Janet Murray is a freelance journalist turned PR-queen. She's passionate about PR and publicity being accessible to everyone, and shares insider knowledge of how to get press and media coverage for your business or blog, without selling out. 

In this episode she shares her top tips for getting featured, and why it matters more than you might think.

How To Get Press Coverage For Your Online Work, With Janet Murray

Annabelle Hickson describes herself as an "accidental florist", which gives her far too little credit for the magic she's made happen in both her career and her life. Educator, author, photographer and podcaster, she lives on a pecan farm in rural Australia and shares to the world via social media. In this week's conversation, she talks us through how she weaves beauty out of the things that she finds on the roadside - both literally, and perhaps a little bit metaphorically too.

Things we talk about in this episode:

- Annabelle's journey to becoming an accidental florist
- The pitfalls of renovating an old house
- The joy of engaging in the nature around you
- Creativity and 'dignity in the doing'
- Finding beauty in the mundane
- Using real life experiences to connect with your audience
- Annabelle's podcast, and the challenges of public speaking when you're really more of a writer
- Being a 'webtrovert' (an introvert who blossoms online)
- Forming real friendships through social media
- Managing self-criticism

Dignity in the doing, with Annabelle Hickson

My guest this week, author and journalist Fiona Thomas, credits social media with triggering anxiety in the midst of an episode of deep depression - and then helping her find her way back to herself. In this week's conversation, we talk about the importance of boundaries, self-worth, productivity, Instagram, mental illness and community, and how we can weave them all together to stay happy and healthy online.

- How Fiona found blogging as a way to improve her mental health
- Fiona's book and podcast
- The positive power of social media for mental health
- Why the friends and communities you make on social media matter
- Why diet culture sucks
- How to maintain a healthy relationship with the internet
- Why your self-worth and status should not be defined by your job or levels of productivity
- How finding your creative outlet can help your mental health
- Creative flow state, and why creativity takes many different forms
- The dangers of toxic positivity

Staying happy and sane online, with Fiona Thomas

As technology plays a bigger and bigger part in our lives, our attention, and who gets to grab it, becomes increasingly big business. From simple smartphone notifications to games, apps and platforms that are designed to make us hooked, developing our ability to choose and direct our own attention is an essential skill for staying focused and productive in the modern world.
Nir Eyal, author of Indistractable, took a deep dive into the science, research and future of our attention spans, and shares his insights and recommendations in this conversation together.

Things we talk about in this episode:

Developing good habits around tech, and managing existing bad habits
Distraction vs traction
Forethought vs impulse, and how the two interact
How procrastination and distraction interlink
Why to do lists are generally unhelpful
The magic of 'timeboxing'
The importance of translating your values into time
Using scheduling for relaxation time as well as work activity, so you don't have to feel guilty
The truth about multitasking
Why seeking happiness all the time trips us up, and we need to allow discomfort
Raising indistractable kids, with healthy habits around technology

How to be Indistractable in a chaotic world with Nir Eyal

Want to find an audience online for your creative work?
Hashtag Authentic is a weekly podcast exploring the secrets to online success for dreamers, makers and creatives. With practical tips and inspiring stories, Sara Tasker of 'Me & Orla' (Instagram: @me_and_orla) guides you through the lessons and strategies she used to grow her 300k+ audience and six-figure business online. Tune in every Wednesday for analysis and interviews with trailblazing creatives, for an insider's view of all things Instagram, blogging, social media and beyond. Hashtag Authentic will equip you for the online world, dose you up on inspiration & information, and help you find your online tribe.

Sara Tasker - instagram expert & creative business