I’ve recently had the wonderful opportunity to interview a number of independent consultants who are all members of the Talmix community.
Talmix is the home of independent talent – and their platform makes it possible for organisations to find the help they need from over 25,000 independent consultants from all over the world.
As part of their content plan, I was asked to interview a number of independent consultants in order to broadcast the wealth of expertise and skill that so many hold. (Read some of the articles I’ve written, here). Only on my 4th profile piece so far, I am completely overwhelmed by the calibre of knowledge available on the market. And more so – how wonderfully encouraging it is to see these unique individuals believing in a cause so much that they, at some point in their lives, risked their careers by taking the less popular route and follow a self-employed path that now sets them apart from some of their peers.
I had the pleasure, today, of speaking to a specialist consultant within the mining industry. This chap, originally hailing from Leeds, UK and now living in South Africa, has over 30 years’ experience within the industry. With a few more years left before official retirement age, there is no sign of stopping.
What an inspiration he is to me – as someone who is just embarking on this journey that is independence. I only hope and pray that I will be as inspiring when I get to that part of my career, as Andrew has been to me today.
I salute you sir. And thank you for the hope you give to the rest of us.
I love my job. And you’ve just made it even better.
At Friday’s Freelancer Get-Together in Bridport – I spent a wonderful morning chatting to a fellow independent self-employed business owner, who I will refer to as Nancy Drew for the sake of this blog. Nancy and I have known each other for a number of years – both having been employed before, and both taking the plunge to change our lives, wear our hearts on our sleeves, and give self-employment a real go.
Nancy is, despite her protest, a wonder in her field. A gentle soul with so much experience in what she does and a wealth of energy bubbling over with ideas. We got to talking about things that many of us self-starters and freelancers deal with – things like dealing with Competition, knowing where our next Gig will come from, reinventing something that doesn’t appear to be working, looking for the break to get us in front of a new audience.
It dawned on me, as Nancy and I passed the time with our coffee and hot chocolate, that many of the things I’d been struggling with as a new business owner was anything but uncommon. The reality of having to face the challenges that are usually absorbed by individual departments in large corporates, by myself only was one that appears to be shared by all self-starters and independent workers.
We got talking about dealing with Competition. We both live in relatively small towns in Dorset – where there are probably a handful of other people in the county doing similar things. Yes, we’re carving ourselves out as individuals and we’re finding the perfect recipe to blend our extensive experience with our new independent venture – but despite our steadfast head-down perspective, we all too often become distracted by our competitor who is shouting louder, making bigger waves, getting more attention. And, as we both discovered on Friday morning, it’s not always the competition shouting the loudest, that ends up reaping the reward. Sometimes it’s simply those of us who do what they say, and say what they do, keep their heads down, deliver a fantastic service – and simply get the job done.
My dad used to warn me to be careful of people who were over-baked soufflés – looking great and sumptuous on the outside, but the minute you cut through that top layer – all you find is a bunch of hot air, and disappointment.
Me – I’d rather be an all-round bake – warm and mushy on the inside, toasty on the outside – a sure thing. And thankfully, Nancy and I are just that!
Anyone who works for themselves is bound to understand the familiar feeling that is one’s own company. So every now and then, I take myself and my busy workload, off to a local cafe (which usually ends up being either The Bull Hotel for their Pain au Chocolat and free wifi, or Symondsbury Kitchen for their hot chocolate and free wifi) and spend a morning getting all the little things done that I need to get done.
Yes, I do it for the hot chocolate. Yes, I do it for the nibbles. But – there’s such a bigger reason why I do this. Company.
You see – working for yourself invariably means you are so busy getting things done, and looking for the next opportunity – that you forget to look after yourself – and sometimes, all you need is some inspiration from other creatives doing some impressive things.
So that’s what this is about.
We’re organising a get-together for anyone and everyone who is a freelancer or self-employed, and who – like the rest of us – enjoys meeting up with other self-starters for a cup of tea and a chat. There is no agenda – no plan – just a simple Let’s have coffee and see where the wind takes us.
We believe in purposeful coincidence – and you never know who you may meet – or where you next business lead may come from.
When: Friday 29 July, 10:00
Where: Bull Hotel Bar, Bridport
Bring a friend. Bring your work. Or just bring yourself.
Please RSVP if you’re keen by popping me a quick email – so that I can give the Hotel the heads up.