Hello World

Next week it will be six years since I started a business. After so many positive experiences during my PhD I decided to try being a skills trainer. I had an idea that I wanted to help lots of different people. Over time I realised that what I really wanted to do was help postgraduate researchers and research staff. I am passionate about helping people directly – being in a room with them, or in conversation, and sharing ideas and experiences, seeing what they need and if I can meet that need.

As long as I can remember, I’ve also been passionate about writing. And like many people passionate about writing, I have been incredibly scared of sharing that writing. I have novels in the bottom of drawers and on old USB sticks. I have books aimed at PhD students – several books on different subjects – that I don’t dare share (yet). In January 2013 I finally worked up the courage to share my first ebook, and finally realised that it was OK for other people to read what I had written.

Then life intervened – we moved house, had a beautiful daughter and it was suddenly eighteen months later. I kept writing, but again those old jitters came up on me. What was best to write? What would people want to read? What if it was no good?

The answer to all of these questions was to just write and share, take on feedback and keep on writing and sharing.

So that’s what this blog is: I’ll be writing and sharing. Some of these posts will be polished thoughts. Some will be things that I’m working out. Some will be things that I don’t know what I think (yet). All of them will be aimed at helping postgraduate researchers. If you’re a PGR or a PGR developer or are someone who just cares then please share this blog. Tomorrow I’ll share some details about what you can expect in the coming months (Monday-Thursday daily posts with occasional other updates), and on Friday I’ll share details of what you can do to support this blog if you’d like.

I’ll mention work from time to time, but this isn’t really about workshops that I do or trying to sell you on hiring me to deliver them (although if you want to then please don’t let me stop you!).

This blog is aimed at providing something useful. So my first question – and feel free to comment – what would be useful to you?

If you could see me write on any topic that would be useful to PGRs what would it be?