I'm Annie Ridout.
Journalist, author, poet and coach.
Work-life
I'm the author of Shy: How being quiet can lead to success, The Freelance Mum: a flexible guide for better work-life balance and my third book - Raise Your SQ: How to use the magic of spiritual intelligence to unlock more joy and success - is out in May. You can pre-order your copy.
I'm also a freelance journalist for national news and women's magazines (Guardian, Forbes, Grazia, Red Magazine, Stylist, Metro, Telegraph, the Independent).
I speak regularly on BBC radio, and on panels at live events - about balancing work and motherhood, running a business, women's issues and shyness.
And I'm a poet.
Two of my poems have gone viral - 'I've just had a baby' and 'what I want' , after being shared by thousands of women around the world, including Paloma Faith and Busy Philipps.
So I turned them into prints and books, which sold globally - across Europe, the US, Australia, Canada and more.
Lastly, I'm founder of Raise your SQ (an online business platform). There's a digital magazine, a podcast and online business courses/coaching programmes.
Home-life
I was born and raised in north London and had my own three children there but we recently moved to Somerset.
It's rather lovely - running through fields and meadows each morning, breathing in the fresh air, smashing icy puddles with welly heels.
I play the piano and guitar and compose music, and I dream of starting an a capella choir. But I also love singing and dancing with my kids.
Come and find me on Instagram: @annieridout / @annieridoutpoetry and Twitter: @annieridout.
(I love an online chat).