The Green Pea Podcast

We're approaching a controversial topic this week in a bit of departure from our usual light-hearted tips and tricks offering.

Are women-only groups ethical and fair?

They've become popular, especially over lockdown, but what is it about them that is so appealing to women? Having spent years infiltrating men-only groups, waving the equality flag, isn't it about time we opened the doors to men? Why is there discomfort about this?

And what of our recent rethinking of gender binaries? Does this make the water even muddier?

Whether you're a signed-up member or you're someone on the outside looking in, listen to two seasoned group-goers and their opinions about why these safe spaces are energetically unique, safe and an increasingly appealing place to connect, sell and refer.

What's the way forward? How do we welcome everyone to the party whilst preserving the good thing we've found?

In this episode word nerds Emma and Amanda explore tone of voice in copy and share a few expert tips on finding the right pitch. When should you keep things formal and detached and when can you relax into a friendlier tone? What are the pitfalls of both and what can you do to show up as yourself?

Having written, created or edited countless pieces of writing between them for professionals across the ethical, wellbeing and coaching sectors, they share advice on removing creativity blocks, getting personal and the importance of taking time to think about what your story is.

Mulling over the nature of keywords, how lack of confidence can lead to sounding like everyone else and when it might be OK to unleash the potty-mouth, the lexicon liberators delve into the joy thieves of writing and what you can do to get rid of them. 

Are you a solopreneur? Feeling a little lonely?

In the first of their second season, Emma and Amanda return in a slightly less ranty fashion to celebrate getting together with a like-minded business buddy to publish a blog or a podcast.

There are times when it's terrific to work on your own – you've got a deadline to meet or a content strategy to beaver away at and the only things keeping you going are your bottomless teacup, a stack of hobnobs and a door between you and the rest of the world. 

That said, there are times when bouncing ideas off another human is just the ticket for boosting your confidence and experimenting with a new approach.

Is it a good idea? What if you're left in the lurch? What will you get out of it?

The wordy nerdy duo explore these questions and more as they knock around the concept of collaboration and its comfortable cohabitee, content co-creation.

Dirty words

We've all done it - read something so pithy, witty, sparkly or so utterly sharp and perceptive that we spend a moment wishing we'd written it ourselves. But remember, no matter how obscure the source, the cut-and-paste gremlin should be shut firmly away at all times, unless his kinder cousin, the reference fairy is invited to join the party.

Where does your data go?

Where are all our streaming box sets stored? And do our digital habits have any effect on the environment?

Terms like the cloud make it sound like our images, video and emails are out there in the ether but they aren't - they're all down here on solid ground. The fact is, all this data is stored on huge server computers and these take energy both to run and cool (not to mention the power and infrastructure required to run this information around the world).

So what are the implications of all this data use and is there anything we can do to reduce our footprint? In this episode, Amanda and Emma mull over the serious issues, as well as some solutions with tea and a huge bun.

Don't forget to like, share and comment if you've enjoyed today's episode.

When they're not eating, drinking and talking shop, Emma is a busy proofreader and website copyeditor and Amanda's a copywriter, writing coach and brand language specialist. Check them out here:

The word sustainably is rather shaky

A little shady and more than a smidge shoddy if it's not used honestly. In this episode, word nerds Emma Hewlett (website and copy proofreader) and Amanda Fearn (ethical copywriter and writing coach) discuss the pitfalls of the sustainability badge when the materials don't meet the morals. 

What does the term mean? How can it be applied in a clandestine manner? And what can you look out for to make sure you're not duped?

It all started with Emma buying a pair of trousers for a wedding and ended up with Emma discussing her misgivings about the term over beetroot daal with Amanda.

Is marketing making you feel uncomfortable?

If you've been told that FOMO, false scarcity and pressure selling are the way to market your business but they don't sit comfortably with you, then it's time to trust your gut. The psychology of selling is big business but just because you can do something, does it mean that you have to? All marketing is arguably emotional manipulation but how far is too far and can you make a living whilst being able to look at yourself in the mirror.

Here's the truth: you don't have to do anything that makes you feel shitty, in fact, you should stand up and question it. In this episode, word nerds Amanda and Emma do just that over a cup of tea and a few figgy rolls. Join the girls as they chat about ethical and green marketing, the power of attraction, feel-good messaging and writing with compassion.