And so it begins ...

After much consideration, 2018 is the year I decided to jump ship from the corporate world to start my own strategic communications consultancy – Five in a Boat.

Why? Because it was an itch I needed to scratch, because I have huge experience which can only be properly leveraged if I have the freedom to work for different companies and because I am not your average comms person, which you’ll soon find out. 

Six weeks in, this is what I have learned:

• It is great being your own boss but, by god, do you need to be disciplined – getting up at 7am has never been harder (even with a three year old).
   
• Being great at doing other people’s comms doesn’t necessarily translate to you doing your own well – this is a must and should serve as a crucial part of your growth strategy.
   
• Meeting people at the bar at conferences is a great way of both building relationships and winning business – thank you Foreo (more to follow on this one!).
   
• London is a thriving scene for entrepreneurs – if you have the appetite take the plunge.
   
• A lot of companies use freelance sites to get free ideas – be careful which ones you use if you are going down this route.
   
• Contacts from years ago will spring up out of nowhere and will help you, whereas people who you have worked with more recently and more closely will disappear without a trace.
   
• Everyone wants something for nothing – be savvy in what you choose to give away for free.
   
• I have more supporters than I ever thought possible – so thank you to those people from the bottom of my heart for believing in me.

So far, no regrets! After all, you have to have to roll the dice to be in with a chance of winning.