From Bolton to… Belmarsh?
Jo’s story
Jo Watson of agoodwriteup is a freelance copywriter, editor and trainer hired by people who want personality in their project. She is also a speaker, someday author, and self-professed ‘minor LinkedIn celebrity’. That she is indeed.
I first stumbled across Jo on LinkedIn with a post that was delivered with trademark wit (a pic of a Labrador in front of a sign for some labs, which I immediately recognised as in my motherland of Bolton). Long story short, I quickly started to fangirl Jo and signed up for one of her copywriting courses. I bought her a troll. And that was that. Now she can’t get rid of me.
I couldn’t write this one into my own words, as I cannot do Jo’s delivery justice. I had already put off writing this one up for long enough, then I realised why bother? Copy and paste is my friend here. As is Jo.
Here is her story.
THEN
How long were you in the corporate world/working for others?
I was a teacher at the start of my career/post-grad working life, so I don’t know if that counts as corporate? I know I couldn’t wait to get the hell out of working in schools, though! And it was nothing to do with the kids! Bloody awful career… Anyway, I went to work in a more corporate ‘life’ after only a few years in the classroom, and I did about 10 years across a few different roles in two different workplaces. Both were centred on sport but still based in education leadership. My strength in the education and leadership side made up for my horrendous lack of knowledge about sport, I feel!
I think it’s important for me to state that when I talk in this contribution about the things that made me want to come away from corporate and/or set up on my own, I’m not talking about the role/workplace I had for the three years before I finally quit and set up full time in my business. It was that job and experience that allowed me (albeit sneakily) to build my own business so that I could long forget about all the shit of the lows in corporate life. Until you made me drag it all up for your book, Helen, obviously…
In 3 words, what was your overall experience like? How did corporate make you feel?
Sum up corporate working/working for someone else in three words? “Nothing is enough”.
What did you find the hardest part of working for others?
At the time, the hardest part was putting in all the extra hours to get a better than best outcome, only to see others in the same role do the bare minimum and get all the same benefits. Now, in hindsight, I see that the hardest part was doing all of that stuff – and feeling that stress and resentment that goes with it – in order to make somebody else a small fortune. Honestly, what was I doing it all for?
What aspects of corporate working caused the biggest problems for you?
I hate to say it, but being a woman was a massive ‘disadvantage’, shall we say, in hoping to be taken seriously, treated fairly, and fully respected by anyone above me (including the one or two women in role, who very much believed in competition over collaboration). Yep, I worked for a professional football club for 7 years, and I had no idea how absolutely sexist and misogynistic it was until I tried to climb the corporate ladder. The 1970s are alive and well in professional football, people.
How long do you think you had been unhappy/struggling/despondent for?
I felt that as soon as I did something really well, or became ‘successful’ in anyway, those above me wanted to keep me down. I don’t even want to get into detail about how they went about doing that, but the words ‘immoral’ and ‘the wrong side of legal’ feature highly in the recollections of many who suffered in the same way both before me and long, long after me…
How did it impact your physical and mental health?
Well, I didn’t feel great, physically or mentally, and I don’t think you can separate the two. They’re inextricably linked, and nothing was making me feel good at all during the toughest times. Today, everyone thinks I’m confident, strong, and never afraid to stand up for something. Back then, it was a different story.
Did it impact your relationships with friends and family?
The way I was being treated and the uncertainty I felt about everything each morning I went in to the office and each night I came home was spilling into my everyday life. I couldn’t enjoy time with my friends as I was always pre-occupied with thoughts of work, and the strains were showing at home with my other half. I hated my job and I hated myself.
What was your wake-up call that prompted you to make the leap to self-employment?
I actually loved the job I was in at the time of the leap, but I realized that the love of which I speak had meant I’d given so much extra of myself to that role and not dedicated enough of my time and energy to building agoodwriteup as much as I could have done. That love also meant that I never kicked up a fuss each year when there was ‘no money’ for a raise (even in line with inflation), or when my boss (the business owner) would turn up with a lovely new car or jet off for a fab city break somewhere every time that there was a success in the business that I’d led on. I just felt that if I could give so much and achieve so much for someone else’s business, then imagine what would happen with my own!
How did it feel to hand your notice in?
It felt great - like the right time and a positive move. My boss tried to get me to stay (which was really nice), yet he still apparently couldn’t offer more money, which I felt would have been the mark of respect and value I deserved. So, I asked for my wage to stay the same, but for my hours to decrease to give me time to develop (and earn from) agoodwriteup. My boss said he needed me full time as I was integral to the business… but I felt that if I was that integral to someone else’s business, imagine what I could do for my own!
NOW
How has working for yourself changed your life?
It’s made me stretch myself to reach my full potential, rather than being stretched by someone else to hit someone else’s targets and fulfill someone else’s dreams. I like the fact that when I’m successful in achieving something, the credit, plaudits and financial rewards all come right to me!
Do you think your previous experiences still have an impact on you?
Absolutely. I can’t forget what I went through and the impact it had on me every single day when I was attempting to climb the ladder to leadership. Although, had I been perfectly content in corporate, I may never have left… and that idea saddens me more than anything. I could never work for someone else now – the whole thing sounds horrific, even if your bosses aren’t complete misogynistic twats!
What has been the biggest change or benefit of working for yourself?
Being accountable to myself instead of someone else. It’s terrifying knowing that the buck stops with you on all decisions, and facing the fact that you may not get paid unless you spin all the plates. But realistically, there were days in corporate when I was made to feel that this was the case anyway!
What has been your biggest challenge so far?
I found out I was pregnant a massive three weeks after leaving my full-time job to go full-time in business, build a reputation, and earn my own cash. That’s a story for a whole other book, but all I will say is that although I have no idea how I did it (I had severe morning sickness for 7 whole months, which made things a tad more challenging), I wouldn’t change it - and I think it was all the making of me, I really do. Both my small child and my small business are still currently alive 4 years on – yey me!
Do you feel you can be yourself in your business?
Yes, although it can get me a lot of grief. At the time of writing, I’ve got around 16k followers on LinkedIn – actual engaged ones, too – and so that’s why I joke about being a minor celebrity. I’m completely myself on there, because social media is my only real form of marketing as a writer, and it’s important that people can see what/how I write, and learn more about the kind of person I am and what I’d be like to work with. My content - and how I come across - wins me a lot of clients, but it also repels a few people, too. I get a lot of trolls. And no, I don’t mean people disagreeing with me or being a bit vocal against an opinion of mine they don’t value. I mean like people telling me I’m a disgrace of a woman and that I’ll burn in hell because I swear. Sigh.
Have you had to change your mindset about work or yourself at all? How have you done this?
Are there any particular tools or techniques that have helped?
I have no idea what my mindset is, how it works, or what it should be. How I feel about things and how I approach things differs wildly on any given day. I’m triggered by everything from imposter syndrome to social media comparisons, and I get really fucked off whenever I have my time wasted or my value questioned by people who would probably never work with me anyway. I just deal with each day as it comes, and face each challenge one by one. One thing I have learned to do though, is to value, appreciate and celebrate my successes. That’s a good mindset to have, I reckon. ‘Work hard play hard’ will always ring true for me, even though it’s a largely tacky and highly unimaginative statement to make…
Has working for yourself been what you expected?
I don’t know what I expected, really, although I now finally forgive my other half for the things he did in his own business when I was full time employed. I could never understand why he didn’t just take time off at the drop of a hat, or why he’d get straight on with work the minute we touched down on the tarmac from a nice holiday away. I completely get it now – and I guess it makes me more patient when my employed mates make stupid bloody comments or assumptions about what I do and how I do it in my working life. It’s a completely different lifestyle… and it’s also now the only thing I have in common with said husband!
Do you see yourself ever going back to working for others? Why?
God, no. That’s like asking someone who’s just done 20 years in the slammer if they fancy an all-inclusive week away in Belmarsh.
I’m sure Belmarsh would be happy to have you, Jo. I hear the porridge is top notch.
Jo Watson - agoodwriteup, freelance copywriter, editor and trainer hired by people who want personality in their project. Also a speaker, someday author, and minor LinkedIn celebrity…