Hello. I'm Annie Ridout.

Author, journalist, ghostwriter, poet and life coach.

I send out personal essays, interviews, business tips and self-development tools weekly via this Substack. You can sign up here.

These articles are written for people who'd like to think more creatively about feminist issues, happiness, motherhood, work, wellbeing, tech and more - and to move forward with hope.

My writing has been described as "calm, clear, comforting and hopeful". And I've been described as "clever. But not too clever". So it'll never go over your head.

But it will get you thinking and doing.

I was delighted to be named as one of Substack’s ‘Featured Publications’ for 2023.

You can subscribe for free and you’ll get a bunch of articles you can read in their entirety, or you can contribute a small monthly amount and you’ll get access to everything.

Some popular articles include:

• Finding your day-to-day focus

• I've actually got a new job

• I'm having an identity crisis

• Why I'm no longer ambitious (and how you might like to re-think your own ambition)

• Forget external validation and do this

It's the best way to get regular writing from me and if you kindly decide to support my work by contributing a small amount each month, you'll get all the writing and self-development tools for the cost of a coffee.

Plus, we will together be proving that the real power lies in the hands of the creator.

Click here to join in: annieridout.substack.com/subscribe.

Back to the bio…

As a journalist, I've written for the Guardian, the Observer, Forbes, Grazia, Red Magazine, Stylist, Metro, the Telegraph, the Independent, the Evening Standard, Refinery29, You Magazine, Women's Health, iNews and more.

And I've been interviewed on BBC Woman's Hour, on a panel at Stylist Live, on the Sunday Times Style Secrets of the Side Hustle podcast, on Gaby Roslin's BBC Radio London show, The Jeremy Vine Show and for the Independent.

I’m also a trained and experienced life coach and on the coaching side of my career, I’ve been featured in Psychologies, the Independent, Women’s Health, Femail and Forbes, as well as dozens of podcasts.

If you like to be inspired and motivated by thoughtful articles, and to feel supported and like you’re part of a community - without having to show up at a certain time or in a certain place - you’re going to get a lot out of this Substack.

You’ll have self-development ideas, essays and journalism dropping into your inbox. You don’t have to log in anywhere. But you can also head to annieridout.substack.com and get stuck into the archives.

It’s the perfect antidote when you’re sick of scrolling on social and want to read something that will get you thinking differently.

My non-fiction books and poetry

As an author, I’ve had three books published. And I was the ghostwriter for a fourth, plus there’s a fifth in the pipeline.

My books

My latest book - Raise Your SQ: Transform your life with Spiritual Intelligence (Radar, 2023) - is full of tips, rituals, spiritual practices and coaching exercises that will help you to improve your life. I share my own spiritual journey, and interview leading figures to ask about theirs.

Before that, I wrote Shy: How being quiet can lead to success (4th Estate, 2021). This book - part-memoir, part research - reframes shyness as an attribute, rather than a flaw that needs fixing. It has helped thousands of people to embrace this personality trait.

My first book - The Freelance Mum: a flexible guide for better work-life balance (4th Estate, 2019) - is a guide to setting up as a freelancer after having a baby. Again, it's part-memoir, and is packed with tips for setting up as a freelancer/small business owner.

Poetry

I'm a poet, as well. Two of my poems have gone viral - 'I've just had a baby' and 'what I want', after being shared by thousands of women around the world, including Paloma Faith and Busy Philipps.

I turned them into prints and books, which sold globally - across Europe, the US, Australia, Canada.

I share my poetry on Instagram @annieridoutpoetry.

Behind the career…

Home-life...

I was born and raised in north London and had my own three children there but now we live in Somerset.

It's rather lovely - running through fields and meadows each morning, breathing in the fresh air, lighting fires in the garden.

I play the piano, guitar and handpan and compose my own music.

You can find me on Instagram: @annieridout / @annieridoutpoetry and Twitter: @annieridout.

Why is there a paywall on some of the articles?

Well, instead of pitching all my best ideas to write up as articles for newspapers and magazines, I now share them here. It means I can cover the issues that don’t get picked up because advertisers won’t be happy. It means I can write freely.

This is my main business now (alongside writing non-fiction books). It’s where I can share my writing and coaching with other women (and men) who are curious and like to be inspired. And it’s priced to make both accessible.

So if you’re able to spare a few pounds a month, I can continue to save my best ideas for you.

Whether you stay as a free subscriber, or contribute monthly/yearly, I’m very grateful to have you here.

Thank you.

Annie x

Share your thoughts

I genuinely love receiving emails from subscribers. I always respond. And paid subscribers are also welcome to start conversations with me in the comments and chat section - ask me questions, share your thoughts, ask for advice.