The Freelancer Life: Meet Alex Mills
Meet Alex, a Brand Journalist and Creative Writer who loves to unearth unique and relevant human insights to inspire fresh thinking.
Alex loves meeting creative people and working with clients that are trying to solve genuine societal issues. We talk to Alex about things and people that inspire him and about his work with Adidas to launch the world's first 100% recyclable performance shoe.
“Distractions - such as social media – can prevent creativity and learning, so I do my best to build an environment where I can think clearly.”
Hello, Welcome!
Tell us a little bit about yourself, what you do and how long you have been doing it for?
My name is Alex, and I'm a Brand Journalist and Creative Writer. Over the last ten years, I've helped brands of all sizes and from many different industries, to write clearly and creatively.For as long as I can remember, I've been passionate about writing, and I'm grateful that I'm now able to call it my job.
Why did you first become a freelancer?
Becoming a freelancer has afforded me two things of which I'm incredibly passionate. Firstly, being able to manage work/life balance, and therefore my mental health, has and will continue to be a hugely important thing to me. Couple that with the opportunity to work with brands with which I share the same values and goals, freelance has undoubtedly been the right choice for me.
Where's your favourite place to work from aside from your home, and why?
Any connection with the outdoors is a win. Even at home, in Streatham Hill, I value views of the garden or a local park. Failing all of that – and I haven't admitted this before – I'll seek out a cheesy coastal sounds playlist (yes, sounds of waves or rain…). If you haven't tried it before, do it, it might just work for you too.
Share your struggles - what do you find hardest about working for yourself and why?
At heart, I'm a collaborator and an extrovert. In the quieter periods, I know I need to be re-energised by interaction.
Also, working alone makes it easy to question and doubt yourself when you only have your own opinion to feed off. It's essential for me to keep perspective and not second-guess the ideas that I believe in.
How have you found ways to combat these parts of working for yourself?
At large, I do my best to surround myself with things and people that inspire me. Creative friends, kind friends, but also friends who don't know what I do, and would rather talk about something entirely disconnected from my job.
I recognise when I need to take a break, make a cup of tea or read something that might inspire me. Equally, I (try to) identify when focus is needed. Distractions - such as social media – can prevent creativity and learning, so I do my best to build an environment where I can think clearly.
Share your perks – what do you enjoy most about working for yourself and why?
Flexibility and freedom. I do not miss the days of having to plead with a line manager to let me leave ten minutes early, or just feeling too uncomfortable to ask in the first place.
But also freedom in a creative sense. I have a clear view on what I want to deliver, and how I want to deliver it. Now I feel liberated to pitch ideas in a way I see fit.
“Fear is a good thing. Embrace it. It means you care, and it will make you do things properly.”
What are your top tips for anyone thinking about working for themselves?
Believe in yourself. There are people less qualified than you, doing the things you want to do, simply because they decided to believe in themselves.
Fear is a good thing. Embrace it. It means you care, and it will make you do things properly.
Help others, and let others help you.
What are your top 3 recommendations - podcasts, books, people to follow, sources of inspiration etc. and why?
Losers – A fantastic series that profiles athletes who have turned the agony of defeat into human triumph. Well, WELL worth a watch.
Humans of NY – An Instagram account that tells compelling stories of New York's residents. A great deliverer of perspective and inspiration.
Ologies – A comedic, science podcast that breaks down complex topics, or 'ologies', in a digestible way. It's an incredibly enjoyable listen, discussing issues that I'd never naturally seek out.
“Collaboration is hugely important and a key ingredient to success.”
What role does collaboration play for you?
Collaboration is hugely important and a key ingredient to success. Collaboration offers different perspectives and helps to challenge ideas and solutions. Without this, we can't learn and grow. Besides, it's fun, isn't it?
What do you love to do? What makes you tick, and what do you simply love doing?
Meeting creative people. They give me energy and inspire me to be better.
Purposeful projects. Working with clients that are trying to solve genuine societal issues.
Running. A great way to free my mind and a necessary release for me - something I try to do regularly. There are more reasons, many of which are in this (short) video.
Gardening. My wife and I are fortunate to have a garden, which provides a great escape from work. Meditative, in many ways!
What are you really good at? What's your marketing superpower?
I obsess over unearthing unique and relevant human insights, that can then inspire fresh thinking. As humans, we're both simple and sophisticated at the same time, so to write engaging copy that people can connect with on an emotional level, is a great challenge.
What is the best project you've worked on since going freelance?
Recently, I worked with Adidas to launch the world's first 100% recyclable performance shoe, FUTURECRAFT LOOP. An incredible idea that provides a solution to one of the world's most prevalent issues; surplus waste.
Working with a great team to launch a great product – over 18 months – was a project that I'll always remember fondly.
What were you doing this time last year? What have you learnt or how have you changed since then?
This time last year, I was celebrating my first wedding anniversary with my wife, Jo. Since then, I've made life decisions that allow me to play to my strengths, and support causes that I hold dear.
Want to learn more about Alex? Take a look at his website www.alexmillswrites.co.uk and give him a follow on Instagram @thisisalexmills.
