The Art of Strategic Communications with Amber Daines

In Amber's words

Before we called it burnout

"When I started 16 years ago, believe it or not, we didn't talk about burnout. Hustle culture was just starting. I was a new mum, and it was all about being a girl boss, doing it all, having it all, keeping all those balls in the air. We didn't articulate it, but I was very aware of it. I had a lot of colds and flu symptoms. I kept getting sick and run down.

The first incarnation of my freelance business involved working with small business owners, and I decided to expand and bring in business partners. My original agency sold about 10 years ago. I built it to be bigger and shared the load, which is often difficult, because if you're an entrepreneur you like to do things your own way.

When my children were very young, I realised I couldn't do it all and scale my business, which back then was very important to me. Right now I have a micro business again, and I do everything I love, but on a much smaller scale with a very lean, agile, remote team."

The rules that protect her

"Technology has helped us do that, but it also means we have to be more disciplined. Some of my personal rules: no social media after eight o'clock at night. I turn emails off my phone after a certain time. I physically take my laptop and phone out of the house and put them back in my home office, which is in my back garden, usually after dinner.

That means I actually cannot look at it, which is great. Otherwise I feel like we're always on. Sleep is my number one thing, other than exercise, and if I don't sleep well because I'm checking a message that could wait until morning, that doesn't serve me long term."