We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anneliese Lawton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Anneliese, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

I started writing from my desk at my previous corporate job during lunch. I’d wolf back lunch while furiously typing between bites. My fiance and I were planning our wedding, and without having said our vows, people were already asking us when we were going to have a baby. Having been diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome at age 21, we knew conceiving may not be an easy path. So, those questions hurt. They drew up emotions. And I wrote about it in my journal. My journal had been a safe place for me to channel my feelings, emotions, and document thoughts throughout my life. I never planned to share my thoughts beyond those pages.

When I became pregnant, my pregnancy was high-risk and very tumultuous. Again, people had questions. And again, I documented my feelings. Except this time, I documented it on Facebook. I decided to be transparent about my pregnancy, hoping to shine some light on our experience. People showed interest. People complimented my writing. People encouraged me to keep sharing. As someone who desperately sought validation, it was the push I needed to step forward into what would eventually become a new career.

The first article I wrote – outside of writing on Facebook and in my journal – was for free. Actually, most of my early work was written for free. I was new at my craft. In a professional setting, anyway. And between imposter syndrome and no professional experience, it was hard to place a value on my work (that people would want to pay me for). I would spend hours Googling blogs that aligned with my platform (parenting and pregnancy), and I would send cold e-mails asking to guest post for free. My first big break – which was another free article – was when I e-mailed Arianna Huffington herself from the Huffington Post. She responded personally saying she would love to post my piece. And things kind of took off from there.

Once I had the Huffington Post on my resume, I leveraged that piece to pitch other mainstream publications. The next piece I would have published was for ParentsCanada (a print magazine), and they paid me $200. I still have that cheque framed to this day.

I continued to write and continued to pitch, I started a Facebook page (Grown Up Glamour by Anneliese Lawton) to share blogs and thoughts. As that blog grew (and eventually went viral), I leveraged that to gain other opportunities. I ruthlessly and vulnerablyy shared things about motherhood and pregnancy (and postpartum depression) that many never spoke so openly about before.

It got to a point where I had to establish my worth as a writer. A place where “exposure” just didn’t cut it (unless it really did). And I had to draw a line, set my value, and stick to it. I also began to build my skill set and expand into social media. Eventually, I created little packages to help small businesses create their digital brand (which includes copywriting and digital branding) and shared it on my own Facebook page. That very small part of my business began to grow through word of mouth.

Six years later, I’m the editor of two magazines, the editorial lead of a parenting brand, a successful business owner, the producer of a web series, and a newly published author. I wear a lot of hats. I hustle hard and work late nights. I only got these opportunities because I put myself out there. I applied to jobs even when I (thought) I didn’t have the chops. In those times I didn’t get the job, I made beautiful connections. I attended local networking events. I surrounded myself with people in my industry. I made my name known.

Today, I’ve more than doubled the salary I made in my previous career. I’m privileged to have been able to leave that career (so I could raise my babies) without having my writing career to fall back on. It was something I built during nap time, until I could finally validate paying for childcare (once I made that investment, my career + income hit an entirely new level).

Could I have sped up the process? Maybe. I could have put my children in childcare earlier. I “balanced” until my oldest was nearly 5. With three kids at home, you could say I “missed” some opportunities. But it’s what felt best for our family at the time and I have no regrets. Who knows where I’d be if I made different decisions, but where I am now feels so very right.

Anneliese, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a Canadian gal with a passion for words, maternal mental health, and supporting women. My life’s work is a combination of passion projects that touch on each of those verticals. As someone who runs their own copywriting and digital branding business, my hats in a a lot of rings. These are a few of them: – I’m the editor of two magazines, where I manage a team of freelancers, develop editorial calendars + editorial strategy, and write and edit content
– I’m the editorial lead of a values-driven marketplace that sells play essentials for ages 0-4. I collaborate with freelancers and experts to deliver content that supports parents in their parenting journey.
– I’m an author (this is still surreal to say). My first book, Welcome to the Jungle – a memoir – will be in all major bookstores October 1, 2022 (and is currently in presales).
– I’m a freelancer writer + digital content strategist. I support small businesses with copywriting, digital branding strategy, and pitch publications when I have a juicey story that fits their mandate.
– I produce a web-series called Moms Unleashed where I help all mothers (and parents) share their experiences in parenthood.
– And of this year, I’m branching into the public speaking realm! My first engagements take place this fall.

Whew. That’s a lot, right? Everyone asks me how I do it while raising three little ones. I honestly don’t even know how I do it. I think being a mom, I understand the importance of time management. When the kids are in school and at daycare, I power through on adrenaline and passion. I ask for extra help and work after bedtime when I need it. I LOVE what I do. And I think when you love what you do, it’s easy to get sh*t done! And I think that’s what I’m most proud of. In six years, I’ve had two high-risk pregnancies, a rare tumor, my father-in-law passed away, I had a third baby during a pandemic, and I built my business and written a book. Typing this out and reading this, I’m starting to wonder if I’m a robot. But work has been a huge channel in helping me cope through hard moments. It’s lifted me out of some dark places. It’s led to some really beautiful friendships and relationships, and I’m so proud of what I’ve created.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Saying no! Gosh, the number of times I’ve said “yes” because I thought I “needed” a client even when it didn’t feel right. For example, I signed on to manage a social media account for a tea business. The founder and I didn’t really “vibe” which should have been the first sign that it may not be the most ideal working relationship. I stayed on for 4 months, under a tremendous amount of stress (making peanuts because of the company’s small budget)/ It’s okay not to “fit” with every potential client that walks in your direction. And it’s more beneficial to you both to say “I don’t think this is a good fit” instead of jumping in and trying to make it work.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

It comes in the form of messages that trickle into my inbox late at night from a mom that comes across a blog or article that resonates. It’s in the moments I’m recognized while I’m out with my family and thanked for my work. It’s the validation of knowing that my words have a purpose and that they’re making others feel heard, seen, and understood. There’s nothing that compares.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.annelieselawton.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/annelieselawton
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/grownupglamour
• Other: Book pre-sale: https://pandamoniumpublishing.com/product/welcome-to-the-jungle-a-frantic-journey-of-motherhood-and-self-discovery/

Image Credits
Lucy Tran Photography