“Living that life that we’re told to live is totally right for some people, maybe most people, but it’s not right for everyone.”

In this episode of Being Heard I chat to Fiona Barrows, the host of the There Are Other Ways podcast. Until recently Fiona has been a website copywriter and content creator for small businesses and is now undergoing a transition to offer creative business mentoring as well. Her podcast started from a desire for conversations with other like-minded souls who don’t subscribe to the view that there is only one path in life. Through these conversations she wanted to not only reassure herself, but also others, that it’s ok to want to do things a little differently.

In This Episode We Talk About:

• The mindset difference between freelancing and running a business
• Building a business that works with your mental health rather than against it
• The importance of taking action and trying other things to help understand what you actually want
• Changing attitudes towards university education and its’ value
• Being multi-passionate
• How podcasting has given her the opportunity to talk to the people whose books she has read and blogs that she follows
• The value of hearing different experiences and perspectives in regard to mental health and how it increases the chances that people will find the voices they need to hear
• Automated advertising in podcasting and monetisation

Links Mentioned:

• Season 2 Episode 4 of There Are Other Ways with Vanessa Dennett
• The Year of Less by Cait Flanders
•  A Slow Adventure with Maddy Lawson
• Episode 26 of On The Make – Josephine Brooks’ podcast
  • Listen to Episode 1 of Being Heard with Josephine Brooks
• Hashtag Authentic
• Letters from a Hopeful Creative
• Serial

Fiona’s Favourite Podcasts:

• The High Low with Dolly Alderton and Pandora Sykes
• My Dad Wrote A Porno 
• Table Manners with Jessie Ware
• Love Stories with Dolly Alderton
• Strangers
• The Allusionist
• Sentimental Garbage
• You’re Wrong About
• The Dropout
• Slow Burn
• The Rewatchables (the episodes hosted by women!)

There Are Other Ways podcast www.fionabarrows.com Letters & Notes – Fiona’s newsletter

Find us on Instagram @fbarrows | @thehappysideof40