Beginnings
When I registered my business in late 2014, I had 2 children in primary school. One was 8 and one was 5. We also had a young and exuberant 11-month-old dog. At the time, I worked in an open plan area of the house, often to the backdrop of tunes from ABC Kids or The Fairies, arguments and laughter. I walked the kids to school and relished the opportunity to be available to them as I worked from home. I attended assemblies, coordinated the school Book Club and was the mum I wanted to be. It was special to be part of these moments with my kids.
Of course, this was both a blessing and a curse! I crammed work into school hours. During busy times, I felt the guilt of sticking my kids in front of the TV or taking calls when we were in the middle of a chat. School holidays were sometimes nightmarish; surrounded by lots of noise and activity. Even so, I knew my career move was the right one for us all.
Four years later, we invested in a home renovation. High on the list was my own office (with a door – essential) to enable me set some boundaries. When I set up my own new space, I felt a greater certainty that this business was here to stay.
And 10 years on, those little kids are now 18 and 15; the dog is a mature queen. My beautiful office is now a shared space a couple of days a week (thanks to post-COVID flexible working arrangements). There are still tunes (most likely Taylor Swift), arguments and laughter. But I can close my door.
Early connections
My first project kicked off in December 2014. I didn’t have a work email or website. I had a connection through a friend and colleague, which evolved into my first ACT Government contract and the rapid purchase of public liability insurance. I produced a case study booklet for Healthier Work, and went on to do this annually for numerous years. Even after changes in staff over the decade, I loved returning to support Healthier Work again in 2023 to rewrite their website.
My first paid gig
The most valuable part of my business success has undoubtedly been connections and word-of-mouth referrals. I am incredibly appreciative of all those friends and colleagues who gave me a chance or mentioned my name in passing. Many early projects came directly from a friend’s referral – thank you all.
I also gained essential lessons from working with other writers such as Cinden Lester, who taught me much about how to navigate complex projects and clients.
I’m grateful to have many long-term clients and collaborators. Some I work with weekly, some only once a year or every couple of years. These connections mean the world to me.
Learning lessons
Early on, I took on everything. I had no concept of when or if the work would dry out. Honestly, I undertook some work that wasn’t creative or particularly skilful. But it paid the bills. It wasn’t until I had a few years under my belt that I realised I could refine my expectations – I could get a bit more picky about what projects I took on. I recognise this is a real privilege for any business.
I have worked on some projects that have challenged me and frustrated me. I have ‘broken up’ with a handful of clients due to their disrespect or bill-paying delays. I continue to struggle with the juggle of too many deadlines all at once. And motivation seems to completely evade me on some days.
But thankfully I continue to learn every day.
Quietening the self-doubt
I know it’s a common thing for many of us. For me, self-doubt and ‘imposter syndrome’ can creep into my editing and proofreading work. The expectation of ‘perfection’ is confronting. I’m only human. And I don’t consider myself a natural grammar person. I have lots of experience in what to look for, but I don’t know everything (does anyone?).
Studying for my IPEd accreditation in 2020 was one way to enhance my knowledge, confidence and credibility. It was a tough process that was, at times, confronting and exhausting. I was relieved and exhilarated to pass such a difficult exam. Yet more importantly, it taught me that editing is an art, not a science, and reaching perfection is not the key. The aim is to make a document or piece of writing the best it can be.
Proudest moments
There are many projects that I’m really proud of. Either for their complexity or because they challenged me. Or simply because I enjoyed writing or working on them!
Writing the ACAT and Parks ACT websites were a highlight, as were the many 10,000-word tourism award submissions I created from scratch. I wrote a conference paper in 2017 on advances in satellite imagery processing and machine learning – a topic I knew nothing about! I have written many articles and blogs on all manner of interesting and sometimes unexpected topics: whales, party hire, Floriade, property, engineering, business apps, the Census and healthy habits. Just last month, I was asked to rewrite a draft about a person’s experience living with a hearing impairment at work for an International Day of People with Disability article. The client’s feedback? ‘Wow! You’re a fantastic writer’.
The variety is astounding and continues to inspire me. And I love how my words can make a little difference in the world.
Cheers to 10 years,
Shae
