November 2003

Inspiration on careers, networking and writing

In this issue:
Editorial: Soft issues get tough
Let me introduce you to: Wendy Boothman and White Label Publishing
Read all about it: Authentic – how make a living by being yourself and Understanding Misunderstandings and I Don’t Know How She Does It.
What’s on: November
And finally: More good news about Summertime Publishing.

Soft issues get tough
Last month I had the privilege to be part of something new, exciting and ground breaking. Together with two of my dear friends and expatriate experts, Robin Pascoe and Hilly van Swol, I was invited to Frankfurt, Germany, to address 75 international human resources personnel about the things that make a real difference to the expatriate assignment – the family.

The one day conference was the brain child of Kirin Kalia of Expatica.com, which is based in The Netherlands. Expatica and Kirin are no strangers to organising events like this but this was the first time they dared to cover a topic that is usually considered so soft it is brushed under the carpet. But this time, Hilly, Robin and myself were able to speak about the things that really matter. We are all authors, as I expect you know, we all have free websites devoted to helping others and we have all ‘been there and done that’ when it comes to living and working abroad.

Robin spoke first about the reality of repatriation, and illustrated how going home can affect us, by telling us the story of how she would lie on the couch, watching her new border collie puppy, Cruse, herd the furniture, while she looked on helplessly. You can read more of Robin’s work at her website http://www.expatexpert.com.

Hilly talked to us of children, and how each assignment affects each child in a different way. Using the voices of the audience she shared some of the stories she has collected via her free website http://www.ori-and-rick.net. And for those of you who do not know this, Ori is a migrating bird created to help children understand their feelings, He is a soft toy, and there he was at an IHR conference.

Finally, it was my turn. At 5pm. The graveyard slot of all graveyard slots. I chose to talk about ‘Dual Career Solutions – No Cost or Low Cost’. Having experienced the pain and frustration of losing my professional identity 16 years ago and then learning to reinvent myself endlessly due to new postings and life changes, I could tell my story as it happened to me. I was able to share the ideas I have picked up along the way as to how companies might best please the spouses of their expatriate employees without breaking the bank. I told them how my life had been changed for the better the day someone from the company (the boss’s wife as it happened) telephoned me on our first day in Norway and came to see me for coffee. Little things can make such a difference.

The reason the Expatica conference was so different and so ground breaking was because spouses were given a voice. We did not stand on soap boxes, we did not chain ourselves to railings, we just told it how it is and offered simple solutions.

Last month I wrote about the importance of ‘telling your own story’. I guess this month’s story is on the same theme. Hilly, Robin and I told our stories to people who had the power to change things for hundreds, if not thousands, of other expatriate spouses. And the most exciting thing of all, was that our audience listened, really listened. They wanted to know more.

The paradox of all this is that between spouses, none of our content would have sounded new. But it is as rare as the Rosetta Stone to be given the opportunity to tell our stories to the people who can make a difference.

As a result of that conference I have been able to pass as much information as I can on the dual career issue to those delegates. Many of them have asked to receive this newsletter too. Simply by telling my stories that day in Frankfurt, I might be able to change the lives of other expatriate spouses in the future.

I was delighted to meet Lizzie Porter of Ernst and Young at the Expatica conference, who has been partly responsible for setting up the Institute of Global Mobility forum in London. Already, she has invited me to speak to the members in London on January 8th on the dual career issue. And I am delighted to be invited too to the forum’s first conference, entitled Greatest Hits, in London at the end of November. Yes you read that right. An HR conference has a wacky title. They have even booked a stand up comic, Andrew Marr from the BBC as a facilitator and seminars have titles such as Stand and Deliver and Karma Chameleon.

Times they are a changin’.

Let me introduce you to

Wendy Boothman is an inspiration to us all. She lives somewhere beautiful in a foreign country (Canada), has lots of happy kids, a happy marriage, donates her barn to an amateur dramatic group every summer AND she works from home. Wendy Boothman is a talented woman. Her website http://www.talentedwomen.com celebrates other women, who, like her, thrive as entrepreneurs, often overseas. Last month she started her own ezine, called Talk Back, which simply comprises three first person articles from talented women in her network. You just need to go to her website to subscribe.

Jan Kolasinski and Philippa Harrison have formed White Label Publishing, a bespoke service to help all you would be authors to get your edited manuscript turned into a book as painlessly and cheaply as possible. Using print on demand technology, they can help you to publish in small quantities at sensible prices. With designers on hand and the ability to sort out the nitty gritty of ISBNs and barcodes, I frequently partner with White Label myself to enable me to offer the most efficient service to my clients and make the best use of my time. You can contact White Label on ianski@blueyonder.co.uk. Or I can send you their price list myself. Tell them I sent you though, won’t you?

Read all about it

Someone must know what my pet topic is at the moment, for Neil Crofts has just published a book on being authentic. Entitled ‘Authentic – how to make a living by being yourself’, this new offering from the Capstone stable is sure to inspire you to start doing what you love for a living, or to put the ‘real you’ into the job you do already.

I am delighted to tell you that one of my clients, Nancy Slessenger, sees the publication of her own book this month. ‘Understanding Misunderstandings’ is a must read for anyone who has ever had a ‘mother-in-law’ problem or a bully in the office (that’s everyone then!). Written in Nancy’s witty, sharp and accessible style, the book has so impressed Pierre-Yves Gerbeau (of Millenium Dome fame) that he has written the foreword. Nancy calls personality types Rhinos, Ditherers and Cry Babies, to help you identify infuriating traits in your friends, colleagues and relatives. She then provides solutions to deal with them once and for all. It works, believe me. I’ve tried Nancy’s theories on my husband! Find out more at http://www.mytipsbooks.com. I think this is a must-have Christmas present.

OK, I know I don’t usually mention novels here, but I had to share ‘I Don’t Know How She Does it’ by Allison Pearson with you. I refuse to buy a book that has a pink cover as a rule. But when I spotted the hard back edition in my local library, and saw that it was a nice dull grey, I decided to go for it. Well, Kate Reddy is me. She is all of us. All of us who juggle our lives very fast and fairly badly. It made me laugh, it made me cry, but most of all it made me realise that success should not be measured in dollars and new cars, but in having time off to do with as I please. Speaking as someone who now has the most stinking cold and a body that has just declared ‘if you don’t stop I’m going to make you’, I know. I just read the book from cover to cover from my sickbed.

What’s on

Well, inspired by Kate Reddy I’m desperately trying to take it easy until the end of the year. Just two courses, one showcase and a conference to squeeze in round my clients and commitments this month!

November
On 11th November I’m speaking at an Ecademy.com event in Birmingham on Power Tools for Writing for Publicity. Find out more at http://www.ecademy.com.

17th November it’s my one day definite articles workshop again, this time in Collyweston, Stamford, Lincs, price £80. For more information email me at summertime@lineone.net.

26th November it’s my one day release the book within workshop again, in Collyweston, Stamford, Lincs, price £80. For more information email me at summertime@lineone.net.

27th-28th November I’m attending the Institute of Global Mobility’s ‘Greatest Hits’ conference in London at the Russell Street Meridien. It looks to be terrific. If you would like to find out more about this event and the IMF please go to http://www.ey.com/uk/igm.

And finally . .

Good news. Well, when I told you last month that I could only fit one more client in this year, I ended up with more than four! I hate letting people down, even when they have unreasonable deadlines (Why does everyone want things ‘before Christmas’?). So, to solve the problem I decided to hook up with a number of tried and tested freelancers who can take on some of the work for me. Things like final proofreading, liaising with print and designers, sorting out ISBNs and so on. Some of them are authors and publishing specialists in their own rights, and so there will be times when the project may be better managed by one of my associates with the right expertise. So, I’m happy and they’re happy. In a couple of weeks you’ll be able to read all their bios on my website http://www.summertimepublishing.com, but for now I’ll just introduce you to some old friends:

Fiona Cowan, with her proofreader’s safe hands, immeasurable project management skills and brainstorming power. Fiona is on Fiona@fifix.com.

Nicki Grihault, who used to be my assistant editor at Woman Abroad and has written two of her own books and updated two more, has more than enough skill to help any would-be author to negotiate the publishing minefield. Nicki is on nickig@mailbox.co.uk.

Zoe Meyer, who, like me, runs her own niche publishing company, has worked in production for Thames and Hudson and has written more than 15 books herself. Zoe is on zoesbooks@sagepress.co.uk.

So, you can rest assured that next time you contact me with a rush job, I have the power to help without putting myself in the sickbed again.