On a personal note for me, the support my work friends give me is second to none. Blogging is a new career for everyone and as we try to establish what we do as a reputable, brand building, respected way of working, the more support I can get from anyone in a similar position or profession, is like gold. Being able to drop a text or a call to someone who understands completely how you’re feeling, who can talk honestly about similar projects and can reassure you you’re not going mad (I know we all feel that at some point in our jobs) is something I will never take for granted. Navigating this together is a blessing.

We’ve all been there. You try to be the person that doesn’t bring your s*&! into work but at some point it is unavoidable. Perhaps a relationship has gone sour, a family disagreement has wreaked havoc with your head or you may even just be feeling under the weather. No matter what, that individual who works with you is 9 times out of 10 the one to give you that shoulder to cry on. This for me has sometimes been a pivotal moment of realising just how incredible the people you work with are, how well they know you and just how good friends you’ve both become over the time you’ve spent together.

Although we always tend to think comparison is the thief of joy, there is nothing that motivates me more than seeing a friend and colleague do well. We all have our goals and in life there are 2 ways we can get there. The only one that matters to me is to admire and support others. A friend and co worker getting an incredibly well deserved opportunity is the biggest motivation for me. Knowing the hard work and long hours that went into getting that campaign, sponsorship or award, equals being a colleague’s biggest cheerleader.

Being self employed can sometimes feel incredibly lonely. Yes there are amazing opportunities and perks to being your own boss but likewise with everything in life, there’s a downside. Not having colleagues to bounce ideas off, to be there when things are getting too stressful or even just to go to lunch with is something I really miss. The reality is that I love my job and the perks that come with it, but I do sometimes wish I had the closeness with colleagues that came with my previous jobs. But looking on the bright side leads me to appreciate the work friends I do have and the opportunities we get to experience as a team.