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Nicola Manning’s portfolio career part 2 of 2

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nicola-manning

This is part 2 of a 2 part guest blog by Nicola Manning.

Here is the link to part 1 in case you missed it.

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/nicola-mannings-portfolio-career/

How has your portfolio career changed over time?

I’ve only been working part time at McMillan Williams since last year so it’s early days as far as my portfolio career is concerned, but I’ve certainly benefited from part time working to enable me to devote time to the Guild of Entrepreneurs in its own start-up phase which has been a fantastic opportunity.

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

It depends I suppose, on how they have met me and which career emphasis feels more appropriate at that juncture – and how much time they have to hear the “full works concert” I guess!

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

Not planned (by me) at all but I believe strongly in destiny and I would simply say that I rose to meet my destiny (not always the straightest or most comfortable path) as various life events were placed in my path for me either to seize or to turn away from and it’s turned out all right!

What do you most love about having a portfolio career?

Variety!  I am and always have been hugely active and a multi-tasker, so it is just playing to my strengths I guess!

What are the challenges of having a portfolio career?

Having enough hours in the day to do everything sometimes.  I’m often replying to emails at 5am or midnight!  But it usually works out OK.

Who or what helps you to manage your portfolio career?

No-one but me but I’m pretty well organised with my time after having brought up 5 children and ran compliance across what was latterly 17 separate office locations.

How do you approach marketing your portfolio career?

It’s more about marketing me as the brand I think, and I find that people will approach me if they feel that there is something I can do to add value to their own project or initiative.

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

See above.

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

Experience in running and managing businesses (especially being part of the senior management team at MW during its massive expansion and change programme from 2008-2014) and my life experiences good and bad, have helped shape my own career hugely.

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

Use every opportunity to make a difference somewhere!  Not always easy/possible when you are stuck in an employment situation and possibly not able to reach your true potential as a result.  You will know when the time is right for you.

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

Flexibility outside the restraints of 9-5 (if you’re lucky) office work but it ought to work just as efficiently for men too!

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

  • Try not to compartmentalise your different roles too much or you may miss things that have the potential to join up activities and projects, with others.
  • Keep your energy and enthusiasm alive for all that you are doing and if you lose that in any area, you probably need to find a different project or role.
  • Likewise, don’t focus too much on one project or role to the detriment of the others.
  • Aim for a “bigger picture” involvement rather than overtly focused on detail otherwise it’s probably too weighted and not suitable as part of a portfolio anyway.
  • Always look for opportunities wherever you go and whomever you meet.

More

View Nicola Manning’s LinkedIn profile:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolamanning

Interested in a portfolio career?

Want to create your own portfolio career? Click on this link:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/

Download your free report ‘Discover portfolio careers’:

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

Download your free report ‘Pain free career change’:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/testimonials/

Unsure what your transferable skills are, download your free report ‘Skills’ from this web page:

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

Read more guest bloggers accounts of their portfolio career:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/blog/

Woman solicitor interested in a portfolio career?

Visit our web site specifically for women solicitors LLClub:

http://www.llclub.org/

Nicola Manning’s portfolio career – part 1 of 2

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nicola-manning

This is part 1 of a 2 part guest blog by Nicola Manning about her portfolio career. This is part 1.

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

I work two days per week as Chargé d’affaires (an ambassadorial and project specific role) for busy and successful law firm McMillan Williams Solicitors Limited (I was formerly its Chief Professional Officer and Head of Risk and Compliance for 12 years).  Within my work for MWSL I also sit on the Law Society Council; the Society’s Legal Affairs and Policy Board, and its Equality Diversity and Inclusion Committee so am actively involved in professional strategy and policy on a number of levels.  I am currently in my second (of 4 year terms) term of office as a Council member.

I’ve been the appointed Court of Protection/Office for the Public Guardian Deputy to over 100 patients who are unable to manage their own affairs for the past 7 years.  I am currently working with a care provider to look at rolling out a nationwide package of financial and estate planning in-house.

I also work with legal risk and compliance and PII companies on a consultancy basis ad hoc, to assist practices to get prepared for Lexcel accreditation and also to give advice about enhancing their diversity and CSR practices to maximise business development opportunities.

I am the CEO and majority shareholder of a trading company in Ghana, West Africa, trading in our own leading brands of sanitary towels and nappies which are imported from China to Africa.  Within that role, I am also involved in a charitable project with Breast Care International in Ghana, to whom my company donates funds, and we are working with BCI to raise further funds to provide for all secondary school pupils (male and female) to be educated to raise awareness and bust (pardon the pun) cultural myths about breast cancer to break the country’s cycle of fear and ignorance across an entire generation.

I am actively looking to expand our trading to other African territories and also looking at some environmental based projects in Africa and in UK.

I am a Founder member and Court Assistant at the Guild of Entrepreneurs, one of the City of London’s newest Guilds and an aspirant Livery company.  The Guild Court is equivalent to its Board of Directors and I am actively involved in its Education and Outreach, and Membership committees.  This is a volunteer role.

I am currently working on several potential new business projects through my interaction with the Guild.  I love joining things and people up!

I am a dual- qualified Usui Rei-ki and Karuna ® Rei-ki practitioner and a Master Teacher in both, qualified to attune others and to run courses to bring this wonderful healing energy to the attention of interested others.  I am also a qualified Munay-Ki practitioner and teacher (this is another form of energy healing) and I work with crystals for healing purposes as well.

I am a licensed psychometric analyst (Success Dynamics, Level 1)

How did your portfolio career come about?

After 12 years at the compliance and management coalface within MW, and having been forced to make a decision in 2011 (on the sudden death of my ex partner abroad and a threat from a third party to take illegal control of my company) to go back and fight to keep it, once I had it back in 2012, I then decided over the next 12 months, to devote more time to running it and exploring other business opportunities arising, rather than working solely for one employer and running myself ragged trying to run a company abroad, still work full time as a lawyer and also bring up a young child on my own.

Part 2 of Nicola Manning’s guest blog about her portfolio career coming soon.

More

View Nicola Manning’s LinkedIn profile:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolamanning

Interested in a portfolio career?

Want to create your own portfolio career? Click on this link:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/

Download your free report ‘Discover portfolio careers’:

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

Download your free report ‘Pain free career change’:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/testimonials/

Unsure what your transferable skills are, download your free report ‘Skills’ from this web page:

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

Read more guest bloggers accounts of their portfolio career:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/blog/

Woman solicitor interested in a portfolio career?

Visit our web site specifically for women solicitors Energise LLClub:

http://www.llclub.org/

 

 

Guest blog Barrie Hopson part 2

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Barrie Hopson

This is a 2 part guest blog by Barrie Hopson. This is Part 2.

Barrie is a psychologist specialising in career development and lifelong learning and is a serial entrepreneur. His life mission is helping people to become architects of their own future. His latest project is developing an online learning programme to help people design their retirement ‘Live Happier’ to help people design their retirement, launched and free to use in August 2016.

He is a Non Exec Director of the Aspire-Igen Group and of Disability Sport Yorkshire. He chairs the national Quality in Career Standard Consortium Board. He was Chairman of Axia Interactive Media 2007-2013. He is a writer, presenter, consultant and was chair of his local community association for 8 years. He is on the advisory board of The Open Retirement Club. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and of the Royal Society of Arts. He has written 39 books – the latest being ‘And What Do You Do? 10 Steps to Creating a Portfolio Career’, written with Katie Ledger. He gives presentations on the future of work, portfolio careers, and how to ‘design a retirement you’ll love’. He established the Counselling and Career Development Unit at Leeds University in 1976 and went on to found Lifeskills International in 1983. The company formed a joint venture – Hay-Lifeskills Ltd. – with Hay Group International of which he was co-chair for its first 3 years. His books include the bestselling 12 Steps to Success through Service, The Lifeskills Teaching Programmes and Build Your Own Rainbow. In 2008 he wrote The Rainbow Years: the Pluses of Being 50+ and an accompanying website for Learndirect www.fiftyforward.co.uk. The latter were all co-authored with Mike Scally. Barrie has worked widely as a consultant to commercial and educational organisations in the UK, USA, Asia, Canada and Europe. He sees one of the payoffs of his Portfolio Career as being able to follow Yorkshire County Cricket Club. He adores running and runs 10k, 10 mile and half marathons for the Stroke Association as he is now a carer for his stroke survivor wife.

The rest of this blog are in Barrie’s own words.

Here is part 1 in case you missed it:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/guest-blog-barrie-hopson-part-1/

Who or what helps you to manage your portfolio career?

No-one. Just me, my intuition and ensuring I have people who I respect and love spending time with and who are the sources of my inspiration. I never work alone. I have written 39 books and 2 online learning programmes and not one of them just by myself. The fun of creation comes for me in bouncing ideas off others. I am massively influenced by the quotation, “I never know what I think about something until I have heard what I have to say.”

How do you approach marketing your portfolio career?

I still look for meetings relevant to what I do and make an intuitive decision about whether or not to attend. 90% of the time, my intuition does not let me down. You need a website – at least one, and a really good LinkedIn profile. Spending time with creative people is also beneficial.

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

‘Helping people to become architects of their own future.’ I have only been using this for the past 10 years or so as I realised that a succinct brand message communicates a lot and of course is actually an invitation to people to ask further questions.

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

Well of course, Katie Ledger and I through our research came up with a whole list of these and you can answer them for yourselves for free on www.portfoliocareers.net

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

At the risk of being cheeky, read our book, And What Do You Do? 10 Steps to Creating A Portfolio Career, A&C Black, 2009

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

A portfolio lifestyle, which, interestingly, seems to be attracting men now as well.

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

1) Know exactly what are your ‘motivated skills’ and only look for opportunities to practice them.

2) Only pick assignments consistent with your values.

3) Learn to say ‘no’.

4) Ensure you develop a portfolio lifestyle not just a portfolio career – which means organising downtime, having fun, taking holidays and spending time with people you love and respect.

5) Continue to reinvent yourself. This is one of the real joys of a portfolio career. There should never be a full stop – just a hyphen!]

 

What next?

For more information about portfolio careers, click on this link:

http://portfoliocareers.net/

To find out more about ‘Live Happier’, click on this link:

https://livehappier.aviva.co.uk/

To find out more about Barrie’s book about portfolio careers, click on this link:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Do-You-Creating-Portfolio/dp/1408116308

Want to create your own portfolio career? Click on this link:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/

Download your free report ‘Discover portfolio careers’:

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

Download your free report ‘Pain free career change’:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/testimonials/

Unsure what your transferable skills are, download your free report ‘Skills’ from this web page:

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

Read more guest bloggers accounts of their portfolio career:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/blog/

 

Guest blog Barrie Hopson part 1

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Barrie Hopson

This is a 2 part guest blog by Barrie Hopson. This is Part 1.

Barrie is a psychologist specialising in career development and lifelong learning and is a serial entrepreneur. His life mission is helping people to become architects of their own future. His latest project is writing and developing an online learning programme to help people design a retirement that they will love. Sponsored by Aviva and free to use. www.livehappier.co.uk

He is a Non Exec Director of the Aspire-Igen Group and of Disability Sport Yorkshire. He chairs the national Quality in Career Standard Consortium Board. He was Chairman of Axia Interactive Media 2007-2013. He is a writer, presenter, consultant and was chair of his local community association for 8 years. He is on the advisory board of The Open Retirement Club. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and of the Royal Society of Arts. He has written 39 books – the latest being ‘And What Do You Do? 10 Steps to Creating a Portfolio Career’, written with Katie Ledger. He gives presentations on the future of work, portfolio careers, and how to ‘design a retirement you’ll love’. He established the Counselling and Career Development Unit at Leeds University in 1976 and went on to found Lifeskills International in 1983. The company formed a joint venture – Hay-Lifeskills Ltd. – with Hay Group International of which he was co-chair for its first 3 years. His books include the bestselling 12 Steps to Success through Service, The Lifeskills Teaching Programmes and Build Your Own Rainbow. In 2008 he wrote The Rainbow Years: the Pluses of Being 50+ and an accompanying website for Learndirect www.fiftyforward.co.uk. The latter were all co-authored with Mike Scally. Barrie has worked widely as a consultant to commercial and educational organisations in the UK, USA, Asia, Canada and Europe. He sees one of the payoffs of his Portfolio Career as being able to follow Yorkshire County Cricket Club. He adores running and runs 10k, 10 mile and half marathons for the Stroke Association as he is now a carer for his stroke survivor wife.

The rest of this blog are in Barrie’s own words.

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

Psychologist, writer, presenter, NED of 2 companies, mentor, trustee of Disability Sports Yorkshire. I have just finished writing a free to use online learning programme to help people design a retirement that they love. I am currently helping to set up a social media business with the objective of eliminating childhood obesity.

How did your portfolio career come about?

I had never heard of the concept until Charles Handy ‘invented’ the term in 1993. In retrospect, I realise that from the point in my career when I got a lectureship at Leeds University in 1969, I have almost always had at least one other job or venture at the same time.

How has your portfolio career changed over time?

The biggest change was after I sold my business Lifeskills International in 1999. Since then I have really been able to indulge myself in a portfolio career. Accepting invitations to be NED in a number of companies, still continuing to write books, workbooks and online learning programmes and accepting invitations to present all over the world. I have always enjoyed helping others to develop their careers and achieve their dreams. I now have much more time to do that and I love it. I was influenced by Charles in a number of ways, not least in ensuring that I always tried to spend around 20% of my time doing unpaid work. That has now increased to around 30% including free mentoring and being a trustee for Disability Sports Yorkshire.

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

I help people to become architects of their own future – through the companies I have run, the projects I set up, the books and learning programmes I have created, and by mentoring people to create their own dreams.

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

I have never planned anything in my life! I love the unpredictability of life and am always open to opportunities. I rely largely on gut reaction as to whether or not to do something. Occasionally that backfires, but mostly it has delivered joy, intellectual and emotional stimulation – and sufficient money!

What do you most love about having a portfolio career?

I always have to look at my calendar to see what I am doing the next day. This is not just a component of cognitive ageing!

What are the challenges of having a portfolio career?

One thing I miss dreadfully from not having a workplace to go to is the constant learning from simply sharing a space with people. This is especially so with IT. I was largely taught about computers by my PA in my company and I now realise that I miss having colleagues to turn to and ask, “how do I do this?”

Watch out for part 2 of Barrie Hopson’s guest blog, out soon.

More

For more information about portfolio careers, click on this link:

http://portfoliocareers.net/

To find out more about ‘Live Happier’, click on this link:

https://livehappier.aviva.co.uk/

To find out more about Barrie’s book about portfolio careers, click on this link:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Do-You-Creating-Portfolio/dp/1408116308

Want to create your own portfolio career? Click on this link:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/

Download your free report ‘Discover portfolio careers’:

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

Download your free report ‘Pain free career change’:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/testimonials/

Unsure what your transferable skills are, download your free report ‘Skills’ from this web page:

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

Read more guest bloggers accounts of their portfolio career:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/blog/

 

Alex Wade’s portfolio career – guest blog part 2

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Alex Wade book Flack cover

This is a two part guest blog by Alex Wade about his portfolio career. This is part two.

Alex is a writer and his principal interests are law, sport (especially football, surfing and boxing), poker and travel, as well as general features, football match reports and book reviews.  Many years ago, when he was a media lawyer, Alex worked for leading libel firm Carter-Ruck before becoming now-Express Group proprietor Richard Desmond’s first Head of Legal Affairs. Subsequently Alex’s unreconstructed tendencies got the better of him. His life went off the rails but boxing played a large part in his rehabilitation. This story is chronicled in Wrecking Machine, a Sunday Times sports book of the week.  Alex has travelled extensively and written about New York, Albania and Kazakhstan; Barbados, Ireland and Andalucía; Captain Cook country, Mexico and Francis Ford Coppola’s retreats in Belize and Guatemala. He lives in west Cornwall with his partner Caroline their two sons.

The rest of this blog is in Alex’s own words.

Here is a link to part 1 in case you missed it:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/alex-wades-portfolio-career-guest-blog-part-1/

What do you most love about having a portfolio career?

The freedom. I was never any good at having a boss.

What are the challenges of having a portfolio career?

You’ve got to hold your nerve. Work comes and goes. In lean spells you’ve got to trust and believe that things will come round. One way to counter the anxiety inherent in this lifestyle is to have fingers in many pies.

Who or what helps you to manage your portfolio career?

My partner, Caroline Davidson, is brilliant. Together we run an editorial services business. She’s the organised one. I’m not.

How do you approach marketing your portfolio career?

Don’t be afraid – get out there and pitch. People can only say no.

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

For my own work I guess it’s brand Alex Wade. But I’m aware of how pretentious that might sound so let’s say there’s some irony in that answer…

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

The main thing is being… nice. Obviously you’ve got to know what you’re doing, whatever your field, but the portfolio career isn’t a place for corporate back-stabbing and pompous fools. It’s where you need to get on with people – to like them, being with them, working with them, in the knowledge that you’re not dependent on them so can always walk if they turn out to be obnoxious.

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

Seize the day, especially when it comes to writing. Traditional jobs are changing overnight and old-school journalism isn’t a safe bet anymore. So think laterally about other people who might want your words, and go and find them.

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

I don’t want to presume to answer this one!

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

  • Be disciplined – accept that you rarely have a day off
  • Work at it
  • Be generous to people – help others and they might help you
  • Hold your nerve
  • Think laterally – I once sold a travel story to one place six times over

More about Alex Wade

Personal web site:

www.alexwade.com

Alex Wade’s first novel, Flack’s Last Shift, is published by Blue Mark Books (£14.99).

www.flackslastshift.com

Alex’s Editorial Services business:

www.frugalspeech.com

LinkedIn profile:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-wade-5322724

Follow Alex Wade on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/surfnation1

More about portfolio careers:

Download our free report Discover Portfolio Careers

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

Webinar about portfolio careers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF29AGuRIVw&app=desktop

Find out what your transferable skills are, download our free Skills report:

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

Download our free report Pain Free Career change from this page:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/testimonials/

Check out our web site Inspiring Portfolio Careers:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/

Follow us on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/talentliberator

Alex Wade’s portfolio career – guest blog part 1

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Alex Wade Caroline Davison
Alex Wade

This is a two part guest blog by Alex Wade. This is part one.

Alex is a writer and his principal interests are law, sport (especially football, surfing and boxing), literature and travel, as well as general features, football and poker match reports and book reviews.  Many years ago, when he was a media lawyer, Alex worked for leading libel firm Carter-Ruck before becoming now-Express Group proprietor Richard Desmond’s first Head of Legal Affairs. Subsequently Alex’s unreconstructed tendencies got the better of him. His life went off the rails but boxing played a large part in his rehabilitation. This story is chronicled in Wrecking Machine, a Sunday Times sports book of the week.  Alex has travelled extensively and written about New York, Albania and Kazakhstan; Barbados, Ireland and Andalucía; Captain Cook country, Mexico and Francis Ford Coppola’s retreats in Belize and Guatemala. He lives in west Cornwall with his partner Caroline and his two sons.

The rest of this blog is in Alex’s own words.

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

It’s pretty much all paid freelance work, with a bit of volunteering. I work as a lawyer, freelance journalist, writer, occasional guest lecturer – and try and find time to be one of the trustees of environmental action charity Surfers Against Sewage.

How did your portfolio career come about?

By accident! I’m 50 now but back in my early 30s went off the rails for a year or so. Let’s just say that the conventional practice of law wasn’t for me. I also had a few demons to exorcise. Fortunately, they leave me alone these days.

How has your portfolio career changed over time?

Back in my early 30s, I made a decision to do what I’d always wanted to do – write for a living. I kept my hand in with the law, working as a night lawyer for the UK broadsheets, and banged on editors’ doors – luckily loud enough for a few of them to give me work. Back then I also wrote law reports – difficult, complex and not well paid – and wrote a lot for the legal trade press (more fun and better paid). I don’t do either of these things anymore. I’m also no longer involved in selling sports TV rights. I used to do this on behalf of someone in the industry, very much on a wing and a prayer. I’d travel to Eastern Europe and Central Asia, find the main broadcaster and try and sell in the rights to the FA Premier League, F1, boxing matches etc. Sometimes I’d be successful. Whether I was or not, I’d also go and travel wherever I was. This enabled me to get travel pieces away in the nationals, about places few people were visiting. It was a great way of building up by-line visibility. I don’t work in sports rights anymore, and don’t do so much travel writing these days either – it’s a loss leader.

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

Good question! Depends who’s asking. Usually I say ‘writer’ first – that’s what means the most to me.

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

By accident/chance!

More about Alex Wade

Personal web site:

www.alexwade.com

Alex Wade’s first novel, Flack’s Last Shift, is published by Blue Mark Books (£14.99).

www.flackslastshift.com

Alex’s Editorial Services business:

www.frugalspeech.com

LinkedIn profile:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-wade-5322724

Follow Alex Wade on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/surfnation1

More about portfolio careers:

Download our free report Discover Portfolio Careers

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

Webinar about portfolio careers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF29AGuRIVw&app=desktop

Find out what your transferable skills are, download our free Skills report:

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

Download our free report Pain Free Career change from this page:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/testimonials/

Check out our web site Inspiring Portfolio Careers:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/

Follow us on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/talentliberator

 

Ruth Farenga’s portfolio career part 2

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Ruth Farenga
 This is a 2 part guest blog by Ruth Farenga. This is part 2

A portfolio career is a great future proof career options, giving flexibility, variety and fulfillment, and mitigating risk.

Ruth Farenga runs Farenga Ltd as a workshop facilitator, Mindfulness teacher and project manager specialising in corporate partnerships, education, gender diversity and Mindfulness theory and practice.  Ruth has consistently trained people in new skills, starting in the corporate education sector with Pearson and Intel Corporation and then transitioning over to ‘e-skills UK’ in the third sector. She now runs her own business and as part of that, the ‘People Like Me’ girls into STEM project for the WISE Campaign (Women in Science, Engineering and Technology).

You can read part 1 of her blog here

The rest of this blog are in Ruth’s own words.

Who or what helps you to manage your portfolio career?

My dog! My dog Juno is fantastic for getting me out every day and keeping me company. I also find planning a rough schedule of when to focus on what in the week does help. If I leave it to chance, I don’t find I use my time as effectively so a loose plan is a good idea.

I’ve also found not writing huge intimidating lists a good idea! I’ve separated my projects out on OneNote (app and desktop) so I can add things I need to do for each project. This means I don’t forget things when they pop into my head. For any given day, I find a smaller more achievable list is better – it’s useful to ask yourself, what has to get done today to take the pressure off doing it all at once.

How do you approach marketing your portfolio career?

Particularly for the Mindfulness teaching, I use social media, the Mindful Pathway website and local networking. For the great causes work, I use LinkedIn and some networking, but I could definitely do more!

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

I do see myself as a champion for others, someone who can help enable causes and people.

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

I think to have a portfolio career, you need to be quite versatile, you need to enjoy variety. I think often you are passionate about a cause and a way of life and want to find lots of ways of fulfilling it.

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

Firstly, I would say – hooray! Great that you’re considering it J I would encourage them to think about how they would balance their time, how they would look after themselves and how they would connect with others.

I would encourage them to think about what ties it all together. Even if in themselves, the elements seem quite separate, there is often a golden thread that can be seen. If you can articulate that, you’ll sound like you have a varied and cool life but also meaning behind it all.

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

  1. Plan – with lots of pots on the boil, it’s good to plan and allow space for your different projects in your week.
  2. Connect – find groups or individuals with whom you can network and share, particularly where you can build long term relationships
  3. Collaborate – if you like working with others, see where you can join up and run something together to share skills and motivate each other
  4. Take care of yourself – whether it be meditation, yoga, running, the gym or something else, allow time to focus on you too
  5. Pull the pieces together – to tell a story about what motivates you and why you do this variety of things. Show your passion when you tell it and you’ll be inspiring lots of people with your work and lifestyle

Thanks to Ruth for making the time to do a guest blog about her portfolio career for Energise.

More about Ruth Farenga

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthfarenga

Mindful Pathway:

http://www.mindfulpathway.co.uk/

Next course begins October 2016:

http://www.mindfulpathway.co.uk/mindfulness-courses/

Follow Ruth on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/roosterruth

https://twitter.com/mindfulpathway

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Ruth Farenga’s portfolio career part 1

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Ruth Farenga

This is a 2 part guest blog by Ruth Farenga about her portfolio career. This is part 1.

Ruth Farenga runs Farenga Ltd as a workshop facilitator, Mindfulness teacher and project manager specialising in corporate partnerships, education, gender diversity and Mindfulness theory and practice. Ruth has consistently trained people in new skills, starting in the corporate education sector with Pearson and Intel Corporation and then transitioning over to ‘e-skills UK’ in the third sector. She now runs her own business and as part of that, the ‘People Like Me’ girls into STEM project for the WISE Campaign (Women in Science, Engineering and Technology).

The rest of this blog are in Ruth’s own words.

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

My portfolio career consists of:

• Empowering great causes – currently freelance work for WISE Campaign (Girls and women in STEM) where I run a girls into STEM project called ‘People Like Me’ and train people on unconscious bias and how to effectively target girls.
• Teaching Mindfulness – Running Mindful Pathway which offers Mindfulness courses for business and the public, helping people find their way to a happier path.
• Giving local people a platform – Volunteering for Verulam Radio where I produce and support the Tuesday morning show on 92.6fm.

And most recently, champion of and facilitator at Energise 6 month Portfolio Career group programmes.

How did your portfolio career come about?

My portfolio career came about when I left a corporate partnerships role in London in search of variety alongside this type of work. I had come from a corporate background at Pearson Education and Intel Corporation and now wanted to bring both the corporate and charity experience into being a ‘free-range’ human!

How has your portfolio career changed over time?

Yes, I have been able to build up the Mindfulness teaching which is really important to me. I qualified while working in a full-time role and alongside colleagues, I have now been able to offer public courses in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy which has been an amazing opportunity to help people to discover their own path with meditation.

I’m interested to see how I can develop the different aspects of the career over time.

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

This depends on the situation. If I am networking at a national event, I would talk about how I ‘empower great causes through corporate partnership work and project management’.
If I was networking locally then I would say ‘I help people find their own path through meditation’

It all boils down to ‘I empower people and great causes’ which is how I can bring my pieces together. I think it’s important as Simon Sinek says for us to ‘Start with Why’ we do things – it’s motivating to remind ourselves and it enables people to see your zest and purpose.

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

I think it was planned but only planned when I realised, largely through coaching with Rachel Brushfield, that this was something that people did! And it was ok and rewarding to have a mix of things going on and to be doing volunteering every week for example.

What do you most love about having a portfolio career?

I most love the variety of things going on in any given week. I like having the flexibility to be able to start new projects or collaborate with new people. The sense of opportunity round the corner is a feeling that I find very motivating.

I have particularly enjoyed collaborating with others too. I am a strong believer in the power of putting heads together and I get a lot of motivation from collaborating on areas that I care about.

What are the challenges of having a portfolio career?

The challenges are that things can get quite busy and you can feel like you’re spread a bit thinly at times. I do work from home quite a bit and I do find that I need people too so I try and mix it up with co-working with someone, attending meetings or events to break up the week.

Part 2 of Ruth’s guest blog about her portfolio career coming soon.

More about Ruth Farenga

LinkedIn:
Ruth Farenga LinkedIn profile

Mindful Pathway:
Mindful Pathway web site

Next course begins October 2016:
Mindful Pathway courses

Follow Ruth on Twitter:
Ruth Farenga Twitter

Mindful Pathway Twitter

More about Portfolio Careers

Rachel Brushfield is a Talent Liberator at Energise with 30 years’ experience and a career heritage in marketing and brand strategy and communications. She specialises in Inspiring Portfolio Careers.

Energise support our clients through individual coaching, e courses and group programmes.

Click on this link for details:
6 month Portfolio Career Programme

Taster workshop Friday 15 July 2016.

Guest blog: Rachael Williams

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Rachael Williams

This is a guest blog by our client Rachael Williams. Rachael is currently Senior Legal Counsel (secondment) at The Financial Ombudsman Service. Her career has included private practice with magic circle firm Eversheds, regional law firms, the Bar, adjudication and lecturer/tutor. I met Rachael who attended The Law Society Returners course in 2014 when I did a session on career tips and trends in the legal profession.

Seeking a successful career breakthrough?

The learning curve I have experienced since October 2014 has been remarkable and I wish to share it with you. In fact, it has been less like a curve, and rather more like a bumpy line with a general overall direction and feel of ‘going up’, combined with the inevitable slump associated with the downs. I signed up to the Law Society Returner to Work course at Eynsham Hall in 2014. This was the start of the brave new world of venturing out, and confidence building – of CV redesigning and contact making – of interviews and new jobs, experimentation, disappointment and success.

I continue to remark to others that the sheer wealth of talent over that 2014 weekend was stunning, and if all present simply had combined their talents and made one large organisation then it would have been unstoppable. For those reading and thinking of unlocking your potential I highly recommend a few things:

5 tips for a successful return

1) Take that step – what do you have to lose?

2) Listen to the recommended courses of action and do them even if you are not sure that they suit you – they probably will

3) Unlock your potential with your personal talent liberator – the investment in Eynsham Hall is a start – going on to engage a career coach is a great additional step as the return on your investment can be many thousand fold

4) Once you have decided to do one or all of the above, then decisively carve out time for yourself – create that space to push back the endless jobs or other commitments that have stopped you up to now

5) In that newly carved space, write, read, research, experiment

I did get a job and yet I had undersold myself. It was a good job which was busy, but not what I had been trained to do. However, I could see the positives. I was mixing with younger people from whom we can learn a great deal; I was re-learning PC know-how; I was focusing on time-management & life with targets; I was engaged in team building and making contacts; I was re-educating myself on how to achieve the life-work balance. I made space to plan the next career step and literally earned while I learned.

Then, with my career coach, Rachel Brushfield, founder of Energise LLClub, I had a new CV prepared so that when the opportunity came along I was ready. I made myself visible and ensured that people in my workplace knew that I was better qualified than my job-title suggested. I applied for internal promotions and volunteered for additional duties on purpose just to get my face, name and CV around the building and in front of the people who made decisions.

It worked. The opportunity I had hoped for arose – maternity cover in the legal department. Recently I started in a senior role doing what I was trained to do with a salary to match.

In summary; make time to think about your career, seek the input of a career transition expert, prepare, prepare, prepare and believe in yourself. Good luck.

Thanks to Rachael Williams for making the time to write a guest blog for us.

Rachael’s testimonial following her career coaching with us:

“Rachel Brushfield is a calm and perceptive person who introduces you to your own talent and abilities and then helps you to utilise them to an effective end. And then, when success arrives, Rachel continues to guide and promote you in her own distinct way. She is marvellous and has been a return on my investment a thousand fold.”

Rachael Williams.

What next?

Why not book your no-obligation 20 minute telephone consultation with Rachel Brushfield to explore how she can help support you in your career? Click on this link now:

http://www.llclub.org/contact-us/

Guest blog part 2: Miranda Brawn

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Miranda Brawn headshot 1 April 2016

This is a two part guest blog by Miranda Brawn. This is part 2.

Miranda Brawn is a multi-award winning legal business and diversity leader who is hailed as a trailblazer. Named Top 30 most inspirational women by Brummel, featured on CityAMs Women In The City and Speakers 100 Powerlists, BE Mogul Winner and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. With a background as an investment banker and a barrister, over 15 years’ experience in philanthropy and diversity work, Miranda wanted to go the extra mile and founded the Miranda Brawn Diversity leadership Foundation. She has also co-founded the General Counsel Diversity Leadership Forum and part of the Thomson Reuters Legal In-House Advisory Network and Business Law Consultation Advisory Board.

Here is part 1 of Miranda’s guest blog in case you missed it:

https://liberateyourtalent.wordpress.com/2016/05/08/guest-blog-part-1-miranda-brawn/https://liberateyourtalent.wordpress.com/2016/05/08/guest-blog-part-1-miranda-brawn/

The rest of this blog is in Miranda’s own words.

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

A lot – wearing several hats! Board advisor, Entrepreneur, Founder, CEO, Barrister, Banker, Investor, Public Speaker, Brand Ambassador, Founder of Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation, Vice Chair of the Black Cultural Archives, Business and Diversity Leader are among the main responses.

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

My portfolio career has happened purely by chance due to a range of interesting opportunities which have been presented to me in order to help make a real positive difference in the world.

What do you most love about having a portfolio career?

I love the variety and diversity of the different people and industries with the continuous learning of new skills and knowledge which help my portfolio career. In addition, my extensive network has grown immensely which enables me to help others to succeed.

Who or what helps you to manage your portfolio career?

My PA is amazing and helps me to manage my diary in order to stay on top of everything.

How do you approach marketing your portfolio career?

My portfolio career has grown organically with the help of social media, word of mouth and D.I.Y. PR to help raise my profile. I have been able to use my business and marketing graduate studies from years ago to implement a successful marketing strategy for my various initiatives. In addition, I have relationships with several influencers, journalists, radio and TV producers to help with any of my PR campaigns. The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Scholarship was launched in the first week of January 2016 and I was approached by journalists, radio and TV producers who wanted to help to promote this diversity initiative.

What are your top 5 tips?

1) Develop a plan.
2) Get organised.
3) Have a support system.
4) Use your network.
5) Be open to unexpected opportunities.

What next?

More about Miranda Brawn:

Website www.mirandabrawn.com

Twitter https://twitter.com/brawnm

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirandabrawn?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile

Facebook www.facebook.com/MirandaBrawnEsq

Interested in a portfolio career yourself?

Download your copy of our free report ‘Discover portfolio careers’:

http://www.llclub.org/discover-portfolio-careers/