My Recession Survival Story

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my recession survival story

Recessions happen

And they’ll happen again, so it’s a good idea to not only prepare ourselves, and our businesses, but also think about what we’re consuming and listen to right now in the hope of staying sane and finding the little glimpses of hope and happiness. There are some positive things that can come out of challenging economic times, but where are those stories?

There is so much worry and anxiety out there right now, and I want to share a little bit of hope so I’m sharing my story from the recession of 2008 - it started out pretty damn doom and gloom but boy, was it an adventure and I have no regrets.

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at the start of my career

I was just at the start of my professional career as an Architect. I remember standing in a sandwich shop, at lunchtime, buying my lunch and looking over the newspaper front pages seeing graphics and headlines about the economic downturn and job loses. Naively, I didn’t think it would affect me. I knew it affected the economy, things like house prices but not me, not my job. I was in for quite a shock.

I had it all; a promising career, a boyfriend, and had just bought my first home. But then there’s never a good time for this kind of thing to happen.

chartered architect

When the recession hit, you could feel the atmosphere change. I was undertaking my professional exams to become a Chartered Architect. Studying hard, late one night, I got a call from my brother telling me that my Dad had passed away. I dropped everything and went to the hospital. Over the next few days, I stayed home with my family, and in that time my lovely new home was broken into and ransacked. My laptop was stolen, study notes and all.

My exams were looming and I had to get my head down and pass, if not for me, for my Dad and my family. The written exam was a 48hour test under examination conditions, so I was locked away in a back room of the office. This meant I was almost unaware of what was going on in the office, other than when I popped out for a cup of coffee. The atmosphere was different, not everyone was there and some were clearing their desks. At the end of day one, I had to know. My boss came into the room and I asked him if I still had a job. He told me they had to let me go.

I packed up everything and left. I left the office, the exam, called my Mum and sister who met me at my home with some comfort food. We ate, chatted, got upset, got angry, cried, and then I went back to my exam and got it done. A few weeks later I found out I passed.

A Chartered Architect at the start of my career, and unemployed. I managed to get a temporary contract and worked on some fabulous listed buildings, this gave me great experience but the contract came to an end.

Considering self-employment?

I looked into being self-employed but I had little experience and there were not a huge amount of jobs to go after. I needed something to focus on, put my energy and brain into so I set up Layoutlines. I was updating my CV and portfolio, and spending hours on LinkedIn. One day I got a message from a recruiter for a Design School in Singapore. It felt so surreal, out of the blue in a sea of unemployment and negativity. I followed up and was soon on a skype interview.

headed to India

They offered me a job teaching architectural design in one of their new campuses in India. I was to be part of the team setting up this campus, recruiting students, and then teaching their design degree programs. Within weeks, they flew me over to Singapore to be trained up and given the teaching materials before arriving in India, where the real adventure began.

the academic chapter

My time teaching was incredibly rewarding and I loved the staff I worked with. We built our campus, our curriculum, and our academic team. We had such a great atmosphere and created lots of cultural events, both local and international, for everyone to enjoy. It truly was a family, home away from home.

I spent almost four years in Bangalore and traveled to many other Indian cities to open campuses or visit them. I gave talks, held guest lectures and workshops, spoke at press conferences, and led study trips. It was a fabulous opportunity and gave me so much personal and professional growth - I simply don’t think I would have achieved the same if I had continued working as an Architect.

headhunted

It came full circle when I was approached by a university back in the UK to join their academic team. I turned them down but it had planted the seed and so I started looking for job opportunities back in Britain. I made the move as head of first-year for Interior Architecture at the Arts University Bournemouth in England and joined the international recruitment team as an Academic Advisor on trips to India, and later with the British Council.

it’s fate

In this time I had met Ingimar, my now husband, but in an odd twist of fate - something I had found great strength and belief in from ‘Mother India’ - I was sent on a recruitment trip to Iceland, and well, the rest is history.

been affected by a recession?

Share your story in the comments

Rules For When You're Your Own Boss

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Woohoo, you did it, you are your own boss. But now you need to make yourself some rules. In this post, I’m going to take you through some suggestions for rules for when you’re your own boss and ways to look after yourself and then stick to them.

Rules For When You're Your Own Boss

You are your own boss, and possibly the only employee

You need to listen to and look after your body. Looking after you, especially as a solo show, will make you more productive. Let’s write the plan and seriously take care of, love and invest in you. You are the boss of you and your empire so you need to look after the boss.

  1. Eat well

    you need to fuel your body and mind, not just your creativity

  2. Exercise, move your body

    even just for a quick lunchtime walk whilst listening to a podcast

  3. Learn

    keep your mind active with podcasts, books, courses, workshops, and documentaries

  4. Laugh out loud

    after all, laughter is the best medicine

  5. Breath, meditate

    I use the app Calm and highly recommend it

  6. Chill, nap

    I know it can feel counterproductive but it is actually very good for you and your next ideas

  7. Socialize

    get out of your comfort zone, get dressed up, and go somewhere new with good friends

  8. Network

    put yourself out there and meet people, push your boundaries and grow your connections

  9. Give back

    rewarding for everyone involved

  10. Reward yourself

    celebrate the wins, no matter how small, they’re all worth looking back on

Check-in with yourself every 30 minutes: 

How does your body feel? Have you been outside today? Take a break for 20mins. Close your eyes and take 3 long deep breathes. What is your posture like, probably needs a little adjusting? Are your shoulders down? Are you clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth? Frowning? When did you last drink some water? Get up, walk around, do some stretches and then get back to work.

What are some rules you’re setting?

Starting to write and keep a Gratitude List

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Gratitude List

Let’s take a minute to just stop everything to focus on what we have in the form of a Gratitude List. I get that this is a challenging time and it’s hard to find something to be grateful for - maybe you’ve lost your job, some income, a big client or you’re struggling with a drop in sales. It’s a difficult time for a lot of us right now and that’s why finding the good and focussing on what we do have is even more important. Pause the worry, and start to reflect on what you have.

Gratitude journaling

This is something you might have heard of, and whilst I don’t actively keep one, I do try to keep a list of positive things in my head - I call this my gratitude list. I believe we should actively put down in writing whatever thoughts are important and that whatever we put out into the world comes back to us.

Positivity and abundance

It’s important to focus on the positives, especially when we’re going through a tough time like right now. Look for the lessons, the things to be grateful for, and the abundance in your life. Ask yourself “what have or can I learn from or be grateful for in my day, the last few weeks/months, or even years”? List out what you have that you are grateful for, what opportunities have come your way, lucky moments, people you’ve met, and places you’ve gone. However big or small, they matter to you and in your life.

 

Let’s make a gratitude list

So I invite you to join me and write your list, here’s mine:

  1. A roof over our heads, a safe place to sleep, and hot showers

  2. Family and friends all over the world, and FaceTime

  3. Food for all of us, and a happy and healthy little girl who loves being fed

  4. *Enough financial security, and a rainy day fund

  5. Spring daylight, especially after the long stormy winter we’ve had here in Iceland

  6. My online community, my followers, you guys, and how much Community is coming out of this ‘new normal’

  7. My work, remote and flexible, which gives me a way to share value, and experience and make an impact

  8. An open mind, fresh ideas, and the ability to push through and make them happen

  9. Daily walks with Mia, a good buggy, and podcasts

  10. Support - I feel I give support to others and I always have the support of my Viking, Ingimar

 

This past year has been a tough one for us, but thankfully things are starting to lookup

 

There’s always something to be grateful for

Keep this list somewhere close and share it with your partner or a friend, if you like - when you get down or start to focus on those negative, scarcity thoughts and feel like things are getting out of control, pick up your list and find some grounding again. Remind yourself that you have enough, and you are enough and that you can always find something to be grateful for.

What are you grateful for?

Recession...Don't Panic

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Covid19 Recession

It’s a scary time for all of us but if you are sitting at home, worrying about how this will affect your or your partners’ work/business, current and future clients and customers, and overall income then this post is for you. 

The Coronavirus is serious, no one is immune and COVID-19 is on all of our minds. As we self-quarantine all over the world, here are some things you (and your family) can do to help weather the Coronavirus storm.

watch the video

Create Helpful Content For Others 

Just like this post, keep posting relevant information to your audience. 

Provide More Value To Your Community

Both online and off. 

Do your part and help an elderly or unwell neighbor out. Pop a note through the door offering to get supplies and write your phone number on it so they can call if they are lonely. 

Your online audience probably looks to you for value and advice, they respect you and your reassurance possibly means a lot. So don’t go quiet. Spread love and support amongst worry and fear. Give relevant information, ideas of things to do at-home, easy meal ideas, Netflix watch lists, TED talk recommendations, how to help in your community, and link to other content creators who are doing great stuff. 

  • DO post ‘time to reflect’ posts, self-care ideas, money-saving tips, DIY tips

  • DON’T be negative, scaremongering, or add to any panic

Improve Your Business Structure 

Whether you run a physical business, online business, juggle clients, make products or run passive streams, this will affect you in some way. 

If you have clients and customers, your number one responsibility is to make sure you are focusing on them, keeping them happy, and delivering on your work. Do not get distracted. People will be feeling more vulnerable and it’s easy for them to not spend money, to not invest, to not buy so make sure you are delivering on your end and treating your clients and customers like gold. Always. 

Focus on the backend of the business

  1. Get those blog posts that are sitting in your draft folder finished and published.

  2. Add pin-able images to your site and start pinning on Pinterest, you will see a return with traffic increase and potentially sales too.

  3. Update your email sequencing, I use Mailerlite and recommend them

  4. Add new email opt-ins and refresh your email sign-ups, your list is invaluable at a time like this.

Passive Income

It’s not too late to start brainstorming ways to toughen up and possibly add more passive income. Passive income is a great way to invest your time into something which will add value and bring revenue over time, with less effort in time (making money in your sleep). 

For example, if you have ever thought about making a product then focus your time and mind on designing that product. If you have something to teach, a skill you can pass on, then consider planning the curriculum to teach an online course. These forms of ‘passive income’ can literally make you money whilst you sleep, and can be a huge undertaking initially but pay off in the long term. If you foresee a quiet period ahead, start thinking outside the box and diversifying in your business structure to help in a possible recession. 

As an entrepreneur, this hasn’t affected my business too much as of yet because all my work is online. I write blog posts, create social media content, upload videos to YouTube, sell products and teach online. If I need to meet someone, I can do that on Skype, FaceTime, zoom. 

Right now, more people are at home and looking for things to do so videos and courses are ideal. 

This is what I have added in the last year

Update Your Website & Graphics

Give your social media, online presence, and CV some love and possibly overdue attention. I often leave my CV and portfolio until I have some ‘downtime’ and can update the images and information. Social media is something we are often on every day but updating bio’s and header graphics can bring a new lease of life and possibly attract new clients. Offer to do this for others, you never know where it might lead also. 

Security Blanket

It’s human nature to panic, at times like this we can go into survival mode BUT this is not the time to panic. When we panic, we tend to make bad decisions and act out of character, dramatic and often selfish. Think about your long-term planning and goals. Don’t act on fear now. Be mindful of your spending. Don’t panic buy, hoard supplies, or binge on something. 

The best way to weather a storm is to be prepared - this is when a ‘rainy-day fund’ of cash comes in very handy. We all know ‘cash is king’ meaning having access to money, not having it tied up in bonds, stock, property, etc. Recessions happen, and they will happen again, so if you don’t have a fund then start to make one and don’t touch it. Stash a 3-6 month budget, you may be very grateful for it someday. 

Recessions Happen

Learn from this, and the last recession, and prepare for the next recession. Be proactive and plan so you can ride the wave of recession. 

READ - How I Survived The Credit Crunch

If You Have Money, See The Opportunity

It sounds bad but if you have some money to play with, if you’re lucky enough, then this is the time to seek out opportunity and invest in the stock market. At times like this, the stock market is very reflective of the situation and fear. If you can see opportunity whilst everyone else is panicking then you will come out on top. Think long term, play the long game. Investors invest in stock at times like this because they know the market will turn around, eventually. 

Keeping Little Kids Entertained At Home

I have Mia home right now - not because we are quarantined, just to be clear - so here is some Instagram accounts that might help if you’re at home with little people:

And remember to go out for fresh air, a walk around the block or to a local park probably won’t mean interacting with too many people and if it does, try to keep a 2m distance apart.

Invest In Yourself

  • Catch up on reading

  • Binge-watch Netflix

  • Catch up on vlogs (wink wink)

  • Use this time to learn and take an online course like Skillshare

  • Watch some TED talks, teach your kids stuff

  • Teachers Pay Teachers - an inexpensive online store to help you teach any subject

  • Get some fresh air (try to stay 2m apart from others)

  • Have a spa day

  • Clean the house, declutter

  • Stick a good playlist on and have a dance party (just you, haha)

  • Finish those craft projects

  • Jump on YouTube and learn a new skill (knitting, editing, whatever)

  • FaceTime friends and call people

  • do some ‘quick meals for busy mums’ meal prep - amenuforyou

This Craziness Will Pass

Do Not Panic.

Stay home, stay safe. 

Take care of yourself.

Invest in yourself, use this time wisely. 

Yes, we might all catch some for of the Corona Virus so keep that in mind but by staying home we are all doing our bit to help slow the spread down, and that way the health care services can cope better. It’s not worth risking the health of others. You might feel that you are healthy and not affected, or could fight it off BUT it’s not necessarily you that you need to be concerned with - think of those you could carry it to.

how are you coping, do you have a plan in place?

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Sonia Nicolson

Architect & former University Lecturer turned Entrepreneur. I help female Entrepreneurs successfully Design & Build their Creative Businesses in Interior Design, Architecture & Urban Sketching.

Do What You Love, and the sh*t that comes with it

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Do What You Love, and the sh*t that comes with it

What does ‘doing what you love’ really mean, and look like?

Since moving to Iceland 4 years ago now, I have worked for myself. Working for myself is an easy phrase to type or say but the action of making it happen and being successful, as in profitable, is a different story. Working for myself looks like running this blog, posting on Instagram (now 2 accounts), collaborations, filming editing and uploading videos to YouTube, running an Etsy shop, commissions, online course creation, client interior and architecture projects and all the marketing and admin that come with it. I don’t say yes to everything, it’s not all fun and games. I’ve learnt many lessons along the way so I wanted to take a minute and discuss what working for yourself and ‘doing what you love’ really looks like.

Build a life you love

People today seem to think that they can find their passion and do that every day, all day long. Easy, right? Your life will be amazing. Your work will be wonderful. You’ll never be bored. You’ll never get stressed. You’ll never have money worries, and you’ll only do what you want to do.

In reality, all that is kind of false.

Everyone’s an Entrepreneur

I feel like I hear this everywhere I turn right now. On blogs, Instagram, podcasts, YouTube, Facebook. Maybe that’s just a reflection of what I’m listening to and attracting but is it true? Are we in a generation of entrepreneurs?

Most entrepreneurs start out either with an idea or a solution. The main aim is to make a difference, either in someone’s life or as an impact on the world. A lot of these entrepreneurs will claim they can teach you how to ‘build a life you love’, ‘'build your business’, ‘build your following’, etc and a lot of them are very successful at it - if you’re willing to put in the hard work then hopefully you’ll see results. This can, of course, make a difference in your life, work and purpose. But then it doesn’t appeal or apply to everyone. Not everyone wants to, or should, be their own boss.

80/20

Running your own business can take about 80% of your time (spent on marketing, admin, etc) to allow for the creative part, that part that you’re really passionate about, and there’s only 20% of your time remaining. It’s a juggle and a struggle, and it’s not often how you imagined you’d be spending your time.

Live a Creative Life

As creatives, our personalities don’t necessarily lend themselves to being the boss - at least not straight away. My advice is to build up loads of experience, learn from others. Work in different companies, on different projects, with different clients, and budgets, and problems. Try hard, ask questions, work late, stick around, sit in on meetings you don’t need to be in (if allowed), offer ideas, find solutions, build your confidence.

I’m not one to quote Oprah but she said “Are you going to get bored with your job, yes. Are you going to get restless, yes. Are you going to love every second of it, no”…“Your job is not always going to fulfil you.” And of course she’s right, there will be days where you don’t feel like going…go anyway. “Your job is not who you are, it’s just what you’re doing on the way to who you will become.”

Building a working framework isn’t glamorous

Routine is important in life, in work, in our jobs and in building a framework for our future self. Think of your future self. Think back 1, 2, 5, 10 years ago and imagine what you would say to yourself about growth and personal development. Now think 1, 2, 5, 10 years ahead and start working on what that future self needs, now. Massive question…Are you happy in your life, where it’s going and in what you have achieved so far? If no, doing just read on, it’s time to make a plan and start it today.

Become an Expert

Routine can be boring, mundane but the action of doing something over and over and over again, eventually makes you become an expert. Over that time you will no doubt get good at it. Now apply this thinking to your skillset, especially the items you aren’t so keen on; sketching, CAD, writing, presenting, making phone calls.

This has helped me with things like working under pressure. Sure, it gets easier with time, you learn how to respond to pressure and priorities. Juggling it all is something I still find challenging, and probably will for a long time; projects, clients, employees (haha Ingimar), contractors (both online and off), suppliers (both online and off), and deadlines.

Clients

Working with clients is possibly one of the best and most challenging parts of my work. The best for obvious reasons; you wouldn’t be working without them, but clients often don’t understand the process, or that they might not be your only client at one time, yet they will demand your attention and creativity whether you’re ready or not. I’ve had a client give a project brief on a Monday and they’ve expected ideas to follow pretty much instantly.

“It doesn’t matter what you do and how much you love it, you will still have a tonne of sh*t you have to deal with in order to do what you love.” - Marie Forleo

Wearing all the hats

Facing the good and the bad in business is a necessity, it’s just how it works. Working for myself means I wear many hats, some I don’t like as much as others, some I wish I didn’t have to wear (especially on Monday mornings). For me, like many, that’s unanswered emails and following up on phone calls. But my biggest pet business peeve is having to chase up fees from clients who haven’t paid - it’s so disrespectful and rude.

Be your own Boss, in time

Having said all that, I love it and it’s all worth it. I love Layoutlines, I love Iceland Family Life, I love my work, I love working for myself and I love that I’m building my little empire. But remember it takes time. Respect the time it takes to build your empire. Those who rush, make mistakes.

Yes, I get impatient at times, I want to see the numbers higher and the pressure less. But all of that comes from my boss; me. That’s what being your own boss sometimes looks like. And that’s completely normal, we all do it. So I keep on writing these blog posts, picking up my camera, doing commissions, designs for clients, chasing fees, opening emails, and replying to DMs. You just have to do the ‘sh*t’ to make the good stuff keep happening.

Let’s embrace all the stuff we don’t necessarily love about building our empires and think of our future self. Turn up to work, even when we don’t want to. And once we are in a routine, going with the flow, open to new ideas - that’s when the magic will happen. What do you think?

An Instagram Guide To Reykjavik

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Instagram is like a travel photobook and I often look up places I am visiting to see what it looks like and get some ideas for posts too. So if you are like me, and are planning a trip to Reykjavik, here are my top 10 Instagram spots in Reykjavik - why not tag me @sonianicolson so I can see where you went.

Hallgrimskirkja Church (front & back of church)

Known as the big church, but note it is not the Cathedral in Reykjavik and sits proudly on the hill smack bang in the centre of town. It’s said to be inspired by an erupting geyser, and its bold and brutal architectural form certainly is dramatic. Go inside to take in the calm and minimal Scandi interior, listen to the magnificent organ, and take the lift to the top to enjoy 360 views across the city (on a clear day).

Icelandic Houses (in general)

Walking around downtown, you’ll see many picturesque corrugated-iron-clad houses, in many colours. Many of these houses have been in the same family for generations and are protected by the citi’s Planning Regulations. The original houses were typically constructed in timber with a stone coal store but after a large fire broke out years ago, construction changed to concrete. The corrugated iron was imported from the UK and used to cover wooden external work to protect it from the harsh Icelandic winter storms.

A cinnamon bun from Brauð & Co

Food, coffee, yay. This bakery is a treat for the eyes, nose, and stomach. The shopfront displays an abstract mural depicting Iceland’s landscape complete with mountains, moss, snow, volcanic eruptions, and the Northern Lights - or that’s what we see in it. Step inside and grab yourself a delicious cinnamon bun.

Street Art on & around Laugavegur (Tie Mural, etc)

The city has many murals on display across its buildings, by local and international artists. This is encouraged and some are well worth a wander to see.

Polar Bears on Laugavegur

A little touristy but the Polar bears standing guard on Laugavegur make for a fun picture - don’t worry, they’re not real and are washed every year.

‘Rainbow Road’ - bottom of Skólavörðustígur

The city used to paint a rainbow in different locations every year in chalk before they decided to paint it permanently in 2019 at the bottom of Skólavörðustígur. You can get a great picture from here, looking up towards Hallgrimskirkja.

Sólfarið (Sun Voyager sculpture)

This Viking ship sculpture, located in the bay, makes for a very dramatic picture with Mt Esja in the background.

Harpa Concert Hall

Come in and get warm. This beautiful modern concert hall is a fabulous public building so enjoy the outside but also pop in to warm up, use the toilet, get free WiFi and enjoy the views from the 5th floor. The building is inspired by fish scales and the glass is illuminated at night in colours to show off a display resembling the Northern Lights.

Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur’s for a traditional hot dog

Order a hot dog ‘with everything’ to fully enjoy the Icelandic hot dog experience, and have a look inside the hut to spot a picture of Bill Clinton at this very hot dog stand - which has withstood recent modern developments all around it.

Tjorinn (the pond and City Hall)

Get your bearings. Inside the city hall is a topographic map of Iceland which gives a great perspective of the landscape, its glaciers, and coastline. The pond outside freezes over in winter and locals skate on it, but a small section is kept defrosted for the resident swans and ducks.

Bonuses, in & around Reykjavik

  1. Grotta Lighthouse (and foot bath)

    Just outside the city, head west along the coast until you get to the Grotta Lighthouse. This makes for a nice, but windy, walk but there is a little thermal pool here which is big enough to sit with your feet in and enjoy the view. This is also a good spot for the Northern Lights, if you can see them here then it is worth a drive further from light pollution.

  2. Reykjavik’s’ Old Harbor

    A great area to wander around, grab some fish and chips or lobster soup, and explore the harbour. Seabarinn is a good spot for some lobster soup.

  3. Perlan

    A few minute’s drive south of the centre is Perlan or the Pearl. This is the city water tower but home to a fabulous exhibition on Iceland with a planetarium of the Aurora Borealis and an artificial ice cave. The cafe on the top floor is great and the views from here on a clear day are fabulous.

  4. Cafe Flóran Bistro

    The cafe is located in the City’s botanical gardens and is only open in the summer months, check their Facebook page. The cakes here are delicious and the setting is beautiful.

  5. Árbæjarsafn Open-Air Folk Museum

    A very cool outdoor exhibition displaying buildings from years gone by. Step inside an old Icelandic home, see objects from the past and learn about construction and more. Staff are in costume and the site is near Elliðaárdalur where the waterfall below is.

  6. Einar Jónsson Sculpture Garden

    This sculpture garden is right beside Hallgrimskirkja, walk over the road and turn left. The garden is a little escape and full of bold and dramatic pieces which represent biblical stories or that of the Icelandic Sagas.

  7. Nauthólsvík geothermal beach

    Out near the domestic airport and past the University buildings is Nauthólsvík which is a nice little beach where you can spot some brave souls swimming but also you can enjoy the small pool here. Check times as it does close for cleaning.

  8. Mt Esja

    A hike that rewards you with a view across to the city, Mt Esja is the ‘table mountain’ of Reykjavik.

  9. Imagine Peace Tower

    The light that shines straight up from an island in the bay is the Yoko Ono Peace Tower. This is only light in winter but can be seen from all over Reykjavik.

  10. Elliðaárdalur Waterfall

    A beautiful park with an incredible waterfall right in the city, Elliðaárdalur is a fabulous walk and the waterfall is easy to find and well worth it.