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Jane Copeland, a graduate of the Australian Writers? Centre Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 course, was working in a senior management role at an Asia Pacific-based corporation when the birth of her son caused her to markedly reassess what she wanted out of her life.
As a result of that reassessment she left her job, establishing copingwithjane.com, a site that she describes as???everything babes, blogs and business?.
Mindful that many professional mum like herself are not armed with the full array of facts about motherhood when they arrive at this life- changing point in their lives, she has published a book Boardroom to Baby, which is available in both physical and electronic formats.
We asked her about her career prior to launching her site, how it has grown and evolved, and why a book like Boardroom to Baby was needed.
Please give us a brief rundown on your career prior to starting your website and writing your new book Boardroom to Baby? I?ve actually had quite a varied career and have worked in roles as diverse as a fashion stylist, to investment banker. In general though, I?ve worked in corporate roles across marketing, communications and business development. Immediately prior to starting www.CopingwithJane.com I was working in a senior management business development role for a global training provider that saw me work across the Asia Pacific.
When did you start www.CopingwithJane.com and what inspired its creation? I started CopingwithJane.com in June 2012 when I was on maternity leave. I was inspired to create it because when I was preparing to become a first time mum, I realised the importance the online space can play in a multitude of ways.?My vision was to create a place where women could hang out and discuss real life issues and develop strategies to live life successfully. The site has now evolved into its present form, which is a hip girl?s guide to work life and baby, featuring weekly articles from myself and a bunch of amazing contributors on topics that support women as they redefine their career and life after children ? babes, blogs and business if you like.
How did completing the Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 help you with this new venture?
It was really the catalyst for everything. Doing the course inspired me from the point of view that it opened up the possibilities that existed to be published. Also, being part of the Australian Writers? Centre group on Facebook made me realise how many hugely talented, aspiring writers there were out there. I loved the idea of giving my fellow writers a platform to showcase their talents and get their voices heard. Initially the majority of contributors on CopingwithJane.com were Australian Writers? Centre graduates, and it was through this type of support that I got the courage to start the site in the first place.
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What was your motivation to write and self publish your new book Boardroom to Baby?
The motivation came from the personal transformation I experienced when I had my first child at age 37. By this I mean the massive impact having a baby had on my sense of identity, body, career, relationship and lifestyle. Going through this, and also reading stories from other women about their experience of motherhood on CopingwithJane.com, made it clear to me that for many women having a baby can make you redefine yourself. So my aim with Boardroom to Baby was to provide a guide for professional women who are expecting their first baby, and hold their hand through this important transition.
Expectant Mums are bombarded with information including baby books. How is your book different?
For all the reading I did when I was expecting, nothing actually told me all the stuff I REALLY needed to know. The main one being how much having a baby would change my life. This is the difference ? Boardroom to Baby empowers and mentally prepares women for the arrival of their little one, and for one of the biggest transformations that a woman will ever experience on this earth.
What was it like putting together a book like this?
I?m finding I?m getting asked this question a lot so to help others who are interested in self-publishing a book, I?ve started blogging about my self-publishing journey. I?ll also be running a webinar on the topic in a few weeks. To answer your question though, it took me three months to go from idea to book. Surprisingly it didn?t take me that long to write the actual book. While writing the book I wrote in long blocks of focused time, and also cleared my diary for a month so I could focus solely on writing. Initially I spent a bit of time developing my table of contents and then an outline for each chapter. This served me well and I used it as a guide throughout the whole project. The challenging part I found was everything else ? editing and getting my head around the different components of the self publishing process. There?s also quite a lot of work that needs to be done to market and promote the book (I hope that doesn?t deter readers to publish their own book!). That said self-publishing my book is the best thing I?ve ever done, so
What other exciting things has the book and your site allowed you to do?
Writing the book and creating CopingwithJane.com, has lead to speaking opportunities and consulting work around online branding and content marketing. I help solopreneurs and micro-businesses make blogging work for them and attracting their dream client. Essentially they learn how their website, social platforms and blog can be integrated together to build their online presence in a way that creates an unforgettable brand.
Boardroom to Baby can be purchased both as a print book and as a digital download from CopingwithJane.com and Amazon.
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