Dhruti Shah
@dhrutishah
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Following
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Statuses
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Journo / Author / @UKYoungAcademy /Fellow @Rotary @DartCenter @JSchofieldTrust @CfJKent/ Advisor @MuseumOfColour/ Broke records @BBC / Have You Thought About
London
Joined January 2009
Been revamping my CV and streamlining all the services I offer. 'Have You Thought About. ?' is the common question that comes up in my coaching, journalism, storytelling consultancy, podcasting, presenting, editing and more - so that's what I'm using.
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It took me a long time to be able to write about. It affected my journalism career and life outside it. But vicarious trauma and mental health is something that we should be able to speak openly about.
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I was set up with a name on a spreadsheet. He would never call just use free chat apps. I said let's meet and asked if the time of 6.30pm would suffice. The word suffice triggered him to call me 'arrogant'. I said we shouldn't meet and to not contact me again. He kept messaging.
Ladies: tell me your worst date.
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@RobertCorp @scsmith4 We're all doomed. I learned to eat fast. Survival skills 101. #cheesecakegate.
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When I feel sad, there's this clip of Andrew Garfield I watch from an interview he did where his giggles are so infectious that it is impossible to stay melancholy. Digital bottled felicity.
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Some news (subtle I hope) I'm leaving BBC News at the end of the year. It's been a privilege and an adventure but the future's a blank slate. I want to connect and chat to the world to find out what opportunities are out there. Share connections, get in touch. All appreciated.
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I have a lot of respect for @ForensicArchi. I was invited to share my trauma journalism lived experiences workshop and they were an amazingly receptive and super smart group. Everything they do - and they do it brilliantly - is trauma informed.
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This sort of data visualisation is important to understand how reliant this industry is on connections and making connections because that affects whose stories get told and who gets represented.
There's still work to be done on this but here's a first draft of the British media nepo babies map.
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I do feel like I failed. I literally loved journalism as a kid - did everything I could as I had no connections to follow my dream. Studied at Oxford Uni but was made to feel like an outsider and cried lots. Went to the BBC and made to feel my race and gender problematic. .
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I think it's now actually hitting me that I'm leaving. Last day before my BBC address I think gets deleted. It was such an amazing day when I got the call to say I was being hired. It is a weird feeling to be going but at least can say I tried my best to bring in diverse stories.
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@ravenscimaven Not so much a corporate word but I ended up writing a business book (Bear Markets and Beyond) based on the animal words that kept being thrown around in meetings. It's illustrated and I made sure it was both economist and family friendly. Extract here.
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Total respect to @StephanieFinneg for showing why it's important to have local reporters who regularly attend courts. It's disgusting that she's getting personal abuse for doing her job and challenging reporting restrictions. She is a brave excellent reporter role model.
Well done to @StephanieFinneg & Leeds Live for getting reporting restrictions lifted. We now know Tommy Robinson pleaded guilty to contempt of court and breach of a suspended sentence, and he 'deeply regrets' his actions. Hope trial doesn't collapse.
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Discovered this week there are some who think I am too self-promotional. no it's self-ownership. When you don't have sponsors and you defy convention, you have to take ownership of what you do and make sure you get the credits others will take off you and pass off as their own.
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*BOOK NEWS*. @dominicbailey_ and I wrote a book!. Bear Markets and Beyond is an illustrated guide to animals in business. tigers, bears and more. It's published by @PavilionBooks on 1 Oct. You can pre-order it now: #BusinessBeasts #FinancialLiteracy
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There was an amazing tiny team who produced this letter. We support @SangitaMyska and could not stand by in silence. We've been buoyed by the initial support and also all the other signatories who have followed. One voice can make a difference.
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Was there to represent all the hard work @dominicbailey_ and I put in but yeah, this happened. Our book Bear Markets and Beyond: A Bestiary of Business Terms WON!!! We are the @BizBookAwardUK Short Business Book of the year! Woop #BBA2021
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Visited @britishlibrary's Harry Potter exhibition. I almost cried. Discovered the books during my first ever job as a children's bookseller, my uni dissertation was about the canon influencing @jk_rowling & first website I coded was based on The Medieval Bestiary. #HarryPotter20.
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So this happened. was a really lovely send off and a farewell to an organisation I had a privilege to tell stories for as a staffer. Now the great unknown beckons.
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Seeing the reaction to the article I wrote for The Guardian that was published today about just some of the experiences over the past few years has brought me to tears, so I'm finding it hard to respond. I'm glad the writing, that came from the heart and took time, helps people.
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PUBLICATION DAY. @dominicbailey_ and I are excited Bear Markets and Beyond is finally out. Our illustrated bestiary of business terms will teach you about bears, bulls, hamsters, ostriches and more. Order here: or from all independent book stores. 🦄🦍🐻
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If you have a loved one who has passed from the coronavirus in recent times whom you wish to pay public tribute to, please do let us know. There is a small core group of us working on this and we will be very careful with your story and their legacy.
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This is a dream made. Sir David Attenborough wrote to me and @dominicbailey_ and said he is sure he will "benefit from this field guide". Bear Markets and Beyond, our little bestiary of business terms, is on his bookshelves. What a seal of approval!
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A small nudge of an idea but apparently an issue that bothers a lot of people. What do you do when people get your name wrong at work?
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I passed my assessment and my pretty intense relational dynamics coaching course and am now accredited! Have loved this journey and seeing the people I've been coaching take ownership of the problems bothering them and break through in their own individual ways.
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Just finished another decolonisation must-read. @littlegaudy has created a very thoughtful multi-layered destruction of a lot of things we learned in school and beyond about our shared histories. Uncivilised: Ten Lies that Made the West is uncomfortable yet validating reading.
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So this is exciting - I have a new portfolio website to highlight what I'm capable of and what I've done. Please do check it out and let me know what you think. And do share with connections who might want to collaborate with me.
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This is what it's about. When you come across a person doing something that's helping to change people's lives and you have the privilege to share their story - that to me is one of the best bits about journalism.
ADHD: ‘The web comics that show what my life is like’ - BBC News.Thank you @BBCNews for showcasing @danidonovan ‘s work! I for one use her pieces to explain things to my colleagues at @sussex_police
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I feel really sick and excited at the same time that I'm going to have a book come out this year. It's a childhood dream come true.
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What to do when someone gets your name wrong? Thousands shared your stories of mangled names, autofails and more. Me, @MichaelRosenYes and linguist @laurel_mack investigate. 📻 Tue 17 Aug, 16:00BST on @BBCRadio4 Word of Mouth. Producer: @beth_sounds .
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Thanking @danidonovan for sharing her story and pictures with me. I have learned a lot about life with ADHD - hope the article educates others too #mentalhealth #ADHD #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
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I know this is really sad but I don't care. Last week I learned my book is in libraries around the world and someone at the Singapore National Library has it out on loan until the first week of March. The dream always was to get Bear Markets and Beyond into libraries and schools.
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Sometimes I count my luck. My family bought me a chocolate package to say congrats on the success of the book. What a beautiful surprise to come down to after I had finished work for the day!
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Really excited to have my first piece with the @washingtonpost published. It's a nature travel piece focusing on belonging. Very grateful to have worked with @ana_campoy_ and @edalziel: How nightingales taught me nature might not hate me
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@MichaelRosenYes I will never forget you coming to my primary school 30ish years ago. You helped cultivate a love of reading. Just wanted to say thanks as now I have my first book (a business bestiary) out in a few weeks and you did play a role in me pursuing a love of stories.
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It’s my last official day in the Washington bureaux. I have a feature to work on so heads down but time for a quick pic to mark the adventure that it has been. will do a round up of highlights at some point. Times I feel lucky to be living the dream my eight-year-old self wanted
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A personal piece in @guardian today about belonging and not belonging, of fitting in and not fitting in.
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Very excited that @dominicbailey_ and I reached the finals of the @BizBookAwardUK this year with Bear Markets and Beyond: A Bestiary of Business Terms. Whatever happens we are super happy. now watching the virtual ceremony. #BBA2021
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Quoted @MartinSLewis and Money Saving Expert to @virginmedia and the importance of negotiating deals. And was told 'don't believe everything you see on television'. My background is tackling disinfo and misinfo and was like, oh the cheek - Martin Lewis and his show cuts through.
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Just thinking about this pioneer but also all the struggles she must have faced.
#OnThisDay 1941, this memo confirmed the appointment of Una Marson - the BBC’s first female black producer. Read more about Una's story: #BBC100
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@dionnewarwick @tomgreenlive Turkey Vultures can be used to spot leaks in natural gas pipelines
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Feeling excited after getting an email saying the book @dominicbailey_ and I spent years creating is now being added to university reading lists for journalism and business students. Best thing is Bear Markets and Beyond is suitable as a gift book as well as an educational tool.
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Sometimes it is super hard when you are navigating white majority spaces. You can't always win. There are brown people who call you a coconut and white people who call you other just as offensive names. And all you want to do is live your life. Feeling the weight of it today.
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Best sandwiches ever. This is when the Kenyan Indian side rules
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People are calling my mum to tell her my book won an award. She knows as she watched the ceremony live on YouTube downstairs while I was partaking upstairs but it is nice that people are calling her about it to inform her. defo part of a community 🤣.
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So general feedback from my second ever Radio 4 hit seemed to be people loved the wrong names episode. Some loved my West London accent. Others think I can't speak properly. Luckily, the week before mine @MichaelRosenYes and Prof Devyani Sharma did this:
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@rachsyme This is slightly off topic but I have a feeling you will appreciate this. I think the people who write dog rescue depictions have such skills that sometimes I'm tempted to use those enticing blurbs as templates for my dating profiles.
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Dreams made. Am on Word of Mouth on @BBCRadio4 (@BBCSounds) at 1600 GMT talking about my financial literacy and nature book Bear Markets and Beyond (illustrated by @dominicbailey_) with amazing @MichaelRosenYes. @beth_sounds is the fab producer.
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So excited to reveal that I'm hosting an amazing podcast for @TRANSFORM_SDGs called We Transform Lives which focuses on people who are changing the world in so many ways. Here's a quick peek behind the scenes on one of the recording days but do subscribe:
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Just briefly pausing my social media break as honoured that @AbdirahimS nominated me for the @40overforty list for people doing cool things in media, comms, marketing. It's a public vote but, as a freelancer, these accolades can help obtain work radars.
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First Sunday shift in the newsroom in three years. Getting back into the swing of things, chasing stories, doing the job but also super super proud that I got the BBC News LinkedIn account to four million followers today. Follow it here:
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I came up with an idea nearly two years ago; it got made into something pretty and witty. Now I have written a full manuscript and @dominicbailey_ has created many more beautiful illustrations. We're seeking the right publisher. If that's you, get in touch
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Going to send some pitches across to new editors today. Wish me luck. Had a tough year (didn't we all) last year and my burnout affected my love of journalism and writing but hoping that people who don't know me take a chance on me.
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Every weekend I spend one hour deliberately looking for new opportunities. Whether it is book related, career related or life related - I've decided it is an hour worth investing in no matter how difficult or busy life is. Gonna call it Questing Time.
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Such an amazing story. A privilege to be part of the team that told it. Verified by @RozinaSini and I, and then the very strong film and interviews by @HelierCheung, @tristancimini and @RodMacleod. We are always seeking strong stories. Please stay safe.
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Really very grateful to @RadhikaPatnala, @azuravesta and @NujuumArts for showing me how they use their art to demystify the science around covid. Amazing illustrations by all three in the piece: . #Science #sciart #IWD2021.
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Was putting forward possible entries for the police streetsafe tool (so many places need more lights) and was pleasantly surprised to see that Jainism is offered as an option for the extra self identifiers. Very rare that happens
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The @Rotary peace fellowship I was selected for three years ago is now open for applications again. It's an opportunity to take time away from your regular life and study peace and conflict resolution. It's fully funded (which is rare nowadays)
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Honestly @SangitaMyska is more than a legend. She has opened the door for many journalists from many different backgrounds. Her very essence is a masterclass in journalism. She is also so so cool and so awesomely geeky about stuff. People who attack Sangita can bog off.
.@SangitaMyska is a total legend. A brilliant journalist and someone I look up to. Sad to see a bunch of racist nationalists attacking her but it’s sadly par for the course of being a woman (and POC) in the public eye and says nothing at all about her and her work. Which is fab.
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I think this was the year I realised I had fewer very close friends than I thought I had. Or I had stronger boundaries than perhaps I used to have. But this was also the year I realised I have more allies than I thought I had and that there's fondness and help around.
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Got a message today from the big bosses regarding my writing stint in America. I broke a couple of bureau records but didn't quite realise how it's nice to have your work acknowledged from those higher up the food chain when often you think nobody notices what you do. .
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@Sotherans The first time I entered - I had to leave after 10min as I was so overwhelmed. It was like being in a bookshop in a story that you read when you are a kid. It was sublime!.
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Don't we all want to be a 'Science Princess'? Very grateful to @celestelabedz for sharing her story with me. Science is so cool.
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Today has been busy. Three rejections first thing but bounced back and sent off three pitches for journalism ideas and three applications for jobs. We keep going.
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So. got some news; starting the new year with some new responsibilities. Very exciting to continue this journey with the John Schofield Trust which started when I was one of the first mentees chosen. For more on this journalism charity:
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Always an honour to be among such high calibre journos at the @JSchofieldTrust reception events. And now not just a Trustee but also a Fellow! Love this pic with amazing @KerryAlexandra, @SangitaMedia, @Frankie_Mack, @HollyJonesRadio. Loved catching up with so many others there.
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I love Diwali. I love being Gujarati Kenyan Indian British Jain. And I love my mum's cooking especially when it comes to guji vada. Freshly made.
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But failure leads to new exciting paths. And proud of the successes.
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Do you identify as diaspora and what does the word mean to you? And what are the flavours and foods from home that you can't live without? Wrote a piece about what diaspora evokes.
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A young journo came up to me this week and said she had loved my Brown Girls on Instagram piece from a few years ago and how it much it helped her. If you ever meet a journo whose work you like, tell them! Writing can be lonely so hearing our work connects - best feeling.
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The other day I posted on social about how it can be lonely being a freelancer and sometimes I struggle with that. Was invited to a creative women's networking group off the back of it and so now heading to meet a group of strangers for first time. Social media isn't always toxic.
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A reminder if you are looking at horrific things on the internet and it's your job; do look after yourself. Do ask other people to look out for you. Please don't feel how I felt. It hurt me to write this but I don't want others to feel broken
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@sdonnan I'm going to throw mine and @dominicbailey_'s book Bear Markets and Beyond in the mix because others say it's fun and educational. It's an illustrated guide to the animals in the business and economics world. It's on school and university reading lists.
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Excited to have found out my debut piece focusing on nature, travel and belonginging for The Washington Post's climate team is already being used as an assigned article in environmental literature classes.
Perspective: Like the nightingale, we all have our own migration story. We bring a range of perspectives.
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@taken2seriously @Abhishekkar_ I concur. Bear Markets and Beyond is fun, educational and has had five star reviews. And is available everywhere
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Spotted some weird activity on a local Facebook group I'd been a member of for years. Tipped off @zsk and she and @BBCRoryCJ investigated further. Now @zsk's extra sleuthing has led to Facebook banning the sale of admin rights of community groups. Woah.
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Always fascinating when I see people who bullied me looking me up on socials like LinkedIn. Harmful, toxic creatures not welcome nor tolerated in this life, thank you.
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All culminated in very very difficult times and burnout and stepping away from dreams. Am a success but honestly think the whole thing would have been less lonely with in-built connections.
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@BBCSangita @BBCr4today Got told I didn't belong and was isolated by some rather insecure peers. Not easy being brown and from comprehensive education at Oxbridge. Older me though very proud of younger me for surviving and thriving and using it as a learning curve.
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@jurassicg1rl @Botanygeek When I tried to call out racism and highlight microaggressions the people involved tried to destroy my career. It was a dark time but I have no regrets about standing up for myself (and others). If we don't talk about these experiences, the bullying continues.
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I know this is a little bit strange but seeing myself described as something other than a BBC journalist in the national press and being asked about my writing environment and tips feels like such a big moment in terms of embracing the future.
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What a week. Launched a podcast that I only properly started working on last month. It's doing well enough and hundreds of people are downloading which for an independent production with just me marketing I am super happy with. And updated my website!
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Thinking about how none of my bullies lost their jobs despite the hell they put me and others through. Media - if reporting on bullying in other workplaces, also take it as an opportunity to think how to do better in your own workspaces.
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Just got an invite to speak at an overseas conference but for exposure and no fees. Exposure for an underrepresented speaker who is good at creating opportunities and has value and substance. no. Just no. I know my value; I know my worth, and I also know what my bills are.
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I am in awe. Last night I saw @BryonyBA's astonishing film about women in the global majority and their response to the ecological crisis facing us. The Colour of Transformation is so worth watching.
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@ArlanWasHere I won an award for my book at the Business Book Awards AND not so long after I got five year olds asking about animal words in the business world during a school visit. They now know what bear markets and unicorns are. When I first had the idea not everyone believed in it.
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Am I nervous that nobody will read my book even though it will help people of all ages and backgrounds understand conversations happening about their money and and make business less scary? Yes I am. Am I gonna keep going to try to spread the word? Yes I will.
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Got told something cool this week. Apparently being selected to be a @JSchofieldTrust fellow ( and getting mentoring from some of the industry's most respected journalists) is viewed like an Oscars equivalent. So well proud to have gone from mentee a decade ago to board trustee!.
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Business doesn't have to be boring. @dominicbailey_ and I created this visual guide to the animal terms appearing in a post-Covid economy. Thanks @StreeterNews @russmould1 @kerrya11en @wucker and @alpeshbp for the extra insight into the markets menagerie.
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Congratulations to all the new @JSchofieldTrust fellows - welcome to an extensive network. It's always a pleasure to go through the applications and see the amazing work being done by amazing journalists. It's a highly competitive scheme and incredibly oversubscribed.
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It's been 20 years since I turned up as a state school educated, brown, Jain teenager at @UniofOxford. Here's a note about what happened next. It involves manticores and a life-changing book. @MansfieldOxford @oxfordalumni @OBA_Network @engfac .
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2. When I first became a journalist I was told I'd never make it to Radio 4 (this was a long time ago and it is certainly a lot more diverse and inclusive now) so this is a personal career success.
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OK, been completely overwhelmed by the response to this. Thought it might resonate with a few people but honestly it's been amazing to see how many people across industries get it. So many of us feel alone needlessly. Will be responding but thank you.
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One of our best journalists produces an amazing programme about domestic abuse which is very much solutions oriented and an important listen and gets trolled for it? This Positive Thinking episode 'How to stop men hurting women' is a must listen.
Hey, can someone remind me how to report someone on Twitter? They’ve been trolling me since our programme on domestic abuse aired.
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