Breaking Free From the Boardroom – Swapping Banking for Blog Posts

In light of my last post, I thought I would reintroduce myself and my business.

My name is Clare, and I am a word addict. Reading and putting words together to form sentences, paragraphs, blog posts and even stories has always been my passion.

Despite this, I somehow fell into the financial services industry at the tender age of 19, and it wasn’t until I had been swept up in that fast-paced lifestyle for over 20 years that I realised I wanted a change. Although I liked my job, I wasn’t exactly jumping out of bed each morning in excitement. I wanted to wake up every day and do something I loved.

I had spent the best part of a decade writing a personal blog. Every spare moment I had would be spent writing on my daily commute, on my lunch breaks, waiting in the doctor’s surgery, and even as I lay in bed at night. I was addicted, and like any addiction, this wasn’t enough.

One day, fate, the universe, or just pure luck intervened – although it didn’t feel so magical then! I found myself without a job for the first time since leaving school when the new role I was moving to unexpectedly fell through, leaving me distraught. What was I going to do? As I anxiously thought about having to look for another job, a thought occurred to me. Why not try something different? This was the perfect opportunity to follow my dream of being a full-time writer.

I didn’t grab it with both hands, as you would expect. I tentatively took it like a hot potato that could potentially burn the skin off my hands. What did I know about being a writer? There’s a big difference between writing a personal blog and writing for someone else.

I decided to look into it a bit more, and I realised it was very much about writing in the voice of others, writing for specific audiences and researching. That’s pretty much what I have been doing for the last 20 years! 

My job in KYC (Know Your Client) involved researching individuals and companies and the products and services they were being provided. I would gather the information I had found and present this in a written report to my colleagues for review. 

During my time in the city, I worked for seven companies, each needing these reports in various formats and wording. Different colleagues had their preferred way of having these reports written, and not only that, with the ever-changing regulations here in the UK and having to adapt to international regulatory requirements often, I had been adapting to writing in different voices and styles for years. Something I had grumbled about early on in my career was now one of my most valuable assets.

I was now ready to take the leap. I was then met with the obstacle of other people’s opinions. The majority of people were highly supportive. They knew it was what I loved and had been following my blog. Some, however, not so much. A few couldn’t understand why I would want to give up a stable job. They thought it was a bit pie in the sky.

But when would I have this opportunity again? I had to at least give it a go. So, I finally stopped listening to the naysayers and leapt. Well, it was more of a step, like the ones you take on one of those glass floors in a high-rise building. It felt just as scary!

And now here I am. I’ve been doing this for a while, and not only do I have actual clients, I have returning clients, so I am doing something right. I still spend a lot of my spare time writing and, even more time honing my skills, something else I have been surprised to find how much I enjoy.

I have spent that time writing blog posts, social media posts, newsletters and even eBooks in different voices and for various industries such as construction, beauty, and technology, allowing me to truly live my dream. I’m excited about what lies ahead.

So, this is me—Clare, the word addict. I’ve learned that taking that one step towards your dream, even if it’s a cautious one, is worth it.

Don’t be a stranger! Head over to www.clarehwrites.co.uk and see what I’m all about, and if you’re looking for someone to take care of your words, drop me a message! Let’s make your words work wonders.

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