Amanda Kelly is the Co-Founder and Advertising & Partnerships Director at jobs platform Freelancing Gems.
The company provides an online community for female freelancers, consultants and side hustlers where Australian employers can find the rarest gems of talent across all industries.
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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?
I am a senior media and sales professional with over 15 years’ experience in media and publishing.
I have specialised my career in women’s brands like Mamamia, Daily Mail, and worked in major media conglomerates News Corporation, ACP and Pacific Magazines/Seven West Media.
My area of specialisation is in digital media with a multichannel approach. I am super passionate about supporting women in business after working with some of Australia’s leading women’s media platforms!
My purpose and passion around relationship-building and connecting a community is what led me to my current role as Co-Founder and Advertising & Partnerships Director at Freelancing Gems.
2) What does a day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
Well I will take today as an example. My day started with a green smoothie and a light gym session with a gal pal then some laps in my pool because you have to start the day right. Right?!
Kick off the work day with a breakfast meeting with a potential finance partner and client at 8.30am followed by a 9:30am meeting with one of our existing accounting software partners about the next steps for 2021 and the continuation of our partnership.
10am: Working with our team on our employer memberships and job listings.
11:00am: Freelancing Gems sales team training.
11.30am: A conversation around our upcoming webinar for UN World Entrepreneurs Day (putting on my co-founder hat here)
12:00pm: A call with a female community about a future collaboration.
12:30pm: Lunch is a chicken salad. I’m not always this healthy!
1.00pm: Job listing reach outs with the Freelancing Gems sales team.
2pm: Christmas freelancer event planning with the Freelancing Gems team.
3pm: Tech Run Through for a webinar with a Chamber of Commerce in Melbourne in preparation for tomorrow’s webinar with Fleur Madden, Freelancing Gems CEO on the ‘Freelancing & The Future of Work.’
3:30pm: Organise our Freelancing Gem freelancer event in December.
4:00pm: Follow up meetings and partnerships conversations.
4.30pm – 5.30pm: Wrap the day with the FG Team. Give a sales team member some positive feedback around her great work today.
7.30pm Chat to Fleur Madden and Kirsty Jackson on some upcoming events, send over some influencer details to send our new Merch to. I’m speaking’ Tee and our Crystal Candles and Boss Lady Roll ons.
Tomorrow: Eat, sleep, hustle, repeat!
We have the webinar at 8.30am, partnership meeting at 10am, client call in NZ at 12pm and then I am heading to the Brisbane Careers & Employment Expo.
3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?
Yes it does so I work from home on a Friday to break up the end of the week a little and I can start the day with the gym and pool and breaky at home! Also with no makeup and shoes off!
We do have the option to work remotely whenever it works best or we need some quiet work time, as we chat a lot in the office!
4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?
For me it means personal balance in mind, body and spirit! I am pretty high energy so I need my down time and mindfulness. I love to start or finish the day with yoga, mediation or at least some chill out music.
I run at things a thousand miles an hour, being from a sales background. I am multitasking, running from meeting to meeting and juggling tasks and follow ups throughout my day. And that is just the sales and partnerships part of my role.
Being a co-founder and business owner brings a whole new set of meetings to attend and things to do. As my partner Kirsty and I joke about – we say ‘This is our life now.’ We can be presenting on a TV news report one minute or doing a funny Insta reel for Freelancing Gems the next!
5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?
I have incorporated listening to podcasts, reading books about start up life and really practicing what we preach as far as supporting and connecting with other like minded women in business.
6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?
So many podcasts! Mind Valley, The Membership Guys, Lady Start Up, UnKempt, Brand Builders Lab Podcast, Resting Boss Face, Manifestation Babe, Unlocking Us by Brene Brown.
7) Are there any products, gadgets or apps that you can’t live without?
My Apple Watch, Airpods and Google Home without a doubt. In work, I couldn’t do without Hubspot, Asana, Slack, and all the other communication and collaboration apps.
8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?
Brené Brown as she is all about authenticity and showing up as you!
9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
It is so important to have a love and a passion for what you do! Passion to do work with purpose and connect women is what drives me every day. Our goal at Freelancing Gems is to get women back to work sooner, and being able to connect with amazing women every day is my dream role!
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