The Essential HR Planner: Evolution and Insights with Fay Wallis

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Welcome to the Coach Write podcast.
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Helen here recording on Saturday,
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the 3rd of October, 2026. And this is
episode 42.
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Today I am interviewing the wonderful Faye
Wallis And it's another first time
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for the Coach Write podcast
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because Faye is the proud publisher of a
planner,
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the essential HR planner to be exact,
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which is in the final stages of
preparation for its seventh edition.
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We talk all about how to iterate an idea,
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bringing it to market and developing the
product and supporting services,
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all while putting value at the heart of
what we produce.
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Faye is incredibly generous sharing the
lessons she's learned along the way.
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And that insight into the publishing
industry will be useful to
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you whether you're thinking about
producing a planner,
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a workbook, or a piece of long form
fiction or nonfiction.
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Also, who doesn't love a planner?
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In personal news, my fifth book,
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enough rethinking resilience in a world
that never stops,
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was published on Thursday the 1st of
October.
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I had forgotten how exciting it is to
launch and how exhausting.
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So much went into this book and I really
wanted it to land well.
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Last time I checked it was sitting at
number 13 in the self-help charts on
Amazon,
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which reflects the early sales volume.
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Let's hope that's lucky for some.
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And I have to say I have been blown away
by the early reception it's received from
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readers. It's been absolutely heartwarming
and all of that hard work
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was definitely worth it. There was one
quote that I adore and it said,
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enough takes a topic you think you know.
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and makes you think about it differently,
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which is exactly what I'm all about as a
coach.
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The book is underpinned by research and it
weaves in story.
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I want it to be enjoyable and helpful.
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And so far, it seems to be landing in just
that way,
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which is absolutely wonderful.
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I talked about my personal path to
publication for enough in last week's
episode
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of the footnote. That's number 41.
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So feel free to pop back and have a listen
if you want a bit more behind
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the scenes insight. ~ and if you are
listening in real time,
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the ebook is discounted to just 99p or the
international equivalent
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as a launch offer. So do feel free to go
and grab a copy and pop it
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on your e-reader of choice.
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I'll leave the link in the show notes.
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If launching a book wasn't enough,
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see what I did there? I have been
fortunate enough to attend
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two face-to-face events over the past
couple of weeks.
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Last Friday, I headed across to Henley
Business School to join APECS
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for their annual in-person event.
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It was brilliant to connect with coaches
from a different accrediting body
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and share thought leadership and review
the market.
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and consider what's changing. It's an
exciting time for them
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as a membership organisation and it was a
really inspiring afternoon.
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It didn't hurt that the weather was
beautiful and the location was stunning.
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I can see why Henley is so popular.
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And this past Tuesday, I was with my
colleagues at the EMCC volunteer event
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in London.
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I've been a volunteer with them for two
years now and launched
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the Aspiring Writers Special Interest
Group a little over a year ago.
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Yet so many of the people that were there
I've only ever met online.
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So it was fantastic to connect in person
and share ideas.
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What both of these events have reminded me
of once again is
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how important real life connection is.
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I know we say it a lot and it can feel
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like a big time commitment to spend that
time away from the desk.
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But the energy and the motivation is so
important and well worth it.
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One of the many reasons I decided to
accredit with EMCC was
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the dual focus on coaching and mentoring.
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When I'm working with clients for book
coaching particularly,
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sometimes mentoring just is the most
effective route.
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and being able to flex depending on the
client needs is so important.
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It's often the case in strategy sessions
where someone's reached a point
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in the publishing process and collated a
list of questions that are in their way.
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So for example, a recent client asked me
whether the paper of their book should
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be white or cream. And the answer is white
for nonfiction,
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cream for fiction.
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although white is also more accessible to
read for more people.
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So you could argue the answer is white for
all.
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It's up to you. Now, this client and I
have had coaching conversations
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in the past and yet this question,
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there was a clear answer and a simple way
forward.
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I've been fortunate to work with my own
mentor via the EMCC
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as a benefit for being a member.
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I'm not sure a lot of members realise they
have access to that,
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but it's well worth looking into and a
really great compliment to
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the coaching and supervision that we all
receive.
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In fact, I met with my mentor just
yesterday as I've been considering
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how to evolve Coach Write 90 to help more
people in 2027.
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I've put the current programme on pause
and will be launching the
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new and improved version
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early next year.
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As far as I'm aware, this is still the
only offering in the space specifically
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for coaches. And as I always do with new
services,
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there will be a heavy discount for launch.
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which will be a one-time offer before it
moves to full price.
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So if you too are starting to think about
your 2027 goals and one of them
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is writing your book, pop your name on the
wait list and be the first to hear.
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I'm sure the places are going to get
snapped up.
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The link for that will be coachwrite.co.uk
forward slash coachwrite90.
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In publishing news, you may have heard
that Amazon have reduced the number
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of titles that can be submitted by a
single user from three per day to two per
week.
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Now, before anyone panics, that's title,
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not format. So if you have a book coming
out in ebook,
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paperback and hardback, like I did last
week,
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that's absolutely fine. Doesn't take a
genius to read between the lines
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and see that this is intended to help
reduce the amount of AI slop being
uploaded.
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The number we often use as a guesstimate
for how many books are published
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on Amazon every year is four million.
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I actually think that's probably a
conservative measure.
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And I do wonder what behind the scenes is
looking like for them as they battle with
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the content farms. I've heard from some
authors who've been working on
translations,
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for example, that you can contact Amazon
if you have a legitimate business reason
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for wanting a higher upload limit.
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for a specific timeframe. So if you do
have a backlist review in your future,
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hopefully that won't be impacted.
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In AI news, I am sure I'm not alone in my
newsfeed being flooded with
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stories about AI agents hacking into
secure environments.
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Hugging Face is the big one that's being
talked about,
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where an agent was given a task and
autonomously decided that in order
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to complete that task, it needed to hack
into Hugging Face.
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Now, of course, I'm oversimplifying,
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but the step of making that kind of
decision on its own is making people
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a bit nervous, and quite rightly so.
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How many of us have read the terms and
conditions of the tools we use
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on a daily basis and possibly integrate
into our calendars and our Canva?
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What security permissions have you
switched on?
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Do you even know where they are?
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These are the things we all need to become
more aware of.
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and the hack has been called a wake-up
call.
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There was no human in the loop.
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And while there have been reports of what
happened,
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I haven't read any that didn't sign off
with something along the lines of,
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my gosh, that's terrible. And it could
totally happen again.
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And that is the point. AI is progressing
so quickly,
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it's making even the most tech positive
people a bit jittery.
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It's great and it's scary and we don't
know.
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What's next? What I do know is that as
coaches,
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we have a duty of care to educate
ourselves about the data and make
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a clear decision on when and if we use the
tools.
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Part of the reason I don't use AI in the
coaching room is confidentiality.
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I've read the details on how the data is
managed in an LLM,
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even if the training button is switched
off.
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And I've decided I'm not comfortable that
that meets my confidentiality standards.
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you might make a different choice,
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which is fine. Just don't skip a step and
assume it's all going to be fine.
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One of the things that Fay and I talk
about in the episode today is
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how AI has changed the landscape for what
Amazon calls low content books,
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how social proof is key and how high value
and human connection
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is essential. And that seems like the
perfect segue for us to move
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to the next chapter.
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My guest today is Fay Wallis Fay is a
career and executive coach
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who specializes in supporting HR and
people professionals.
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She's the founder of Bright Sky HR,
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the host of the hugely popular podcast,
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HR Coffee Time, which I highly recommend,
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and the creator of the Essential HR
Planner,
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of which the seventh edition will be
available shortly.
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Welcome to the show, Fay.
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thank you so much for having me,
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Helen. It's so exciting to be here.
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I've listened to lots of your episodes.
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So it's a real thrill to actually get to
be one of the people you interview.
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I am so excited to find out more about
your journey.
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I know we have met in person and so I've
had a little teaser into some of it,
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but I'm really looking forward to getting
into the detail.
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~ So if we can start by telling us more
about you and your path to publication.
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Yes, of course. Well, my original career
was in HR and while I was working in HR,
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I got asked to do some coaching,
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absolutely fell in love with coaching.
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So I retrained as a career coach
initially,
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but I went on to do additional coach
training after that.
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So I'm also an executive coach now.
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And when I first decided to become a
coach,
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leave my HR career and work for myself,
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I was really idealistic about it and I
just thought,
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I can't wait to help everyone through
coaching.
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It's going to be wonderful. I'll just sort
of,
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I don't know, get trained and tell
everyone this is what I'm doing
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and people will realize and want to book
in to work with me.
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But the reality of the situation is that
doesn't happen.
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People don't find you by magic and you
just hoping they will.
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You do actually have to do marketing and
find out ways of promoting your services
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so that people find you.
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So I found myself doing what felt like a
crash course in marketing
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for my first couple of years of working
for myself.
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And one thing that I stumbled across while
I was trying to learn how
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on earth to promote my services to people
was a planner.
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It was a social media planner.
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And the idea was that there were lots of
awareness days in there to help give
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you ideas for putting posts on social
media.
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where you would talk about your services
and then people would,
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in an ideal world, start seeing your posts
and think,
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I think Fay seems like she'd be a really
helpful coach.
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I should work with her. And from seeing
this planner,
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I had never seen anything like it before.
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So this would have been about 10 years
ago.
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I thought, gosh, when I was working in HR,
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this would have been such a helpful kind
of thing to have,
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not for HR to be marketing on LinkedIn or
on social media.
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but to be aware of when all of these
brilliant awareness days are coming up,
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because then if you have an HR initiative,
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like perhaps you want to bring in a new
wellbeing policy then you would
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see when there are wellbeing focused
awareness days coming up,
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like I don't know, maybe there's like
national walk to work month
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or something like that.
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And you could actually link in your
initiative around the awareness day,
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just to help give it a bit of excitement
and make it really interesting.
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So that crossed my mind thinking,
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I wish I'd had something like this when I
worked in HR that was designed for HR.
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And alongside that, I had really struggled
with time management
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and organisation at various points in my
life,
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really. It's not one of my strengths.
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So I've been forever.
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trying to come up with ways of managing my
time better and planning better
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and being more organised. And so these
sort of ideas converged.
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There was a third idea as well,
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which is that I was primarily a career
coach at the time.
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And again, I thought, there are so many
activities that I think would
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be helpful for people if they could be
combined into a planner.
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So it was all these ideas started swelling
in my mind and I thought,
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I'm going to give it a go.
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And I had a really quiet spell in December
and I thought I'll just,
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I'll pull together a PDF and see if
anyone's interested.
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And there are lots and lots and lots now
of awareness calendars
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for HR professionals that exist now.
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But at the time there weren't any.
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I think there was one that was produced by
the CIPD,
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00:14:44,124 --> 00:14:49,057
the professional body for HR, which
focused on diversity and inclusion days,
227
00:14:49,057 --> 00:14:50,288
which are very important.
228
00:14:50,989 --> 00:14:55,212
So for my planner, I made sure I did have
the diversity and inclusion days in there,
229
00:14:55,212 --> 00:15:01,576
but I also had all sorts of other
awareness days and incorporated things
like dates
230
00:15:01,576 --> 00:15:04,899
that are particularly helpful for HR
professionals to be aware of.
231
00:15:04,899 --> 00:15:07,480
So I initially just created it as,
232
00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:12,193
I think it was a 19 page PDF, one page for
each month of the year
233
00:15:12,193 --> 00:15:16,046
and some goal setting and time management
activities at the front.
234
00:15:16,046 --> 00:15:18,728
And I made it available for free as a PDF.
235
00:15:19,146 --> 00:15:21,607
just to see really if anyone would be
interested.
236
00:15:21,607 --> 00:15:28,138
And it proved just so much more popular
than I could ever,
237
00:15:28,138 --> 00:15:32,780
ever have imagined that I was completely
blown away.
238
00:15:32,780 --> 00:15:39,031
And from there it's developed and evolved
hugely over the following years beyond
239
00:15:39,031 --> 00:15:41,612
that. And after someone said to me,
240
00:15:41,612 --> 00:15:44,163
have you thought about making this as a
hardback planner?
241
00:15:44,163 --> 00:15:48,244
I did. So I trialed it as a hardback
planner and
242
00:15:48,916 --> 00:15:50,859
was thrilled when I sold some copies.
243
00:15:50,859 --> 00:15:55,758
And so it's now evolved to be quite a big
part of my business.
244
00:15:55,758 --> 00:16:00,306
So I have a big focus on it, particularly
in the last quarter of each year.
245
00:16:01,118 --> 00:16:06,710
Yeah, and I am smiling from ear to ear
because my background is HR.
246
00:16:06,710 --> 00:16:09,830
And so having been in that environment,
247
00:16:09,830 --> 00:16:14,122
I was in change in HR. But actually
thinking about,
248
00:16:14,122 --> 00:16:18,363
as you say, strategically where those key
days are.
249
00:16:18,363 --> 00:16:22,684
And even in the change space, was being
aware so that
250
00:16:22,684 --> 00:16:28,295
you could deliver initiatives that aligned
with certain awareness
251
00:16:27,328 --> 00:16:28,328
Mm.
252
00:16:28,336 --> 00:16:29,956
weeks or months or days.
253
00:16:30,394 --> 00:16:35,066
and also avoiding certain times in the
calendar too.
254
00:16:35,066 --> 00:16:39,158
So I can absolutely see how you went,
255
00:16:39,158 --> 00:16:40,728
yeah, that would have been useful to have.
256
00:16:40,728 --> 00:16:41,728
And then other
257
00:16:40,841 --> 00:16:41,841
Yeah.
258
00:16:41,389 --> 00:16:44,670
people agreed that yes, that is very
useful to
259
00:16:43,776 --> 00:16:44,776
Yes.
260
00:16:44,670 --> 00:16:50,702
have. And so you've tested the waters with
this PDF
261
00:16:50,702 --> 00:16:53,874
and then as often happens, somebody has
come along and said,
262
00:16:53,874 --> 00:16:58,816
it would be great if, and they have been
correct and you've produced this hardback
263
00:16:58,816 --> 00:16:59,816
planner.
264
00:17:00,042 --> 00:17:01,042
How
265
00:17:00,574 --> 00:17:05,734
has it sort of evolved from those early
days to edition number seven?
266
00:17:06,234 --> 00:17:08,366
my goodness, it's evolved so much.
267
00:17:08,366 --> 00:17:11,415
So when someone initially said to me,
268
00:17:11,415 --> 00:17:14,867
Fay, I really like this, but could you do
a hardback version?
269
00:17:14,867 --> 00:17:17,558
I felt a bit panicked because I thought,
270
00:17:17,558 --> 00:17:20,319
well, I have no idea how, what do I
actually do?
271
00:17:20,319 --> 00:17:24,420
Like, how would that happen? What would I
charge for it?
272
00:17:24,420 --> 00:17:27,810
How would I send it to them? Like there
were just so many questions that I had,
273
00:17:27,810 --> 00:17:31,361
but I'm very lucky that one of my friends
is a printer.
274
00:17:31,361 --> 00:17:33,372
So he has his own printing business.
275
00:17:34,090 --> 00:17:37,642
And I spoke to him and I remember feeling
quite nervous about it because
276
00:17:37,982 --> 00:17:43,725
I had no idea what scale or business size
his regular customers were
277
00:17:44,065 --> 00:17:45,986
or how busy he would be. Well,
278
00:17:45,986 --> 00:17:47,707
I knew he'd be pretty busy because it was,
279
00:17:47,707 --> 00:17:50,108
think in November that I spoke to him
about it.
280
00:17:50,108 --> 00:17:52,160
And of course, as I'm sure you can
imagine,
281
00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:54,991
printers tend to be pretty busy as it
comes up to Christmas,
282
00:17:53,944 --> 00:17:54,944
Ha ha ha.
283
00:17:55,412 --> 00:17:57,292
but he's lovely. And I said to him,
284
00:17:57,292 --> 00:18:00,404
I've been asked about creating a hardback
planner,
285
00:18:00,404 --> 00:18:03,516
but I just don't know how to do it.
286
00:18:04,002 --> 00:18:05,973
Is it something you could help me with?
287
00:18:05,973 --> 00:18:07,754
it be viable? What do you think?
288
00:18:07,754 --> 00:18:11,927
And he was so lovely. I really half
expected him to say,
289
00:18:11,927 --> 00:18:14,359
don't be silly, Fay. But he didn't.
290
00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:18,652
He did the absolute opposite because I
didn't know anything about like weights
291
00:18:18,652 --> 00:18:23,965
of paper to use or the fact it's more
expensive to print in color and that
292
00:18:24,226 --> 00:18:28,769
if you want to have a spiral bound planner
in his particular factory,
293
00:18:28,769 --> 00:18:31,010
it meant that for the hardback planner,
294
00:18:31,010 --> 00:18:33,422
they had to actually hand wrap and hand
cover.
295
00:18:33,770 --> 00:18:37,161
every single cover, which is really time
consuming.
296
00:18:37,161 --> 00:18:39,922
So he was just wonderful. You know,
297
00:18:39,922 --> 00:18:44,283
he brought me all sorts of samples and
explained all different best practice.
298
00:18:44,283 --> 00:18:47,244
He advised me to expand the planner.
299
00:18:47,244 --> 00:18:49,794
He said, as a PDF, you've got plenty of
content here,
300
00:18:49,794 --> 00:18:53,425
but actually, if you really want this to
be something that people are buying,
301
00:18:53,425 --> 00:18:56,096
keeping on their desk, you need to have
more in here.
302
00:18:56,096 --> 00:19:00,547
So he really pushed me to start thinking
about more exercises
303
00:19:00,547 --> 00:19:02,968
and activities and pages to include in
there.
304
00:19:03,625 --> 00:19:06,707
And yeah, so that was really helpful.
305
00:19:06,707 --> 00:19:09,859
And with the fact that he was printing it
for me,
306
00:19:09,859 --> 00:19:11,820
he explained again, for something like
this,
307
00:19:11,820 --> 00:19:13,220
you need to print it in batches.
308
00:19:13,220 --> 00:19:17,113
So you have to guess how many you're going
to need.
309
00:19:17,113 --> 00:19:20,755
So that was probably the most nerve
wracking part of it.
310
00:19:20,755 --> 00:19:23,276
But I started off with a small batch.
311
00:19:23,276 --> 00:19:28,489
I think I ordered 50 to start with and
luckily sold them all.
312
00:19:28,489 --> 00:19:30,380
So that was good. And then it kind of...
313
00:19:30,692 --> 00:19:33,312
it evolved from there. So I could carry on
talking about it for ages,
314
00:19:33,312 --> 00:19:35,132
but I'll pause there so you haven't got a
long,
315
00:19:34,444 --> 00:19:35,484
Yeah!
316
00:19:35,132 --> 00:19:36,452
long monologue from me, Helen.
317
00:19:37,435 --> 00:19:42,856
no no, I'm captivated because again it's
like the journey of the the book isn't it?
318
00:19:42,856 --> 00:19:47,068
I absolutely adore that and I think it's
fascinating to hear
319
00:19:47,248 --> 00:19:52,589
the iterative process that you've gone
through too because I imagine quite
320
00:19:52,589 --> 00:19:57,421
a lot of work goes into producing this on
an annual basis so maybe we
321
00:19:57,421 --> 00:20:02,112
can touch on how you go because because
you don't just rinse and repeat the same
322
00:20:02,073 --> 00:20:03,073
No.
323
00:20:02,702 --> 00:20:07,588
book every year. So how do you
reinvigorate it and make sure that it's
useful
324
00:20:07,588 --> 00:20:09,410
and on the pulse for people every year?
325
00:20:09,910 --> 00:20:13,582
Yeah, so there are core elements of it
that have always stayed the same.
326
00:20:13,582 --> 00:20:16,995
So the absolute core piece is the monthly
calendar,
327
00:20:16,995 --> 00:20:18,786
which has all of the awareness dates in.
328
00:20:18,786 --> 00:20:21,548
But even with that, you know, over the
past seven years,
329
00:20:21,548 --> 00:20:23,549
different awareness days have popped up.
330
00:20:23,549 --> 00:20:26,051
So you have to keep an eye on that.
331
00:20:26,051 --> 00:20:29,623
That's probably the most time consuming
part of the planner
332
00:20:29,623 --> 00:20:31,435
is actually the awareness day section.
333
00:20:31,435 --> 00:20:34,857
Even though that's what gave me the idea
for the planner in the first place,
334
00:20:34,857 --> 00:20:39,020
I sometimes like curse the fact that it's
in there because it takes
335
00:20:39,641 --> 00:20:44,322
so long to check all of those dates
because there are only some of them that
stay
336
00:20:44,322 --> 00:20:47,213
the same every year. And I made a huge
mistake,
337
00:20:47,213 --> 00:20:51,204
which was that each year I would just
start from scratch with checking the
dates.
338
00:20:50,456 --> 00:20:51,456
Gosh!
339
00:20:51,405 --> 00:20:55,126
I know. Whereas now I have this color
coded spreadsheet.
340
00:20:55,126 --> 00:20:57,846
So one there, has all the dates that stay
the same.
341
00:20:57,846 --> 00:21:01,137
And then for lots of religions,
342
00:21:01,137 --> 00:21:06,209
they don't use a Gregorian calendar like
we tend to use in...
343
00:21:06,489 --> 00:21:08,369
~ for lots of things in the UK.
344
00:21:08,369 --> 00:21:14,331
Instead their calendars are often dictated
by the stages of the moon
345
00:21:14,424 --> 00:21:15,424
Mm.
346
00:21:15,311 --> 00:21:17,482
and so those dates change every year.
347
00:21:17,482 --> 00:21:22,893
But there are certain rules that mean that
you can normally just about
348
00:21:22,893 --> 00:21:26,274
get the right dates for them. So there are
some dates you actually can't guarantee
349
00:21:26,494 --> 00:21:28,535
because they'll depend on moon sighting.
350
00:21:28,535 --> 00:21:32,336
So things like that add a layer of
complexity that I hadn't expected.
351
00:21:32,906 --> 00:21:36,638
at the beginning and then as far as
awareness days are concerned,
352
00:21:36,638 --> 00:21:39,579
that can be a challenge as well because
some of them will just stop.
353
00:21:39,579 --> 00:21:42,340
Like the organisation that set up the
awareness
354
00:21:42,093 --> 00:21:43,093
Bye.
355
00:21:42,340 --> 00:21:46,442
day may not be bothered to do it anymore
or it might change hands
356
00:21:46,442 --> 00:21:50,114
in a different charity or organisation
takes it over or they change the days
357
00:21:50,114 --> 00:21:53,436
or they don't confirm the days in time for
the planner to go out.
358
00:21:53,436 --> 00:21:56,497
So although that bit stays the same each
year,
359
00:21:56,497 --> 00:21:58,198
it needs hugely updating.
360
00:21:58,776 --> 00:22:02,380
~ because of that. And I have to say this
year is the first year I've been able
361
00:22:02,380 --> 00:22:04,202
to use AI to help me with that.
362
00:22:04,202 --> 00:22:05,724
~
363
00:22:04,802 --> 00:22:05,844
I was going to ask that
364
00:22:05,844 --> 00:22:08,921
question because AI was not a thing seven
years ago.
365
00:22:08,863 --> 00:22:09,863
No.
366
00:22:08,921 --> 00:22:09,921
So
367
00:22:09,232 --> 00:22:11,527
you've done this the hard way.
368
00:22:11,914 --> 00:22:13,726
Yeah, the hard way, definitely.
369
00:22:13,726 --> 00:22:17,069
And even now AI can help me to a point and
I don't,
370
00:22:17,069 --> 00:22:19,101
it sounds ridiculous because obviously
it's great,
371
00:22:19,101 --> 00:22:20,772
but I don't fully, fully trust it.
372
00:22:20,772 --> 00:22:22,634
So I haven't been able to say,
373
00:22:22,634 --> 00:22:24,936
know, just update this whole planner for
me.
374
00:22:24,936 --> 00:22:28,960
Instead, I've got my master spreadsheet
with everything in and I'll kind
375
00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:30,801
of go through it a section at a time.
376
00:22:30,801 --> 00:22:33,494
Because I've had to set up that master
spreadsheet.
377
00:22:33,494 --> 00:22:37,295
I've also got in there the references to
all of the websites and places that
378
00:22:37,295 --> 00:22:38,295
I check each year.
379
00:22:38,648 --> 00:22:41,249
so I can ask the AI to make sure it's
checking those and then
380
00:22:41,249 --> 00:22:43,470
I double check everything. So yes,
381
00:22:43,470 --> 00:22:48,352
it's a horrendously long process doing
that.
382
00:22:48,352 --> 00:22:51,834
But again, that's such a long answer for
just one part of the planner.
383
00:22:51,834 --> 00:22:53,434
The other bits, you
384
00:22:52,376 --> 00:22:53,376
Okay.
385
00:22:53,434 --> 00:22:56,856
actually asked me about how I evolve it
each year rather than keep it the same.
386
00:22:56,682 --> 00:22:57,682
No, but
387
00:22:57,146 --> 00:22:58,243
I think it's fascinating.
388
00:22:59,248 --> 00:23:00,749
Yes, I think people think, gosh,
389
00:23:00,749 --> 00:23:03,612
know, why is face looking so stressed out
about the planet this year?
390
00:23:03,612 --> 00:23:08,266
How long can it take? Well, that's really
one of the reasons it takes so long.
391
00:23:08,266 --> 00:23:10,588
But then I have other activities in the
planner.
392
00:23:10,588 --> 00:23:16,534
So I have ~ a whole piece around setting
your goals for your HR career,
393
00:23:16,534 --> 00:23:21,698
but also for helping like HR and your
organization succeed within
394
00:23:21,698 --> 00:23:23,460
the organization that you work.
395
00:23:23,460 --> 00:23:24,460
And
396
00:23:24,625 --> 00:23:28,438
Some of those activities have been there
from maybe the second or third edition
397
00:23:28,438 --> 00:23:31,470
of the planner and others have come in
later.
398
00:23:31,470 --> 00:23:36,054
What tends to happen is that through my
coaching work,
399
00:23:36,054 --> 00:23:38,295
where I work with HR professionals,
400
00:23:38,295 --> 00:23:41,628
I will have someone come to me with a
challenge and I might think,
401
00:23:41,628 --> 00:23:46,161
~ I know, I could create an activity that
might help them with that.
402
00:23:46,161 --> 00:23:48,863
Or I'll have a podcast listener get in
touch.
403
00:23:48,863 --> 00:23:50,725
I remember I had one get in touch with me.
404
00:23:51,191 --> 00:23:54,823
And he said, Fay, have you got one page
professional development plan,
405
00:23:54,823 --> 00:23:58,724
please? And I thought, no, I haven't,
406
00:23:58,724 --> 00:24:04,006
I could create one. So it's really from
doing the work with my clients
407
00:24:04,046 --> 00:24:07,548
or the answering questions that podcast
listeners are asking me.
408
00:24:07,548 --> 00:24:13,320
That really helps me think about what to
add in to the planner each year.
409
00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:16,812
And I've had to take some things away that
I liked just because I think,
410
00:24:16,812 --> 00:24:19,303
~ I really liked the idea of that
activity,
411
00:24:19,303 --> 00:24:20,303
but
412
00:24:20,215 --> 00:24:25,508
Ultimately, you have to be really
conscious ~ of costings as well.
413
00:24:25,508 --> 00:24:29,111
And I think if I had everything I wanted
in the planner,
414
00:24:29,111 --> 00:24:33,213
it would be so thick, people wouldn't be
able to carry it around.
415
00:24:33,213 --> 00:24:37,346
And it would cost so much money to produce
that no one would want to buy it.
416
00:24:37,346 --> 00:24:39,837
So you have this weird balance of,
417
00:24:39,837 --> 00:24:42,359
I think this could be really helpful for
people or,
418
00:24:42,359 --> 00:24:44,580
~ I'm excited about this new activity.
419
00:24:44,580 --> 00:24:45,580
But then thinking...
420
00:24:46,181 --> 00:24:50,942
I have to make sure this is as helpful for
as many people as possible and make
421
00:24:50,942 --> 00:24:56,495
it as accessible as possible. hopefully
that answers the question.
422
00:24:56,134 --> 00:24:57,134
Yeah,
423
00:24:56,796 --> 00:25:01,346
very much so. I have one other question
about days as well.
424
00:25:01,346 --> 00:25:05,014
How do you decide which days make it in
and which days don't make it in?
425
00:25:05,514 --> 00:25:10,246
Well, there are lots of days that aren't
in there because there
426
00:25:10,246 --> 00:25:12,047
are so many awareness days now,
427
00:25:12,047 --> 00:25:14,689
like the whole planet, you could have
every single section of
428
00:25:14,689 --> 00:25:17,230
the monthly calendar sessions
429
00:25:16,031 --> 00:25:17,031
Yeah.
430
00:25:17,550 --> 00:25:22,853
packed full of them. So all of the days
that are in there are related
431
00:25:22,853 --> 00:25:26,274
to work or HR in some way.
432
00:25:26,274 --> 00:25:28,179
I have got fun dates in there as well,
433
00:25:28,179 --> 00:25:30,066
because we've all got to have some fun at
work.
434
00:25:30,066 --> 00:25:34,218
there's like, I think it's called National
Fun at Work Day is in there,
435
00:25:34,218 --> 00:25:35,218
but
436
00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:38,422
you know, some of the ones that might seem
a bit sillier.
437
00:25:37,791 --> 00:25:39,791
like speak like a pirate day or.
438
00:25:39,883 --> 00:25:42,005
Yeah, speak like a pirate day isn't in
there.
439
00:25:42,005 --> 00:25:45,178
So I had to make an executive decision.
440
00:25:42,121 --> 00:25:45,166
Yeah. I... Yeah.
441
00:25:45,178 --> 00:25:48,972
Again, like I said, with all the
activities that I could have in there,
442
00:25:48,972 --> 00:25:54,397
I've just made, I've taken a judgment call
on what I think is most likely
443
00:25:54,397 --> 00:25:58,060
to be useful to people. What people who
have that planner in their hands
444
00:25:58,381 --> 00:26:00,553
are going to be most likely able to use.
445
00:26:01,097 --> 00:26:04,280
Yeah, absolutely. And I know that sounds
like such a silly question,
446
00:26:04,280 --> 00:26:06,172
doesn't it? But if you look on these days
447
00:26:04,723 --> 00:26:05,778
No, no it doesn't.
448
00:26:06,172 --> 00:26:08,905
and you can get reams and reams and reams
of them,
449
00:26:08,905 --> 00:26:13,290
it's like, I don't know, eat toast from
the left-hand side of the room day.
450
00:26:13,290 --> 00:26:17,645
And it's like, is that really something
that is going to enrich
451
00:26:17,645 --> 00:26:20,968
a HR professional's day or career?
452
00:26:20,968 --> 00:26:23,451
No, so let's not put that in there.
453
00:26:23,951 --> 00:26:24,951
Absolutely.
454
00:26:25,223 --> 00:26:30,006
And then you've evolved the product itself
over the years,
455
00:26:29,533 --> 00:26:30,533
Mm-hmm.
456
00:26:30,006 --> 00:26:35,098
haven't you? So again, hardback is a
premium product.
457
00:26:35,098 --> 00:26:40,401
It's designed to be something that someone
keeps on their desk all year
458
00:26:40,682 --> 00:26:43,103
and lasts all year. And again,
459
00:26:43,103 --> 00:26:48,086
those of us that have worked in a HR
office know how chaotic and busy it
460
00:26:48,086 --> 00:26:51,387
can be and how difficult keeping something
pristine will be.
461
00:26:51,387 --> 00:26:54,169
But again, how have you made decisions
around
462
00:26:54,940 --> 00:26:55,940
the
463
00:26:55,171 --> 00:26:56,676
actual product itself.
464
00:26:57,176 --> 00:26:58,937
through trial and error, partly,
465
00:26:58,251 --> 00:26:59,808
Yeah, the best way.
466
00:26:58,937 --> 00:27:00,557
and through opportunity.
467
00:27:01,058 --> 00:27:05,099
So the first year that it was created as a
hardback,
468
00:27:05,099 --> 00:27:08,697
I used the planner myself. So I use it all
year long,
469
00:27:08,697 --> 00:27:12,248
and I had it on my desk, and I'd carry it
around in my bag with me,
470
00:27:12,248 --> 00:27:16,420
and I noticed that the cover started to
get some scratches on it,
471
00:27:16,420 --> 00:27:21,502
where it was a colored cover, you would
start to see white scratches on it.
472
00:27:21,459 --> 00:27:22,459
Yeah
473
00:27:21,902 --> 00:27:24,223
So then I said to the printer for the next
year,
474
00:27:24,729 --> 00:27:27,620
is there something we can do to stop it
getting all of these scratches?
475
00:27:27,620 --> 00:27:30,521
And so he said, yes, and they,
476
00:27:30,521 --> 00:27:32,122
which of course is more expensive,
477
00:27:32,122 --> 00:27:35,794
but nevermind. they applied a special,
478
00:27:35,794 --> 00:27:38,065
I think it's called an anti-scratch finish
to it.
479
00:27:38,065 --> 00:27:40,866
So that was another little change.
480
00:27:40,866 --> 00:27:45,368
But the biggest change to the format came
~ two,
481
00:27:45,368 --> 00:27:46,778
three, nearly three years ago,
482
00:27:46,778 --> 00:27:52,871
actually, when I realized that Amazon had
started letting authors self-publish
483
00:27:52,871 --> 00:27:53,871
hardback.
484
00:27:54,021 --> 00:27:57,412
And before that, you could only publish
paperbacks.
485
00:27:57,412 --> 00:28:02,764
And I thought, gosh, this could be really
good because
486
00:28:02,764 --> 00:28:07,575
where I, as a business, am registered in
the UK,
487
00:28:07,575 --> 00:28:10,566
I had people from, millions of people from
all around the world,
488
00:28:10,566 --> 00:28:14,287
but I had HR professionals from other
countries contact me and say,
489
00:28:14,287 --> 00:28:18,938
please, can I buy a planner and you send
it to me in Dubai or New Zealand
490
00:28:18,938 --> 00:28:21,419
or South Africa or wherever it was that
they were living.
491
00:28:21,841 --> 00:28:26,212
But of course, the problem with that is
then there's customs and duties and
492
00:28:25,201 --> 00:28:26,670
I stayed churned in.
493
00:28:26,732 --> 00:28:32,054
I'm not registered as a legal entity in
other countries to ship directly from
there.
494
00:28:32,054 --> 00:28:37,845
Whereas with Amazon, they're selling the
planner for you and I end up just getting,
495
00:28:37,845 --> 00:28:39,236
not sure what the exact word is,
496
00:28:39,236 --> 00:28:40,816
commission? Is that the right word?
497
00:28:40,285 --> 00:28:41,285
royalties.
498
00:28:40,816 --> 00:28:41,816
Royalties,
499
00:28:41,477 --> 00:28:45,258
royalties, thank you. Royalties as the
author of it.
500
00:28:45,258 --> 00:28:48,528
~ So that was really exciting thinking,
501
00:28:48,528 --> 00:28:50,239
my gosh, I'll be able to make it.
502
00:28:50,612 --> 00:28:53,832
available worldwide for the first time.
503
00:28:53,832 --> 00:28:58,472
So I got really excited about publishing
it with Amazon and the quality usually
504
00:28:58,472 --> 00:29:02,012
was really good. There'd be the odd
planner that got returned where they might
505
00:29:02,012 --> 00:29:03,132
not have printed it perfectly,
506
00:29:03,132 --> 00:29:06,492
but 99 % of the time the quality was
always really good.
507
00:29:06,492 --> 00:29:09,252
The hardback was a much thicker hardback
than I'd had before,
508
00:29:09,252 --> 00:29:11,952
so it was really durable. It didn't
scratch,
509
00:29:11,952 --> 00:29:16,272
but the one downside, well, one of the
downsides is that I couldn't have
510
00:29:16,272 --> 00:29:17,432
it as a wire bound.
511
00:29:17,821 --> 00:29:21,112
planner anymore, they have like a sealed ~
spine,
512
00:29:21,112 --> 00:29:24,234
like a traditional hardback. But I didn't
think it would be
513
00:29:25,051 --> 00:29:27,845
a particularly big problem. You know,
514
00:29:27,845 --> 00:29:30,296
in an ideal world, it would have been wire
bound by thought,
515
00:29:30,296 --> 00:29:33,997
all of the pluses seem to be outweighing
that negative.
516
00:29:33,997 --> 00:29:38,889
So I decided the 2025 planner I produced
for the first time
517
00:29:38,889 --> 00:29:42,441
on Amazon and sold it through Amazon.
518
00:29:42,441 --> 00:29:45,402
And another advantage of doing that is
they do print on demand.
519
00:29:45,402 --> 00:29:47,453
So earlier on, I mentioned that
520
00:29:47,751 --> 00:29:51,134
when you use a printer, have to guess the
quantities that you need.
521
00:29:51,134 --> 00:29:55,838
And that can be so hard because what I
experienced was I'd either order
522
00:29:55,838 --> 00:29:59,942
too few and then I'd have people really
disappointed that they'd missed
523
00:29:59,942 --> 00:30:02,574
out on a planner if they didn't buy one
straight away.
524
00:30:02,574 --> 00:30:07,228
Or I have the nightmare scenario one year
where I thought,
525
00:30:07,228 --> 00:30:11,062
I'm going to set myself a really ambitious
target and order double
526
00:30:11,062 --> 00:30:12,953
the planners that I sold last year.
527
00:30:12,953 --> 00:30:14,885
And I got to the point where I thought,
528
00:30:15,485 --> 00:30:17,947
my gosh, I don't think I'm actually going
to sell all of these,
529
00:30:17,947 --> 00:30:20,198
but I have to still pay the printer for
them all.
530
00:30:20,198 --> 00:30:24,460
So I had this sort of terrifying couple
of,
531
00:30:24,460 --> 00:30:26,422
well, more than a couple of weeks,
532
00:30:26,422 --> 00:30:30,434
it went on for a while period of time
where I thought I could actually
533
00:30:30,434 --> 00:30:32,625
be in real trouble financially here.
534
00:30:32,625 --> 00:30:36,087
I'm not sure how I'm going to cover this,
535
00:30:36,087 --> 00:30:37,948
how I'm going to be able to pay the
printer.
536
00:30:37,948 --> 00:30:41,741
But luckily I did manage to sell them all
in the end,
537
00:30:41,741 --> 00:30:42,741
but.
538
00:30:42,468 --> 00:30:46,359
that period of time was incredibly
stressful when I realised what
539
00:30:46,359 --> 00:30:48,970
I'd done by miscalculating the amount.
540
00:30:48,970 --> 00:30:52,042
Whereas with Amazon, if they're doing
print on demand,
541
00:30:52,042 --> 00:30:56,073
you don't have to worry about any of that
because they will just print each planner
542
00:30:56,073 --> 00:30:58,954
as it's ordered and they also dispatch it
really quickly.
543
00:30:58,954 --> 00:31:02,846
So I did that for the 2025 planner,
544
00:31:02,846 --> 00:31:09,738
the 2026 planner, but I've had a lot of
feedback from people that they really miss
545
00:31:09,939 --> 00:31:10,939
the wire bound.
546
00:31:11,355 --> 00:31:13,817
ring-bound version.
547
00:31:11,379 --> 00:31:12,379
Of course they do.
548
00:31:14,537 --> 00:31:20,761
So as of this moment, I've been doing a
lot of research into different printers
that
549
00:31:20,761 --> 00:31:23,343
would be able to offer the wire-bound
version,
550
00:31:23,343 --> 00:31:30,268
but with the hardback being the same
quality of cover as the Amazon one.
551
00:31:30,268 --> 00:31:34,651
So I'm hopeful, Helen, that I have found
one.
552
00:31:34,651 --> 00:31:38,563
just waiting. I thought I'd found one that
could do print-on-demand,
553
00:31:38,563 --> 00:31:40,855
but actually when I received the proof
copy,
554
00:31:41,287 --> 00:31:46,309
the thickness of the cover wasn't durable
enough for a whole year.
555
00:31:46,309 --> 00:31:49,040
So now I'm just waiting on a proof copy
556
00:31:48,721 --> 00:31:49,721
~
557
00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:51,950
from a different printer and I'm really
hopeful,
558
00:31:51,950 --> 00:31:53,991
fingers crossed that it will be okay.
559
00:31:53,991 --> 00:31:57,752
Another thing that this particular company
are able to do that I've wanted
560
00:31:57,752 --> 00:32:00,773
to do for years, it sounds such a small
thing,
561
00:32:00,773 --> 00:32:04,495
is to have a ribbon on the inside.
562
00:32:00,967 --> 00:32:04,075
Go on, tell me. Is it a ribbon?
563
00:32:04,075 --> 00:32:06,031
It's a ribbon! It's a ribbon!
564
00:32:06,031 --> 00:32:08,397
I'm so glad you said it was. No,
565
00:32:08,397 --> 00:32:09,630
who doesn't love a ribbon?
566
00:32:10,599 --> 00:32:13,071
that you can use as a bookmark because
again,
567
00:32:13,071 --> 00:32:16,714
you can't do that with Amazon and you
actually can't do that with most printers.
568
00:32:16,714 --> 00:32:21,458
So, you know, I have all my fingers
crossed that it's going to be okay.
569
00:32:21,458 --> 00:32:25,712
But I am also taking a big deep breath
about the fact that I'm going to have
570
00:32:25,712 --> 00:32:28,855
to go back to ordering certain quantities.
571
00:32:28,855 --> 00:32:33,519
Although I think I may have come up with a
plan to address the challenge
572
00:32:33,619 --> 00:32:36,851
of not ordering enough or ordering too
many.
573
00:32:36,851 --> 00:32:38,042
So we'll see.
574
00:32:39,157 --> 00:32:41,446
The word pre-order springs to mind.
575
00:32:41,724 --> 00:32:43,125
That would be it, yeah.
576
00:32:43,766 --> 00:32:46,187
I've never done pre-order before.
577
00:32:46,187 --> 00:32:51,721
I really don't know why. But now I can see
why it makes so much sense
578
00:32:51,282 --> 00:32:52,282
Yeah.
579
00:32:51,721 --> 00:32:55,194
in saying to everyone, I've asked for a
lot of feedback.
580
00:32:55,194 --> 00:32:58,116
So, and you very kindly supported my post
about this.
581
00:32:58,116 --> 00:33:02,038
Thank you, Helen. Because when I started
getting feedback from people saying,
582
00:33:02,038 --> 00:33:05,051
Fay, could you go back to doing a wire
bound version?
583
00:33:05,051 --> 00:33:08,313
I thought, is this just a handful of
people or?
584
00:33:08,561 --> 00:33:11,662
would everyone prefer this? Because
actually if it's just a handful of people,
585
00:33:11,662 --> 00:33:15,574
then as much as I want everyone to have a
planner they really love,
586
00:33:15,574 --> 00:33:20,136
~ I don't think I want to put myself
through the stress of going back
587
00:33:20,136 --> 00:33:23,827
to having to order specific quantities and
having to worry about
588
00:33:23,827 --> 00:33:28,029
the customer service and the fulfillment
and how the planners get sent out,
589
00:33:28,029 --> 00:33:30,970
et cetera. But if it's a lot of people,
590
00:33:30,970 --> 00:33:35,832
then I will change it. So I did some
social media posts saying,
591
00:33:35,832 --> 00:33:37,303
okay, this is the situation.
592
00:33:37,587 --> 00:33:40,698
what would everyone prefer? And I was so
shocked,
593
00:33:40,698 --> 00:33:45,287
Helen, by the number of people who said
they wanted the wire bound one.
594
00:33:44,947 --> 00:33:45,947
yes
595
00:33:45,630 --> 00:33:49,262
So that's what's really driving me to kind
of move forward with it.
596
00:33:49,262 --> 00:33:52,413
But also where I was very open with people
and said,
597
00:33:52,413 --> 00:33:56,245
~ I'm not sure if I should bring the wire
bound back or not.
598
00:33:56,245 --> 00:33:58,175
It's a whole lot more work for me.
599
00:33:58,175 --> 00:34:02,177
One of my friends saw the post and she
answered in it and she said,
600
00:34:02,177 --> 00:34:06,479
well, why don't you do the wire bound as
the limited edition?
601
00:34:06,823 --> 00:34:11,985
like pre-sale run and then people who
desperately want the wire bound can have
it.
602
00:34:11,985 --> 00:34:15,186
But then why don't you still sell it on
Amazon as well?
603
00:34:15,186 --> 00:34:18,206
And then people who miss out on the wire
bound,
604
00:34:18,206 --> 00:34:19,578
they still get a hardback planner.
605
00:34:19,578 --> 00:34:21,138
It just isn't the wire bound one.
606
00:34:21,138 --> 00:34:23,088
So that's what I'm thinking of doing.
607
00:34:23,088 --> 00:34:25,330
I haven't quite got to that point yet.
608
00:34:25,330 --> 00:34:28,061
but yes, we'll see. We'll see.
609
00:34:28,056 --> 00:34:29,056
agree
610
00:34:28,337 --> 00:34:32,190
with your friend, I think they're very
wise and I know we spoke very briefly
before
611
00:34:32,190 --> 00:34:36,152
we hit record that we wanted to timestamp
today's session because we
612
00:34:35,524 --> 00:34:38,415
yeah. Yeah.
613
00:34:36,152 --> 00:34:38,771
are right at the beginning of September as
we record
614
00:34:38,771 --> 00:34:43,420
so hopefully by the time this goes live
that decision will have been made
615
00:34:43,841 --> 00:34:47,202
and we'll be able to update people in the
introduction.
616
00:34:46,420 --> 00:34:48,020
~ thank you.
617
00:34:47,202 --> 00:34:48,284
~
618
00:34:48,284 --> 00:34:52,697
But what I love about what you say is you
know this is the delight isn't
619
00:34:52,697 --> 00:34:55,889
it of being an entrepreneur and being an
independent author.
620
00:34:56,397 --> 00:34:57,397
is
621
00:34:56,597 --> 00:34:58,189
that you can make these choices,
622
00:34:58,189 --> 00:35:02,733
you don't have to choose between print on
demand and Amazon and a
623
00:35:02,310 --> 00:35:03,310
Mm.
624
00:35:02,733 --> 00:35:05,966
premium product for people who want the
wire bound,
625
00:35:05,966 --> 00:35:08,679
you can offer both. And
626
00:35:08,058 --> 00:35:09,058
Yes.
627
00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:13,984
in this world where AI is generating lots
of cheap,
628
00:35:13,984 --> 00:35:17,167
quick, not necessarily high quality
things,
629
00:35:16,550 --> 00:35:17,550
Mm.
630
00:35:17,847 --> 00:35:20,590
to say to people, actually, if you want...
631
00:35:20,886 --> 00:35:23,158
wire bound and the hard cover.
632
00:35:23,158 --> 00:35:24,369
It's more difficult to source,
633
00:35:24,369 --> 00:35:27,712
it's more difficult to do, it's more time
consuming and therefore there
634
00:35:27,712 --> 00:35:31,696
is more human involvement in that and
therefore more cost associated.
635
00:35:31,696 --> 00:35:36,000
Most people are willing to pay a little
bit more for that more artisan product.
636
00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:42,146
So I just love that you're thinking about
it strategically and from a value lens.
637
00:35:42,646 --> 00:35:45,789
Yes, yeah, well, I've been forced to have
to think about
638
00:35:45,789 --> 00:35:50,213
it strategically through like a financial
lens after thinking I wasn't going
639
00:35:50,213 --> 00:35:52,254
to be able to pay the printers one year.
640
00:35:52,254 --> 00:35:56,888
I think the value lens I find much easier
as in I always want the content
641
00:35:56,888 --> 00:35:59,861
to be as valuable for people as possible
and that's the bit I really,
642
00:35:59,861 --> 00:36:01,102
really enjoy.
643
00:36:01,326 --> 00:36:02,326
Yeah,
644
00:36:01,736 --> 00:36:05,419
of course. And I mean, you touched on your
social media posts,
645
00:36:05,419 --> 00:36:10,043
because I know I've been following your
evolution of this year's planner
646
00:36:10,043 --> 00:36:15,322
on LinkedIn. And again, I think for
anybody who's thinking about publishing
647
00:36:15,322 --> 00:36:20,142
a book of any kind, there's often a little
bit of reticence to talk about
648
00:36:20,142 --> 00:36:25,227
the process beforehand. It's almost like
the book needs to emerge fully formed,
649
00:36:25,227 --> 00:36:29,100
whereas I know as somebody who buys a lot
of books.
650
00:36:29,646 --> 00:36:34,645
I love getting involved and want me to
help you choose between your four
favourite
651
00:36:34,645 --> 00:36:37,960
covers? Yes, I voted on that post.
652
00:36:37,456 --> 00:36:38,456
Thank you.
653
00:36:37,960 --> 00:36:38,960
So
654
00:36:38,431 --> 00:36:42,087
talk to me a little bit about how people
have engaged with you as
655
00:36:42,087 --> 00:36:43,430
you work through the process.
656
00:36:44,349 --> 00:36:48,663
yes, but I've been doing the cover choice
for several years now.
657
00:36:48,663 --> 00:36:52,125
making me wonder when I very first did it.
658
00:36:52,125 --> 00:36:54,747
can't actually remember within the last,
659
00:36:54,747 --> 00:36:57,379
I don't know, three, four, five years.
660
00:36:57,379 --> 00:37:02,153
It's been a long time when producing the
hardback.
661
00:37:02,153 --> 00:37:05,936
I realized I needed to have a cover on it
and
662
00:37:05,614 --> 00:37:06,614
I'm
663
00:37:06,497 --> 00:37:08,818
I wasn't sure what the design should be.
664
00:37:08,818 --> 00:37:11,821
And I didn't know what everyone would most
like.
665
00:37:11,821 --> 00:37:13,382
So what I've done.
666
00:37:13,656 --> 00:37:17,507
for all these years now is I'll share a
social media post with a mock-up
667
00:37:17,667 --> 00:37:23,169
of between three and four different
designs that I have and I ask everyone
668
00:37:23,169 --> 00:37:26,980
to vote on them. And I don't design the
covers myself.
669
00:37:26,980 --> 00:37:29,020
I have tried and I'm hopeless at it.
670
00:37:29,020 --> 00:37:32,991
So I've always used designers to help me
with that.
671
00:37:32,991 --> 00:37:39,413
And it just goes to show how important
feedback is because every year I'll think,
672
00:37:39,413 --> 00:37:42,584
I'm not sure whether to put this
particular cover.
673
00:37:42,984 --> 00:37:46,276
in as an option? I don't think anyone's
gonna like that and you know you've
674
00:37:46,276 --> 00:37:50,058
not got much space on the social media
post to show all the different mock-ups.
675
00:37:50,058 --> 00:37:52,399
Do I really want to use some of the space?
676
00:37:52,399 --> 00:37:55,617
And I think well the designer spent all
that time coming up with it.
677
00:37:55,617 --> 00:37:57,494
Okay I'll include it, I'll include it.
678
00:37:57,494 --> 00:38:01,634
And I can almost guarantee that one cover
that I've thought I don't think anyone
679
00:38:01,634 --> 00:38:04,216
will like this ends up being the most
popular one.
680
00:38:04,728 --> 00:38:08,200
So every year, the cover of the planner
isn't necessarily the one that
681
00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:12,072
I would have personally chosen as the one
that I thought was the nicest.
682
00:38:12,072 --> 00:38:16,284
It's the one that everyone has told me is
that absolute favourite.
683
00:38:16,284 --> 00:38:21,597
And I've had a couple of years where it
not quite 50-50,
684
00:38:21,597 --> 00:38:24,469
but I'll get, you know, people voting on
all different ones,
685
00:38:24,469 --> 00:38:28,331
but actually the one for 2027 that I had
thought no one would like.
686
00:38:28,331 --> 00:38:32,193
just sort of vastly,
687
00:38:32,193 --> 00:38:33,254
vastly.
688
00:38:33,794 --> 00:38:35,766
was more popular than any of the others.
689
00:38:35,766 --> 00:38:37,338
So it was a super easy decision.
690
00:38:37,338 --> 00:38:39,982
And actually now I have seen mock-ups of
it printed.
691
00:38:39,982 --> 00:38:43,466
I can see that everyone else has got much
better taste than
692
00:38:43,466 --> 00:38:46,009
me and obviously realized straight away
that it would look really nice.
693
00:38:46,009 --> 00:38:49,484
So I'm super excited about the cover for
2027.
694
00:38:50,189 --> 00:38:56,494
I think that's brilliant. And I also ~
recognise how you've built a team around
this
695
00:38:56,494 --> 00:39:00,833
process too, because again, I think
sometimes when we're thinking about
producing
696
00:39:00,833 --> 00:39:04,902
a book of any kind, people kind of imagine
themselves with the word document
697
00:39:04,902 --> 00:39:07,013
and canva. And actually,
698
00:39:06,286 --> 00:39:07,286
Mm.
699
00:39:07,033 --> 00:39:11,557
unless you are somebody who is an expert
in design.
700
00:39:11,557 --> 00:39:12,557
~
701
00:39:12,920 --> 00:39:16,312
particularly for a book like A Planner
where the internal layout is
702
00:39:16,312 --> 00:39:20,615
so beautiful and the formatting needs to
be just so and the cover needs
703
00:39:20,615 --> 00:39:25,668
to kind of align. How have you built your
team around you during the years
704
00:39:25,668 --> 00:39:26,668
of The Planner?
705
00:39:26,718 --> 00:39:31,761
Yeah, so to begin with, there was actually
a virtual assistant called Victoria,
706
00:39:31,761 --> 00:39:34,862
who's wonderful, who I've now known for
years and years and years,
707
00:39:34,862 --> 00:39:39,126
who helped me with it all. So she would
help me with all the date research,
708
00:39:39,126 --> 00:39:42,807
with designing the inside. So some of the
inside,
709
00:39:42,807 --> 00:39:46,490
she will have ~ designed off of a boring
word document I've given her.
710
00:39:46,490 --> 00:39:48,612
Other bits I would have designed,
711
00:39:48,612 --> 00:39:50,573
we were using Canva all the time.
712
00:39:50,573 --> 00:39:52,334
And... ~
713
00:39:52,724 --> 00:39:55,757
some bits we would have designed together
where I might have done a draft
714
00:39:55,757 --> 00:39:58,809
and then she said, you know, we could make
it look nicer like this.
715
00:39:58,809 --> 00:40:02,592
you know, so it was a really collaborative
process and it was so great having
716
00:40:02,592 --> 00:40:05,785
her support. And so she helped me for
years and years and years.
717
00:40:05,785 --> 00:40:10,659
And this is the first year sob that she's
not been able to help me because
718
00:40:10,659 --> 00:40:13,382
she has gone on to get a phenomenal,
719
00:40:13,382 --> 00:40:16,054
phenomenal job that she very much
deserves.
720
00:40:16,054 --> 00:40:17,995
In fact, she stopped being a VA years ago,
721
00:40:17,995 --> 00:40:20,808
but I think she enjoyed, which I'm really
thrilled about.
722
00:40:20,580 --> 00:40:21,580
brilliant!
723
00:40:21,128 --> 00:40:22,128
working on the planner
724
00:40:22,019 --> 00:40:25,301
so much that she carried on doing it just
as a side project each year.
725
00:40:25,301 --> 00:40:28,864
So she now has a mega amazing job.
726
00:40:28,864 --> 00:40:32,507
So yes, it feels quite weird not having
her support this year.
727
00:40:32,507 --> 00:40:37,431
But I suppose the planner has got to a
point now where for the internal,
728
00:40:37,431 --> 00:40:39,833
you know, the actual contents on the
inside,
729
00:40:39,833 --> 00:40:41,875
I'm only making a couple of
730
00:40:41,821 --> 00:40:42,821
Okay.
731
00:40:42,135 --> 00:40:46,839
minor adjustments this year. I haven't
quite 100 % finalized them.
732
00:40:46,839 --> 00:40:50,382
I suspect I'll probably be using Canva.
733
00:40:50,645 --> 00:40:53,237
Although I have to say that Claude,
734
00:40:53,237 --> 00:40:54,428
the AI tool,
735
00:40:53,833 --> 00:40:54,833
and
736
00:40:54,428 --> 00:40:59,442
has become amazing. I needed to design
some worksheets recently for something
737
00:40:59,542 --> 00:41:04,887
and I ~ used a combination of ChatGPT and
then Claude just to
738
00:41:04,887 --> 00:41:07,599
get them visually looking really lovely.
739
00:41:07,599 --> 00:41:11,042
So I'll see. I might be able to use Claude
to help me as well,
740
00:41:11,042 --> 00:41:13,113
but I don't know. I may end up just using
Canva.
741
00:41:13,113 --> 00:41:15,516
But as far as the cover is concerned,
742
00:41:15,516 --> 00:41:18,318
Victoria did do the covers for me as well
for all those years.
743
00:41:18,718 --> 00:41:21,749
But last year I had a visual rebrand for
my business.
744
00:41:21,749 --> 00:41:24,210
So I got a new logo, new colors,
745
00:41:24,210 --> 00:41:29,781
new podcast cover art. And I just loved
the work the designer did so much.
746
00:41:29,781 --> 00:41:33,402
I've tried a few different branding
designers over the years and I've always
been
747
00:41:33,402 --> 00:41:36,233
happy with their work. But this particular
designer,
748
00:41:36,190 --> 00:41:37,190
this one.
749
00:41:36,233 --> 00:41:37,233
just thought,
750
00:41:36,903 --> 00:41:41,445
wow, I am thrilled. So I actually asked
him if he would design the cover
751
00:41:41,445 --> 00:41:43,585
for this year and he didn't use Canva,
752
00:41:43,585 --> 00:41:45,906
where he's a professional graphic
designer.
753
00:41:46,236 --> 00:41:50,152
He used InDesign, so it means that if I
need anything changed,
754
00:41:50,152 --> 00:41:52,857
I do need to ask him if he can change it
for me.
755
00:41:52,857 --> 00:41:54,248
Whereas with anything in Canva,
756
00:41:54,248 --> 00:41:55,962
of course, I can update that myself.
757
00:41:55,986 --> 00:42:01,090
Yeah. And I do think that I am a huge fan
of Canva and it is important
758
00:42:01,090 --> 00:42:03,712
to know one's limits. It sounds like your
limits and my limits
759
00:42:03,712 --> 00:42:04,712
are slightly different.
760
00:42:08,178 --> 00:42:09,208
Because again, it's the thing,
761
00:42:09,208 --> 00:42:12,441
isn't it, around the tools that you use
and when you need someone else
762
00:42:12,441 --> 00:42:16,003
to do things for you. So I think the way
that you've described it is you said,
763
00:42:16,003 --> 00:42:17,994
actually, I need somebody to do this for
me.
764
00:42:17,994 --> 00:42:20,085
So I've outsourced it and this I can do
myself.
765
00:42:20,085 --> 00:42:22,017
And so I've done it myself. And again,
766
00:42:22,017 --> 00:42:26,469
it's so important when you're
independently publishing to make sure
that,
767
00:42:26,469 --> 00:42:29,491
you know, again, don't know,
768
00:42:29,491 --> 00:42:31,232
commas are the bane of my life.
769
00:42:31,232 --> 00:42:33,454
So I pay an editor, for example.
770
00:42:33,954 --> 00:42:38,547
Yes, and I have had a problem actually
with ~ proofreading before.
771
00:42:38,547 --> 00:42:39,768
I think you're making a really,
772
00:42:39,768 --> 00:42:41,349
really important point, Helen,
773
00:42:41,349 --> 00:42:46,182
~ in that when I had one edition of
774
00:42:46,182 --> 00:42:51,415
the planner and I didn't realise there was
a mistake in it.
775
00:42:51,415 --> 00:42:55,478
So although Victoria had checked every
single page,
776
00:42:55,478 --> 00:42:57,639
I had checked every single page,
777
00:42:57,639 --> 00:43:02,062
we had made a mistake on the weekly
planning pages.
778
00:43:02,062 --> 00:43:03,062
So...
779
00:43:03,241 --> 00:43:06,873
inside the planner, one of the things that
you have are weekly planning pages.
780
00:43:06,873 --> 00:43:09,424
So you can, there's a to-do list on there,
781
00:43:09,424 --> 00:43:11,035
there's the days of the week on there,
782
00:43:11,035 --> 00:43:14,597
and there's a reminder of what the goals
are that you're focused on at the moment.
783
00:43:14,597 --> 00:43:18,389
So really practical page that I hope
people enjoy using.
784
00:43:18,389 --> 00:43:23,982
And at the top, it says week commencing
and it has the date of the first
785
00:43:23,982 --> 00:43:29,325
day of that week. And we didn't realise
that we had the wrong year on there.
786
00:43:29,325 --> 00:43:31,056
I can't remember which planner this was
in.
787
00:43:31,056 --> 00:43:32,667
I think it was the 2025 one.
788
00:43:33,045 --> 00:43:35,687
And I think it said 2024 instead of 25.
789
00:43:35,687 --> 00:43:41,981
There was small mistake, but it was on
every single weekly page.
790
00:43:41,981 --> 00:43:44,683
And what happened was, thank goodness,
791
00:43:44,683 --> 00:43:46,424
one of the very first people to,
792
00:43:46,424 --> 00:43:48,596
because it was when I first did it with
Amazon.
793
00:43:48,596 --> 00:43:50,227
So it would have been the 2025 planner.
794
00:43:50,227 --> 00:43:53,369
One of the very first people who bought
the copy emailed me and said,
795
00:43:53,369 --> 00:43:55,020
I might be being really thick,
796
00:43:55,020 --> 00:43:56,861
but I can't work out these weekly pages.
797
00:43:56,861 --> 00:44:00,244
And so I realized instantly, I think it
had been for sale for like
798
00:44:00,244 --> 00:44:02,135
two days when this happened.
799
00:44:02,785 --> 00:44:05,998
just felt absolutely sick about it because
you think,
800
00:44:05,998 --> 00:44:07,749
what am I going to do? you know,
801
00:44:07,749 --> 00:44:12,904
I'm to have to refund everybody their
money if they're not happy about this.
802
00:44:12,904 --> 00:44:16,187
~ But luckily,
803
00:44:16,187 --> 00:44:18,088
again, because it was with Amazon,
804
00:44:18,088 --> 00:44:19,990
you can change the process
805
00:44:19,383 --> 00:44:20,383
just stop it.
806
00:44:20,210 --> 00:44:24,604
like that. Whereas actually now I'm
getting even more scared about moving back
807
00:44:24,604 --> 00:44:28,788
to a traditional printer. Whereas when
this happens with a traditional printer,
808
00:44:28,788 --> 00:44:30,429
like tough.
809
00:44:30,059 --> 00:44:31,059
Yeah, you have
810
00:44:30,451 --> 00:44:31,946
to do the print run again. Yeah.
811
00:44:31,766 --> 00:44:32,766
You will,
812
00:44:32,166 --> 00:44:34,798
I would have ordered, let's say I'd
ordered 500.
813
00:44:34,798 --> 00:44:37,380
I'd have 500 planners that are all wrong.
814
00:44:37,380 --> 00:44:42,504
So yeah, like that, that proofreading is
so,
815
00:44:42,504 --> 00:44:46,548
so, so important. And it is weird how you
can read something like
816
00:44:46,548 --> 00:44:50,971
a million times yourself and still miss
something because you're just so,
817
00:44:50,971 --> 00:44:54,814
I think you just start not seeing
mistakes.
818
00:44:53,877 --> 00:44:55,323
you get snow blind to it.
819
00:44:54,814 --> 00:44:55,814
You're guessing
820
00:44:55,605 --> 00:44:57,226
what there is in there. Yeah.
821
00:44:57,452 --> 00:44:58,452
Yeah.
822
00:44:57,560 --> 00:44:58,560
So
823
00:44:57,800 --> 00:45:02,363
that was awful. I have had a different
mistake as well where this is years
824
00:45:02,363 --> 00:45:05,425
and years ago where I don't know what we
were thinking,
825
00:45:05,425 --> 00:45:07,326
but we forgot to put bank holidays in
there.
826
00:45:07,326 --> 00:45:12,390
So luckily I realized when the plan is
sent,
827
00:45:12,390 --> 00:45:15,972
when the printers sent me a proof copy,
828
00:45:15,972 --> 00:45:18,694
but they had no, wasn't a proof copy.
829
00:45:18,694 --> 00:45:22,777
I think they delivered the first batch of
25 planners and I opened it and I went,
830
00:45:22,777 --> 00:45:25,178
why can't I see any bank holidays in here?
831
00:45:25,600 --> 00:45:27,090
and suddenly realized my mistake.
832
00:45:27,090 --> 00:45:31,474
So I sort of called them in a panic and
they were so,
833
00:45:31,474 --> 00:45:34,116
so good about it. I think if the printer
hadn't been my friend,
834
00:45:34,116 --> 00:45:36,338
they may not have been this good about it.
835
00:45:36,338 --> 00:45:40,330
They had to go through all the planners
they had lined up ready to do
836
00:45:40,330 --> 00:45:45,284
the covers for and swap out all of the
pages that needed the correct pages going
in.
837
00:45:45,284 --> 00:45:48,546
But again, if they had completed that
printing process,
838
00:45:48,546 --> 00:45:51,969
I would have been in real trouble because
I would have had to have,
839
00:45:51,969 --> 00:45:53,900
yeah, paid for all of them.
840
00:45:54,100 --> 00:45:56,662
As it was with that Amerson run where
there was a mistake,
841
00:45:56,662 --> 00:45:59,964
anyone who contacted me, in an ideal
world,
842
00:45:59,964 --> 00:46:06,919
I didn't want to have to pay them back and
then buy a brand new planner for them.
843
00:46:06,919 --> 00:46:09,201
Although I would, if that's what
844
00:46:08,770 --> 00:46:09,770
Mm.
845
00:46:09,321 --> 00:46:13,424
they said. So I offered, I had some
bookmarks made and I also have
846
00:46:13,424 --> 00:46:14,855
a digital version of the planner,
847
00:46:14,855 --> 00:46:17,467
which is chargeable. So anyone who
contacted me,
848
00:46:17,467 --> 00:46:21,630
I would say, you know, I can send you this
free special bookmark and you're...
849
00:46:22,666 --> 00:46:24,798
Or you can have a copy of the digital
planner or like,
850
00:46:24,798 --> 00:46:26,289
how can I make this right? You know,
851
00:46:26,167 --> 00:46:27,167
Yeah.
852
00:46:26,289 --> 00:46:27,289
I'm so
853
00:46:26,709 --> 00:46:29,711
sorry about the mistake. I didn't mean to
do it.
854
00:46:29,711 --> 00:46:33,614
yes. you're giving me flashbacks thinking
about it,
855
00:46:32,098 --> 00:46:33,400
~ don't.
856
00:46:33,614 --> 00:46:34,614
Helen.
857
00:46:34,622 --> 00:46:37,285
And it's so, so to put your mind at ease,
858
00:46:37,285 --> 00:46:38,917
the first book I ever published,
859
00:46:38,917 --> 00:46:40,930
chapter 42, was printed twice.
860
00:46:41,430 --> 00:46:43,212
Okay, you are actually making me feel
better,
861
00:46:43,212 --> 00:46:44,823
but I'm so sorry that that happened.
862
00:46:44,687 --> 00:46:45,687
And
863
00:46:45,107 --> 00:46:50,287
could I see it? No. So again, fortunately
somebody that I know had bought
864
00:46:50,287 --> 00:46:52,307
an early copy and had spotted it and had
let me know,
865
00:46:52,307 --> 00:46:54,687
but could I see it? No. So I was like,
866
00:46:54,687 --> 00:46:56,487
I can't see the mistake. I can't see the
mistake.
867
00:46:56,487 --> 00:46:59,027
can't see the mistake. It took me six or
seven goes to fix it.
868
00:46:59,027 --> 00:47:01,127
It was so painful because
869
00:46:59,200 --> 00:47:00,496
It is weird, isn't it?
870
00:47:01,127 --> 00:47:05,227
you just, you'd read that book so many
times.
871
00:47:05,227 --> 00:47:07,147
You just can't see the number.
872
00:47:07,147 --> 00:47:08,487
And then suddenly I was like, of course,
873
00:47:08,487 --> 00:47:10,347
of course it's there. Of course it is.
874
00:47:10,710 --> 00:47:12,871
I know. Well, I couldn't see the problem,
875
00:47:12,871 --> 00:47:15,622
yeah, with that weak commencing thing to
begin with either.
876
00:47:15,622 --> 00:47:17,393
was like, what do they mean? This is all
fine.
877
00:47:17,393 --> 00:47:20,774
And then I just suddenly, then you
suddenly spot it and think,
878
00:47:20,774 --> 00:47:23,315
no, no, I can't believe this is happening.
879
00:47:23,315 --> 00:47:26,387
But yeah, so that was a big advantage of
printing with Amazon.
880
00:47:26,387 --> 00:47:28,097
The fact that I could change it instantly.
881
00:47:28,097 --> 00:47:32,244
You just swap out the design that you'd
sent them for the new one and
882
00:47:32,244 --> 00:47:34,520
it is fixed immediately. Yeah,
883
00:47:34,520 --> 00:47:38,572
so a big plus, making me scared of not
using
884
00:47:37,454 --> 00:47:38,454
Absolutely.
885
00:47:38,572 --> 00:47:39,572
them anymore.
886
00:47:39,576 --> 00:47:43,539
Well, and you know, they have all these
lovely checking processes as well,
887
00:47:43,539 --> 00:47:44,830
don't they, as you go through?
888
00:47:44,012 --> 00:47:45,600
Yeah. Yeah.
889
00:47:44,830 --> 00:47:45,830
Because I do
890
00:47:45,811 --> 00:47:48,143
think as well, it's you and I sort of sit
here and say,
891
00:47:48,143 --> 00:47:51,306
yeah, you know, you just pop a new version
on Amazon and da da da da.
892
00:47:51,306 --> 00:47:52,927
But people that have never done it before,
893
00:47:52,927 --> 00:47:56,070
Amazon can be quite a daunting platform.
894
00:47:56,070 --> 00:47:59,453
So again, as you moved from printing
895
00:47:57,428 --> 00:47:59,482
It can. Yes.
896
00:47:59,793 --> 00:48:05,388
volume to print on demand, how did you
find kind of getting the book onto Amazon?
897
00:48:05,888 --> 00:48:07,710
Yeah, well, this really shows your
experience,
898
00:48:07,710 --> 00:48:11,313
Helen, because you're right. It's so easy
for me to say,
899
00:48:11,313 --> 00:48:12,694
yeah, and with Amazon, you know,
900
00:48:12,694 --> 00:48:17,088
was, no, it was a doddle, but actually I
really deliberated,
901
00:48:17,088 --> 00:48:20,894
even though I'd found it stressful trying
to get quantities right with
902
00:48:20,894 --> 00:48:25,895
a traditional printer, I really
deliberated about moving to Amazon because
I was,
903
00:48:25,895 --> 00:48:28,557
I thought, how do you, how do you do it?
904
00:48:28,557 --> 00:48:33,882
I'm fairly tech savvy, but it was still
massively daunting.
905
00:48:34,275 --> 00:48:40,238
when you start trying to set yourself up
as an author on there and yeah,
906
00:48:40,238 --> 00:48:44,670
the way they need everything submitted as
a PDF and you've got to make sure it's
907
00:48:44,670 --> 00:48:49,383
all lined up properly. I did find it quite
difficult.
908
00:48:49,383 --> 00:48:53,094
And I did actually try and find like an
Amazon book coach at the time
909
00:48:53,094 --> 00:48:55,185
to help me with it. And I couldn't find
anybody.
910
00:48:55,185 --> 00:48:59,668
So I think I ended up watching lots of
YouTube tutorials to figure it all out.
911
00:48:59,668 --> 00:49:03,950
And it took me a while before I did get it
completely up there.
912
00:49:04,216 --> 00:49:05,266
It would have been a few days,
913
00:49:05,266 --> 00:49:07,588
I think, of desperately trying to work it
all out.
914
00:49:07,588 --> 00:49:09,910
But of course, now that I've done it once,
915
00:49:09,910 --> 00:49:11,962
when I then had to do the plan in the next
year,
916
00:49:11,962 --> 00:49:14,333
it wasn't nearly as daunting. As soon as
you've done it once,
917
00:49:14,333 --> 00:49:16,485
it's fine. And I'm guessing now actually,
918
00:49:16,485 --> 00:49:18,556
for anyone new who wanted to do this,
919
00:49:18,556 --> 00:49:20,638
you could probably say in your AI tool,
920
00:49:20,638 --> 00:49:22,839
how do I do this? And it will guide you
through it.
921
00:49:22,839 --> 00:49:25,872
I would have thought, I haven't tried
doing it that way,
922
00:49:25,872 --> 00:49:28,804
but I would have thought so. But I know
where I've had other friends
923
00:49:28,804 --> 00:49:31,576
who have decided to try, or people in my
network.
924
00:49:31,938 --> 00:49:36,091
who have decided to create a planner or
something similar and have gone onto
Amazon,
925
00:49:36,091 --> 00:49:39,664
I've ended up with frantic phone calls and
emails from them saying,
926
00:49:39,664 --> 00:49:41,936
help, I'm so stuck, how do I do this bit?
927
00:49:41,936 --> 00:49:46,479
And ~ yeah, and again, it brings about the
flashbacks of trying to figure
928
00:49:46,479 --> 00:49:48,871
out how to do this, but it is all doable.
929
00:49:48,871 --> 00:49:52,304
I think it probably is easier now that we
have got the support from AI
930
00:49:52,304 --> 00:49:54,796
to talk us through it. And yes,
931
00:49:54,796 --> 00:49:57,378
yes, but it did take me a while to do it
to begin with.
932
00:49:57,880 --> 00:50:00,825
Yeah, it's, there's nothing quite like
pressing that yellow button,
933
00:50:00,825 --> 00:50:04,035
you know, when it's all done and it's like
press publish and you're like,
934
00:50:04,035 --> 00:50:06,586
I'm a bit scared, but also quite excited.
935
00:50:05,738 --> 00:50:06,739
It's so, yeah,
936
00:50:06,859 --> 00:50:10,332
it's really exciting, but also really
scary in case you've made some sort
937
00:50:10,332 --> 00:50:12,343
of huge mistake without realizing it.
938
00:50:12,343 --> 00:50:13,724
But again, with Amazon, of course,
939
00:50:13,724 --> 00:50:16,687
what's good is you can order a proof copy
before you do it.
940
00:50:16,687 --> 00:50:19,249
And the proof copy comes really quickly.
941
00:50:19,249 --> 00:50:23,333
Whereas with the printers that I'm hoping
are going to be the ones to
942
00:50:23,333 --> 00:50:26,025
do the wire bound ribbon on the inside,
943
00:50:26,025 --> 00:50:29,358
hard back on the outside. I've just
ordered a proof copy from them.
944
00:50:29,358 --> 00:50:32,040
They're like, that should be seven to 10
working days.
945
00:50:32,040 --> 00:50:34,422
And I just thought, what? I thought I'd
have it.
946
00:50:34,786 --> 00:50:37,124
In a couple of days, I've
947
00:50:35,086 --> 00:50:36,086
I'm alright.
948
00:50:37,124 --> 00:50:40,685
been a bit spoiled by Amazon. So that's
put me on the back foot slightly.
949
00:50:41,539 --> 00:50:45,422
Although one thing I would say ~ for those
that are looking at planners,
950
00:50:45,422 --> 00:50:47,944
and again, I don't know if you experienced
this last year,
951
00:50:47,944 --> 00:50:52,863
was ~ sometimes they can be classed as low
content books because they don't have
952
00:50:52,863 --> 00:50:54,268
a high word count.
953
00:50:54,306 --> 00:50:55,306
Yes.
954
00:50:54,809 --> 00:50:57,691
And depending on when you press publish on
that,
955
00:50:57,691 --> 00:51:01,234
it can take a little bit longer to be
approved by Amazon
956
00:51:00,395 --> 00:51:01,395
Yeah.
957
00:51:01,234 --> 00:51:05,667
than a sort of traditional kind of fiction
type book.
958
00:51:05,667 --> 00:51:06,838
Did you find that as well?
959
00:51:08,066 --> 00:51:10,317
I saw the warning come up about
960
00:51:09,614 --> 00:51:10,614
Hmm.
961
00:51:10,317 --> 00:51:15,829
it, but luckily it was fine. And I don't
know if it was fine
962
00:51:16,329 --> 00:51:21,451
for me because the low content books have
exploded over the last couple
963
00:51:21,451 --> 00:51:23,482
of years because of AI where everyone's
like,
964
00:51:23,482 --> 00:51:25,583
I'll just get Chat GPT Deden,
965
00:51:25,225 --> 00:51:26,225
Yeah.
966
00:51:25,583 --> 00:51:27,693
knock me up any old thing and sell it on
there.
967
00:51:27,693 --> 00:51:30,915
So I think it is a genuine nightmare for
Amazon to be able
968
00:51:30,588 --> 00:51:31,588
yeah.
969
00:51:30,915 --> 00:51:33,316
to cope with the volume of stuff coming
through.
970
00:51:33,316 --> 00:51:36,597
But I think that has really happened in
the last
971
00:51:36,839 --> 00:51:40,391
one or two years, whereas it would have
been three years ago that I
972
00:51:40,391 --> 00:51:43,202
hit publish on the planner for the first
time.
973
00:51:43,202 --> 00:51:46,793
And luckily, touch wood, it was quite
popular.
974
00:51:46,793 --> 00:51:49,564
And so I don't know if this is true or
not.
975
00:51:49,564 --> 00:51:51,495
This is just the story I've done in my
mind.
976
00:51:51,495 --> 00:51:54,867
And I think because they could see that
actually I was selling them
977
00:51:54,867 --> 00:51:56,898
and I hadn't just made some AI slop,
978
00:51:56,898 --> 00:52:01,299
I kind of felt like maybe last year I
managed to get the planner through
quickly,
979
00:52:01,299 --> 00:52:03,270
even though it was classed as low content,
980
00:52:03,270 --> 00:52:04,921
because they knew that I was a...
981
00:52:05,397 --> 00:52:06,899
creating something good, don't know.
982
00:52:06,899 --> 00:52:10,299
Something that's not AI slop, I'm not
sure.
983
00:52:10,299 --> 00:52:12,385
I might have just been very, very lucky,
984
00:52:12,385 --> 00:52:14,797
but I do know there is that risk with low
content.
985
00:52:14,797 --> 00:52:16,199
You're completely right, Helen.
986
00:52:15,177 --> 00:52:16,177
Yeah,
987
00:52:16,999 --> 00:52:18,620
but I do tend to agree with you.
988
00:52:18,620 --> 00:52:22,704
think there is some ~ algorithm proof
involved in,
989
00:52:22,704 --> 00:52:24,816
you know, this is not your first rodeo.
990
00:52:24,816 --> 00:52:27,188
This is an annual planner that goes
991
00:52:26,730 --> 00:52:27,730
Yeah.
992
00:52:27,188 --> 00:52:32,132
up every year that sees sales consistently
over
993
00:52:31,476 --> 00:52:32,476
Yeah.
994
00:52:32,132 --> 00:52:37,888
that year. ~ So the algorithm will learn
that you are not a content farm.
995
00:52:37,888 --> 00:52:38,999
You are a professional
996
00:52:38,783 --> 00:52:41,822
Yes. Yeah. I hope so.
997
00:52:38,999 --> 00:52:41,661
creator. For sure.
998
00:52:42,046 --> 00:52:45,727
Yeah, yeah. No, one likes to think that
the algorithm works that way too,
999
00:52:44,350 --> 00:52:46,537
Yeah. Yeah.
1000
00:52:45,727 --> 00:52:46,758
doesn't it? Obviously, neither
1001
00:52:46,758 --> 00:52:49,649
of us know. Nobody knows how the algorithm
works.
1002
00:52:49,649 --> 00:52:51,890
If any listeners know, let us know.
1003
00:52:51,890 --> 00:52:53,731
~
1004
00:52:52,001 --> 00:52:53,001
I
1005
00:52:53,731 --> 00:52:55,548
But the other thing I'm curious about,
1006
00:52:55,548 --> 00:52:59,413
of course, is the planner has become a
really important asset within your
business
1007
00:52:59,413 --> 00:53:01,043
as a whole. So
1008
00:53:00,680 --> 00:53:01,680
Yes.
1009
00:53:01,043 --> 00:53:06,595
obviously, you also run planning days and
you do coaching and obviously you've
1010
00:53:06,595 --> 00:53:10,397
got the podcast. So how does that
ecosystem all dovetail together?
1011
00:53:10,897 --> 00:53:12,728
So with the planner, of course,
1012
00:53:12,728 --> 00:53:14,670
it just started off as the free PDF.
1013
00:53:14,670 --> 00:53:16,421
I thought, well, just see if anyone likes
this.
1014
00:53:16,421 --> 00:53:18,603
Then because people said to me,
1015
00:53:18,603 --> 00:53:21,125
could you do it as hardback? It became
hardback.
1016
00:53:21,125 --> 00:53:24,267
And then I had some feedback from a couple
of people saying,
1017
00:53:24,267 --> 00:53:26,929
I love the planner. It looks so great.
1018
00:53:26,929 --> 00:53:30,732
Everything looks so useful, but I didn't
open it and I didn't use it.
1019
00:53:30,732 --> 00:53:33,474
And that's just a heartbreaking thing to
1020
00:53:32,887 --> 00:53:33,887
Mmmmm
1021
00:53:33,474 --> 00:53:34,805
hear because I think, no, I...
1022
00:53:35,115 --> 00:53:36,235
I put all this work, I
1023
00:53:35,764 --> 00:53:36,764
Thanks.
1024
00:53:36,235 --> 00:53:38,556
really want it to be helpful and for you
to use it.
1025
00:53:38,556 --> 00:53:43,398
So I came up with a couple of ideas to
help people use it.
1026
00:53:43,398 --> 00:53:49,661
And one was running a planning day where
everyone can arrive
1027
00:53:49,701 --> 00:53:55,183
and I will literally guide them through
filling in,
1028
00:53:55,183 --> 00:53:57,814
not the whole whole planner, because of
course you need the rest of year for that,
1029
00:53:57,814 --> 00:54:01,006
but go through all the goal setting
exercises,
1030
00:54:01,006 --> 00:54:04,307
look at the awareness days, think of ones
you might want to use also.
1031
00:54:04,725 --> 00:54:09,128
get to chat to the other HR people in the
room so you can share ideas
1032
00:54:09,128 --> 00:54:12,961
as well and just sort of have the energy
of being there in the room with everybody.
1033
00:54:12,961 --> 00:54:15,963
So I started running that.
1034
00:54:15,963 --> 00:54:18,584
It will be the third time I've run it this
year.
1035
00:54:18,584 --> 00:54:22,477
And it's really exciting getting to meet
everyone in real life
1036
00:54:22,477 --> 00:54:25,889
and hearing how people are enjoying using
it and seeing how they're
1037
00:54:25,889 --> 00:54:28,191
all setting their own goals. So that's
great.
1038
00:54:28,874 --> 00:54:32,336
And then also I run for anyone who has the
planner,
1039
00:54:32,336 --> 00:54:34,688
I run a free monthly planning session,
1040
00:54:34,688 --> 00:54:39,131
which I originally called accountability
sessions because that's what they
1041
00:54:39,131 --> 00:54:42,733
are really. It's just 45 minutes on the
last Friday of every month,
1042
00:54:42,733 --> 00:54:44,745
everyone joins me on a Zoom call and I
say,
1043
00:54:44,745 --> 00:54:47,997
okay. So in this time that we have
together,
1044
00:54:47,997 --> 00:54:51,739
just pop in the chat, what you would like
to focus on in your planner.
1045
00:54:51,739 --> 00:54:52,920
And then at the end of our time,
1046
00:54:52,920 --> 00:54:54,921
I'll check in on you and to see how you
did.
1047
00:54:54,921 --> 00:54:56,342
So everyone pops in the planner,
1048
00:54:56,342 --> 00:54:57,342
what they're going to do.
1049
00:54:57,545 --> 00:55:01,507
I say what I'm going to do. I normally do
my end of month review,
1050
00:55:01,507 --> 00:55:02,998
which is a section in the planner.
1051
00:55:02,998 --> 00:55:05,399
And then I play some lovely music.
1052
00:55:05,399 --> 00:55:09,282
We all put ourselves on mute. Everyone
just cracks on with their planning.
1053
00:55:09,282 --> 00:55:12,423
And then at the end of it, I unmute.
1054
00:55:12,423 --> 00:55:14,164
Other people can unmute too if they want
to.
1055
00:55:14,164 --> 00:55:15,625
And I say, okay, pop in the chat,
1056
00:55:15,625 --> 00:55:18,857
how have you got on? And I'll read out how
everybody's got on.
1057
00:55:18,857 --> 00:55:22,219
And there's just something weirdly
powerful about having
1058
00:55:22,219 --> 00:55:25,291
the accountability of knowing I'm going
to...
1059
00:55:26,059 --> 00:55:30,651
be there for that time, that they can have
it carved out of their calendar,
1060
00:55:30,651 --> 00:55:33,823
because as you said earlier, it's so busy
working in HR.
1061
00:55:33,783 --> 00:55:34,783
Yeah.
1062
00:55:34,183 --> 00:55:37,535
And again, there's just something weirdly
powerful.
1063
00:55:37,535 --> 00:55:39,726
It works. If you say to someone,
1064
00:55:39,726 --> 00:55:43,078
even if it's just in chat, what you're
going to work on,
1065
00:55:43,078 --> 00:55:45,169
you're far more likely to do it.
1066
00:55:45,169 --> 00:55:47,971
it's really, I love running those
sessions.
1067
00:55:47,971 --> 00:55:50,552
It helps me stay accountable for my
planning.
1068
00:55:49,900 --> 00:55:50,900
Yeah.
1069
00:55:50,752 --> 00:55:54,574
It's wonderful getting to meet people who
have the planner and are using it.
1070
00:55:54,574 --> 00:55:55,574
If there's...
1071
00:55:55,615 --> 00:55:57,586
If we've got time, like if it's a smaller
group,
1072
00:55:57,586 --> 00:55:59,358
we might have a bit of a chat at the end.
1073
00:55:59,358 --> 00:56:01,820
People can ask me any questions they might
have.
1074
00:56:01,820 --> 00:56:05,133
I tend to stay on after the official
call's finished in case people want
1075
00:56:05,133 --> 00:56:09,686
to talk to me. It's just an amazing way of
me,
1076
00:56:09,686 --> 00:56:13,409
you know, really being engaged and getting
to see everyone who's using the planner,
1077
00:56:13,409 --> 00:56:17,212
but also helping people stay accountable
with their planners.
1078
00:56:17,212 --> 00:56:18,814
So they're getting the most from them.
1079
00:56:18,814 --> 00:56:20,976
So that's one thing that I've done.
1080
00:56:20,976 --> 00:56:25,059
And then sometimes if I'm working with a
1081
00:56:25,602 --> 00:56:27,633
coaching client and if I think,
1082
00:56:27,633 --> 00:56:30,065
or I can see they've got this particular
challenge,
1083
00:56:30,065 --> 00:56:31,976
there's something in the planner that I
think can help them.
1084
00:56:31,976 --> 00:56:36,319
I can either just share a one-off activity
with them or I can give them
1085
00:56:36,439 --> 00:56:38,800
a planner as part of their coaching
arrangement.
1086
00:56:38,800 --> 00:56:43,443
And I found I'm sometimes booked to run
workshops externally
1087
00:56:44,104 --> 00:56:49,947
if an organization wants to run a workshop
for HR clients or internal HR people.
1088
00:56:49,947 --> 00:56:50,947
because
1089
00:56:51,224 --> 00:56:52,324
They know that I do the planner,
1090
00:56:52,324 --> 00:56:54,784
I'll often get asked, like as part of the
booking,
1091
00:56:54,784 --> 00:56:56,564
they'll say, can you come and run the
workshop?
1092
00:56:56,564 --> 00:56:58,664
And can we also gift everyone a planner?
1093
00:56:58,664 --> 00:57:01,724
Because what's lovely is everyone gets
1094
00:57:00,663 --> 00:57:01,704
Everyone wants the planner.
1095
00:57:01,724 --> 00:57:04,524
really excited when they have a planner
present.
1096
00:57:04,524 --> 00:57:09,164
So yeah, they're all the things I can
think of off the top of my head as
1097
00:57:09,164 --> 00:57:12,124
to how the planner has become part of my
business.
1098
00:57:12,599 --> 00:57:16,499
Amazing. And that's so important because
obviously,
1099
00:57:16,499 --> 00:57:19,959
gone are the days that anyone can just
chuck something up on the internet
1100
00:57:19,959 --> 00:57:26,179
and people will buy it. There has to be
services and support around it.
1101
00:57:26,179 --> 00:57:30,399
And again, what I love about how you
describe things is it's all about
1102
00:57:30,399 --> 00:57:33,679
the benefit to the client. So it's all
kind of,
1103
00:57:33,679 --> 00:57:38,739
it's not, how can I maximise this asset
for this business?
1104
00:57:38,739 --> 00:57:40,859
It's how can I be of service?
1105
00:57:41,271 --> 00:57:42,271
and
1106
00:57:41,333 --> 00:57:42,333
Yeah.
1107
00:57:41,591 --> 00:57:42,591
what
1108
00:57:41,771 --> 00:57:46,031
are the offerings that can bring people
into my world and help them achieve what
1109
00:57:46,031 --> 00:57:50,251
they want to do with these various tools
that will meet them where they are.
1110
00:57:50,251 --> 00:57:56,191
So I think that's absolutely lovely and
probably leads quite neatly to
1111
00:57:56,191 --> 00:58:00,991
me asking you for your words of wisdom for
anyone that's listening that thinks,
1112
00:58:00,991 --> 00:58:04,491
I think all that sounds amazing and Fay
sounds great because clearly you are.
1113
00:58:04,491 --> 00:58:08,771
What advice do you have for people
listening who are aspiring to write?
1114
00:58:09,271 --> 00:58:14,235
Well, I felt slightly like a fraud when
you first invited me to be on the podcast,
1115
00:58:14,235 --> 00:58:18,329
Helen, because I don't count myself really
as an author where it is
1116
00:58:18,329 --> 00:58:22,222
a planner that I've created rather than a
book.
1117
00:58:22,222 --> 00:58:28,267
So I feel it'd be wrong if I was trying to
give advice about writing generally,
1118
00:58:28,267 --> 00:58:33,832
but I suppose as far as creating something
to publish,
1119
00:58:34,263 --> 00:58:35,263
Thanks.
1120
00:58:34,913 --> 00:58:37,255
my advice would be... ~
1121
00:58:37,668 --> 00:58:39,709
would echo back what you just said to me,
1122
00:58:39,709 --> 00:58:45,870
which is thinking about the person who's
going to be reading or using your product
1123
00:58:45,870 --> 00:58:50,311
at the end of the day. I think that is
just the most important thing
1124
00:58:50,371 --> 00:58:55,212
to keep in mind. And there is a really old
expression in writing,
1125
00:58:55,212 --> 00:58:56,983
isn't there, which is murder your darling.
1126
00:58:56,983 --> 00:58:57,983
So some of the stuff
1127
00:58:57,245 --> 00:58:58,245
yes.
1128
00:58:57,800 --> 00:59:00,023
that you love the most that you've written
and you think,
1129
00:59:00,023 --> 00:59:02,624
that's fabulous. Having to then go delete,
1130
00:59:02,624 --> 00:59:04,874
delete, delete, delete, because although
you love it,
1131
00:59:04,874 --> 00:59:06,595
actually it might be great for you,
1132
00:59:06,595 --> 00:59:07,595
but it might
1133
00:59:07,147 --> 00:59:12,749
it's not quite the right thing for your
ideal reader or your ideal user
1134
00:59:13,069 --> 00:59:15,851
of that particular book or planner.
1135
00:59:15,851 --> 00:59:22,633
So I think the laser focus on making it
right for the end user is really
important.
1136
00:59:22,633 --> 00:59:27,395
But then also, I guess the fact that you
can do this in stages,
1137
00:59:27,395 --> 00:59:30,927
which we can see just from me having
talked about this being a free
1138
00:59:30,927 --> 00:59:35,439
PDF to start with and then it evolving and
trying out different formats.
1139
00:59:35,439 --> 00:59:36,439
~
1140
00:59:36,515 --> 00:59:40,655
you haven't got to just have this one
perfect vision in your mind.
1141
00:59:40,655 --> 00:59:45,635
can work towards that. And I definitely
never had one perfect vision in my mind.
1142
00:59:45,635 --> 00:59:47,975
It's just been a constant evolution of
trying to think,
1143
00:59:47,975 --> 00:59:50,815
how can it be more helpful? What else?
1144
00:59:50,815 --> 00:59:55,775
What else can I be doing? So I think
they're probably the key pieces
1145
00:59:55,775 --> 00:59:59,835
of advice that I can give from my own
personal experience.
1146
01:00:00,451 --> 01:00:02,551
I love that. I absolutely love that.
1147
01:00:02,551 --> 01:00:08,071
I would build in just one way in saying
there are different ways of writing.
1148
01:00:08,071 --> 01:00:10,691
I always say all words are welcome.
1149
01:00:10,691 --> 01:00:15,491
And if those words are words that help you
in your career because you're setting
1150
01:00:15,491 --> 01:00:19,371
goals and identifying key dates that you
can be strategic around,
1151
01:00:19,371 --> 01:00:22,551
those words are just as important as any
other words.
1152
01:00:22,551 --> 01:00:25,431
So your publishing journey is so
inspiring.
1153
01:00:25,431 --> 01:00:26,951
Thank you so much for sharing.
1154
01:00:27,451 --> 01:00:28,451
No, thank you!
1155
01:00:29,139 --> 01:00:32,979
I'd love to close by if you can tell
listeners where they can find you,
1156
01:00:32,979 --> 01:00:35,699
all those fabulous services you've just
told us about,
1157
01:00:35,699 --> 01:00:37,959
and the new planner online.
1158
01:00:38,853 --> 01:00:42,293
yes, of course. Well, it's always lovely
to hear from people.
1159
01:00:42,293 --> 01:00:45,075
I am on LinkedIn quite a lot of the time,
1160
01:00:45,075 --> 01:00:47,386
so feel free to connect with me on there.
1161
01:00:47,386 --> 01:00:51,327
I'm there, it's Fay Wallis My name's
spelled differently from lots
1162
01:00:51,327 --> 01:00:53,758
of other people called Fay or Wallis So
it's Fay,
1163
01:00:53,758 --> 01:00:59,629
F-A-Y, and my surname is W-A-L-L-I-S
rather than A-C-E.
1164
01:00:59,629 --> 01:01:04,991
And my website for the planner is
essentialhrplanner.co.uk.
1165
01:01:05,691 --> 01:01:08,714
And then I have a separate website for my
coaching work,
1166
01:01:08,714 --> 01:01:11,748
which is brightskyhr.co.uk.
1167
01:01:11,748 --> 01:01:14,060
And you can also find my podcast,
1168
01:01:14,060 --> 01:01:18,375
HR Coffee Time on there, or you can also
find HR Coffee Time on all
1169
01:01:18,375 --> 01:01:19,847
of the major podcast platforms.
1170
01:01:21,076 --> 01:01:25,149
Thank you so much. We'll make sure all of
the links for those are in the show notes.
1171
01:01:25,149 --> 01:01:26,974
Fay, that's been brilliant. Thank you.
1172
01:01:27,801 --> 01:01:29,665
no, you're so welcome. Thank you very
much.
1173
01:01:29,665 --> 01:01:33,602
It's been lovely talking. Everything
planner related and publishing related.
1174
01:01:32,389 --> 01:01:34,228
I know. I'm
1175
01:01:34,228 --> 01:01:36,056
inspired to organise next year.
1176
01:01:38,656 --> 01:01:42,479
I hope you enjoyed the conversation with
Faye as much as I did.
1177
01:01:42,479 --> 01:01:46,572
This is actually the second time I'm
recording the outro because
1178
01:01:46,572 --> 01:01:50,886
I have just received an update from Fay
about the ribbon and I
1179
01:01:50,886 --> 01:01:56,050
am delighted and super excited to confirm
that the ribbon is a yes.
1180
01:01:56,050 --> 01:01:58,192
It makes me so happy.
1181
01:01:58,780 --> 01:02:03,882
~ Next week it's the footnotes and I'll be
covering a topic that we all want
1182
01:02:03,882 --> 01:02:09,104
to know about but don't often ask how much
does it cost to self publish a book?
1183
01:02:09,104 --> 01:02:11,745
I'll see you for the next chapter.
1184
01:02:13,448 --> 01:02:14,708
Thank you for joining me today.
1185
01:02:14,708 --> 01:02:18,389
You can get the show notes and your free
guide to publishing options
1186
01:02:18,489 --> 01:02:24,491
at coachwrite.co.uk Remember to subscribe
and leave a review on your podcatcher
1187
01:02:24,491 --> 01:02:26,752
of choice. Your words can make a
difference.
1188
01:02:26,752 --> 01:02:30,313
A review can too. If you'd like to
connect,
1189
01:02:30,313 --> 01:02:32,733
find me on LinkedIn, O'Neill Helen.
1190
01:02:32,733 --> 01:02:37,014
That's O-N-E-I-L-L or on Instagram
1191
01:02:37,094 --> 01:02:40,375
at coach _write I'll see you.
1192
01:02:40,693 --> 01:02:41,864
For the next chapter.