Lucy BLOOM
SHE WRITES ARTICLES
Lucy Bloom is a a professional conference speaker who also writes articles for the media and publishes here on an irregular basis. Part rant, part knowledge sharing, this is a bank of growing articles with a professional development slant. If a question is asked many times, it might become an article right here. Enjoy.
From Doom Scroll to Bloom Scroll
A couple of months ago, I created a new Instagram account. A fresh start. Then I followed only one type of account: ART. Something cool happened.
The 7 signs of ageing
This headline doesn’t sound like me at all. She’s been hacked! The ‘seven signs of ageing’ have been a marketing ploy my whole life. Normal skin characteristics like ‘visible pores’ have become features that big brands like Olay and Nivea have turned into a problem.
Protest fashion: how the humble T shirt became an agent of change
Women have been using fashion to protest oppression since the suffragettes owned the colour purple, but it was the good ol’ fashioned T-shirt and screenprinting technology that delivered a relatively cheap billboard for rage, writes Lucy Bloom.
Everything I know about obstetric fistula
Once upon a time, I was the founding CEO of a multi-million dollar Australian charity which funded a network of hospitals and a midwifery school in Ethiopia.
No creative flow? Have longer showers
Humans are unique mammals for our creativity and knack for storytelling. However, we also overthink and ruminate which is a significant weakness of the species, crippling for many. Overcome the story you tell yourself, allow for an environment that is juicy for ideas and you too can be truly creative.
Not quite a punch in the face, but close
I was 49.5 years old when I was first introduced to the social phenomenon referred to as ‘lateral violence’. I was at the beginning of a three-month online bullying campaign against me executed by women, all between the ages of 17 and 28. They were young enough to be my kiddies, some of them out to destroy me like their next Saphora voucher depended on it.
Cyberbullying: A story of revenge
Lucy Bloom discovers that cancel culture is sometimes just a cool word for cyberbullying and the outcomes can be surprisingly positive or devastatingly final, depending on your mental health.
Why Q and As are total fizzers
A very common format for events is keynote speaker followed by ‘Q and A with the audience’. I have not hosted Q and As after a conference speech of mine since 2018. Why? They kill the mood faster than a minute’s silence for the Queen.
How to give good
It’s that time of year again when we make donations because the tax deduction will be forthcoming sooner rather than later. Every year I post my advice on how to make the most of your charitable giving… so buckle up. Here are my top 7 giving tips and then my top 7 charities list for 2023.
How to give a killer conference speech
I’ve been a professional keynote speaker for more than 15 years and full-time conference speaker since 2017, so it is fair to say I have seen a lot of speakers do their thing, from brilliant to utterly horrific. If you would like to brush up, here’s my top 10 listicle on what you need to know to add ‘killer speaker” to your skillset.
Why I will never work full time again
International conference speaker, Lucy Bloom, walked away from her third CEO role in 2017, never to return to full time senior executive life again. Here she explains why she made that radical decision after 30 years of full time work, and has never been happier or healthier.
A rabbi walks into a bar… and tells his birth story
Now is the perfect time to celebrate dudes, dads and their unique perspective on birth, doncha think? When I first published Cheers to Childbirth a decade ago, the men I interviewed couldn’t wait to tell me about their rite of passage. World champion boxer Danny Green punches people in the face for a living, but he had a tear in his eye when he spoke of the birth of his babies and the strength of their mother as she birthed
Working from home: like a boss
Suddenly half the world is working from home and many of us have new workplace surroundings to adapt to. Remember folks, it’s not the most intelligent or fittest of the species who will survive, it’s those who can swiftly adapt to change. I’ve spent huge chunks of my career working from home, so here are my top ten tips for working good in the ‘hood: Dress for work. PJs make you work like a slob. Make your bed and “go
Why so stingy? The Neuroscience of generosity
Generosity is an interesting beast. As an ex-charity CEO, I have seen it expressed in many different ways. The best kind of generosity comes with warmth and good old NSA – no strings attached. This kind of generosity is glorious to witness and is the backbone of charity work all over the world. The worst kind smacks you over the head with their husband’s cheque book.
How ordinary people achieve the extraordinary
We are all ordinary. Every single one of us is an ordinary person who has a set of talents, opportunities, challenges and experiences to work with. Whether we turbocharge those into greatness or lie on the couch is usually entirely up to us. But to start with, we are all ordinary to the core.
Why events must always host welcome to country
I attend a lot of events all over Australia as a professional speaker and I have noticed a trend. When events are hosted by government, they are always opened with a Welcome to Country from a local indigenous person. At the very least there’s an Acknowledgement of Country from one of us blow-ins. However, outside schools, government departments and council events, this basic sign of respect for the traditional custodians of the land is a bit hit and miss in
Procrastination: how I punched it in the face
Procrastination: I usually bake cakes when I have something big and important looming that I know I need to knuckle down and get done. Procrasti-cakes I call them. Sometimes I even write Procrasti-blogs. When I am in the office I dive down the rabbit hole of the email inbox rather than do something I’ve been avoiding.
Book club notes: Get the girls out
Thank you for choosing Get the Girls Out for your book club! I can’t tell you how fabulous the happy tingles feel throughout my little body, now that people are reading, enjoying and talking about this book. And book clubs take the discussion to the next level.
Kissing a stranger: my first day on a film set
This year I did something I have never done before. I auditioned for a part in a feature film. The casting people asked me to make a self-tape monologue audition video, which I filmed on my phone on a cold Sunday in June, hit send and hoped for the best. I didn’t get the part I auditioned for but was asked to be an extra in a pivotal scene. A fantasy scene – on a real film set.
Run for your life
Have you ever wondered why African nations have the best middle and long distance runners on earth? Ethiopians and Kenyans have high altitude on their side with lungs developed from the day they are born to suck every last bit of oxygen from the air. So when they run at sea level, the higher oxygen levels turbocharge their blood supply like jet fuel. But why is running such a popular and prestigious sport all over Africa?
Travel hacks from the speaker’s trail
The last few years have put me on a lot of planes. After spending 10 years toing and froing from Ethiopia and then a torturous stint in Cambodia, I was well accustomed to rough travel. The longest I went without a shower was ten days in the boondocks of rural East Africa. Fast forward to today and I am on the speaker’s trail, giving keynotes to corporate audiences on doing business differently, courage, killer communication and maverick thinking.
How to crack the speaker circuit
I am asked how to crack the speaker circuit by aspiring professional speakers at least twice a week, so to save you buying me a coffee, here are my top ten tips for how to get your story on the stage, paid.
Lucy’s top ten tips for self-publishing a bestseller
Saddle up for my hard-earned tips on self-publishing. My first book, Cheers to Childbirth was published in 2010 and while people keep breeding, that book keeps selling. I never recommend paying for a “self-publishing program” with a consultant. Honestly, if they were so ace at it, they’d be publishing books, not showing you how for cash. Do it yourself with these pearls of wisdom in your corner, and reap the rewards.
42 things I know, now that I’m 42
I never read introductions to list blogs, so let’s just dive in. These are in the order they fell out of my head. Lucy’s top life learnings from 42 years on Earth. Ready, spaghetti, go.
What Cambodia has taught me: lessons from a legend
For the last little while I have been traveling in Cambodia. When a legendary Aussie asks you to come for a visit, you don’t say no.
Lucy’s top tips for search engine optimisation
CALLING ALL WEBSITE OWNERS: Here are my top tips for improving your website’s ranking in search engine results. If you are a webmaster you need to handle your own SEO. Simple as that. It is an ongoing beast that needs regular tweaking but it’s not that tricky. When your site appears in the organic search results, that’s FREE traffic to your website. Smash the SEO on your website before you go paying for sponsored Google advertising. Here we go…
How to build a volunteer army
Volunteers are the backbone of the not-for-profit sector. What other industry can build a workforce on free, willing labour? So listen up charities, stop yer whinging about being poor and fist pump the air because you have access to the most cost effective and passionate army in the universe! Here are my tips for how to build the best volunteer team. I’ve learned the knack over 20 years of building teams and working with volunteers.
The freaks shall inherit the earth
I picked up a copy of Chris Brogan’s latest book at Social Media Marketing World #SMMW15 in San Diego earlier this year. Chris was a speaker at what has become one of the world’s largest social media conferences. I bought a bunch of books this year but it’s this book that I have read first. The title spoke to me. I’m a misfit and a weirdo. World domination sounds good to me. And with endorsements from the likes of Seth
Top 10 tips for sharp, successful communication
I never read introductions to top 10 lists, do you? Let’s just dive straight in. Here are my top tips for sharp, successful communication.
Lucy’s top 5 tips for wrangling Facebook for free
I joined Facebook in 2007, originally to stay in touch with the doctors I met on my travels in Ethiopia. FB soon became my communication platform of choice. Here are some tips to get your head around the Facebook algorithm and make the most of free organic reach for your FB business page.
About
LUCY BLOOM
Lucy was born on a farm in Africa and went to law school then art school before she began her career in advertising. She has always been a communicator: visually, verbally and the written word.
In 2010, when she was neck-deep as the creative director of an advertising agency, Lucy Bloom wrote her first book – a niche title specifically written to solve a problem. Men are expected to attend the birth of their baby but no one was telling them how.
Her second book, a memoir, was commissioned by HarperCollins and published in 2019. That book has become a calling card for Lucy’s approach to life: just give it a red hot go.
In 2021, when much of the world was in lockdown, Lucy wrote her third book and her first novel which was published in 2023. A sequel is on the make.