Owning your age as a freelancer: The Wrinkly Writer - Mary Cameron
Aged 58 Mary found herself staring ageism in the face. Full time work wasn’t coming her way. And she realised perhaps she didn’t want it to. Maybe it was time for a change. With age comes experience. A stack of it in writing, even if she didn’t know what a copywriter was. Loads of it in managing projects. Dealing with people. Giving and taking feedback… Aged 68 Mary finds herself staring at the face of The Wrinkly Writer. Owning that age with pride. 10 years of successfully freelancing with people who love working with her. Mentoring new writers. Switching Australia for life in France. Prioritising health in mind and body alongside the work that she loves. You get the sense Mary is only just getting started.
Being Freelance · Steve Folland
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Show Notes
Age doesn't matter.
Until it does.
Until you get the feeling people won't hire you anymore because you're too old.
For Mary, she was 58. From New Zealand, but having spent 30 years in Australia in 'normal' full time jobs.
Faced with ageism, she realised maybe it wasn't just that the interview panels didn't want her. Maybe she didn't want them anymore either. Maybe it was time for a change. To reinvent herself.
Someone suggested being a freelance copywriter. She didn't know what that was. But here are.
10 years later. 'The Wrinkly Writer'. Owning, literally as a business owner, her age. Turning it to her advantage.
Mary now lives in France. We chat about
- building long-term client relationships
- turning age to her advantage when business mentor Kate Toon suggested her new working name
- continuous learning and passing on to the next generation as a mentor
- her relocation to France, working as a freelancer in a different country with many clients overseas
- achieving work life balance, prioritising her physical and mental health across the day and week
It's such a fun conversation. Full of the joy of life and work life.
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Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland.