It’s All About The Moment: An Interview with Stefanie Sword-Williams
This interview series came to me during the Fuck Being Humble ‘More Than A Grad’ course. There really was no better place to start than with the creator of that course. I’ve followed Fuck Being Humble for a while after attending an event – that lead to me revamping my CV and getting a place on my dream masters.
As much as Stefanie Sword-Williams has helped many people like me, 2020 was a key year for her from going freelance full-time and launching a book. Fuck Being Humble has continued from strength-to-strength thanks to Stef effectively equipping her audience with the tools to stand out no matter how hard the landscape.
I caught up with Stef to talk about the unusual twists in her lockdown journey, the things that didn’t go perfectly and continuing to provide people with the tools to promote themselves.
So Stef, in your own words what is Fuck Being Humble?
Stef: Fuck Being Humble in its simplest of forms is an online platform, event series and book that can help people be unapologetically proud of their achievements.
I always say Fuck being Humble is the mindset that will help to seize opportunities you deserve. I think it’s really important for people to adopt fuck being humble as a mind-set but to use that thinking at the times when you should celebrate yourself the most.
“like 90% of the business I had got cancelled.” - Stef Sword-Williams, Fuck Being Humble
You said about being an events series and a lot of events must have been cancelled when the first lockdown was announced. How did you feel at this time?
Stef: So I quit my job in the second week of March to run Fuck Being Humble full time. I’m going to go for it. I’m going to be a public speaker. I’m going to do what I’ve always wanted to do.
Two weeks later, covid hit and like 90% of the business I had got cancelled. A lot of my income and sort of revenue income was from working with clients and delivering corporate workshops and talks. They immediately cancelled. That was quite a shock to the system.
I have this relentless optimism and I always seem to manage to find a way to make things work. Without even hesitation, I just was like I’m just going to have to turn everything into webinars. It wasn’t even really like a how can I do this?
I was sat at home delivering a presentation with a margarita next to me. It was weird cause I couldn’t see faces and I couldn’t see reactions and all of those amazing things you get at an event in person, but at the same time I was like why haven’t I been doing this sooner?
I think for a lot of businesses, they weren’t set up to run digital events. They didn’t know how to do it. Arguably I didn’t, cause I’d never done it before. I’d never run a webinar.
I ended up running events every week. So I joke that in 2020 I was just a webinar machine. I was just constantly delivering talks and essentially talking to myself, cause I could never see people. But one of the best things that came as a result of events going to digital was I was now speaking to people all over the world.
Literally overnight, Fuck Being Humble’s following has grown massively. This time last year I had 5,000 followers in March and I’m now at 23,000 follower’s and that’s all organic. I don’t do any paid advertising because Instagram and Facebook block me from advertising because I’ve got a swear word in my brand.
When I think about the success the events have had over the past year and the way that the following has grown and the community has grown, even though my initial gut reaction was “oh god have I just done the right thing, quitting my job?” it was at a time when people needed events the most.
And do you think people are more likely to engage and build an online community than before?
Stef: I always make the sessions interactive. I always ensure there’s a two-way conversation. I’ve always been so lucky that the brand resonates so much with people, that people advocate Fuck Being Humble without me even asking and without me even being in the room and I’m really grateful and actually humbled by that, to be honest.
I feel like we’ve almost come together a bit more in the sense that we’re all in a similar situation. I’ve definitely noticed that even with different accounts that I follow. It’s not competitive right now. It’s about us all looking as founders and whatever we see that is useful, we need to be sharing and we need to be supporting.
One of the first new things you started was More Than a Grad. What drew you to 2020 graduates and what they needed from self-promotion?
Stef: So, my content because it’s full of 90’s and 00’s RNB, meme’s, references naturally appeals to millennials. I’ve always said from the outset, that supporting students is something I’m really passionate about because I believe if we can help them self-promote at a younger age, they can have much more successful careers at a much quicker pace.
The reason I started Fuck Being Humble, was I noticed that really amazing talent was going overlooked or unnoticed because they were too worried they had to be an ‘expert’ in something before they could advocate themselves or self-promote.
One of the things I was noticing last summer was, we were starting to see the impact of the economy and jobs being cut left, right and centre. Most commonly it was affecting students. At a time when I felt the rest of the creative industry was essentially turning their backs on students, I wanted to step in and support as a small business.
I think that was probably one of the best and most exciting business decisions I made. I really felt like I could have a positive impact with the course that I designed. The way the course was designed, it was four weeks to create either a passion project or a side hustle. Not everyone wants to turn into a side-hustling entrepreneur and that’s totally fine.
It was only £25 for four weeks so it was super cheap. I also got Wix on board as a partner and I got We transfer on board as a partner where they provided discounted products. It went so well. There were 120 people that signed up. Those students have gone on to create some really great ideas.
“I will look back on Fuck being Humble’s business journey, and say that was pivotal for us” - Stef Sword-Williams, Fuck Being Humble
And did this grow into other products and ideas?
Stef: I saw the appetite because there were so many people who got in touch and said “I’m not a graduate but I really want this support. I really want this advice.
I launched side hustle school but to the public in October which then attracted another 160 people. It was one of those things that I think I will look back on Fuck being Humble’s business journey, and say that was pivotal for us as a business because we created a product for the people who needed it.
“what last year told us was that nothing is secure or permanent and that can be both a good and a bad thing” - Stef Sword-Williams, Fuck Being Humble
That’s really interesting that so many people reached out. How do you think the uncertainty of lockdown has affected people’s confidence?
Stef: I think, what last year told us was that nothing is secure or permanent and that can be both a good and a bad thing. I’ve been supporting people by reminding them to still have their performance reviews and still be asking for a pay rise if that’s what they want and that’s what they need.
For those who are unemployed, students who are fresh out of university, it’s been a lot about looking for reassurance essentially. Educating them through the radio show that I host on foundation FM once a month by interviewing inspiring people.
I just recently designed a product, it’s a downloadable CV product. It’s a 15 page PDF to help you revamp your CV for anyone who needs that support. I created a CV and Interviews made easy workshop, in response to try and support those.
Although this feels like a time we want to give up, that is – we need to take it steady right now. We need to keep persevering.
A big part of Fuck Being Humble has always been to entertain as well so I think that’s a big way that we cut through against traditional professional development. I think when I think about the content that I’m creating: there’s educational, motivational, there’s inspiration, and then there’s entertainment which is something I’m really passionate about.
It can be hard balancing so many projects, how do you find time for yourself?
Stef: I’m terrible at it if I’m honest. But one of the reasons I’m bad at it is because I love my job. I love the business I’ve created, so I find it hard to switch off. Like any small business owners, I work by myself, I do everything. I have got better in recent months.
My boyfriend’s really great at being like let’s do something, let’s go for a walk. One of the things that me and two of my other freelancer friends did was we set up a call once a week where we just support each other and that has been massively helpful. Both as just business advice and support but also as being like, you need to take a break.
Actually, I always encourage people to have those sorts of people around you, when you’re growing a business or just right now.
It was tough for me last year because I was obviously launching my book. So every opportunity there was to create a new event or to get more publicity or to work for free, I was saying yes to. I definitely noticed a shift from October to now where I’m a lot more protective of my time. I love listening to audiobooks, that really helps me.
What I definitely feel I’m doing more of is working productively as much as I can and saying I’ve hit that point to today and then stop. That’s okay if that’s three o’clock.
“It’s not how I imagined but it’s still been pretty amazing and unforgettable time of my life.”- Stef Sword-Williams, Fuck Being Humble
I also wanted to ask about your book. How was that process and how was it affected by Covid?
Stef: I wrote an article on linked in saying why I’ve started a self-promotion brand called Fuck Being Humble. It went semi-viral in the Linked in world, so like people all over the world had read it. I’d not even run an event. It was all very surreal.
One of the things that happened was three or four publishers got in touch about writing a book. I just said I’m a speaker. I’m not a writer. I don’t think I’m ready for that. It’s really amazing that you’ve got in touch but I’m not your girl, no thank you.
Then once I started running events and saw the impact that it was having and the movement that was growing, I got back in touch with one of the agents I really liked and learnt a bit more about the process.
It had a four-auction bid so four different publishers wanted it and we decided to go with Quadral. They were always known for creating really beautiful hardback full-colour books. I was really eager to have a book that was visually beautiful as well as it, having good content inside.
Then I had eight months to write the book alongside my full-time job in advertising. It was super intense. I basically just had to spend every single Saturday writing it. I submitted in January and the pandemic hit in March so it was quite difficult cause I didn’t get to go back in and add anything.
My book launch was September so I had to wait another four or five months and it was awful. I would reread what I’d written and cringe and just die at the thought that I’ve even written that in the book. I’d read other people’s books and be like oh my god, mine is nowhere near as good as that.
I’m sad that on my first and maybe only ever book I’ll get to publish I didn’t get to have that buzz of a book tour. But until now everyone who’s said they’ve read the book has said they’ve really enjoyed it. It’s really helped them start off their year.
It has been pretty amazing cause since I can’t advertise, the reach that it’s had organically has been so rewarding for all the hard work that has been put in. It’s not how I imagined but it’s still been pretty amazing and unforgettable time of my life.
What are you proudest of Fuck Being Humble achieving this year?
Stef: This question always gets me cause there’s lots of different things that I’m really proud of. Last year I got the opportunity to give a Ted X talk and I have always had the dream of being a Ted speaker. It’s always been my life goal.
I had 5 days to write it, film it, edit it and get it back to Ted X. I actually wasn’t happy with it. I didn’t think it was my best work. I didn’t think it was going to communicate what I wanted to share.
I was really apprehensive of sharing it and I ended up sharing it and talking about why I didn’t like it. I am proud that I was given the opportunity to do it. I think that was a learning that actually not everything you output you’re going to be a hundred percent proud of, but it shouldn’t make you any less proud of that achievement.
I also made Forbes 30 under 30 which was for Europe in the marketing and advertising category which was again – it was just a really nice piece of recognition.
On the day to day what I’m proudest of is those DM’s I get, where people say I’ve just updated my CV and I got an interview 24 hours later based on your advice.
Or someone attended my ‘Bitch better have my money’ event and she managed to get a new job during the pandemic. It was a new title and she got a £13K increase. She literally sent me a message to say I literally couldn’t do that without what you taught me. It’s those kinds of case studies as messages that I absolutely live for.
The amount of people I have had the ability to positively impact has definitely been one of the best highlights of my career and life really.
And what are you most looking forward to when lockdown is lifted?
Stef: Seeing people, not even just people that I’m really close with but like seeing people at my events and being in audiences.
Courtesy of fuckbeinghumble.com
I’m a big believer you should meet the people that you’re helping and supporting. A part of the reason I probably never did webinars was because I love being around people. I think seeing people in 3D not 2D is probably what I’m looking forward to the most.
Stef’s book ‘Fuck Being Humble’ is available Link to the book. If you’re working on your CV and want further advice, Stef’s CV product can be found here Link to the CV product. You can also keep up to date on Fuck Being Humble’s webinars and events via the website and social media channels.
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Written By Lauren Waugh
