Be the boss you wish you'd always had - Fiona Thomas, Fiona Likes To Blog

Fiona Thomas is an author, podcaster and freelance writer with work published in iPaper, Grazia, Happiful Magazine and Huffington Post. Her most recent book Out of Office: Ditch the 9-5 and Be Your Own Boss has been featured in Stylist, Forbes, Daily Mail and was shortlisted for Business Book Award. She worked in various management roles after graduating from university until she had a mental breakdown in her mid-twenties, when she knew something had to change. She learned how to spot her triggers, many of which were work-related, and decided to create a new life as a freelance writer. Since then, she's led by example on social media platforms, sharing the mental health dips along the way and teaching other freelancers how to flourish at work. I feel I have a lot in common with Fiona even though we’ve never actually spoken before so I was very excited to talk to her, and it didn’t disappoint. There is so much crossover in terms of our stories, our approach to life and work and our views on various topics. And then there are our shared experiences - from hiding in the toilets when you just cant handle work to finding your people online. In this episode, we talk about the impact of the workplace on mental health, mental breakdowns, when mental health is treated as a tick box exercise, how freelancing can help you get your balance back, finding your own flow, and how to be the boss that you always wanted. ...... Fiona’s recommendations: Follow and connect to Jo Hooper of the Mad and Sad Club Books: Multi-Hyphen Method by Emma Gannon Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert ...... Connect with Fiona here: Instagram Twitter Website Link to buy the book Out of Office Out of Office podcast Don't forget to sign up to the Last Rung newsletter for more fortnightly tips, inspiration and chats with those who have been there and tested the waters for you.