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Rachel Brushfield

The brand called You – why you need a personal brand

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Personal branding is becoming not just more important, but essential. Increasingly employees and consultants for projects will be resourced online via ‘Trip Advisor style’ sites. Just as videos and infographics have grown in importance to provide communication cut-through online, so defining your personal brand is a modern way to stand out.

Picture a sea of faces on a resourcing or recruitment web site for lawyers. An avatar (head-shot of you), and a couple of sentences maximum to get the message across, plus ratings about you from previous clients, employers and peers.

A busy executive looks at the site to find someone for an exciting career enhancing project or contract. How will you stand out and be chosen from the hundreds of choices? What will make the browser notice you in a good way so you are on their initial resourcing or recruitment list? Or will you be invisible – your online profile showcasing your high-quality experience not even read, because you didn’t get past the first hurdle.

So what is a personal brand and why is it so important for the future of work?

A personal brand is the territory you occupy in the minds and hearts of your target audience. It gets you noticed in a good way and positions you as the ‘go-to person’ for your specialism or niche.

The wording of your personal brand is crucial. The best personal brands are memorable, relevant and emotive. Articulating your personal brand in just three words follows in-depth analysis of yourself and the needs of your target audience, plus emerging trends, takes time and thought.

Articulate your brand in just three words.

Many people find it hard to create their own personal brand because they are so close to themselves that they can’t see their own unique talents. Synthesising, distilling and articulating the essence of you and the gift you bring to others in just a few words is a skill in itself.

Here are some pertinent quotes about personal branding.

“All of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.” Tom Peters in Fast Company.

“Building a profitable personal brand online is not a sprint, and something that happens overnight. Don’t aim for perfection early on. Instead allow your brand to evolve naturally over time and focus on providing massive value and over deliver to your target audience. Then you will get more clear over your message and brand as well.“ Navid Moazzez.

“Personal branding is about managing your name — even if you don’t own a business — in a world of misinformation, disinformation, and semi-permanent Google records. Going on a date? Chances are that your ‘blind’ date has Googled your name. Going to a job interview?” Tim Ferriss.

“If you don’t give the market the story to talk about, they’ll define your brand’s story for you.” David Brier.

“Branding demands commitment; commitment to continual re-invention; striking chords with people to stir their emotions; and commitment to imagination. It is easy to be cynical about such things, much harder to be successful.” Sir Richard Branson.

My personal brand is ‘Talent Liberator’. I do what it says on the tin. Originally at the beginning of my business 20 years ago, my personal brand was ‘Energising Connector’ which was an accurate summary of what I do, but it lacks the emotive quality which makes a better personal brand.

Here are some examples of personal brands:

‘Network Navigator’ – a networking specialist

‘The Body Coach’ – a personal trainer

‘The Clean Food Coach’ – an expert in natural food to stay healthy

‘Mr Loophole’ – a lawyer who specialises in getting celebrities out of driving bans.

‘The Book Midwife’ – a writing coach who helps her clients to self-publish a book

‘Insight Integrator’ – A strategist specialising in insight to inform an integrated strategy

‘Career Sherpa’ – a job search coach for the digital age

‘Miss Masala’ – an Indian cook and food writer

Make time to think about and create your personal brand. It takes time, but is one of the best investments you will ever make to attract the work you really want.

If you would like to receive information about Energise Personal Branding individual mentoring service, please e mail me. Thanks! https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/portfolio/connect/

The ‘push me’, ‘pull you’ of a portfolio career

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Question for you.

How do you know when to edit or evolve your portfolio career?

I was reflecting on this recently during a career retreat and came to the conclusion that there are ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors.

‘Push’ factors are negative things that cause you to re-evaluate. ‘Pull’ factors are things that attract you so ‘pull’ you to want to change the mix of your portfolio career.

Top 11 ‘Push’ factors

• Low satisfaction or fulfilment
• Doesn’t help you to progress or grow
• Poor money for the effort/time
• More competition for work
• Doesn’t fit your career vision
• Bored of doing the same work
• Technology replacing demand
• Trend to in-house from freelance
• Stressful or feels like hassle
• Doesn’t fit with your personal values
• Unreasonable deadlines or demands

Top 11 ‘Pull’ factors

• Builds your career capital
• Learn a new skill
• Stimulating new challenge
• Broaden your network
• Good money
• Emerging new work area
• Work you can do flexibly
• Work you can do from home
• Project with people you like
• New ‘string to your bow’
• Aligns with your longer-term vision

What would be your top 3 ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors?

Defining your own portfolio career ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors helps you to screen work options and feel clear about what projects you say ‘yes’ to and ‘no’ to.

Interested in a portfolio career?Download your copy of our free report ‘Discover portfolio careers’: https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/who-has-portfolio-careers/

10 pros of a portfolio career

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A career portfolio or portfolio career has many pros. I have thought of over 70. Here are 10 of mine for now:

  1. Doing what I want
  2. No week ever the same
  3. Always learning
  4. Planning my own tasks around the sunny weather
  5. The ability to be spontaneous
  6. Taking a day off if I feel like it
  7. Avoiding rush hour
  8. Avoiding queues and busy times in shops
  9. The variety and stimulation of varied work
  10. Getting better value train fares from travelling off peak

What would be your biggest pro from a portfolio career?

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/who-has-portfolio-careers/ Download your copy of our free report ‘Discover portfolio careers’:

Michal Freeman-Shor’s guest blog about her portfolio career

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Mini biog – Michal Freeman-Shor

I am a senior associate solicitor in the Corporate and Commercial team at Gardner Leader working full time, a Back to Law Ambassador for the Law Society and an Executive Committee member of MDAUK, actively raising money and volunteering in my local community, and synagogue and a private investor. Currently I am also studying Private Wealth Management on the STEP PPGD program and am in the process of co-establishing the Thames Valley part of the Women Lawyers and Mothers network.

What are the components of your portfolio career e.g. study, paid freelance work, part time job, volunteering etc.?

Corporate lawyer, various voluntary roles to support women solicitors to return to the law and working women solicitors mothers to have support, and in my local Jewish community.

How did your portfolio career come about?

I have always enjoyed keeping active and being involved in various projects simultaneously. I always chose roles that inspired me and enabled me to live a balanced lifestyle whilst giving back to the community around me. Investment in property was one, which enabled me to do voluntary activities in our community.

How has your portfolio career changed over time?

I have recently returned to work full time for Gardner Leader. I was a director of Maidenhead Synagogue for 8 years, running a not for profit shop, cooking for the homeless and elderly people. I also taught law and business modules at GCSE and A level at Windsor Girls’ School for 4 years. The girls achieved good grades in their exams and some were inspired to continue to study law or business in higher education.

When people ask you ‘what do you do?’ – what do you reply?

A corporate lawyer and investor.

To what extent did your portfolio career happen by chance/luck and to what extent was it planned?

In some way I have always had a portfolio career. I was adapting and changing the roles I undertook as my personal circumstances altered. I always embraced change and progress and I was always planning to return to practice corporate law when my son was old enough. I also wanted to make a difference, and support both women solicitors who are working mothers, as I am, and returners wanting to return to the law. My local community is very important to me, and will always play a big part in my portfolio career.

What do you most love about having a portfolio career?

I love the variety and stimulation, meeting inspiring people and making a difference.

What are the challenges of having a portfolio career?

Time. I have to be very organised and say ‘no’ to things that I don’t have the time for, even if my enthusiastic side would like to say yes! You do have to be realistic as Corporate work can be long hours. Social media and a Smart phone are essential.

Who or what helps you to manage your portfolio career?

Having a support network is essential. My husband and son are a constant inspiration and my pillars of strength. I have brilliant friends, colleagues and past colleagues who constantly keep me on my toes and provide unweathering support. Having a great encouraging team at Gardner Leader also helps a great deal.

How do you approach marketing your portfolio career?

I am naturally a very proactive and passionate person and I embrace change. I was resistant, like many lawyers, to social media at first, but I have seen how it enables you to create visibility amongst more people than can be achieved with just face to face networking. This is especially so for working mothers – I want to spend quality time with my family in my free time. Being a Back to Law Ambassador for the Law Society and being active on LinkedIn has built a following and interest fast.

What if any, is the personal brand used for your portfolio career?

I don’t really have a brand per se. People who work with me know that I am genuinely passionate, professional, diligent and commercially minded.

What advice would you give to someone considering a portfolio career?

Create it and edit it around what you are passionate about and your personal values. You cannot do everything, so be selective and realistic about what you can fit in and review what you are doing every 6 months or so. Make sure that you make time for yourself to keep yourself energised.

What benefits do portfolio careers bring specifically to women and mothers, rather than to men?

Flexibility and control, doing what you love on your own terms. We can multitask so why not use it?

What 5 tips can you share for people considering a portfolio career?

1       Chose roles that fit your personality and home life.

2       Learn to say no and only say yes to what you enjoy and feel inspired by.

3       Have a plan and be willing to change it when your circumstances change.

4       Keep organised with a robust time management.

5       Be proactive, get out and network your socks off with people who inspire you.

More

Interested in a portfolio career for yourself?

Why not download your copy of the free Energise LLClub report: ‘Discover Portfolio Careers’:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/who-has-portfolio-careers/

Ashley Cavers guest blog about her portfolio career part 2

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Ashley Cavers mini biog

Ashley has a background in print and broadcast media, and has worked for both the BBC and Sky TV, with more recent experience in corporate communications and enterprise networks. For the last eight years, she has worked freelance for The Sunday Times Fast Track, meeting the entrepreneurs behind some of the UK’s most successful private businesses. She also has direct experience of starting and running her own businesses, having previously run a PR and events firm as well as a retail business, which she successfully sold. Earlier this year, she took up a role as Lead Network Navigator with Oxlep Business, helping to support start-up and growth companies across Oxfordshire.  Ashley experienced OxLEP Business’s support first-hand, after co-founding The Wonky Food Company in 2017. The company makes relishes out of imperfect fruit and veg and started selling in The Midcounties Co-op this summer. Earlier this month, The Wonky Food Company was included in the 2018 list of Game Changers in the Thames Valley region.

Read Ashley Cavers guest blog about her portfolio career part 1

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/ashley-cavers-guest-blog-about-her-portfolio-career-part-1/

When people ask you ‘what do you do?’ – what do you reply?

This is still hard as I wear so many different hats. It used to be something I was somewhat embarrassed by and would find myself getting quite defensive when explaining the various elements of my working life – as though somehow it revealed that I was a bit flighty or flaky, unable to stick to one job or career path. But in recent years, my portfolio career is something I have come to embrace and even be proud of (after all, it’s not easy juggling many different roles!). This is partly due to my own acceptance of the twists and turns of my own career journey and learning to banish any regrets and ‘what if’ moments, but is also down to a broader cultural shift where it is now much more acceptable to have a portfolio career, so no reason to make any apologies or excuses!

What do you most love about having a portfolio career?

I love the freedom that a portfolio career has given me. It has enabled me to flex my workload up and down at different stages in my life and has also given me the chance to explore different interests and skillsets. It is the rare few that have an exceptional talent in just one thing. Most of us have more moderate talents in a wider range of areas, so why not try our hand at a number of them? It seems crazy to me that you would commit your entire working career to one path only, when most of us are now living long enough to experience multiple careers over our lifetime.

What are the challenges of having a portfolio career?

 There are many challenges, of which I am well aware. There is significantly increased financial risk in what I do. I have little to no job security; I don’t get paid when I take a sick day or a holiday, and it’s very hard to make long-term financial plans. I accepted a long time ago that I will never retire and will probably work until I drop, but that is fine with me. I think if you choose the ‘portfolio’ path, it’s because you want to love the work that you do, so why would you choose to give up something that you enjoy? Portfolio working is all about breaking down the dividing line between work and life. But this can of course also be a negative. I have to carefully manage my life so that work does not become all-consuming. At the moment I have three ‘jobs’ – all enjoyable and rewarding and interesting, but the level of organisation required to manage them all well can be overwhelming and is something I constantly battle with.

What 5 tips can you share for people considering a portfolio career?

1  Be organised!

2  Develop a good professional network – you never know where the next opportunity will come from.

3  Don’t be afraid to change direction or drop a part of your portfolio that isn’t working. Take time to regularly evaluate where you are.

4  Have a good support system – I couldn’t do without my cleaner, accountant and family (not necessarily in that order!)

5 Self-belief is essential, but accept that moments of self-doubt are inevitable.

More

View Ashley Cavers LinkedIn profile:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-cavers-68613534/

Browse The Wonky Food Company web site:

https://www.wonkyfoodco.com/

Follow The Wonky Food Company on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/wonkyfoodco

Browse the OxLEP Oxfordshire web site:

https://www.oxfordshirelep.com/

Interested in a portfolio career for yourself? Download your copy of our free report Skills to find out what your transferable skills are.

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/what-is-a-portfolio-career/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ashley Cavers guest blog about her portfolio career part 1

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Ashley Cavers mini biog

Ashley has a background in print and broadcast media, and has worked for both the BBC and Sky TV, with more recent experience in corporate communications and enterprise networks. For the last eight years, she has worked freelance for The Sunday Times Fast Track, meeting the entrepreneurs behind some of the UK’s most successful private businesses. She also has direct experience of starting and running her own businesses, having previously run a PR and events firm as well as a retail business, which she successfully sold. Earlier this year, she took up a role as Lead Network Navigator with Oxlep Business, helping to support start-up and growth companies across Oxfordshire.  Ashley experienced OxLEP Business’s support first-hand, after co-founding The Wonky Food Company in 2017. The company makes relishes out of imperfect fruit and veg and started selling in The Midcounties Co-op this summer. Earlier this month, The Wonky Food Company was included in the 2018 list of Game Changers in the Thames Valley region.

How did your portfolio career come about?

I never consciously set about to have a portfolio career (in fact, I hadn’t even heard of the phrase ‘portfolio career’ until fairly recently!). My career started off fairly conventionally, working in staff roles for the BBC and then for Sky Television during my twenties. But when I turned 30, and recently married, my husband and I had the opportunity to move to West Cork in Ireland, a place where we had frequently holidayed and had always loved. I was feeling a bit disillusioned and burned out, doing some serious commuting and working long hours in an industry that I found increasingly at odds with my values and interests.

I guess I had an early mid-life crisis of sorts, so when a job opportunity came up for my husband in Ireland, I jumped at the chance for a fresh start! I continued to freelance for Sky but found myself increasingly involved in an active local community (at one point I ended up managing the local bookshop!). After volunteering to do the PR for an inaugural local arts festival (a festival which more than a decade later is now one of the biggest in Ireland!), a number of local groups and businesses started to approach me to do their PR, so I started my own consultancy.

At the same time, the stint at the bookshop had given me a taste for retail and spotting a gap in the market for good quality stationery (I had always been a paper junkie!), I opened my own upmarket stationery and gift store. This was at the height of the economic boom in Ireland, and the business did well. I was considering opening a second site, with ambitions for a national chain of high street stores, when the financial crash came. Overnight, the economy in Ireland collapsed. Although I managed to sell the business, this turn in events combined with starting a family, prompted a return to the UK.

I realised on my return that my experience in Ireland had completely changed my attitude to work. I had proved that I could successfully combine a number of separate career interests, and returning to a 9-5 job now seemed inconceivable to me. I took a bit of time out to have my second child and settle back into life in the UK after a six-year absence. Being the height of the recession, there also weren’t too many opportunities to choose from. But I soon started freelancing for The Sunday Times Fast Track, which for me, combined the two recurring threads of my career: journalism and entrepreneurship. I’ve now been back for 10 years, have started two other businesses and have never been busier!

What 5 tips can you share for people considering a portfolio career?

1  Be organised!

2  Develop a good professional network – you never know where the next opportunity will come from.

3  Don’t be afraid to change direction or drop a part of your portfolio that isn’t working. Take time to regularly evaluate where you are.

4  Have a good support system – I couldn’t do without my cleaner, accountant and family (not necessarily in that order!)

5 Self-belief is essential, but accept that moments of self-doubt are inevitable.

More

View Ashley Cavers LinkedIn profile:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-cavers-68613534/

Browse The Wonky Food Company web site:

https://www.wonkyfoodco.com/

Browse The Wonky Food Company web site:

https://www.wonkyfoodco.com/

Follow The Wonky Food Company on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/wonkyfoodco

Browse the OxLEP Oxfordshire web site:

https://www.oxfordshirelep.com/

Interested in a portfolio career for yourself? Download your copy of our free Skills report to find out what your transferable skills are:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/what-is-a-portfolio-career/

 

Doug Glenwright’s guest blog about his portfolio career part 2

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Doug Glenwright mini biog

Innovative Customer Centric Propositions. Multiple award-winning leader with 20 years’ transformation experience across retail and leisure. Passionate about customers and transforming tangible experiences by developing a strategic vision and delivering it holistically and with integrity. Visionary, vivacious and versatile with strong communication skills and creative flair, balancing commercial and customer needs whilst engaging people with a sense of fun.

To read part 1 of Doug Glenwright’s guest blog about his portfolio career, click on this link:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/doug-glenwrights-guest-blog-about-his-portfolio-career-part-1/

What are the challenges of having a portfolio career?

Juggling projects with competing deadlines is always a challenge, especially when they are on different continents, however the businesses I work with know that whilst I do my best to be flexible, that sometimes my schedule cannot be moved. This is really just about clear communication and prioritisation. Secondly for me, it has been difficult adjusting to a more independent life – working more from home (and lacking the social aspects of an office), not being able to manage or control the politics to get the “right” decision and lastly (and most problematic to me) letting go of projects when businesses no longer need external support…as a “completer/ finisher” this is a key frustration, but is also (I believe) a reason that I get commissioned. I am passionate about the project and doing the right thing!

Who or what helps you to manage your portfolio career?

I don’t know how to answer this – I feel like I am only in the early days of my portfolio career and that there is still a lot to learn. I try to take each day as it comes and mitigate risks and potential gaps in employment by planning both short and long term. I never say never – which means I am not fixated on my portfolio career and there could be a time when a permanent role is worth considering, but I also believe that for what I do more companies should be looking for a temporary resource, so this is definitely a conversation worth having even if they are advertising a permanent position.

How do you approach marketing your portfolio career?

It can feel a little awkward “marketing” yourself, so for me I try to put “catch ups” in the diaries of influential people I know or am known to in businesses which I am keen to work with to understand what is going on in their business and remind them I am around and available if that is helpful. Up to this point, this has been sufficient from a marketing perspective, but I am sure my approach will develop over time.

What if any, is the personal brand used for your portfolio career?

My personal brand focuses on my strengths and values as well as highlighting my key achievements. All “reasons to believe” and, I hope, reasons to hire me!

What skills/experience/qualities does someone need to have a portfolio career?

I think there is a need to be well connected, with a clear understanding of what you can offer and reasons why a business should use you and not someone else. For me a lot of this has been done through contacts who know me and were confident recommending me when suitable projects were discussed. Within this confidence and a sense of worth are also clearly important.

What advice would you give to someone considering a portfolio career?

For me the most important thing was to be able to safely trial and ease myself into a portfolio career – in my case I first considered it a “stop-gap” until I found my next permanent role (it might still be!), but it was a time when I had sufficient resources to take some time off and experiment with different types of work. For me I was then able to make proactive decisions comparing and contrasting my portfolio work with other full-time opportunities I was offered and to this point the portfolio has always won!

What are your top 5 tips to successfully manage a portfolio career?

  1. Know your market
  2. Manage your network
  3. Define your offer (personal brand and USPs)
  4. Know your value
  5. Deliver your best

More

View Doug Glenwright’s LinkedIn profile:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-glenwright-18a2234/

Browse Doug Glenwright’s web site:

http://www.dougglenwright.com/

Interested in a portfolio career for yourself?

Download your copy of our free report Discover Portfolio Careers:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/who-has-portfolio-careers/

 

 

 

 

Doug Glenwright’s guest blog about his portfolio career part 1

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Doug Glenwright mini biog

Innovative Customer Centric Propositions. Multiple award-winning leader with 20 years’ transformation experience across retail and leisure. Passionate about customers and transforming tangible experiences by developing a strategic vision and delivering it holistically and with integrity. Visionary, vivacious and versatile with strong communication skills and creative flair, balancing commercial and customer needs whilst engaging people with a sense of fun.

What are the components of your portfolio career e.g. study, paid freelance work, part time job, volunteering etc.)?

Paid freelance work (plus a little dabbling in creative art)

How did your portfolio career come about?

I was very lucky to be offered redundancy following the relocation of my office after 14 years in a corporate role. After so long in one business,  this was a scary prospect and I was fortunate to be offered a seconded role which allowed me to test my new commute (and ultimately prove I didn’t want to be spending so much “wasted” time in the car) and allowed me to prepare myself for a significant change, by working with Rachel Brushfield as a coach to understand more about the value I bring to a role and what I was looking for at the time of change. I did not seek out a portfolio career and was perhaps even a little resistant to it – this felt so different from the structure and (perceived) control of a regular career – however I tried to remain open to it as one of a number of possibilities. After a month or so off, I started talking to contacts and was approached to be an SME for a top consultancy firm as they developed the strategy for a Middle Eastern travel company; there was no contract, there was no job description and ultimately there was no risk, it was 2 to 3 days a week, which still left me time to apply for other roles, so I agreed… To an extent, I do believe we make our own luck, however I was fortunate to know of some big projects coming up in various businesses and was therefore able to position myself well to be of assistance.

How has your portfolio career changed over time?

During this initial assignment I was still actively applying for permanent roles, going to interviews and even got offered a few positions, but each time I compared them to what I was currently doing and proactively chose the instability, flexibility and variety of a potential portfolio career – however it cannot be a portfolio with one role, right? So I started reaching out to other contacts to understand if there were things I could help with. Mostly this led to nothing, which can be disheartening, but I reassured myself that it did remind people I was here and available and hopefully keeping me front of mind – a good marketing strategy; I picked up some piecemeal jobs and learnt more about my processes, what I enjoy, what I actively need to avoid and I started juggling larger projects.

When people ask you ‘what do you do?’ what do you reply?

Knowing what to call yourself is one of the challenges I have faced since I stopped working in a full time corporate career – we are all capable of much more than our job titles give us credit for, then there is what we are known or famous for and then there is what role you are being asked to play within each assignment…whilst you want to be flexible enough to adapt to the needs of any assignment, it is still important to have a clear sense of self, what your unique selling points are and what you can personally deliver for that role. At a high level when describing my role, I tend to use the term “Customer Centric Contractor” but this is a really grey area with many different disciplines focusing on customer experience, so this still doesn’t feel that ownable, but I explain this as “delivering strategic propositions and holistic transformation whilst balancing both customer and commercial needs”.

What do you most love about having a portfolio career?

I love getting the 3+ hours back in my day when I was previously commuting and using this time for something constructive – exercise, art or even chores. That said, I do still feel guilty when I take off time in the middle of the day to enjoy a sunny walk… it’s interesting how ingrained the corporate structure has been in my life!

Coming soon, part 2 of Doug Glenwright’s guest blog about his portfolio career.

More

View Doug Glenwright’s LinkedIn profile:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-glenwright-18a2234/

Browse Doug Glenwright’s web site:

http://www.dougglenwright.com/

Interested in a portfolio career for yourself?

Download your copy of our free report ‘Discover Portfolio Careers’:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/who-has-portfolio-careers/

 

Viv Groskop guest blog about her portfolio career

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Viv Groskop is a writer, stand-up comedian and TV and radio presenter. She has guest-presented BBC Radio 4’s Front Row and Saturday Review and appears regularly on BBC1’s This Week.

As a prolific freelance interviewer and columnist, she has written for most of the British newspapers for the past 20 years, contributing most frequently to The Guardian and the Observer. She is the veteran of four sold-out one-woman Edinburgh Fringe shows. Her latest show Vivalicious celebrated therapy and the world of self-help and imagined a world where Oprah Winfrey is President.

Her latest book How to Own the Room: Women and the Art of Public Speaking (Transworld) is about women, confidence and public speaking. She also works as an executive performance coach for groups and individuals, specialising in women and leadership.

What headline sums up 2018 for you?

The phrase Oprah used when she gave her speech at the Golden Globes for her Lifetime Achievement Awards: “Time’s up.”

This year it has felt like time is up on a lot of things: women not being heard and believed, women not being prominent in public spaces, women not taking up more space on FTSE 100 boards… And this debate is spilling out away from gender equality towards equality and diversity in general. Hurrah! When I’m doing stand-up, there’s a real hunger for people who can find the humour in all this. (Not bloody easy.) And when I’m doing corporate work as a performance coach, there is a sense of urgency from people — especially women – who want to find their voice and get better at speaking. Everyone is realising how important it is to be public-facing now, both for video content online and for events, large and small.

What has changed in the last 12 months?

I’ve leaned harder than usual into the usual chaotic but rewarding mix of a portfolio career: writing (two book deals this year),  my own shows (Vivalicious at Underbelly at Edinburgh Fringe this summer) and helping other women find their voice (working with corporate groups and individuals).

Best moments? Hearing that a woman I coached got the role she wanted at first interview after a long period of job uncertainty. Finding out that another client who was absolutely petrified of speaking had given a speech in front of 300 people at her grandfather’s 70th birthday party. And having Sarah Brown come to my Edinburgh Fringe show and tweet about it to her 1 million followers.

How did any change come about?

I let go of the self-doubt and anxiety I had around a couple of book ideas I was aching to write, got my act together, pitched them and they sold. I think this happened partly because I suddenly feel old lately (I’m in my mid forties) and something in me just said, “Come on. Put it out there. So what if it gets rejected?”

What is the significance of this change for you?

Huge and tiny at the same time. Huge because I proved to myself that I’ve been sitting on really good ideas because I want to get them “just right” — and that moment never comes. Done is more important than perfect. Tiny because this isn’t a mental shift that is easy to hang onto. Sure, it makes a difference if your fear is proved wrong. But it soon floods back. So you just have to keep working on it.

What next for you in 2019?

A live version of the book How To Own the Room: Women and the Art of Brilliant Speaking (published 1 November 2018) will be touring in Spring 2018 when the paperback is out. And I’ll be finishing writing Au Revoir, Tristesse: Life Lessons in French Literature, which is due out at the end of 2019. I’m also planning a series of workshops and retreats for groups of women who want to achieve their potential in public speaking and own the room!

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‘How to own the room. Women and the art of brilliant speaking’ by Viv Groskop. Published 1 November 2018:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Own-Room-Brilliant-Speaking/dp/1787631125/ref=sr_1_1_twi_har_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1538408943&sr=8-1&keywords=viv+groskop

View Viv Groskop’s LinkedIn profile:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/viv-groskop-9798b711/

Follow Viv Groskop on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/VivGroskop

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https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/who-has-portfolio-careers/