A common cliche about consultants is that they’re just number-crunchers. They are the exact counterpart to the romantic, free-thinking creatives that we consider artists to be.
But in this episode of the Open IC, I talked to Alina Lindermuth. Alina is a strategy consultant at EY Parthenon – and she published her own novel. You can dive into the entire story in the podcast, but these are my 3 key takeaways of how she made it work.
1. Don’t hide your passion from your colleagues
The first instinct of any side project – may it be music, writing, painting, poetry slam – is that it’s awkward. It’s a different side of you, and it feels like you shouldn’t admit it to your colleagues or clients.
But actually, it only makes you more human. It gives your peers a sense of that there’s more to you than just another business consultant, and it makes you more memorable. Alina tapped into this, and the reactions of her colleagues have been nothing but positive.
2. Build a clear schedule that provides time for work and creativity
Writing (and publishing) a novel is hard work. It’s not a small side gig you can just pull off while you sleep. There are only so many productive hours in a day.
Alina made time for her writing habit alongside her job, and strictly scheduled out when she would work and when she would write. A clear sense of structure is the foundation for that.
3. Tap into your creative strengths at work
For Alina, writing was more than just a creative vent. She was actually able to take some of the learnings from the creative process back to her work. Her writing and storytelling abilities enabled her to deliver better work for her clients.
Listen to the entire episode on our podcast: https://anchor.fm/openic
