Freelance Feels: Conversations about self-employed life – Details, episodes & analysis

As a global communications director working for the biggest names in sport, Kat burnt out.   Her heart guided her to Antigua in the Caribbean where walking barefoot on the sand, floating in turquoise waters and eating mangoes from the tree brought her back to life.   Then nature began feeding her with inspiration for a radical way of being in business - True Business. Instead of pursuing profit and growth at all costs your are invited lead with the wisdom and creativity of your heart and thrive in harmony with the earth.   Her new book, Creative Happy Work: Follow your Heart to a Thriving Business, Life and World by Kat Byles is available now at Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes and Noble. R.R.P Paperback £14.99 and Digital £4.99.   https://www.katbyles.com/ 

Karen Krizanovich is known in the film industry for her work on major studio feature films as a researcher.

As a journalist, she has been published in Wired, The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian and Financial Times among others. Broadcasts include BBC1 Breakfast, BBC Radio 4’s Front Row, Woman’s Hour and BBC World Service.

For ten years the writer of Dear Karen, the quite popular comedy column in EMAP’s Sky Magazine, Karen’s career encompasses voiceover work (she was once the voice of a green M&M), TV presenting and books.

Karen has appeared on over 75 different TV shows, including CNN and Newsnight. Secretary of the London Film Critics’ Circle and a member of BAFTA, BIFA craft jury, BFDG and  FIPRESCI for whom she was a Cannes jury member in 2023. Karen also conceived, researched and presented Whistledown Production/BBC Radio 4‘s groundbreaking original radio documentary entitled Svelte Sylvia and the Hollywood Trimsters, Tinsel Town’s first and arguably greatest fitness and beauty expert who was wiped from history before this documentary. 

Get ready for some inspiring chat and a big dose of positive energy in this episode with Faye Dicker, AKA Freelance Mum.

Faye is a Broadcaster, Voiceover and founder of the award-winning network Freelance Mum.

Faye set up Freelance Mum in 2013, when she struggled to find a network for fellow mums in business. If it didn’t exist then she’d just have to create one!

Freelance Mum was established and successfully run in Bristol for 7 years, before pivoting during lockdown to launch hubs across the country.

Faye has been named Top 100 Most Influential Women in The West for two consecutive years, awarded Freelance Ambassador of the Year Award and Covid-19 Success Story, for her work with Freelance Mum.

When she’s not busy running her businesses (or on the school run!) Faye can often be found swimming in her local lido and Clevedon Marine Lake.

 

Find Faye at freelancemum.co.uk 

Follow on instagram: @freelancemum01

 

#freelancemum #freelancemumcommunity #networking #netwalks #freelancemumlife #freelancemom #freelancemoms #freelanceparents #freelancemummy #freelanceisolation #freelancefamily 

Andrea Wildt and Samantha Anderl are the co-founders of Harlow, an all-in-one freelance tool and community to help solopreneurs manage their business and reduce stress. As former marketing execs and freelancers themselves, they built Harlow because they value balance and autonomy and want to help others find it.

Remote working became the norm during the pandemic - but founders of Harlow, Samantha and Andrea, take that to a whole new level as they explain how they began - and run - a business from two different US states!

In this episode the business partners explain what led them to found Harlow, what it offers freelancers, their best working practices and how they fit self-care into their working days.

Find, follow and join Harlow...

Website: meetharlow.com

Twitter: @MeetHarlow

Instagram: @meetharlow

 

#harlow #meetharlow #newbusiness #freelance #freelancing 

Freelancing For Journalists was founded by Emma Wilkinson and Lily Canter, and is now an online community, with workshops, webinars and more, as well as an award-winning podcast!

If you're starting out on your writing career, their advice is invaluable.

We talk about the 'pitching feels' as well as how they navigate their own 'freelance' with running FFJ - and actual running. All the links to their platform are below!

  freelancingforjournalists.com    Listen to the FFJ award-winning podcast here Subscribe to their free newsletter  Order the book Freelancing for Journalists  Check out their Quick Guides Sign up to their online course or catch one of their webinars Join the Freelancing For Journalists Facebook community Twitter: @freelancingfor Follow on Instagram   #freelancingforjournalists #freelancejournalists #freelancejournalism #journalism     

TW: Trauma, addiction

For episode two of season 7 we dive into trauma therapy with Lucinda Gordon-Lennox.

Lucinda Gordon-Lennox, MSc, MBACP, is an accredited psychotherapist, writer and lecturer. She is a Consultant at The Recovery Centre, Belgravia and has a private practice.

She also lectures on trauma at the IESE Business School in Barcelona, helping students to recognise when and why they are triggered, and how to step back into their adult selves so that they can thrive. She lives in London with her two children.

www.lucindagordonlennox.co.uk

www.nobodyisbroken.com

 

 

Welcome back to the Freelance Feels podcast! Season 7 kicks off with Sian Meades-Williams, author of The Pyjama Myth and founder of the hugely popular Freelance Writing Jobs newsletter.

We chat about mental health, why Sian doesn't like the phrase 'side-hustle' and freelance interiors (watch out for the cuckoo clock!)

Sian Meades-Williams is an award-winning freelance writer and editor, with over 15 years' experience in writing emails and chasing invoices. She's creator of the media industry newsletter Freelance Writing Jobs, and co-editor of the lifestyle newsletter Tigers Are Better Looking. Her book, The Pyjama Myth: the Freelance Writer's Survival Guide, is out now.  

** Christmas spoilers! Don't listen with children! **   Time to talk letters to Santa... Louise is Head Elf at A Magical Letter and PA to Father Christmas. She helps the big man to write uniquely personalised, truly magical letters to children. Moonlighting as a VA for the rest of the year, she is also a Virtual Assistant at The Perfect Assistant.   Louise loves nothing more than making people happy, whether that's making children's eyes light up that the big man took the time to write to them and knows so much about them or helping small business owners get the jobs that they hate crossed off their never ending list.   Louise lives in Winchester with her husband, two children and cat Leela. She is addicted to cake, staring at her phone unsociably and listening to podcasts.   Last day for letter orders is Monday December 13th!   www.amagicalletter.com   Instagram - @amagicalletter Facebook - @amagicalletter

** Festive warning: Christmas-themed spoilers! Probably best not to listen in front of the children **

It's the first of this year's Christmas Specials!

Being a parent and self-employed is hard enough, but when you add in the festive period, Christmas holidays and clients who can feel a bit like having an extra child (or two) then it can be stressful.

So I called on Steve Folland and Frankie Tortora, who run the award-winning Doing it For the Kids podcast, to chat about all of the above as well as much more. Jam-packed with honest advice, giggles and info on the Being Freelance Christmas Quiz, it's the perfect way to start your December!

About Steve and Frankie:

Frankie is a freelance graphic designer, mum of two and founder of Doing It For The Kids — a community by and for freelance parents. Through the DIFTK Facebook community, blog, face-to-face meetups and podcast, Frankie is proving that all sorts of good stuff can occur when self-employed parents are given the opportunity to connect.

Steve is a freelance video/podcast producer, running his business whilst also looking after his two kids. His other babies are the long running Being Freelance podcast where Steve chats to freelancers from around the world about their story. And co-hosting the award-winning Doing It For The Kids podcast - a fun Q&A for those parents freelancing 'with kids in the mix'.

Steve spends a lot of time hanging out in his Being Freelance Community where he brings together self-employed creatives for support, fun and biscuits. He’s also brought together his own experience and that of 250+ guests to help new freelancers with the course “How to get started being freelance”.

Links

Doing it for the kids: doingitforthekids.net

Being Freelance: beingfreelance.com

Course: https://school.beingfreelance.com/p/how-to-get-started-being-freelance

Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/beingfreelance

** Photo of Steve and Frankie by Sian Parker @sianshoots

 

 

Helen Hill is a self-employed Digital Learning and Content Designer at Unlikely Genius Ltd. Having always been an eternal student, she fell into the eLearning industry by accident and found her place in the world – creating enjoyable learning for others. She works as a freelancer/contractor for clients in the UK and Europe, with a focus on physical and mental health, medicine, personal development, technology, and the environment.

Helen keeps getting herself shortlisted for awards such as Digital Women ‘Freelancer of the Year’, ‘Digital Woman of the Year’, and IPSE ‘Outstanding Freelancer’. She also appears on the Digital Women ‘Top 40 Digital Women to Watch list’ and won the ‘2020 Article of the Year’ award for her series of contributions to the industry journal Communicator.

During her squiggly career she ran her design business as a side hobby for 10 years, before launching herself into full-time self-employment in 2018. She has never looked back. Helen built a thriving business in less than two years, saving her sanity and health in the process. Her new book Falling Off The Ladder: Revamp your mindset and thrive in self-employment tells the story of that leap, how she (and 9 other contributors) did it and provides you with the tools to do it too. 

Helen is also a co-founder of Be The Future - a project aimed at helping guardians to raise the eco-leaders of the future, through positivity, storytelling and humour. No doom and gloom here!

Helen lives in semi-rural West Yorkshire with the long-suffering Graham, and two extremely fluffy, diva rabbits Tiffin and Strudel. 

  Social links: Unlikelygenius.com and fallingofftheladder.com LinkedIn  Twitter: @unlikelygenius Instagram