Show notes
Lily Hansen has built her career around her passion for conversation. As an author, writer and speaker, she has interviewed more than 1,000 people all over the world, and she's an advocate for better conversation and deeper connection in an increasingly digital age.
After working as a freelance music journalist, Lily found herself at a crossroads in her career and decided to pursue a new creative project. She started compiling interviews and portrait photography into a book, called Word of Mouth: Nashville Conversations.
Since then, Lily has written two more books under the Word of Mouth umbrella, including one to celebrate the 50th anniversary of HCA Healthcare. She also gave a TedX Talk in December, called "Talking to Strangers is My Self-Care," which was all about the wisdom she's gained from her interviews.
Lily is an inspiration not only because of the work she does, but also because of her ability to find success in the pursuit of her own passions and happiness. She joins Leah on Her Story of Success to talk about some of the lessons she's learned in her career, how she's redefined hustle culture for herself, and the importance of developing strong relationships with people in your community. Lily also describes the practical process of finding work and knowing how much to charge as a freelancer.
In This Episode:
Lily shares her unique story of building a career that's all about connecting with and getting to know people. She talks about some of the inspiring lessons she's learned along the way, including the common threads of humanity she finds across all the interviews she does.
Here are some of the highlights:
- Lily's life story and the process of deciding to write a book after she found herself lacking inspiration (1:49)
- What it's like to work as a freelancer, knowing how much to charge and managing your expectations about finances (9:14)
- Connecting with people all over the world and seeing common humanity in everyone (15:51)
- How we can redefine hustle culture to prioritize building relationships and living a full life outside of work (20:59)
- The process of becoming a public speaker (33:10)
- Finding success in being happy and proud of who you are (40:13)
The Books and Brands Lily and Leah Mentioned Are:
Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by Insperity, an HR company that makes a difference. Insperity combines first class service and robust technology so you can focus on your people.
Non-Profit Spotlight: My Bag My Story provides backpacks and duffle bags for kids in foster care so they don't have to carry their belongings around in trash bags. They provide dignity and something that kids can call their own.
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