Work From The Inside Out 139: How to Work Alone with Rebecca Seal
Rebecca Seal is a recovering people pleaser. In her teens and early twenties, she made choices that were based on what she thought other people expected of her. Whether those perceptions were true or not, Rebecca had no idea, but she did feel pressured to get into a prestigious university. She was an excellent student which enabled her to land a spot at the London School of Economics (LSE) to study international relations, which she found challenging for several reasons. At eighteen, Rebecca did not know what she wanted to do, had never been away from home, and was no longer the big fish in a small pond. It was unsettling and painful.
Upon graduation, Rebecca attempted to secure employment with an NGO or the UN, but she could not even get an interview. She returned home to Oxford and waited tables. She felt horribly stuck at the time, but today believes it was a good experience. The lessons learned from the hospitality industry made her a better team player and enabled her to grow as a manager and leader. Rebecca still wanted to pursue her interest in international relations so she returned to London to get her master's at Kings College. In the middle of her program, she got a job at the Observer newspaper, which became her first professional role as a journalist. As she started there thinking she would work as a foreign correspondent, Rebecca became the paper’s food writer and editor for six years. She then departed the paper during a tough economic period and decided to try her hand at being a freelance writer.
Twelve years later, Rebecca has authored nine cookbooks and continues to be a freelance journalist mostly writing about food and drink. Additionally, she had the opportunity to host a weekly TV show on Sunday mornings about brunch and related topics for 4 years. Six years ago she had an idea for a book about how to survive working alone, because she was feeling alone as a freelancer: SOLO: How To Work Alone (And Not Lose Your Mind).
In this week’s Work From The Inside Out podcast, learn more about Rebecca’s journey:
- Rebecca gives talks and workshops, as well as writing articles, on coping with solitary working, to all sorts of people around the world.
- She continues to write and publish cookbooks, and to work for UK newspapers.
Learn more and connect with Rebecca here:
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