When I used to have a job, I often wondered why it sucked so much.
Of course, part of the problem was me and my attitude.
(Hi. It’s me. I’m the problem.)
Part of the problem was my undiagnosed AuDHD.
And a HUGE part of the problem was the way we work. (And the way we school, but that’s for another day.)
Everything was set up to keep us in boxes like good little robots, and — in the jobs I had, at least — creativity was smothered at every turn.
It was soul-sucking, dreary, and I remember clearly thinking several times that this couldn’t be it. I wasn’t gonna get up and do this every day for 50 years and then just die.
Absolutely not.
Of course, when I got fired (again) and started my own business, I realised there is so much more out there and it is possible to create our own lives.
Yes, I have a lot of privilege and support, but that’s literally why I now do what I do: I want people from all backgrounds to see that there are more choices than those foisted upon us as we’re growing up.
And the way I do that is through the medium of writing; specifically, books.
I want more people to tell their stories, so an order of magnitude more people can read them, see a different vision of the world, and perhaps live a more fulfilling life than they otherwise might have done.
Whatever fulfilling might mean to them.
There is no judgement here: not everyone is suited to or wants to run a business, just as not everyone is not suited to or wants to go to university and not everyone is suited to or wants to wait tables, or be a CEO, or go into finance with a trust fund and be 6’2” with blue eyes.
My precise point is: there should be infinite stories out there from people doing all manner of amazing things that lets them use their creativity in any endeavour — from cleaning cars to making music to rocket science and literally everything in between.
Work doesn’t have to suck.
Work shouldn’t suck.
And yes a chunk of that comes from us — from finding meaning and value in what we do every day — but it also needs to come from the work structures we live in and the environments we create.
So when TJ Bennett invited me onto his podcast, DesuckifyWork™, I got really excited and literally squeaked at him when he thanked me for being a guest.
He describes himself and his podcast as:
On the front lines of the work desuckification project. Equal parts snark and substance. Let’s destroy the fallacy that business should not be fun. And let’s discover together that laughter, levity and a little lightheartedness are the secret to making work feel less like work and more like living.
AMEN TO THAT.
I love podcast interviews because they remind me who I am and where I came from and how I got here. You can hear some of my story in this interview, but the real good stuff comes a little further in, where we talk about:
- How writing can help you uncover deeper meanings in your work and life — clarify chaotic situations, inspire new career paths, and build stronger teams.
- Why suppressing creativity can create mental health issues (we’re ALL creative — that’s literally the definition of being human).
- Why we need safe space for expression in the corporate world for everyone — especially marginalised voices — and how we can help people feel comfortable to take up space.
- How writing a book can be so much more beyond the book itself — and how I’ve seen my clients grow in ways none of us would ever have foreseen.
- How bringing creativity and reflection into the workplace, and longform writing projects, could transform the way we interact and work, and create more fulfilling work experiences — and reduce reactive conflict, especially online.
We went deep, and our conversation was so interesting. I could have talked with TJ for hours.
I hope you enjoy this episode and that it inspires you to start something a little deeper and more thoughtful than the next social media soundbite.
If you’d like to make a start on that, come to my Kickstart Your Book workshop on July 23 — it’s just 90 minutes and £195 + VAT and I guarantee it’ll be transformative.