If you aren’t a parent it might have escaped your notice that it was World Book Day on 3 March. I packed my two small people off in their favourite dragon and monster costumes, books grasped in their clammy little hands. I know these ‘awareness days’ can seem like a bit of a gimmick, but I love the innocent optimism of WBD. When I asked my eldest what he wanted to dress up as he jumped up and down with excitement, reeling off a list of treasured stories. Even better, they had characters easily served by costumes we already owned.

I grew up in a house full of books, largely thanks to my grandad, who worked for Hodder and Stoughton. I can’t imagine living in a house without bulging bookcases so my children are also being raised on an endless diet of stories. It’s easy to think of a ‘story’ as being the stuff of childhood, making way for literature when we grow up, but I don’t think that’s the case. Every message we send out into the world is a story. I believe that it’s hugely important to remember that when creating business communications.

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I’ve just come back from a week in the French Alps. When a friend heard that I was going to be trying skiing for the first time she suggested that my husband encase me in bubble wrap. (Thank you Kim!) Given that I am a world champion in falling over this was not entirely unreasonable. As regular readers will know, my husband’s birthday gift to me was a list of 40 challenges. (If you’re not a regular reader, catch up here). Trying skiing was included on the list and I was persuaded that a family holiday to a suitable resort was preferable to an indoor centre in the UK. Ironically, even stress relieving packing material would not have prevented me from injuring myself at the end of my first lesson, falling over whilst attempting to use a drag lift and being, well, dragged.

 

Later on, after a visit to the pharmacy and with the right side of my body in a fair amount of pain, I reflected on my day and wondered a) what there was to do if I was really crocked and b) whether I wanted to try again if I recovered in time. Would I be chickening out if I decided, on the strength of one lesson, that skiing wasn’t for me?

 

Here’s what I learned

I haven’t always been a runner. My teenage self would not recognise the adult who opened the curtains one wintery morning and exclaimed “it’s snowed, let’s go running!” However, when I contemplate my freelance career I realise that building my business involves going through some of the same stages that I went through to become a cross country enthusiast.

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Are you a person or a brand? Don’t worry, I’m not suggesting that you’re having some kind of identity crisis. It’s just that when you’re either a sole trader or the figurehead for a small business, it can be hard to think of yourself in terms of a brand identity when the qualities that you bring to the role are personal ones. It’s certainly been a tricky one for me to navigate since I stopped being a representative of a national law firm and started advertising writing services on my own behalf.

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I turned 40 last year (I know, it’s hard to believe until you look closely) and my husband gave me an unusual and delightful present. I was slightly bemused to open a scrapbook until I started to flick through the accompanying stack of 40 postcards, each detailing a different challenge.*

As I read through I found some that were fun (drinking champagne is no hardship), some scary and some downright bonkers.

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Why do I need networking events

Working in pyjamas

How your employees can help you win more business

My decision to stop being a solicitor and become a writer was met with several different reactions.  To my great relief, my most closest friends cheered and confessed that they had always thought I was too nice to be a lawyer*.  Others responded in a more muted way, wishing me luck with a raised eyebrow.  One or two asked whether I had a back-up plan; I’ll get back to you on that.

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How do you engage with customers?