Emily McDonnell: Knowing your worth & your limits

In The Arena with...

24 Sept

Written By The Arena

INTRODUCTION

Emily McDonnell is a Berlin-based communications strategist, writer and founder of The Staycation Collection.

Driven by empowering people through experience, Emily is an expert in travel, culture, social innovation and community.

Launched in 2020, The Staycation Collection is a sustainably-focused travel club consisting of stylish-but-affordable places-to-stay in Germany, with personalised recommendations of where to go and what to do.

Bylines include The Guardian and Suitcase Magazine, and a regular column for Exberliner.

What do you love most about what you do?

I get to meet incredible, often very modest, people, who have an incredible passion for a particular topic. It’s such a pleasure to talk to them, watch when they light up and give them uninterrupted space to share, before putting words to a page that captures them in their element. So often people tell me “wow, that’s so complimentary” and it’s not true, I’m just holding a mirror made of letters up to them.

What advice would you give to other creatives who tell themselves they’re not ‘writers’ or good with words?

The best way to improve your writing is to read. Read anything and everything - articles, pitches, novels, packaging, speeches - and absorb the things you like (tone and style). Then mimic that in your own words, allowing your personality to shine through.

A really important thing to remember when writing for customers, clients, or for pitches is to speak directly to them, and sell the problem and solution, not just the what of what you do. Just think, I didn’t buy a MacBook because of the processor and storage, I bought it because it sold me the sleek solution that I as a creative needed - a light machine to work with on the go.

How do you pitch the value in what you do to brands? Particularly to those who may be sceptical of the impact a strong communication strategy can have?

It’s hard. If brands don’t value good communications then it’s near impossible to change their minds, but I try and tailor my pitch for the size and stage of each company.

If they’re small but want to grow, ie, need to raise money with a pitch deck and business pitch, I tell them that their story and the way they present that information is what will set them apart, and then they need a website, social, case studies, blog etc to back up the claims they’re making.

Always try to understand the problem - both what you’re told and what you can garner from the environment, and then personalise as much as possible.

Your life in Berlin sounds incredible! When did you make the move and would you recommend working abroad?

Berlin is a special city for sure, so full of opportunity and creativity. Yes, I can only recommend working abroad. There’s something really empowering and humbling about packing up your life and starting again somewhere where you don’t know the rules of play.

Yes, it takes a lot of energy, but it means you can really assess what you want to do and the types of people you want to work with. Plus there are lots of new people to learn from and a whole new world to discover.

In Berlin, I discovered the start up scene, and I went from zero to 100 in a lot of professional facets: I almost feel like I jumped five career rungs in a matter of months. It was tough, but I showed myself just what I was capable of in a way I couldn’t have if I’d have stayed in the UK.

Plus, if you move away and hate it, the option of returning is always on the table; it’s better to have found out “what if” than to sit and wonder about it.

“There’s something really empowering and humbling about packing up your life and starting again somewhere where you don’t know the rules of play. ”

Once upon a time, you wrote for free at your uni magazine, but at what point did you fully understand the value in your skills and have the confidence to set your rates?

Only relatively recently. I always felt like my writing and people skills were average, but a few years ago, a friend said to me “I wish I had a hard skill like yours” and it was a bit of a wake up call. After that, the company I was working for employed a comms consultancy to put together a campaign: the consultancy charged more than €10k for their work, and I ended up rewriting half of it. It was then I really felt confident to charge what I was worth as a freelancer.

I can stitch stories together, craft punchy copy and extract (and translate) engaging stories from individuals: not everyone is capable of that. You will also have skills people are envious of. Own it, and don’t be scared to ask for your worth.

“You will also have skills people are envious of. Own it, and don’t be scared to ask for your worth.”

How did you establish a client base as a freelancer? And throughout your career how have you been building your network?

I only took the decision to freelance full-time in the last 6 months, prior to that, the freelance projects I’d worked on had always come from people I’d worked with within companies. Even now, most of my work comes through friends, colleagues or networks.

Throughout my career, I’ve tried to connect with as many smart, passionate, driven people as possible. I’ve joined communities such as The Global Shapers (from the World Economic Forum) and Out of Hours (a side project network), attended conferences (and their networking events), as well as joining co-working spaces. Once you’re in these bubbles, it’s easier to ask for (and share!) help, advice or professional direction; from there, your network grows, as does people’s trust in your capabilities.

“Throughout my career, I’ve tried to connect with as many smart, passionate, driven people as possible.”

Before becoming freelance and setting up The Staycation Collection, you mentioned your job at a startup that you loved. How did you come to the decision to leave that job?

I was working for a GovTech startup, who were changing the way we engage with local democracies and take decisions that affect the growth of communities. It was, and still is, an important and incredible company. I just pushed myself too hard, and didn’t have the right coping mechanisms or understanding of when/how I should build boundaries.

I was so passionate about what I was doing, but I often got frustrated when I couldn’t do what I wanted fast enough, or when the results weren’t what I’d hoped for. I’d also had an ongoing huge stress in my personal life, and threw myself into work more, rather than taking it easier and looking after my physical and mental health. Simply put, I got burnout.

Having experienced a burnout first hand, what measures do you now take to prevent burning out again?

I really pay attention to my body. I try to mediate regularly so I can scan my body and my mind, and notice if I’m particularly tense or anxious. There are a few things - such as a tight throat or itchy ear canals (sounds weird, I know!) - that means I need to take more “me time”, and I’m very strict with doing so. I also book “chill evenings” at least once a week in my calendar.

I also think we can’t work 8+ hours a day everyday, especially when you need to be creative, so I try to shut my laptop at 6pm and turn my phone on flight mode at around 8/9pm, in order to allow myself to disconnect before bed. Sometimes I work more, sometimes I work less, sometimes I take half a day off. It took me 10 months after my burnout to feel like myself again, so realistically I need to remember that if I’m unavailable to clients for a few hours in order to decompress, it’s more than ok.

“It took me 10 months after my burnout to feel like myself again, so realistically I need to remember that if I’m unavailable to clients for a few hours in order to decompress, it’s more than ok.”

What is your favourite thing about having a side hustle? Do you still feel as passionately about it now as you did the day you launched?

My favourite thing about The Staycation Collection is helping people create a beautiful experience (ie, taking a holiday). It’s so exciting every time an email lands in my inbox asking for advice and tips, and it’s wonderful to get the feedback that people have taken a staycation at somewhere special and feel refreshed and re-energised. This is the biggest driver for me, and the thing that I get most passionate about; I’m much less excited for all the admin and technical stuff!

That said, having a side hustle has helped me learn to balance, to prioritise, to compromise, plus it’s been great for my confidence - seeing that I’ve created something that provides value and has a tangible impact on people makes the whole thing so worth it.

What is your final word of advice for aspiring writers?

Write. It sounds simple, but all writers know how hard sitting down to try and distill the bunch of ideas swirling around in your head is. If you’re trying to write on the side, plan a few hours here and there to sit in a coffee shop (or anywhere outside of your home space where there are lots of distractions), and just put words on a page.

If I’m feeling uninspired, I take a walk and listen to an episode of The Moth (a great story podcast) or just people watch. If you give yourself the space to write and the space to daydream, you’ll probably be surprised with what you come out with.

Recommended reading

I read to get lost, and find the stories humans tell infinitely interesting. Recent highlights include:

Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

10 Minutes and 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak

Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper by Fuchsia Dunlop

Recommended listening

Music: Rhye, Lykke Li, Polo & Pan, Mr Jukes... all things that make me want to dance.

Podcasts: The Moth, RHLSTP, Sh**ged Married Annoyed, all things that show different elements of emotion (humour, vulnerability).

Recommended follow

I follow friends and their work. Surround yourself with people who inspire you, but are accessible, and it's empower you to grow.

Follow Emily

Instagram: @emily_mcd09 / @staycationcollection