Flux Content

How to talk about things I don’t know much about.

“What are the secrets to making a great YouTube channel?”

“How do I start a blog for students?”

“How can my tech company do digital marketing better?”

“What do I need to do to fix my design ops?”

“How can I make people buy more of my sponges?”

All real questions from real calls.

Often the topic of calls is a complete surprise and not really what I do (turns out a lot of people want to talk about creative writing, content marketing and social media). Instead of getting stroppy about it, I try to at least share my experiences, or try to get people thinking about what they need to consider, how they might find the answers they need, and how to structure their next steps. I absolutely recommend mentoring to spur on this kind of quick thinking on a diverse range of topics.

Don’t build walls, build bridges

When I started mentoring, I had lots of calls with designers. “Why have you booked a call with me?” I used to ask. “You know I’m a content person not a designer, right?” (mild irritation that this person has not done their research and is wasting my time). This attitude didn’t really benefit anyone. It undermined my expertise and made the mentee think they’d done something wrong.

So I decided to just let go of that. I had learned enough from brilliant designers to be able to talk about design thinking, processes, and project challenges. (I didn’t realise it at the time, but this is thanks to Foolproof where I got broad exposure to a huge range of people, skillsets and projects.)

I ended up getting a lot out of those calls about design. We’re not Design OR Content OR Product; we’re not against each other; all our disciplines sit together on a spectrum, and there’s loads of overlap. We should all try and have more conversations with people who do different things from us.

I can be the change

In the past I’ve found it hard to be heard because of company politics, big egos and loud personalities taking centre stage. So it’s been wonderful to open up these kind, quiet and thoughtful spaces for others, and to listen in ways I wasn’t listened to in the past. I can both validate and help others to navigate the things I found difficult along the way. As you become more senior you don’t just automatically become a dick; it has been refreshing and empowering to do things my way.

A reminder: my ideas are useful and worthwhile

In a career break where I could have felt really adrift, it has been brilliant to remember that my perspectives are valuable, and that the questions I ask make people think differently. Hearing things like ‘This call will stay with me for my whole life’, make it all worth it. I will take this confidence through to bigger environments, wherever I go next.

I really love detailed calls about content

Audits, project planning, UX writing, report writing, strategy, career direction… I just love talking about everything content and never get tired of it. I realised how much I have developed my own process and approach over the years. AI and Chat GPT can do one…

I got insight for a side project: Miro worksheets and templates

What resources should I read? How do I figure out what jobs to apply for? How can I keep track of things? What are my skills? Is there a framework? I would hear these questions endlessly. Fundamentally they all came down to a lack of clarity, a need for introspection, and a desire for structure. It made me put together some Miro templates and worksheets and I’m trying to keep that up by releasing one a fortnight.

Weeknotes, User guide to me and Portfolio are out there. Personal positioning, value mapping, content 101 are in the works…

How to talk confidently and clearly using frameworks

I really struggled with this at the start of my mentoring journey. Someone’s asked a question and they’re just sitting there, watching you, waiting for your holy guidance. As a detail person, a chronic overthinker and someone who likes to get things just right, how can I possibly answer their question properly? I did a lot of research into talking using frameworks – and recommend everyone looks into this.

It sounds simple. I think some people do it naturally. But it really wasn’t natural or easy for me. When I started to do it, it was really revolutionary. It gave me guardrails and a visual structure to hold onto.

Here’s what I did:

• Reflect the question back so you know you’ve understood correctly (buying some time for the key points of your answer to materialise) “Hmm, ok so we’re thinking about how different types of content could help you boost your followers on social media”
• Ask clarifying questions until you have enough information “Is your audience mostly B2B or B2C?” “What exactly are the channels you’ve got?” “Do you have any metrics on what’s working well right now?”
• Start positioning the elements of your answer in terms of when they happen, how important they are – Is it one big thing and 4 little things? 3 equal pillars? A sequence?
• Visualise that answer in something memorable (is it a triangle? A circle? Equal pillars? A snail?)
• Describe the shape of your answer as a framework: “there are 3 key things to remember here” “When I tackle these problems, I like to start with 3 key questions: First, Who? Then, Why? and finally, How?”
• Write these down (so you don’t forget) and discuss each one in more detail.
• Use your hands and voice to express the structure and position of each element.

I know a little about a lot

I’ve got a really broad range of experience, from creative writing, art and product sales to running youtube channels, kickstarters, SEO basics… agency ops, workflow and project management, marketing, metrics, localisation and content, plus freelance life, contracting, perm roles and the relative benefits of all of them. There hasn’t been much I’ve been absolutely stumped by (though I hold my hands up at computer science and anything dev). Having a little bit of knowledge about a lot of things gives you enough to get started and ask the right questions.

I’m grateful for all the random jobs I’ve had, every random project I’ve helped out on, all the side hustles I’ve pursued, and all the interesting people I’ve met. While you can specialise till the cows come home, broad experience and interest is so so important. So keep going to those random conference talks and read around and outside of your specialisms!