Hashtag Authentic - for creatives, dreamers & business owners online

Sally is joining me for weekly bonus coaching calls in my upcoming Insta Retreat class. Enrol now at meandorla.co.uk Sally’s free program, “stop people pleasing in 5 days” Sally's Website The Life Coach School Sally's Instagram @sallyhardie_coach My Instagram This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit meandorla.substack...

If you want to know more about my tell all Instagram class The Insta Retreat follow this link To read my companion blog post 'What the F is up with Instagram Hashtags?' follow this link     This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit meandorla.substack.com

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT * The often-underestimated importance of being “politely persistent” * Starting a blog and Instagram before you become an expert (practising in public), as a way to find clients after you graduate * The way Kimberly used Instagram not only as a photography portfolio but also as a way to train her writing voice ahead of writing her book, alongside her blog writing * The value of...

Links mentioned in this episode: Ida on TikTok   Ida on Instagram   Ida on Youtube Ida’s lumberjack TikTok   Clubhouse   My Instagram Class, The Insta Retreat  Me on Instagram – @me_and_orla Times for our Clubhouse chat 16:00 GMT 11:00 AM EST 08:00 AM PST 04:00 AM Sydney         This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visi...

Things We Talk About In This Episode: Multi-layered, multi-hyphenated careers and what to call yourself if you’re asked at a party Being led by curiosity, the value of deep-dive research, and the joy of starting something new Mel’s early career in the not-for-profit charity sector, and the turning point she reached that led her to galvanise a group of volunteers and ultimately, to co-create Freedo...

Things I Talk About In This Episode: The evolving trends of Instagram How our fears and doubts stay the same, no matter how the platform evolves The risks and costs of buying too heavily into one trend Why I'm always wary of one-size-fits-all solutions online The importance of staying connected to your own creative vision and voice How to use trends for growth without getting blown off-path The im...

Things We Talk About In This Episode: The world changed between the time Skye wrote this book and when it was published. We talk about how she faced the challenge of publishing a book about feeding the people you love, when you’re not allowed to be with them. (Spoiler alert: being apart from the people we love makes us value those times we do have together, even more) The creative ways we have res...

Things We Talk About In This Episode: The business idea that grew out of Maressa’s own creative slump How important it is to value creativity (Maressa says it’s the uniqueness that makes us human) even if the people around us - and society in general - don’t recognise the value The challenge of finding the balance on Instagram (and elsewhere) between “what I want to share” and “what people want” D...

Things We Talk About In This Episode: Why you don't need a huge audience online to be successful How to get organic reach on Instagram without having to pay for ads Photography for Instagram, and how it differs from conventional photography Pivoting your business, and why it pays to put yourself at the heart of your brand The difference between being a freelancer and an entrepreneur/business owner...

Things I Talk About In This Episode: Why we get tempted to make something new instead of doubling down on selling what we've already created What to do when you think you've run out of marketing ideas Why our brains like to keep us from doing things that are new The benefits of creating and selling a long-term product Lessons learned from maintaining a bestselling online class for 4+ years The dif...

Things We Talk About In This Episode: Nova's career path through acting, singing and psychotherapy, and how she came to anti-racism work Nova's wedding blog and the lack of diversity in the wedding industry Nova's work educating white people about white supremacy The boundaries and safeguards Nova has to put in place due to the trauma of her work The origins of racism and white supremacy in the UK...

Things We Talk About In This Episode: What's great, and not-so-great, about conventional art education The balance between profitability and individuality, and where mainstream advice often goes wrong Creating an online class for the first time, and building a mailing list Why it's so hard, and so important to get to grips with your own creative voice The magic of imperfection in all things Links...

Things we talk about in this episode: Why being truly indistractable isn't really the aim “A mistake repeated more than once is a decision” ― Paulo Coelho Why your goal should be growth, not perfection Why we can't rely on willpower and self control The antidote to impulsiveness How time-boxing your calendar gives you freedom Why we can't blame our phones for our distraction How to stay indistract...

Things we talk about in this episode: Women for Women's # MessageForMySister campaign How Angelica started About Time Magazine and built her readership How the title survives online when so many others have folded Finding mentors, and how sometimes the best mentors can be people you've never met The value of meeting fellow entrepreneurs and creative business owners How the difference in experience...

Things we talk about in this episode: Rachael's new book - The Telephone Box Library The need for 'comfort reading' and gentle entertainment in a difficult world Why women's fiction is so important, and the power of a quiet message in accessible form Social media as a force for good Why feeling uncomfortable about what you share can be a good thing The power of finding your 'inner American' for se...

Things we talk about in this episode: The fears that stop us sharing our creative work Maria's journey from making art in her house that nobody saw, to sharing and selling full time What Maria gained from The Instaretreat The power of a nurturing community Maria's plans for online teaching Instagram's ALT text feature Adding captions to Instagram Stories & IGTV videos Why the Instagram algorithm s...

Things we talk about in this episode: What journalists and content creators can learn from one another The power of engagement of numbers The content creator/journalist/freelancer as a brand Managing your public versus private self The positives of being more 'reachable' in today's media/content realm Anna's newsletter, how she developed and grew it, and how it now pays her revenue The freelance m...

Things we talk about in this episode: Developing good habits around tech, and managing existing bad habits Distraction vs traction Forethought vs impulse, and how the two interact How procrastination and distraction interlink Why to do lists are generally unhelpful The magic of 'timeboxing' The importance of translating your values into time Using scheduling for relaxation time as well as work act...

Things we talk about in this episode: How Sophie built her online business from a personal blog Life in rural Australia - farming, drought and lots of long drives! Writing her book, A Basket By the Door, and teaching herself photography The power of Instagram for rural producers and product based businesses - especially when you're geographically isolated Finding the beauty in the mundane Why ther...

Things I talk about in this episode: Episode sponsor, Olympus and the new PEN E-PL10 camera Get 20% off in the Olympus webshop with code SARA20 Your customer pathway, and where Instagram sits on it The '7 touchpoint' customer rule Not putting all our eggs in one social media basket] Why relying on only one platform makes sales harder Why images are still (and will always be) key The power of Visua...

Things we talk about in this episode: Old school vs new style Instagram Instagram as therapy How to know what is or isn't too vulnerable to put online EJ's experience of sharing his trans journey on Instagram Instagram's anti-bullying and moderation features The dangers of chasing likes Controlling your 'inner toddler' instincts Taking Instagram breaks How EJ landed his job as a BBC presenter EJ's...

Things we talk about in this episode: Jameisha’s video creation process The realities of living with a chronic illness, and the importance of awareness Jameisha's experience of getting a diagnosis of Lupus The pros and cons of being your own “google doctor” Racism and conscious/unconscious bias in the health care system How colonialism still shapes medical bias How to advocate for yourself when se...

Things I talk about in this episode: Getting stuck in passive action - reading books, buying courses, but never doing the work Why I made my new 15 Minute Magic program Why you're not lazy, and procrastination is much more common than we think Why 'willpower' is never enough How resistance is always here for a reason, and how to unpick it "You can't change your mind with your own mind" Headings fo...

Things we talk about in this episode: How playing the algorithm and customer pleasing game too well can lead us off our true path Building a business with Addisons disease, and working with chronic illness Making successful sales through Not On The Highstreet and other third party platforms Why six figure turnover doesn't always equal high profits How to evaluate whether your business is making yo...

Things we talk about in this episode: How Fiona found blogging as a way to improve her mental health Fiona's book and podcast The positive power of social media for mental helth Why the friends and communities you make on social media matter Why diet culture sucks How to maintain a healthy relationship with the internet Why your self worth and status should not be defind by your job or levels of p...