Heather Flanagan, Founder of Spherical Cow Consulting + The Writer’s Comfort Zone
Name: Heather Flanagan
Founder: Spherical Cow Consulting and The Writer's Comfort Zone
Who is Heather Flanagan and what does she do?
I was supposed to be a librarian when I grew up. For the last 27 years, however, I somehow ended up in tech! As it turns out, tech needs all kinds, and these days I am a freelance consultant that is either writing technical documents, editing technical documents, or organizing and facilitating communities around technical documents.
In less than three sentences tell us about your company and what you do.
I love the communication aspects of making tech work shine, especially when it comes to writing, and I want to do them in a community that’s about the writing. That’s where The Writer’s Comfort Zone comes from. I started doing this on a small scale, here and there with friends, but it’s time to build a bigger table.
What does BEING a FoundHer mean to you?
It means showing up in a completely unexpected, non-traditional role and rocking it.
How do you support other female founders and women in business?
I work with some of the smartest, most technical people in the world, and yet I am a history major that was supposed to be a librarian. It really takes all kinds, and women need to see just how many roles are open to them. So I volunteer with groups like Women in Identity, and I promote myself on stage not because I want to speak, but because others need to see a woman owning the space.
At what point did you make your company a full time gig? How did you know the time was right?
Spherical Cow Consulting became a full-time thing in 2011. And it wasn't so much the time was right as it developed organically after I was laid off from a university where I was the Director of one of the central IT departments.
What lesson or skill did you take with you from a prior job to help you succeed in your role today?
If I had to pick just one, it would be an understanding of the need to bridge the communications gap between my techies and the rest of the world (like senior management or other departments).
Let’s talk social media—who handles it for your company (you, an internal team member, an outsourced solution?) and what is the secret to making it successful? What is the biggest challenge?
It's all me. And the only thing I can say about its success is that it is so powerfully my voice, my style, and my authenticity.
How did you land your first client?
Entirely by accident! I had been laid off from Stanford that Friday, and they were gracious enough to let me continue to attend a conference the following week. I stood up in front of the room of people from organizations around the US and said "Hi! Most of you know me, but just to clarify: my name is Heather Flanagan, recently at Stanford but I got laid off on Friday." The room nearly ran out of oxygen with the gasps. And as it turns out, several people had small pieces of work, though no one had a full time job. And so I started building my consultancy.
What is something you do differently from the industry standard?
I'm not just a tech writer and editor. I'm also a speaker. I facilitate groups. I manage projects. I do all the pieces and parts that are necessary to help make things happen. I only know of a few other people that do what I do, and we are constantly checking with the other to say "hey, can you take this client? I'm full up!"
What would you do differently if you were starting your business today?
I would have charged more from the get-go. Baby freelancers _never_ charge what they're worth, and then they spend the rest of their career trying to catch up.
What are three strategies you use to market your business, grow brand awareness and generate bottom line growth?
Regular blog posts and follow-on content on LinkedIn and IG.
Adding "and founder of The Writer's Comfort Zone" to my content, especially my blogs and my speaking engagements.
Attend conferences where the type of people I work with gather.
What was an obstacle you overcame to get your business where it is today?
The biggest obstacle without a doubt was myself and my belief in what I could accomplish. It's not easy being the least technical person in a room of brilliant geeks. It took nearly 6 years for me to really believe that I am as important and as smart as the others in the room; I just have a different (and equally important) area of expertise. The more I helped these brilliant people actually clarify their words and help them realize their goals, the more I realized I was providing value that they couldn't get any other way. Go, me!
Do you want to share your story and advice with the Dear FoundHer… community? CLICK HERE to submit your information.
Follow us on Instagram @dearfoundher and join our Facebook community for more conversation.
Make sure you tune in to Dear FoundHer… for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.
