More than one thing with Rachel Smith

Podcast - Rachel Smith (Edited)

Fri, Dec 15, 2023 2: 11PM • 44:05

Fri, Dec 15, 2023 2: SUMMARY KEYWORDS

Fri, Dec 15, 2023 2: rachel, talk, love, people, story, thought, freelancing, salt pans, letters, amazing, podcast, big, travel, writer, business, years, bit, incredible, place, writing

00: 01

00: Do you want to live a life of freedom and adventure? Are you wanting more than the daily grind? Me too. Welcome to the Emma Lovell show, a place where we talk about living a life you love now, I'm your host, Emma Lovell, and my number one value is freedom. I've spent the last 14 years running a business and traveling the world. And now I take my husband and toddler along for the adventure to it's possible and I know you can create a life doing what you truly love as well. This podcast will inspire, motivate and encourage you to go after your dreams to create a life you love until you get now don't wait for a time and or someday in the future. I'll be sharing episodes weekly about how I harmonize business travel and self care. I'll also bring on incredible guests to share their journeys, wins the challenges and how they're creating a life they love. Let's jump in and get dreaming. This is a space for you to manifest a life you love.

01: 03

01: I would like to acknowledge and recognize Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first peoples of this place now known as Australia. I am grateful for the continuing care of the land waterways and skies where I work live, listen, learn and play. From here on you can bear country and from wherever you are listening, I pay my respects to the elders past and present.

01: 27

01: Welcome to today's episode with Rachel Smith, a freelance journalist, copywriter and content producer who's freelance for more than 20 years, I have had the pleasure of knowing Rachel for quite a long time. And to see her evolve. It's so much fun to get to talk in this episode about things that she's done. Like being a columnist for a website reality check then becoming a best selling, becoming an author. And then you know, having a another side called letter to my ex. Also being a travel writer, and then running one of the most incredible events that I went to of 2023 the content bytes summit with her co host Lynn Testoni from the content byte podcast, which I also love. Rachel is just such an amazing confidant, business mentor, friend,

02: 24

02: talented talented writer, and you're gonna hear her incredible journey over more than 20 years. And this portfolio career multi passionate entrepreneur showing that you can be more than one thing. Please welcome Rachel Smith.

02: 41

02: Welcome to the podcast. Rachel.

02: 45

02: Thank you for having me. Emma Lavelle is very fun because I, you and I, we did a podcast and I did it with two of you. And then I've been on your podcast. So it's really fun that this is I skipped saying my new podcast. But we're in the 20s now, which is exciting. But you know, tell us a little bit I love we'll have our elevator pitch but just tell us a little bit about you in the way that you would like the audience to know you.

03: 13

03: Well, I am a mom of one and alive and I am a freelance journalist and a copywriter and I also am the founder of Rachel's list. It's my elevator pitch a jobs board and community for writers but other writers like me. Do you remember how we met?

03: 35

03: Let's see.

03: 38

03: Bosh

03: 40

03: was the inner group.

03: 42

03: I just feel like we were like, around like we come from, like, I write she's one of the people that I think of as my first Hang on. No, you joined Rachel's list. That's how we met. I knew of you before that, like we it's one of those things where like you've introduced me to a few people and you're like how do you not know each other because there's certain people who are like in the online freelancing small business world who were sort of connected and we just know of each other. But then it was crazy like Lucy coppiced that we hadn't actually made the connection. And you open his people. And then it was like, I think had been on the email list for a long time. Then it was like why am I not on this thing? officially

04: 22

04: joined the Gold Group, which you get through Rachel's list, and that is this place that I love. And I say you know, my title will be coach, speaker, writer, I mixed the word sometimes it's writer, speaker coach. But I'm like if you had to ask me one word for myself, in my heart, I'm a writer. And this year going to the content bytes summit that you ran through your podcast, and you know,

04: 45

04: oh, God, that should be part of my elevator pitch to have a podcast and ran a conference. Get about that. Oh, well, right. Yeah, we were those people who are multi passionate entrepreneurs who do most multiple things. And so then your story

05: 00

05: Your introduction, yes, a portfolio career, your introduction becomes challenging, but it was so nice to be in a room with my people. And Rach, you've always been one of my people. And like one of the top people that I think of as my virtual office buddies, because we both work remotely, we work from home have always before it was cool with COVID. And

05: 22

05: it's just been nice that you're someone that I can reach out to. Lately, and likewise, we're often on the well, our thing really is Facebook Messenger, isn't it? You need to ask each other a question, although we've recently thrown Voxer into the mix. But when I asked you a question on boxer, you, you were on a thing, you were away, traveling somewhere, and I thought maybe boxer isn't a thing, I'm gonna go back to Facebook, you can message voice message on Messenger as well. So yeah, choose your channel.

05: 51

05: Because it gets very convoluted and confusing, and we love conversations in seven places, but message no place, and it's just so lovely having that person. But um, yeah, that kind of leads me to, you know, there are business owners who are in the trenches and who are in the thick of it. And sometimes you don't know where to turn and like, who to ask, which is why love the goal group. But like, you, how do you feel about that? You know, you you would hear because you talk to so many business owners having so many people who are members? How do you how do you feel about the how do you feel that the support or what's needed there?

06: 28

06: Um, well, in terms of being in the trenches, that's a really interesting one, because I often get told, I've been told over the years, why don't you give up your work, and just run Rachel's list.

06: 42

06: And I always say, because my whole passion is about my work and Rachel's list kind of evolved from that more as a social thing. And then it became another business in its own right. And now it's this huge community. And, yeah, and it's amazing, it's actually got a life of its own. If you're in the Gold Group. I mean, just this week alone, I think we've helped a doctor, you know, quote, on medical writing, were talking about, you know, the myths about freelancing.

07: 12

07: God, now, I'm trying to think of some of the other big things that we've talked about, oh, we put a post up asking people what their big things were for 2024. And that was just an incredible treasure trove of all these goals and things that people wanted to do. And, and so it's, it's really interesting that group I, I'm in it a lot, but it has also taken on a complete life of its own, because there are so many smart, wise, amazing people in it, who often jump on posts before I even get a chance to and just say something way better than I could. And I'm like, Oh, God, I've really got it. I think I'll just move on.

07: 52

07: To a name, but like, it's a great, and that's what we talked about when you came on. Live in love your brand. Actually, no, we did solo because we talked about that, like having a business that's named after you. That has the title and how that could end up meaning that you're very attached to it. But I think people don't even realize sometimes that you're Rachel. Yeah. II Rachel, there is an actual there is a Rachel No, people still think there is no Rachel. And then they also think, Oh, is it like Craigslist? I get that a lot to

08: 21

08: catch on my Yes. Are you that tattle tattooed lady that you used to have on your banners and all that? No, no, it is not clear either. Yeah, but I just when you said your work before, because not everyone would know. I mean, you and I know what your work means. But what does work look like then to you? Like what is the work that you love doing? Well, my work has changed radically. So I've worked for myself for 20 years. And when I first started,

08: 50

08: I was predominantly a sub, and then a magazine writer. And then that evolved into my first sort of freelance gig, which was as a movie reviewer. And, and then I was also an advice columnist with PIP Harry, who is an amazing way author. And we were sort of very undercover and then we got outed by a newspaper in Queensland. And so we sort of kept Yes, yes, we were completely like undercover and then we did a big photo shoot and it all became aboveboard and then we you know, she she left reality check first and then I started letter to my ex and that is still running, but it's such a big beast with so many letters that I have a VA kind of handle the letters for me and uploading the letters and stuff. And then reality check. We got a book deal and we turned it into a book like we chose the best questions and we turned it into a book called get lucky. And and that came out just when I had just had my kid and so was nine years ago. Wow, it feels so much longer than that, that it came out that this is wild, like

10: 00

10: I know you quite well. And we talked about a lot of stuff, but this is the thing. You know, you're talking about a 20 year career, how, how can we talk about everything? And then you do sort of end up pigeonholing someone into the thing you know them for? Yeah. That you have, like, you know, that realize sort of everything that's come before. Yeah. And my ex like that. That's still right. I've sort of you've just been talking about it a little more than you used to, you've sort of grown up a few more times, or my ear is now attuned to it, but didn't even know about it. I talked about it recently on another podcast, unemployed and afraid because she was fascinated by anyone who, who finds letter to my ex. And these my name on it, because I'm just at the bottom there's, it's in the footer. And, but it's really all about the letters of all these heartbroken people.

10: 47

10: They're like, Oh, my gosh, I can't believe you do that. But I actually don't do that. I have my lovely VA. Janelle do all the letters. And I've tried. It's on my list to sort of

11: 00

11: how do you say monetize it? But it's really difficult to do. Because, you know, everyone who's in the stage of heartbreak is, well, a lot of the letters are really rude. Like it just like, there's so much swearing, and it's quite an intense experience reading the letters and letters, my ex. And so brands have sort of dip their toe in and then quickly, you know, pull their toe out and abandon ship. So I don't know.

11: 30

11: But you were just saying like before, we're all fair, like your classic of giving people advice that you and I do you know what you could do? Yeah, I always do that. It's, it must annoy people so much, but I'll say, Oh, my God, I've just got a great business idea for you. And then I'll be like,

11: 44

11: yeah, Lee, but you know, I'm just thought the brands that would be great for you like sex toys, like I know it. Well. That's what that's what Kim can told me. She said, Oh, wow, that could be you know, I could have a great sponsor in mind for you. Funnily enough, I did get loads of sex toys. Sponsors, when we were doing reality check. It was just wall to wall sex toys, basically. Which is interesting. What a time. I don't know. Again, how that sounds. But

12: 11

12: that's really, but yeah, let it's my ex, I need to do something with it. I actually had lunch with Lindy Alexander when I was in her neck of the woods recently, which was such a treat because we're never in each other's neck of the woods. And I told her about letters my ex and she was like, and then see what her wheels got turning. And she's like, wow, I'm going to think of some ways that you can do. So. I love riders. I love my journalists sort of friends. Because like, straightaway, you were like, just starting over. Yeah, like amazing headlines or like 19 things that you can and I'm like, Oh, just and you know, what I'm talking to Lindsay about potentially doing something with India. And she's like, well, just off the top of my head and just rattled off seven amazing, very specific niche stories. Yeah, yeah, how your brains work. It's just like, gold, gold. She's amazing. And we keep saying, oh my god, we should do you know, just a weekend away, where we can just talk nonstop for like 48 hours, and we would just would not even eat, we would just be like bla bla bla bla bla, and this is what you should do. And bla bla bla, and this is what you should do. So yeah, massive kindred spirits. And she was really fascinated by letters, my ex tweets, the letters, my acted a little bit on the shelf, it's on my shelf of potential things that I might do something with when I have time. But I never have any time. So it just sits there for now.

13: 28

13: But yeah, it let's come back to that in the trip. So. So people are sort of trying to tell you that you should be in the trenches. Yeah, I shouldn't know I shouldn't be I should

13: 41

13: devote my life to running Rachel's list and make that a full big community business where I that's all that I do. I think that's such a that's a mistake that a lot of business owners make is that they grow and evolve and scale. And I don't know if you've ever read the E Myth, but it's that well, it's where some people can get stuck that you're the CEO, the manager and the technician. Yeah, it's like, but then it's like realizing I liked being the technician. I liked the writing. Yeah. The CEO doesn't do the doing. I mean, sometimes they can get in but then that's the thing where they get back into that small business cycle. And if you end up you end up sometimes outsourcing everything that you love. And then you just imagine and that was me with pet sitting around a pet sitting business again, you and I just random life stuff. But running a business was I wasn't like That's so cute. And that's so fun. And it's like, I don't actually spend a lot of time with the animals anymore. I'm more coordinating. And then I'm dealing with a lot of people I'm dealing with customers were people and I'm dealing with staff who are people and is problems with people. And I didn't get in this and got it in it because it was suiting my lifestyle. It no longer suits my lifestyle. And so

14: 57

14: if you like being in you do love that

15: 00

15: writing stuff and keeping that muscle flexed. And I mean, I think that's why you're so valuable to Rachel says, because you do get it. Yeah, I'm kind of having a lot of challenges that they're having a different times, you know, like, sometimes I might have a client dumped me for some reason or ghost me or I might have trouble finding clients or go through a slow patch, like all these kinds of challenges that freelancers across the board have. I'm, you know, I'm not immune to any of that, even though I've been working for myself for so long. And I think that's what makes the podcast really interesting as well, like Linda, and I come at it from very different angles. She's been freelancing for eight years, and I've been freelancing for, you know, nearly 25 Oh, my God, it's like, you know, and yeah, and my career just keeps evolving and keeps moving. Like, after I did the movies, I became a travel editor, and I did so much travel writing, this is before I had my kid, and that was a whole other kind of life lived, you know, what I mean? is, you know, like, you still have managed to keep on doing that, and keep doing it with a kid and maintain all of that. And I very much stepped away from that, and went in another direction. And, you know, do lots of copywriting and business writing, and I still do lots of magazine work, but I do heaps of copywriting and content as well. And for very different industries that I never would have thought I would write for back when I was a movie reviewer, or I was a travel writer, like trooping through Africa, or you know, so it's all these little, little live lived in your inner career that just keeps evolving. And I think there's something really amazing about that, and I don't want that to stop. So there's no way that I want to go, Well, I'm gonna actually give all that up handle my clients to another writer, and only Ron Rachel placed, it would totally break my heart. I think it would just, I couldn't do it. Yeah, you would. Yeah, I think it would be too much of a disconnect. And I know that we've talked about as well. And I know that I've seen you working on it as is that just that, you know, you were in the thick of it of the season of, you know, with your child. And also, obviously, we can't, you know, forget that we had this big patch for a few years where things the whole world went topsy turvy. So I have loved seeing you, I know you got to do your amazing trip to Italy this year with your this year with you last year, it was last year, it was a long time coming. And I've seen you taking weekends away even going spending that time with Lindy like stepping into a new space with the conference like, you know,

17: 33

17: you know, there is a time where you're shifting into new things and starting to bring in more of that life stuff, which that comes with wisdom. And that comes with seasons too, like there are seasons where you need to work in this way. And then there's a time where you go, wait a minute I can, I can operate. And even you and I have talked a lot about outsourcing and getting support. And that's been a big, big shift I've seen for you over the last few years, which might mean that that that writing muscle gets to flex again, because you do have submit, like the support to run your businesses. I think that's the biggest lesson actually, for any business owner. And also for any freelancer, it's something I've really resisted in my own work. I don't know why, because I can probably afford it. And it's something I'm putting in place, actually next year, is I'm going to bump up my VAs hours, and really create a strong task list of all those things that are so important, marketing wise, that I never do. And just hand it to her. And there's so many things on that list. And I'm getting so excited about it because it's the first time I've done it my own freelancing. But yeah, with Rachel's list, we actually were in a bit of a mess. And we needed some help with our systems. And I actually

18: 50

18: hired for like a consulting sort of meeting with me in the team. This incredible VA extraordinaire called fie Campbell, who runs the VA lead network and also thought penny, and she was like, oh, like we talked about how we fix other people's that Oh, my God, this woman, she just said, right. Here's what you need to do. And she got us on to slack. She got us only using one platform to discuss everything. And Slack has completely revolutionized everything. And then I started to just let go, which was something I couldn't do before. But I started I finally felt like I had this really strong freelance team. I could trust them implicitly. They knew how the business ran. And I started to just slowly slowly let go and let go more and that changed everything. Yeah, rust and I've just, I've had sport support. It's why we talk because I've been having support in various forms for the last three years and it was having fun. It was having my son that really made me be like, it's not just about me anymore, and I need to be able to keep things moving. But then there's been times where Yeah, finance finances aren't great or

20: 00

20: The type of my business has shifted or the person is no longer a right fit for the where they're at in their lives or the work that they're doing. And I think someone told me this really great phrase, which is incumbent inertia. We've talked about this, you and I, where somebody gets they're doing a role, especially where it's quite rote. And let's say like social media scheduling, or doing EDM scheduling or whatever, there isn't a lot of creative flex, then they do get a bit over it. And even with the creativity, it's not their business, it's not their thing. They're trying to think of ideas view, they do kind of run out. And it's why advertising firms have to keep pitching for their client, even though they've got the client, they have to keep winning the client, because they do get tired. And they lose their spark. And so it's so great. Someone told me that it was like, oh, it's not me. It's not, it's just the app has come to an end. And so having done my last trip that I just did, and in me wanting to, you know, do more travel and run the business, I was like, having a retainer support is non negotiable. Like I had ad hoc and it was lovely to have someone but then I started going, do I get to do this? Do I not, you know, having enough hours to do it. That's been also a full over, but in the past going, Oh, God takes me two hours. I'll get them for two hours a week. No, they need a little bit more time. And you need that little bit of buffer in case things do come up that you have that person who can jump in and support you.

21: 30

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22: 44

22: Yeah, I love that. I'm really like, I think I'm quite tough on my VA, I like them to be

22: 51

22: to have initiative, you know, it can't just be here's a task, do it. Sometimes the tasks involve actually thinking of a different way of doing it. That's way better than what I've thought of. And, like, I want them to have though that system mindset which I sometimes just, we don't just don't have as a writer or but I love it when it's all set up. And it's created. And I'm like, Oh, this makes perfect sense. But that's kind of what I like I like very technical VAs who can think around a problem. And that's the initiative is a huge like, the thing is, as a business owner, is that you're already thinking about so much and you used to be we talked about before we came on about like good supposed to be looking five years ahead, and we go to the E Myth, you're supposed to be the CEO. And thinking ahead, and if you're always caught up in the management of that person, and just managing and issuing tasks, or you get dragged back into gets the technical of doing it. You can't think to the future. And you can't go, oh, wait, we've got to think in three months, I gotta be promoting that as well as this, like, oh, where's the business going? And actually also thinking of your BAS and your support team as an actual team. That was something that I realized, I think earlier this year that I hadn't been doing so much. I was treating them as contractors, as opposed to, even though I'm very friendly and all that. But like, I would say I don't have a team. But but I'm like I do have a team, I just have them five hours a week, not 40 hours a week. They fight mine, they need to know the business vision. Yeah, they need to be part of that so that they can be on board with you. And they never going to love the business as much as you and they're never going to be as involved as you but if they can sort of see where it's going, they can buy into it more and maybe then they can have the initiative go oh, you know, it really helped me or if I kind of started moving this into this folder, or if I started just creating this whilst I'm already creating that and you're like, Thank you, because I don't even have time to think about that. I'm trying to think of

24: 55

24: the event in a year's time. Yeah, that's so true. Yeah.

25: 00

25: big initiative. We love you. We love you. I want to talk about some. Well, it's all been fun business business you and I don't know. But it's such a It was so fun at the conference to be around my people because we were like, looking out on word stuff. Oh nerds, total nerds. Yeah. But passionate and so intelligent, like you said, like just the conversations and the level, everyone and the mutual respect, or there's so much respect in the room that everyone had different skill sets different, but like, just so much respect, and admiration

25: 34

25: and openness to sharing and learning. So I love that and being around my people, but you're also my people because of the travel and the travel writing. And so, you know, you're not doing it as much, but you have some pretty crazy stories from the past. So

25: 50

25: tell me about going blind. Oh, my God. I did. That was not a story that I wrote for anyone. I was just traveling with my husband through South America.

26: 01

26: I could, but it's a long time ago. I didn't picture it. But yeah, it was an interesting story. I was on altitude sickness medications. In South America, you're up at very high altitudes. And I we were kind of traveling on our way to the salt pans of Bolivia. And we were going across into

26: 23

26: Chili's. And so we had all these cool stuff planned, we had so much luggage and we get to this little town which name I can't remember and went out because it happened to be one night where one of us where we were both? Well, we were either one of us was always sick in South America, and the other one would sort of carry the can and then literally the sick and then we were both Well, we were like, right, let's go and find a place we'll go have some dinner, have a few drinks. And so we went down and had a drink at the hotel bar. And I you know, it was I, I say that term very loosely, it was a bit dodgy. And we just thought, you know, it'll be fine. And I chose, I don't know, some kind of spirit with mixed with coke. And I just thought it was vodka or something like that. And it wasn't it was pure ethanol. I didn't realize it, but it makes it mixes with your altitude sickness, medicine. So I woke up the next morning and couldn't see at all, like I could see foggy shape. And that was it. And I thought I better go wash my face. Maybe I've got something in my eye or something and nuts. And then I just called out Phil and said, I can't see anything. Like I'm, I'm blind.

27: 38

27: Like what? Anyway, so we had to leave and get on the train. And that was like terrifying because we were in the midst of this, like very busy station. And we had all this luggage on a, you know, trolley thing. And he was trying to keep track of me and the trolley and I couldn't see where I was going. And it was just awful. And we were on the train for about three hours. And then we got to the edge of the salt pans and found a hotel before we were going to get into this thing. And oh, that's right, our hotel was a salt hotel in the middle of the salt pans. So we got he got this cab and we put all our luggage in. And we were driven out into the salt pans to this hotel. And he's I remember him saying oh my God, I wish you could see this. This sky is like nothing I've seen in my life because it was midnight or something when we got off the train. And I looked out the window and all I could see was black with a couple of little fuzzy white bits in it. That was it. And so we got there, we're in this incredible hotel, and everything is made of salt. The beds are carved out of salt, because you're walking through the corridors and your feet are crunching on salt like piles of salt because the corridors is just like sand, but it's not then it's salt. And we went to the dining room. We were the only ones there. And we ate alarma curry. And I couldn't see any of it. I couldn't like I was saying let around. It was really scary. That every day we stay there for about three days. And then every day he would wake up and he'd go, can you see anything yet? And I'd say no. And I was blind for four days. You didn't go to the doctor? There we were in this tiny little town. I know the software for you like yeah, I just thought the train? I don't know. I know, I actually just thought

29: 23

29: you know, we looked into like kind of where there was medical stuff. But there was it. They said you're better off getting to Santiago and going there, where there's big hospitals and stuff like that. So we thought okay, let's just get out of here and we'll get over the salt pans and get there. And so we had this, we went and booked a four wheel drive and there was like eight people on this full drive that goes over the salt parents and it's like a two to two night trip or something like that. And we're sitting outside our hotel and I'm just like, oh my god because we're both trying to be very calm and not worry and thinking you know anyone

30: 00

30: We were both petrified that my sight wasn't going to come back and we get on this ball drive. Meet all the people and anyway, we're driving away. And I suddenly, like started to get a little bit of clearing in one eye and I could see a bit of sky blue sky. And I was like, Oh my God, my son. It's clearing my eyes are clearing a bit now. Oh my god. And it took five hours that whole like the first day in that all drives my site to completely come back. But four days it was pretty bad. Um, yeah, you're right. I should have like, sought out.

30: 36

30: We're Yeah, I believe he has a pretty wild playing. So you do? Yeah, definitely. lose your mind. The altitude must affect you lose your mind a little bit, I think. Yeah, just and very, I couldn't my friend had to kind of tell me to get over myself there. Because I was just I couldn't get past how backward things were. And there's a lot of I speak Spanish. So like, I'm speaking the language. I'm talking to them. Like we're understanding each other. But it's still not like the communications not just do things differently. Then friendly, just beautiful country. I would just baffling. Yeah, I think someone just told life. Not. That was 2012. So I wonder what it'd be like now? Yeah, I think I was there in 2009. Maybe so. Yeah. Yeah. It was weird. It was a very weird experience. A huge jump from Peru to there. And then I'm sure Ben jump again to Chile. Like he just

31: 36

31: Yeah, it was like, okay, yeah, is alright. Well, I mean, I reckon that could be grateful to for you. I think now, everything that happens, it's just like anything that happens and just like newsletter content, but that's about that was definitely interesting. Yeah. It's, I've traveled to so many cool places, both as a travel writer, but also with my husband, and also on my own.

32: 02

32: Yeah, I've done some really cool stuff. And when you're, when you're on a famil, or there to write a story, it's really interesting. You, you want the full experience with other people. But sometimes

32: 15

32: you're alone, especially in Africa, like some of the experiences I had, they would just clear the decks so that I could have this kind of premium experience with no one there. And I found that a bit weird, but I stayed in this incredible resort in Zambia called the tongabezi. And you could you basically were in these tree houses, and monkeys would run along the thing, and you had a bar that was drawn by a butler, you know, and they'd leave a glass of champagne and, and there was no walls or anything. So you literally were just protected from the monkeys and the elements by you know, a kind of mozzie sheet over your bed.

32: 55

32: And I didn't know anyone I was there during a story. And I was going to my friend's wedding who was getting married, she married this with Ariana, and so I was her bridesmaid. And I was heading over to her wedding after doing this big story. And I met this couple and they said you want to have dinner with us and dinner involved getting, you know, in a canoe and paddling out to this barge in the middle of the Zambezi River with crocodiles and

33: 20

33: hippos around you and you would sit on this barge eating your dinner, and they would bring it out to you. And the waiters would sing in these, this incredible voices. And that's all you could hear in the night sky. And they would bring your dinner out and the canoes and that was just amazing. But the next day, they said, right, you're doing a story, we're going to take you to a really cool place that no one ever gets to go to. And it's basically this swimming pool on the edge of the Zambezi balls. And I was like, that sounds a bad thing. And they're like, there's just one little, little thing. You got to swim to it. Like across this pitch black, hippo and crocodile infested River. Right? You got to swim to this pool. And I'm like on the edge of the fall. So you've like the falls right there. And you're swimming right at the edge of the falls. And I'm I don't know. I don't know if I can do that. Anyway. We get there they basically canceled all the other guests that I'm the only one having the premium experience of getting to the this pool. And they said Look, no Australian has ever said no to doing this. Ah, yes, that old chestnut. Anyway, so they wrapped my camera. I used to travel with this huge camera with all these lenses. And they wrapped it all up in plastic and one of them held it on top of his head. And the other two just grabbed me and said right we're going to swim to rock. He said it's really fast because obviously we're right on the edge of this waterfall, this massive waterfall. We could die at any moment. So he goes we're going to swim to rocks and hold on to rocks and we're going to kind of drag you to the rocks that we know are there in the river and then we're going to get to the pool. So we did this kind

35: 00

35: I have like, you know, weird feeling of getting to this weird pool and in the pitch black water. And he was like, Don't worry the hippos in the crocs don't come up this far.

35: 13

35: Go over the waterfall, so, no. So I kind of believed them that made sense. And then we sort of went around about and got this for you wouldn't even know this pool was there. It was amazing. And you could dive into it, you could just swim in it. And then you could just sit on the edge and sit on the edge of the waterfall and wave to people in Zimbabwe, which we did. And they were all like, who are those crazy idiots on, like, on the edge of the waterfall over, you know, in Zambia. So that was a really, really cool thing that I got to do. I got to do so many cool things. Was that through a magazine or through like, you pitched and or they reached out to you, and then you pitch the story. How did that one? So that one was published in escape? Yeah, yeah. And did I catch it? I think I went.

36: 03

36: I sort of Yeah, I sort of

36: 07

36: I planned the story and got comped and then can't remember if they accepted it after or not. I'm wondering if I wrote that on spec.

36: 20

36: You know what? I can't actually remember that was a long time ago. Yeah, there's a few. But I might have maybe I, I think I wrote it on spec. Or, you know, what I did know, I did it. I managed to get them because my friend was marrying this, you know, Safari owner and knew a lot of people. So she managed to get me comped for all this, because at the time I was doing all the travel writing. And maybe I had reached out to escape. And they said, you know, let us know, you know, when you get there or something like that. So I had I had two stories, one in the Herald, or they're both in escape, I think. And they both got picked up immediately. When I got back, I just sent a few of my photos because I was on slide film for that trip. I think it was in 2005. Maybe and

37: 07

37: and they both do. Yeah, I saw one of my favorite, favorite stories ever. Yeah.

37: 13

37: I didn't know how that'll work. And we'll wrap up shortly. I just, but I didn't know how that worked. I got invited on Famille in like 2012 When I was doing more of the writing, and it was like how to pay job in Melbourne. And I just didn't know. And then they got me because I was writing content creation for a travel company. And so they invited me, but I didn't know about like, you know, and with a permit, there's no guarantee that you have to do the story like that. You're hoping that you will pitch the story, like, what would you do with it? If we would change? That's definitely changed. Yeah. So but yes, these were, I guess, the glory days of it. But I just didn't know. And I didn't have I wasn't in Rachel's list then. So I couldn't reach out and ask people and I didn't think to ask people and I had to at the time, it's a different situation to what I'm in now. And it's very talking about those seasons is like, I had to guaranteed income. You know, this was a potential pitching stories potential getting income potential leading to things like three days barley three days, Darwin, like would have been amazing, but

38: 17

38: I didn't want to piss off the client that I had, and you damage that relationship. But now looking back, knowing what it like knowing

38: 25

38: what the opportunities were, and knowing now that that has dramatically changed you like dammit, that would have been cool to do. And they are still, there are definitely still familles around, I think more

38: 37

38: freely to travel agents and travel companies as opposed to writers. But yeah, it's just interesting to know how that Oh, I mean, now like, I pitched a story to a magazine recently, because I was offered that I was offered the trip. So I basically say to the PR, or whoever it is, I'll see if I can place it. And then I go to the editor and say, Are you interested in this? They say yes, we'll buy it. And we can give you two pages or whatever it is. And then you go back and say I can place it in X magazine. And then it all goes ahead. So that's generally how it works for me now but you could still do it where you go like you're on a trip with your family and write it shit hot story and have amazing photos and then just sell the idea not write the whole story but just say sell the idea with a really strong angle and send some photos. Yeah, and they're always filling pages. It was always the pre I got a few like some one of my friends is really good at reaching out and we're in a pitch group with her Danielle really? Yeah, and contacting all the place you want to go I'm just not I actually don't love to do the planning. I love to just go and see so one of the I kind of know what I'm going to do but I also like to see what happens so but I did reach out to a hotel in Chicago and I got that a really nice hotel that

39: 58

39: Yeah, even that like that.

40: 00

40: Oh helps. I knew that I had this Storyland up, but I just I think I'm just not the best planner Oh, I'm more the go and do it. And then it always capturing content. And then when I come back I go, Yeah, I've got a story that I've

40: 14

40: put the story together. So that's, but anyway, we could talk for ages. I want to always, and I'm happy to have you back anytime. I want to ask you the question, What, right now with your 25 years of experience and where you're at with the businesses and in the trenches and creating new things. But what does living a life you love look like now?

40: 38

40: God? That's such a big question. And I think professionally speaking, I am doing that, like, I love my work, I find it really rewarding. And I'm a little bit amused at how it's all evolved. And grown like 10 years ago, I never would have believed where Rachel's list would be now, or that I would, you know,

40: 57

40: give up movie reviewing, and, and be like, so passionate about looking, you know, learning and upskilling in different kinds of copywriting, like landing pages, which is my big thing at the moment, the thing I'm really keen to learn.

41: 10

41: So, yeah, I don't think I could be in a better position professionally. And I think all those little things that you add in like the podcast, and the summers and all the different things you try.

41: 24

41: It just it keeps reinvigorating you doesn't it, you keep growing. And and that's a really beautiful thing for your career. And it keeps things interesting as well.

41: 34

41: But yeah, there's lots of things I'd like to do in the future for sure. I've got a long list, a very long list. And I just keep trying to add to that list. So I'm just putting this for accountability. I want to run a retreat on a train. That's a writing retreat on a train. I want to go to India, she's not sure we'll figure it out. So in five years, come back and listen to the fact that we've done that so I'm just putting people on the spot like Lindy, I'm just gonna throw this out there at the end. Just yeah. Yeah. commitment by by accountability and and podcast. I definitely think we'll be doing that retreat on the train at some point, but it might not be an India

42: 13

42: negotiation.

42: 16

42: Thank you so much for being here. What's the best way that people can find you? We'll put it all in the show notes. But how can people stay in touch with you? So well, if you're interested in Rachel's list, and you're a writer that wants to join a really beautiful, amazing, friendly community and find jobs and that sort of thing. Rachel's list.com Today, you if you're someone who needs a writer, you can also post a job or a short gig. They're very reasonable rates and lots of talented people. We like to say Australia's best writers are there, which I really think is that that's true.

42: 49

42: And if you want to find me personally, I'm at Rachel smith.com. Today you Yes. Fantastic. Oh, you're amazing. Thank you for sharing so much and personal thanks to you for being my amazing virtual office buddy and always been there to do likewise. orage motivate and

43: 08

43: to talk crap really. And talk you off the occasional ledge which you do for me to

43: 15

43: business buddies we need. Absolutely. Thanks for having me. Thank you.

43: 22

43: Thank you for listening. Lovely one. I hope this has inspired you to dream big and start creating a life you love today. If you love what you're hearing, don't forget to follow and rate on Spotify and rate review and subscribe on iTunes. It helps other awesome people to find this podcast and get motivated and inspired as well. Want to stay connected? Come and join the live a life you love group on Facebook, or connect with me on Instagram. Emma lovell.au, the same as my website. But all the details are in the show notes lovely. I'll see you next episode for more inspiration, motivation and freedom seeking. Go out there and live a life you love