I was delighted when Candice Mitchell asked me to be a Guest on her Development Nerds Podcast. Candice is my ex-client, who has become a good friend, despite the miles between us!

Here is the Episode Description from Candice:

“Dive into the world of solopreneurship with Vanessa Raath as she unveils the raw challenges of balancing a solo business, maintaining a personal brand, and why her journey from scuba instructor to international keynote speaker is a roadmap for any aspiring professional looking for grit and practical insights.

Vanessa Raath is an internationally recognised Talent Sourcing Trainer, AI enthusiast, and keynote speaker. After nearly a decade as the head of talent acquisition for an IT company in Johannesburg, Vanessa embarked on a solopreneur journey to create her own business, blending her expertise in HR with her passion for personal branding. Her career took her from scuba diving instructing in exotic locales to speaking globally on the future of talent acquisition in the age of AI. With a focus on LinkedIn to build a strong digital presence, Vanessa continually shares her insights and experiences, helping others navigate the complexities of entrepreneurship and personal development.”

Below are the Key Takeaways from this Episode:

• Solopreneur Challenges: Vanessa Raath highlights the multifaceted challenges of solopreneurship, from managing every aspect of her business to the tough decision of declining small requests to maintain focus.
• Importance of Personal Branding: Vanessa underscores the critical role of personal branding, defining it as what others say about you when you’re not present, and emphasising the necessity of a robust digital brand on platforms like LinkedIn.
• Time Management and Prioritisation: To handle her workload, Vanessa dedicates specific blocks of time to deep work on projects, ensuring she avoids distractions and focuses on her online academy’s development.
• Work-Life Balance: Vanessa has found balance by limiting her workweek to four days and keeping weekends free for personal activities, highlighting the need for downtime to maintain productivity and well-being.
• Learning from Experiences: Vanessa shares the importance of learning from personal mistakes and being authentic in one’s professional journey, using her own experiences to offer valuable advice to the audience.

Listen to our Conversation here