Hashtag Authentic - for creatives, dreamers & business owners online

"We think our worth is from how hard we burn ourselves into the ground." This week I caught up with my friend and creative coach Jen Carrington for one of the whirlwind conversations we always have when we're together. We both talk fast and dive into tangents, so this is a much more informal natter than the usual 'interview' you might be used to here, but it's jam-packed with insight, experience and hopefully, things to make you nod and smile along. Jen and I also share details towards the end of a very exciting new joint podcast project we have planned for the New Year! Get full access to Entre Nous at meandorla.substack.com/subscribe

It's a solo episode this week, and a pretty technical one too, looking at some of the big changes we've seen on Instagram over the past year. In this episode I'll cover a bit of an algorithm update, shoppable photos, what's going on with the 'top 9' hashtag grid, the new features for Stories and Live, and how you can use some of these things to help your account grow. Get full access to Entre Nous at meandorla.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is author, journalist and storyteller Laura Jane Williams. I first met Laura when we were both presenting at the Blogtacular conference a couple of years back, shortly after the publication of her first book. Since then she's written a second, follow-up memoir and taught the secrets of her storytelling magic at workshops, classes and courses online. She writes with spellbinding beauty across multiple platforms, including the most exquisitely crafted instagram captions, so I called her up to dig into some of her secrets, and get the low down on her journey so far. And in case the opening quote above wasn't enough of a heads up - a warning for occasional adult language in this episode too. Get full access to Entre Nous at meandorla.substack.com/subscribe

One of my favourite things about this podcast is that it gives me the excuse to have really interesting conversations with people whose work I adore. This week is the perfect example, and something of a fangirl moment for me, as my guest this week is writer and journalist Jon Ronson.  If you're lucky, you'll all have come across his work already - his books include The Men Who Stare At Goats, The Psychopath Test, So You've Been Publicly Shamed and Frank, some of which have already been adapted into successful movies. His most recent film credit is 'Okja', which came out earlier this year to adoration and critical acclaim. His newest venture is The Butterfly Effect, a podcast series looking at the way the internet has revolutionised one very specific industry, and the lives of a lot of very normal folk along the way.  Watching Jon's work evolve over the last few years I've really been struck by the role the digital world has had to play in it and how at home he is in the digital landscape. I wanted to find out how he felt about the internet, and both the role it plays in his work, and the wider world. Plus, he's just a funny, fascinating person to talk to - and to listen to - so you're in for a treat! Also, as a heads up - this episode has some occasional adult language. Get full access to Entre Nous at meandorla.substack.com/subscribe

Nik and I met when we were both presenting on a panel in London a few months back, and I loved what he had to say.   So much of what Nik and I had to say dovetailed together perfectly,  and I immediately knew I needed to bag him for the podcast so you could all soak in some of his wisdom on all things internet, social media and influencer marketing too. In this episode we talk about how Instagram and social media have evolved, and the role influencer marketing has had to play in that. Nik shares some great insight from his experiences of working with brands and agencies, and a heap of key lessons for anyone trying to grow an audience or create content for sales online. Get full access to Entre Nous at meandorla.substack.com/subscribe

Dolly Alderton is a writer, author, director and journalist, with a weekly podcast to boot. I met her earlier this year when we were panelists at an event in London alongside Emma Gannon, and I found so much of what she said in her answers really resonated and stayed with me. As you'll hear in the following conversation, she's a witty, self possessed and savvy woman, living the dream as a freelance writer & creative in London. Her first book, Everything I Know About Love, is out in the Spring, and so I called her up to find out how she got to that milestone, what wisdom she's learned along the way, and whether she'd like to be my new best friend how she juggles so many dynamic projects at once. Also, a heads up that there's some marvellous adult language scattered throughout this episode . Get full access to Entre Nous at meandorla.substack.com/subscribe

Tara Swiger is a coach for people who make or create products they're passionate about, helping them to build profitable businesses. Her episode on finding your right people is one of my all time favourites I've recorded so far, so I invited her back on to tackle some of the issues I hear about again and again from people in our community here - specifically, how to sell ourselves without feeling awful, and dealing with vulnerability. Tara always brings incredible value to everything she does, and I promise this episode will uplift, inspire and fill you with enthusiasm for selling your work. Get full access to Entre Nous at meandorla.substack.com/subscribe

One subject we've touched upon in previous episodes, and that I see coming up again and again with the people who take my courses or the women I mentor is this issue: 'what do I call myself?' In this week's mini episode, I'm sharing why I encourage everyone to take themselves and their work seriously, and not shy away from the big job titles of our dreams. Get full access to Entre Nous at meandorla.substack.com/subscribe

Fiona Humberstone empowers entrepreneurs to create powerful brands. A bestselling author and fearless entrepreneur, we met, somewhat randomly, on a ship in the Thames earlier this summer, where I was struck by her insight,  enthusiasm and warmth. I called her up to give us all a crash course in branding, colour psychology and what it can offer our creative work and businesses. Get full access to Entre Nous at meandorla.substack.com/subscribe

This week's episode is a bit of a fangirl moment for me -  Hadley Freeman, author, journalist and Guardian columnist is somebody whose writing and wisdom has inspired me for a number of years. She kindly gave me some of her time to talk about her career path, sharing your opinions for a living, and dealing with feedback from commenters and twitter trolls alike.  Also, just a heads up that there's some adult language in this episode. Get full access to Entre Nous at meandorla.substack.com/subscribe