In this blog, we talk to personal branding specialist Hannah Power about her motivations, taking risks and living fearlessly.
What is a typical day in your career?
I work with entrepreneurs and experts to build their personal brand online. So each day is different as sometimes I am doing more client-focused stuff and sometimes I’m working in the business or running workshops. So I’m either at my desk or in London running workshops.
The first 3 hours of my day are typically my most focused. I have something that I achieve every morning- so maybe content or strategy. Then my afternoons are spent with clients. Wednesdays are my sales days and I don’t work Fridays!
What was the motivation behind changing to a 4 day week?
I’ve always been a sprinter over a marathon runner in terms of work, so I’ve always been someone who can get a lot done in a short space of time. I can’t really work for long periods of time, I get stuff done quickly. I work efficiently and I thought I’m spending too much time on a screen- so I decided to cut back my time on a screen and enjoy my work more. I wanted some time to be calm and not go a million miles an hour. I researched a lot about 4 day weeks and read around it. I knew I wouldn’t get less done, I would just give myself and my mind more time to be calm and come up with new ideas.
I know myself, I don’t get distracted, when I’m working, I’m working and I’m very focused.
How did you get to where you are now, what challenges did you overcome?
I think I’ve just always been someone who has refused to settle when I’m not loving something. I’ve moved quicker than others because I’m not willing to be unhappy and settle when something isn’t for me. I’m comfortable with change and crave it. I’ve got here by doing that. I always listen to my gut. I have faith that things will work out.
Learning and trying and working out what you do and don’t like is important.
I’ve faced personal challenges but in terms of business its been lots of little moments that I could have catastrophised but instead I accept them as part of the course. The biggest challenge I’ve overcome is doubting myself. If you doubt yourself in your own business you become a passenger in your own business as you’re just taking advice from others that are not necessarily right for you.
Do you think you have developed resilience or have you always had that?
I think I have developed it, I guess personal challenges have made me stronger in every aspect. I was raped 4 years ago and so I am able to separate the business from my life and realise ‘come on Hannah, you’ve been through worse’. I’m still me without the business. I have so much less fear than most people as I was kidnapped before I was raped and I thought I was going to die, so I try to live as fearlessly as possible.
Workout why you made that mistake, and learn from it. You need to be comfortable with taking risks or else you cant grow.
I’ve been studying neuroscience to understand the differences between male and female minds, from a dating point of view, but I have learned that the more testosterone the more comfortable you are with taking risks. Some women have more testosterone than others so they are more likely to take risks. That’s why I think men have traditionally taken more risks, but women are stepping forward and coming into that role.
Nothing scares me more than unfulfilled potential.
Can you talk about one woman who has impacted your life?
My mum definitely, my mum is an incredible mother and businesswoman. We will talk about boys and then we will talk about sales strategy and cashflow. My mum embodies the harder and softer side of being a woman by having the balance of being a mother and a businesswoman.
Gabby Burnstein is an entrepreneur and she is so authentic with the way she is open and shares her message. I like women who are women and are strong because of that. I like anybody that tells the truth.
We should be in a world that shows ‘this is me, this is all the parts of me’ not a fake it til you make it attitude.
What advice would you give to women aiming to become leaders or entrepreneurs?
Find someone who you really admire, and learn from them and then find someone who you admire who you actually know, and then ask their advice. Only take advice from them, women think we don’t know enough so we take on everyone’s advice- this only screws with our intuition. We need to actually believe in ourselves. Only take advice from someone who is exactly where you want to be. Think about what you would like your business to be like, then only follow the people who have that. Minimise the number of people you learn and take advice from.
What is the one lesson you’ve learnt along the way?
You can plan and strategise but you can never know what is going to happen each day. You can only wake up each day and do your best for that day and wake up the next day and do the same thing. Quarterly planning helps with my tasks, but I think to show up, and do your best for that day.
Only take advice from someone who is exactly where you want to be.
What would you say to your 16-year-old self?
When I was 16 I didn’t want advice from anyone, I was driven by my gut- I was arrogant, and because of that, I made some decisions that I wouldn’t now. When your young you think you know everything but you don’t. Also to worry less, but you’re always going to worry.
If you are as inspired by Hannah and her incredible story as we are, have a look at some more powerful women. You can also find Hannah on her website.
