice on the podcast, but sometimes it's just as important to share the reality of running a freelance writing business. And I have been feeling a lot of fear and anxiety recently, but I haven't let it get on top of me. Here are my 3 biggest business fears and what I'm doing about them. All the links you need are here.
Too often, our dreams are put on hold because life gets in the way. We end up binge-watching The Office all weekend or looking after those around us, never make time for our own passion projects. In this episode, I'm sharing how I have managed to make time for my passion projects over the years. From my first foray into blogging when I was still working in hospitality, to more recently, when I've been laser-focused on writing my first novel. All the links you need are here.
Instagram reels are here to stay, but how can you use them to promote and ultimately sell more of your freelance services? I too was reluctant in the beginning, SO not up for learning dance routines and pointing at floating text. But once I found out how to use reels in my own way, to fit with my own personal brand... it all became much easier AND effective. All the links you need are here
There's an ongoing joke in the freelancing community that you can't pay your rent/feed your kids with 'exposure'. We all deserve to be paid fairly for our work... but is it ever OK to work for free? All the links you need are here Video on how to set your rates
Freelancing can offer so many positives. But what about when you have depression? How can you factor that into your schedule and make sure you still get work done, keep clients happy and grow your business? In this episode I share some practical tips that you can implement in your freelance life to manage sadness when it comes. All links mentioned can be found here.
Do you struggle with confidence? Do you remember all the negative feedback and blatantly ignore the positive? Are you plagued with self-doubt whenever you dare to introduce yourself as a freelancer? I've been there! This episode takes you through a few practical ways that you can begin to nurture your confidence and banish self-doubt. From collecting evidence to focusing on your achievements, there are so many ways you can become a more confident freelancer. Find all the links you need here
OK this a proper deep dive! I've been hosting regular online events for a year now and have learned so much. In this episode, I talk you through the technical steps to setting up your online event as well as other important things to consider such as promotion, pricing, writing your sales page, picking the right topic and so much more! Buy my book Out of Office - https://uk.bookshop.org/books/out-of-office-ditch-the-9-5-and-be-your-own-boss/9781789561241 Buy tickets to How To Make Money As a Freelance Writer