I don't get paid to write these blogs. On the contrary, writing them takes time and focus away from paid work. I'm sure that if I didn't write blogs, I could squeeze in a few more articles and probably earn about £1000 extra each month.
Sometimes I wonder if they take potential clients away too. I mean, I'm quite brutal. I don't mess around. In January, I called BNP Paribas, Blackrock and Natixis 'slimy motherf***ers' for their greenwashing. That's not going to make me popular, is it?
Also last month, I spent nearly a week writing a blog which I had to instantly retract. Sometimes my blog, like a pet or small child, makes me look like an absolute tit.
There are a zillion and one reasons why I shouldn't keep a blog. Especially one as unprofessional as Hannah's Blog. So why do I do it?
1. Because I can 😏
BAM! That's the kind of answer a teenager would give, right? And that's basically my attitude.
I don't have a boss, so I can speak freely. Free speech is a basic human right, but it doesn't always feel like it. Especially in business. Employees are often forced to bite their tongue because they don't want to piss off their boss or compliance team. I used to be like that! The few times I called someone out or spoke up about something, it was kind of stressful. And lonely. Cue the tumbleweed.
So that's the first reason, I write my blogs because I can. Freedom is a bit like exercise, or the ability to walk in heels. If you don't use it, you could lose it.
2. The truth is not profitable 🤫
Why do companies write blogs? Let me tell you. It's to make money. It's to draw people into their website and make money. Sure, you might learn a few things along the way and that's great, but the end game is to get minted. I'm not judging! It's a great strategy. I'm all for it. 👍👍
But the downside is that companies don't have an incentive to write other stuff Things which will not make them money. Like brands who greenwash, vice companies in ESG funds or the warped and f***ked-up motivations behind investment management decisions. That stuff is not really reported. Or if it is, it's not proportional to all the other stuff. It's not spoken about, because it's not profitable.
I think it should be spoken about. And f*** the money. There are things we need to fix. And it starts with acknowledgement. Keep your money and talk with me about greenwashing.
3. Not everyone has a voice 🤐
As a woman in finance I'm kind of a minority. But I'm like a light-weight minority, you know? While it may be more normal to see a man strolling around the office, it's not super rare to see a woman. Especially a 30 year old white woman.
But there are minorities and silent majorities who have zero voice. Zero presence in the world of finance. And the stupid thing is that more often than not, they are the ones who suffer from the investment decisions made at the top. It's not the CIOs of oil companies who have to move to new homes because of pollution or flooding, is it?
4. It's a release 😅
Do you know why women back in the day wore fabulous hats? It was because they couldn't vote. I sh** you not. So women tried to express their political affiliations with their fashion. We all need to say how we feel. We have to find a way to express ourselves. I'm no milliner. Probably you already knew that. But I am a blogger. This is my place.
5. Plot twist! It brings in clients 🤗
Sometimes just being authentic and writing about your passion is all that's needed to bring in readers. Who become clients. Who want to pay you to write their blogs! Whaaaaaatt!! ✨
Clients don't always agree with me. But generally they like that I have an opinion. That I take a stand. And since writing this blog, I've found that clients enjoy the banter. I don't need to be perfect, or correct ... (just as well really, because I couldn't even if I tried!) ... my clients like me for being myself. And that makes this the best job in the world.
Quick and real content without the decades of feedback loops and compliance screens is better. It just is.
