Flying solo: Identity

A commitment

It’s now been one month since I voluntarily left permanent employment for a new way of working, namely working for myself.

I’m happy to report I’m still alive, which is reason enough to celebrate.

I’ve decided to share my career change journey in the form of monthly LinkedIn posts which I’ll publish on the last day of each month.

I’m hoping this will:

• Give me space to reflect on how it’s going, what I’ve learnt and what to do next
• Act as a starting point for stimulating professional conversations & connections
•  Inspire and help anyone else who might be in the same boat (let’s be honest, it can feel like a dinghy at times)

It also allows me to practice writing, my first love.

I’ll be writing primarily about what it’s like to go from full-time employment to running your own business. I’ll also thread in my area of expertise – marketing & comms – and my passion areas – wellbeing and personal growth.

So without further ado – let’s talk about identity!

What’s in a name?

One thing’s for sure: I’m definitely now self-employed. I know that because I’ve told HMRC as much.

Beyond that, it gets a bit muddier.

Am I a… freelancer? Contractor? Consultant? Small business owner? You might say who cares, but semantics matter.

Firstly, they convey a message to those around us. All of the terms above have distinct connotations, from how you work to what fees you’re able to command.

Secondly, words matter deeply when it comes to our sense of self and internal narratives.

In the end, I’ve settled on Consultant as my professional tag, at least for now. This felt right for a few reasons:

• It reflects my 15 years’ experience, leadership capabilities and the fact that I’ve held C-suite roles
• It emphasises that I’m more interested in big-picture strategy and innovation over day-to-day tactics and delivery*
• It feels aspirational – a stretch goal which is going to push me to the next level of professional development

* though I have to say, I love this too and it’s vital to keep your hand in, especially in marketing where the tools change so damn fast

Celebrating uniqueness

The observant among you will also notice that I have changed my name on LinkedIn and other professional channels to Fabienne Sinclair Morris.

Some people assume that Sinclair is my husband’s surname and we’ve gone for some kind of interesting double-barrelled arrangement.

We haven’t. Sinclair is my middle name.

I used to be thoroughly embarrassed of it as a child and even meekly tried to pretend it was Claire for a while.

I’ve now come to treasure my special combination of names, and the difference it bestows.

It’s also really handy for SEO.

Honouring your roots

Another attraction for me is that Sinclair ties me to my ancestors.

Sinclair was my grandmother’s family clan name. She was the headmistress of a primary school back in the days when most women didn’t work. She was also the vicar’s wife but had zero interest in playing the role of sidekick. By all accounts she was incredibly intelligent, sharp, accomplished and progressive but was forbidden to attend university and fully actualise her potential. She also loved gin, painting and big earrings.

I never knew her. But by including her name in mine, I take a little piece of her, and her outlandish earrings, with me, and honour her pioneering spirit.

What about you?

I’m keen to hear how others felt when they took the plunge into self-employment. Did your sense of self shift and did you do anything to mark it? Did you agonise over what to call yourself and has it developed since then? Did it matter when it came to clients? Are there any good books, talks or podcasts on this topic you'd like to recommend?

If you’ve made it all the way down here CONGRATULATIONS and I’ll see you same time next month.

Fabienne

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