Hands down, I would not have got through Lockdown with any shred of my sanity if it wasn't for Claire Warner AKA Mrs Wellbeing.
What Claire doesn't know about keeping yourself sane, and thriving (not just surviving) isn't worth knowing.
Charity staff have needed help for a long time. And when the world was thrown into disarray, Claire was there with a huge range of programmes and support to give to the Charity Sector. And BOY does the sector need her more than ever.
I was part of her first SHINE Cohort, a couple of months into lockdown and just as I started a new interim role. It was exactly what I needed to help manage my stress, keep work "at work" and really take pleasure in the role and leading a team again after a year of freelancing. Now as that contract wraps up and I'm heading back to fulltime freelancing again, Claire is there yet again with the next thing that will keep me on track; The Virtual Office. Being a freelancer can be a lonely gig. Don't get me wrong, part of the reason I went freelance was to have a better work/life balance. But striking the balance is a tricky thing. Even before lockdown I had more days in pyjamas than out of them, no sense of structure or balance and more often than not, a desperate sadness at missing the banter and fun of a buzzy fundraising office.
So signing up to the Virtual Office was a no-brainer for me. The daily power-hour to get shit done has made my loathe mornings less - something I never thought possible! And knowing that I've got an 'office' of people around me to share the silliness with, take turns choosing the music and also rant to and find solutions with is worth it's weight in gold as a home-worker and freelancer.
(I just wish we could figure out how to share the tea rounds...any ideas?)
You can sign up here and choose to pay monthly, or even better get three months free if you buy a year in one go.
I'm sharing this with no reason or motivation other than I genuinely love what Claire offers. When someone does something awesome, I'm a big believer in shouting about it. And when that thing is something I know will benefit a huge number of fellow fundraisers, freelancers and charity professionals then so much the better. Hopefully see you at a 'desk' near mine soon!
Comments