Patricia Bright - Heart and Hustle

> There are a lot of cookie-cutter questions (some of which I’ve listed below) you can be asked, so prep a response for each one that has a little more fire than, ‘I’ve always wanted to work for this company because [insert what you read on their online bio].’

> Practise your interview technique out loud. Yes, it could be embarrassing but it makes a difference. Find a friend to ask you questions and practise your response. Alternatively, you can find a mirror and practise with yourself.

> INHALE. EXHALE. SMILE!

The old chestnuts

Think of strong responses to the following before you walk into the interview room (and keep them safe for future use):

> Why do you want this job/internship?

> Why should I hire you?

> What can you bring to the role or the organisation?

> What relevant experience do you have?

> What relevant skills to you have?

> Where do you see yourself in five years’? (Progressing within that company, of course!)

> What are your strengths?

> What are your weaknesses? (Talk about areas in which you’re already improving and what strategy you’re applying to do this. You want to be honest but not too honest.)

> And if you’re thrown a curveball? Don’t panic. Take a moment to think, then take a stab at the most sensible, thoughtful answer you can reach for. So much of this is about delivery. Be enthusiastic, respectful, and make eye contact – you’ll have them eating out of your hand in no time!

2| Yes, I work for myself on the internet!

I do sometimes get tired of answering the ‘ What is it you do?’ question I hear time and time again, coupled with the ‘Is that even a job?’ remark IRL. But in the digital space, people like me get a different reaction. I see a lot of #GIRLBOSS, #HUSTLE and #Buildingmyempire hashtags, sprinkled with copious amounts of praise in the comments. It can make it look like going it alone is the most exciting thing in the world – the one thing everyone should be aiming for. In 2017, it’s estimated that nearly 660,000 companies were started in the UK, a new record – and that figure is expected to be broken year-on-year. 1So what’s the truth?

The myths around being your own boss …

WARNING: I’m going to bust some myths around being in the coveted role of boss. ‘Entrepreneur’ has become a bit of a buzzword of late, and it can feel like being an employee is second best. But some people are amazing employees, great at hustling within their roles and climbing the ladder. They love the structure, they like the industry they’re in and they’re able to deliver consistently. My sister, my dad and my husband are all amazing employees. Never missing a day of work, they thrive. And being an employee can offer a great work-life balance and lots of stability, depending on the job you do. I’ve worked with some amazing ‘employees’ – my bosses and other senior executives around me – who were making a huge impact in their industries and the wider world. There is plenty of power and skill involved in being a mover and shaker in the workforce. Doctors, nurses and members of the armed forces for example, are all employees, providing essential services.

Meanwhile, some people think being self-employed means a life where you can wake up when you want, go to bed when you want, go out when you want, in between drinking champagne on a yacht. Well, that ain’t it! While being self-employed, I’ve learned that it involves sacrifices bigger than I could have ever imagined, that income is not guaranteed, that you can lose all you achieved in a second, and that you can end up working round the clock. I may have to have a call with partners in China at 1 a.m., or a call with clients in LA at 9 p.m. – ‘free time’ is not in my vocabulary.

Of course I’m grateful for everything I’ve achieved. I’ve had so many amazing experiences. But I don’t mind saying that there are times when I wish I could just go back to one of my regular jobs. Even though I’m established, I work ten times harder than I used to as an employee (at least, it feels that way!) because there’s a little voice in my head telling me that it won’t last for ever. I’ve got to always be thinking ten steps ahead: if everything crumbles, what would I do? With that in mind, I’ve made sure I have some money saved up and a back-up plan, just in case I ever need to make the switch to something else. If it all disappears, I’ll go into marketing and digital advertising, because it’s what I know about and genuinely enjoy. In fact, that would be my dream career if I wasn’t doing what I’m doing. That’s my plan B and I think everyone should have one. Having a back-up plan doesn’t for a second mean I’m not pushing full steam ahead and committed to the path I’m on, but it gives me peace of mind.

… And about being an influencer

So now we’ve covered ‘girlboss’ myths, let’s move on to those around being a social media influencer – and if you’ve picked up this book it’s probably something you want to know more about. I know there are lots of misconceptions. The thing I hear most often is that we make money for doing nothing. The reality is that we’re just like most self-employed people. We are creating, distributing, working with customers and partners, we’re investing thousands of pounds in our equipment and we’re at risk of losing all of it at the drop of a hat. Like everyone who works for themselves, we have sleepless nights and worry about what’s going to happen next. For those who want job security, who want consistency, who want guaranteed money, who want overnight success, this isn’t the industry. You can be popular today, and – one Twitterstorm later – public enemy number one. You can find yourself working for free for weeks for the ‘exposure’ (which you can’t pay a mortgage with). You can even work for an agreed fee for months and not receive a penny. There is no trade union for bloggers!

HOW I LOST £60K

Cue my own horror story. In the not too distant past, I worked on a number of projects with huge brands via an agency. These were very recognisable brands and, when I was approached to create content for them, I was beyond excited to have been considered for the work. The payment terms were three months, which was a long time to wait to be paid, but I was willing to take the risk bearing in mind their calibre. I delivered video content for the brands and it was shared globally on their social platforms. My face was everywhere, and I was really proud.

But three days before my payment was due, I received a call that the agency involved in the deal had gone bankrupt … and I had lost £60,000 in one fell swoop. At the time, I had a three-month-old baby, a mortgage and a loft conversion that still needed to be paid for. Yep, that happened. In a moment of delirium I actually laughed, and then I cried. I spoke to my solicitors and my accountant. ‘Unfortunately, the agency have to pay all their creditors first, and maybe in five years from now, you might get a pittance after they’ve paid their landlords, their taxes and their employees, who haven’t been paid their salaries.’ I was at the back of the queue. I then reached out to the brands that still had my content on their platforms, and asked if there was anything they could do. I received one uniform response: no.

A number of other influencers were in the same situation, so I wasn’t alone. I’m not holding my breath for that money now. And, of course, stories like this aren’t confined to the social media world. Talking to other people who run their own businesses, I’ve learned that it’s all part of the wild ride. I tell you all this to show you that the life of an influencer is not all filters and flights.