Community chest
Yesterday I joined thirty-odd authors at an event organised by my publisher. It was a moment for potential imposter syndrome as most of the authors have books out in the market. Some are even quite famous.
I quickly settled down with the only person I knew, Katie, herself an Amazon Best Selling Author.
As often the case, the imposter anxiety was kind of redundant.
Instead, I met a lovely bunch of people, encouraging, supportive and willing to share their pitfalls over the writing and publishing business. And desperate to help a new author like me.
Usually, at these kinds of things, I don’t even open my notebook. But yesterday, I wrote pages and came home and wrote more.
And today, I have a bunch of new followers on my Instagram and LinkedIn, many with offers to help.
It reminded me of a section in my book on building a ‘Support Squad’ when you leave your corporate job.
I didn’t have one when I left. Most of the people I knew stayed (although most have left since). I felt like I was on my own - excited but daunted.
That’s where this blog helped. I started writing it in January 2021 and within days dozens of you were regularly sharing your experiences, your horror stories, your advice and your shoulders.
You were my Support Squad. I talked with many of you on Zoom in the months that followed, and we swapped notes on how we felt, how our different companies treated us, what we were doing next.
It’s amazing how quickly you can get close when you have a shared experience.
The new part of my life, where I’m feeling a bit vulnerable, is the bit where I’m an author. You, my Corporate Escapology squad, have given me confidence and even purpose to write this book. My new Author Squad are helping to increase both - half a dozen told me yesterday they – and many of their clients - NEED this book.
We’re rarely really on our own, but it can feel that way sometimes. Finding people who support you is great, but finding people who support you because they understand you, people who’ve been there, and people who want to help you learn from their mistakes, is even better.
If you’re anything like me right now (with the Final Manuscript due on Monday) you may be flat out, but do take time this holiday season to think whether there’s anyone who can use your experience, who really needs your direct empathy, whose time, money or energy you can save with a friendly call.
I’ve got another section on the book about #givefirst and how it’s changed my life, how it’s helped me become a better networker and a better friend, how it’s opened doors I would never have expected and how it’s increased the diversity of my connections and ideas.
That’s what community does. And the chest is the treasure inside if you wondered where I was going with that.
