In September 2021, my clever, creative, lovely mum unexpectedly, inexplicably, impossibly, died. She’d been diagnosed with cancer only six months before, just as lockdown restrictions were lifting. She was a wonderful mix of contradictions – as happy turning Deep Purple to maximum volume as painting delicate watercolours, forever patient but no-nonsense, unbeatable in a pub quiz and able to hit a baseball clean over the house with one hand, an avid reader and boundless traveller, mild mannered until she was watching the football, gentle but courageous, reserved but competitive, calm but occasionally a little wild.
Dr Matt Sutherland’s job title is Associate Professor in Marketing within Northumbria University’s Newcastle Business School.
But that doesn’t even begin to describe the role he plays.
Both within the university, and with roles with Knowledge Exchange UK, The Open North Foundation and on the management board of the Small Business Charter, Matt has carved out a niche for himself as a conduit for interaction between the worlds of academia and business.
Freelancing offers incredible freedom, but it also comes with its challenges. Alongside your creative work, you're managing finances, marketing, client communication, and all the behind-the-scenes tasks that keep your business running. Without a built-in support system, it’s easy to find yourself stretched too thin.
This is freelancer fatigue, and it’s more common than you think. The constant pressure to stay busy, meet client demands, and chase new opportunities can quickly lead to burnout. But the good news? You don’t have to sacrifice your wellbeing for success. Here’s how to break the cycle and build a thriving freelance business, without running yourself into the ground.
Charlotte, Lauren and Gemma comprise the team behind Cameo Digital - a strategic SEO and digital marketing consultancy. Learning what not to do from their years in corporate agencies, the trio emphasises their human-centred approach to marketing and carries this over to their own wellbeing, making sure they make the most of a flexible, balanced worklife. The team told us about their different routes into marketing, their favourite parts about Cameo Digital, their inspirations and more.
Jen Harrison and Jonny Pearce are turning bold ideas into positive action. Since founding their business, Better Places, the pair has worked with numerous forward-thinking organisations who want to make a lasting impact on society but need a little guidance on how to get there. We asked Jen and Johnny about their drive for social good, their dream jobs, and the people who inspire them most.
Julia Smith is a business psychologist, consultant and coach who is now leveraging 29 years of HR experience in her own company, People Science Consulting. Working with senior management teams and business individuals, Julia is an expert in nurturing relationships, reinforcing teams and finding out what makes people tick. Julia told us about the intersection between HR and psychology, her love of dog walking and the habit of getting distracted by distractions.