Fleur Lewis is the co-founder of Taleist, a copywriting agency specialising in high-converting websites, lead magnets, email marketing campaigns.
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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?
My career started in banking where I worked in business lending and product roles for 15 years.
After having my first daughter, it was time for a change. I wanted to work for myself to have more flexibility than corporate life could allow.
Writing has always been an interest outside of work. I studied journalism, marketing and copywriting and I was looking for an opportunity to use these skills.
I co-founded Taleist, a copywriting agency with my husband who is an experienced copywriter and journalist. We’re based in Sydney but we have clients around Australia and through the US. We specialise in writing websites that turn visitors into calls, downloads, emails and sales.
I like that the common thread in my career has been working with businesses of all sizes that operate in a variety of industries. Working in business lending meant I needed to get to know each client’s business well and understand the market they operated in. It’s a skill that I still use every day as a copywriter in order to capture the unique elements of a business.
2) What does a day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
Mornings are usually about the kids – getting them ready for school and dropping them off. I do manage to check my emails and make a rough plan for what I need to get done at work.
Every morning we have a short catch-up with the team to run through our projects to keep everything on track.
After that meeting, most days are different. I could be working on research for a client’s website (things like analysing our client’s competitors’ websites or researching the things their ideal clients talk about online).
I could also be writing websites or landing pages for all types of businesses — there’s a lot of variety in who we work for, which I love. Last week for example, I worked on a website for a dentist, a landing page for a new immunity supplement and a website for a law firm.
I also look after our project management, enjoy client catch-ups and doing our own marketing.
3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?
Absolutely. Before COVID, I worked at a coworking space, but we’ve also always had a home office and that’s where I work now. Our team also works from home, and we want to be always flexible as to where and when our team works.
4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?
Bringing balance to my work and personal life comes from having choice and flexibility on how to spend my time.
Like all businesses, some weeks can be hectic and I’ll be working while watching my kids’ swimming lessons. However, we try to carefully manage the work we take on. So busy times can be balanced with days where I can start later to have a coffee with a friend or to go for a walk in the morning and that doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll be working until 1 am to catch up.
5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?
I’ve become better at managing my time and planning ahead. I used to get stressed by doing too many things all at once. Now when I’m with the kids I’m 100% with them and can relax and enjoy that time because I’m not trying to squeeze in another work email.
6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?
The How I Work podcast by Amantha Imber has some great interviews with successful professionals about how they manage their time.
I read the Trends newsletter for business and industry research and ideas.
7) Are there any products, gadgets or apps that you can’t live without?
- Monday for project management.
- Slack to stay in touch with the team without filling our inboxes.
- We use Scrivener every day – it’s writing and document management software designed for writers. Scrivener makes life so much easier as a writer to keep drafts and research organised.
8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?
Emma Isaacs the founder of Business Chicks, who is also a successful author and mum of 6 kids.
9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
It’s possible to make a change when work doesn’t feel right.
When I was working in banking my days were structured with little variety and work was more of my life than it should have been.
Making the jump to business owner is something I will never regret as it has given me more control over my days and allowed me to be there more for my family and my friends.
It’s a change that I didn’t think could be possible at the time I was working for someone else and starting a family. However, we planned and planned again and took small steps each day to get where we are today.
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