introducing: frantically asked questions
a new series to help you get over your hurdles
FAQ: noun | a list of questions and answers relating to a particular subject.
Two weeks ago, I popped back to Amsterdam to speak at a marketing conference. I’d been very flattered to have been asked, and very nervous as to what I’d say. After a few weeks of thinking about the best thing I could offer for an hour, I decided to host a workshop along the lines of choosing words that work, navigating tricky feedback and how it’s essential to fight for good briefs if you want to create good work.
At the end of the session, I opened up the floor for questions. I’d thought the overwhelming ask would be about writing. But as it turned out, the questions that dominated the Q+A were actually about the hurdles young women face when trying to stand out (or even just exist) in the creative industry.
We talked about finding the confidence to use your voice, what to do if you’re not being taken seriously because you’re A Young Woman™️ and how to deal with bullying at work. Fortunately, (or is it unfortunately?) I had a lot of advice and many, many of my own experiences to draw on. So we solved a few problems together and people left with action points.
It was so energising and magnetic to spend an hour with so many hungry, obviously talented writers taking their futures so seriously, so young. And for a long time now, my DMs, LinkedIn messages and email inbox has been inundated with a similar energy. Young writers and creatives looking for advice, answers to burning questions and solutions to problems.
It’s taken me a long time (and convincing, by mentors and friends) to find the confidence to believe that I have valuable advice, experience and insights to offer. And now that I do feel this a bit more, all that I want to do is share it and help those who stand where I used to stand, and feel all that I used to feel. I have unlimited opinions to share, but what I don’t have is unlimited time.
If I did have unlimited time (or perhaps more usefully, the ability to stop time or travel through it), I would happily spend my days sat at my desk crafting thoughtful, thorough answers to every person who sits behind the words of these messages. I’ve previously carved out an hour every week to reply to many of these messages, and to commit to Google Hangouts to mentor young writers 1:1.
Some of these writers have eagerly taken advice on board, and then used it to supercharge the brilliant things they were probably going to do anyway. Some of these writers just wanted me to tell them what they want to hear, or ultimately, do all the hard work for them. Then, when I didn’t, they just… stopped replying. On one occasion, I found out that I writer I’d spoken to once had been using my name to try and get himself a job.
Over time, I’ve come to think that the best mentors and advisors aren’t necessarily people who unlock doors for you, but are people who can help you choose which door to walk through next, or help you to figure out where the key might be. Ultimately, you’re the person who needs to unlock the door of your choice – and then walk confidently through it yourself.
As a woman with very limited time and very few time travelling abilities, I’ve been trying to figure out a way that I could give more questions answers which could (hopefully) help more than just the one person who asked them. And the solution I’ve come to is this: an Ask Me Anything / advice column, where I can thoroughly and thoughtfully answer your frequently, Frantically Asked Questions.
Maybe you have a question about how to write for magazines. Maybe you want to know how to get into advertising. Maybe you want to know about moving abroad. Making your CV stand out. Getting your first copywriting job. Getting your sixth copywriting job. When to leave a job. Negotiating a pay rise. Preparing for a performance review. Managing for the first time. Planning a wedding. Making the perfect crisp sandwich. It can be anything you like. If I have an answer, I’ll give it to you. If I don’t, I’ll find someone who can.
The ability to submit a Frantically Asked Question is part of the paid subscription. It’s £5 a month (or £50 a year), which is a lot less than a small glass of house wine at most London pubs, but enough to go towards supporting this newsletter and keeping my writing (and motivation) alive. If you’re a paid subscriber, you can email my Substack email with your Frantically Asked Questions and each month, I’ll choose one to answer in this series.
If you’re a paid subscriber, you essentially make this newsletter possible (so thank you so much if that’s you!). All the writing that shows up on this newsletter takes place outside of my day job, in pockets of time that I steal from other things and people in my life. By paying for it, you can feel really good about yourself for supporting independent writing. But if that’s not enough, you’ll also get access to my more personal essays, the interviews that live behind the paywall, the full archive, Vibe Checks, Out Of Office travel guides and probably some other future things I just haven’t thought of yet.
And if that’s not enough, you can also become a Founding Member for £100 a year (less than £8.50 a month). You’ll get all the benefits of being a paid subscriber, but with the extra sparkly bonus that is having an hour of my time to ask me anything you like, or to help you get over a hurdle. If you need it, you’ll find more info on all the different kinds of subscriptions here.
To kick things off, I’ve gone through a load of LinkedIn messages and pulled together a list of the most Frequently Frantically Asked Questions. The first one will go live next week.
See you then,
Em
Got a Frantically Asked Question for Emily? Upgrade to paid and email emilyashpowell@substack.com.