Emma Gannon is Sunday Times Bestselling Business & Careers Author, and our community had the amazing opportunity to ask her questions about creative careers in light of her new book, The Success Myth.

Here’s how it went down 👇

Jamie: With the working world becoming more competitive (for junior talent trying to enter it), what would your advice be for standing out but not burning yourself out?

Emma: Standing out only truly works when you’re being true to yourself, your voice and highlighting the unique parts of who you are that could also align with a particular role. Stay true to your opinions, values and curiosities and this will naturally enable you to stand out. Remember no one is you. We survive in a culture that wants us to all follow the same path, in the same way, but we are all unique in our capabilities and what we can bring to the world (and a job). As for not burning out, these two things go hand-in-hand. When you are being the most true to your own gut feelings and curiosities, you will find yourself burning out less. We all have to push ourselves and do things we don’t necessarily want to do at work — but if you are coming at it from your own style, pace and authenticity and do things that give you energy outside of work, you will be more likely to keep your steady momentum. There is a great book called Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite by Paul Arden which is all about standing out by thinking outside the box.

Joy: What do you think about the statement 'The podcast market is oversaturated'? And if you agree, what are your best tips for standing out?

Emma: I would say the whole of the Internet is ‘oversaturated’ and has been for a long time. There are billions of us posting stuff on there every day! But you can still create your own little corner of the Internet, be it blog/podcast/TikTok, whatever you want it to be. I remember when Instagram became very much oversaturated with creators but I still saw new creators come out of nowhere and gain traction in a matter of months, zooming past many people who were early adopters, because they were speaking to people from the heart on a zeitgeisty topic they cared about. It also takes patience too, and isn't just about quick growth. Timing matters, but your actual source of content matters more. My tips for standing out in the podcast space are: 1) Make a podcast that you like/your friends like 2) Have fun and enjoy it 3) Post regularly (whether that’s once a week or month) 4) Use a memorable logo, tagline and keep your episode titles short and 5) Have a (loose) theme that you keep coming back to. Podcasts that are just of two friends telling each other private jokes rarely get any traction because they aren’t clear on what the podcast is about.

Alex: What’s your advice for beginning your creative career?

Emma: Make a list of people who inspire you and follow them. Read their books when you feel like you need a boost. I had about five people who I really looked up to in my early twenties and they are still my inspirations now. (Two of which gave me quotes for my new book The Success Myth — Martha Beck and Seth Godin — big moment!). I find that they keep me motivated and their work encourages me to follow my own path and always inspires new ideas. Also, create things without anyone asking you. Don’t sit around asking for a permission slip, give yourself the permission to start, to try, to create for the sake of it.

Lucy: What’s your advice for juggling writing a book with a full-time job?

Make peace with the fact that you might have to let people down for a bit when prioritising your career projects. You may not be able to make every single pub session with mates — writing a book on the side takes a certain amount of sacrifice and some people may not understand and make you feel bad, and so be aware of that. Remind yourself why the project means so much to you and focus on that. Ring-fence 15 minute or 30 minute chunks in the day or at the weekend. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, you have time - there is no rush. Have lots of breaks. Do nice things for yourself. Take yourself to a favourite cafe. Make it enjoyable.

Joanna: What is your creative process and have you ever had to adjust or change the way you work?

Emma: My creative process used to be very mental, very inside my own head, sitting at a desk for hours on end. My creative process these days is much more free-flowing and incorporated into the bigger picture of my daily life — I go on long walks, see friends, take myself on ‘Artist Dates’ (coined by Julia Cameron, from her book The Artist’s Way) and find that time away from my laptop is where the best bits of inspiration come from. The idea of The Success Myth came from many deep conversations with friends. To be creative is to observe what is going on around you.

If Emma’s answers have inspired you, read about how our mentoring programmes can support you on your next steps.

The Success Myth is out on 18th May 2023.