I want a career outside the box. A career is like investing, you need a portfolio, or at least I do. Today there are around 1.1 million people in the UK working multiple jobs, making up 3.4 per cent of the workforce;

• 590,000 of these have multiple employee roles,
• 120,000 have multiple self-employment, and
• 420,000 combine employment and self-employment.

Of course, some are doing this because they need to make ends meet; others, however, do so by choice to pursue different interests whilst challenging and expressing themselves.

I have divided my time between consulting/project management and interim work with writing a book and blogging for the past few years. It does require sacrifices and thicker skin; up early, less socialising and working when others are resting but having an outlet for personal expression is utterly liberating. By default, you get better at everything (modesty is my forte, you see); creativity allows combining things that weren't linked before, which means a different way of thinking/looking at things and increasing expertise.

I am who I am - cosmopolitan, multilingual, a food lover, ballet fanatic, avid reader, passionate about music, art, theatre, I like painting and drawing (for self-expression not selling but hey, you never know...), tennis, rugby, visiting new places. And of course, I love fashion ( well I am a girl). A rounded individual with a multi-dimensional perspective that can benefit all aspects of my life. With a career outside the box. I am feminist in that I believe women can be and do anything they choose to if they want to, that is, supporting other women to succeed (let's have a women's club instead of the old boys' one).

However ( or I should say also?) I rejoice in being a woman, and I believe in sexuality. And this is not mutually exclusive (or inclusive) with being super smart, intellectual. Or in a super-serious profession. I must admit, though, that I have fought this inner battle in my blogging and social media outlets to only present my 'serious professional side' in fear it would affect my other career/s. Everybody deals with stereotypes, but I think women have it worse. Every woman I know battles with perception. Our culture tries to box women in tidy little boxes into specific categories, and I want women to understand that there is nothing to be ashamed of or choose one or the other ( feminine v serious). I am who I am and what I believe, and I do not want to apologise for that or be constrained by a job/profession/industry. I don't like or want to be boxed in anymore. Celebrities and models dib and dab into multiple fields and projects constantly, many times unrelated. Diversification is the name of the game. So why can't we all if we want to?