We ask the tough questions
You’ve got a free half hour during your work day. What do you do?
Fire up the coffee machine (and wait almost the full half hour for it be ready to go!), grab a book and sink into a bean bag out on the patio. Nothing like a good book and a coffee to forget the world for a while. I must confess it doesn't happen often enough!
What's the biggest thing you've learnt this year?
Writing a book about something you're passionate about is the easy part! Learning how to self-publish, creating and setting up a business, marketing and creating a website is a whole different story. The year is not even over and I still have to master social media (as if anyone ever masters that!).
What’s the one resource you’d never be without?
My Mac! I must confess that I'm one of those people who said they'd never go there, but as they say "Once you go Mac, you don't go back!" I absolutely love it and it goes everywhere with me. As does the iPhones (yes two of them!) and occasionally the iPad.
What’s the best thing about being a soloist? And the worst thing?
The best thing is doing what you want, when you want (and it doesn't matter if it's in your PJs at 10pm at night!) and not having to answer to anyone but yourself. The worst thing is that I miss having people sitting next to me to bounce off. Having come from large corporates where I've managed teams of 400 people, I really miss the social contact! I'm compensating by surrounding myself with experts that I love working with.
What inspires you most about your work?
Helping people learn about what to expect and how to make the experience of building a home a great one. I've been working with friends who are currently building - they're loving the input and suggestions. It always gives me a buzz to know you've helped someone by sharing the knowledge you have.
How did your school report describe you (in three words)?
"Conscientious, enthusiastic and a pleasure to have in the classroom"(!!). I think they need to add impatient to the list as I've got worse as I've got older!
Can you stop at just one chocolate biscuit/savoury snack?
No, absolutely not! That is the one downside to working from home - easy access to the pantry!
And now comes the plug!
What do you do? Who for? And how does it benefit them?
I'm the author of the book Home Building Made Easy - Five key steps to unlocking your new home. Having been a passionate renovator and builder for nearly 20 years I wanted to share my knowledge and expertise with people new to home building. By reading my book or joining the members-only area on my website, they'll save themselves a lot of heartache and time when building a home.
And where can we find out more?
- Flying Solo Directory: homebuildingmadeeasy.flyingsolo.com.au
- My website: www.homebuildingmadeeasy.com.au (you can register now - launch date is 2 December)
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/HomeBuildingMadeEasy
- Twitter: @HomeBuildingME
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