Jenny Holliday reflects on Dolly Parton's death, sharing memories of seeing her perform at Glastonbury and portraying her at a friend's hen party. She celebrates Parton's music, philanthropy, individuality and business success, then applies several of her quotations to career development: changing direction, adapting to circumstances, accepting setbacks, taking risks, continuing meaningful work and identifying one's purpose. The piece connects Parton's example to Holliday's own freelance community and career-coaching work.

Work thoughts and career concerns often surface during holidays, and they do not necessarily need to be suppressed. Before leaving, workers should set clear out-of-office boundaries, complete only essential tasks and leave work devices behind where possible. Negative work thoughts can be managed by limiting phone use and journaling, while exciting ideas should be recorded for later rather than allowed to dominate the trip. Anyone considering quitting should avoid making an impulsive announcement and instead assess finances, career options and practical next steps. Once home, turning holiday insights into change requires a concrete plan, protected time and appropriate support.

Jenny Holliday reflects on performing stand-up comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2014 and draws career lessons from the experience. She emphasizes the value of promoting one’s work directly, taking risks despite the possibility of failure, and maintaining enough self-belief to try unfamiliar opportunities. The experience brought excitement and new perspectives even though it did not lead to a professional comedy career.

August’s quieter work period, traditionally known in the media as “Silly Season,” can be used productively rather than treated as dead time. Suggested activities include mining out-of-office replies for new contacts, attending networking or coworking events, updating LinkedIn and a CV, improving website SEO, planning social media or a newsletter, completing neglected administrative tasks, seeking development opportunities at work, continuing job applications, exercising, and launching delayed projects. Holliday also promotes a discounted £99 coaching Power Hour available during August and mentions the forthcoming Freelance Media Network.

A personal account of discovering The Flaming Lips at Latitude Festival becomes a reflection on career happiness. Jenny Holliday argues that fulfilling work requires knowing who you are, understanding what you want, staying focused on your values and offering, and resisting pressure to imitate others. Feedback and other people’s feelings still matter, but authentic work is more likely to attract the right audience. She applies this principle to her new project, The Freelance Media Network, and promotes her coaching services for people seeking clarity about their focus and unique offering.

Jenny Holliday argues that managing work-related noise is better achieved by controlling its volume than by eliminating it. She recommends intentionally curating LinkedIn feeds, social media, inboxes and networking activities; muting or unfollowing triggering content when necessary; allowing time to recover after events; and increasing engagement with communities and content that are genuinely valuable. She emphasizes that comparisons with other people’s career successes can reveal personal goals and insecurities, and that stressful feelings will eventually pass.

Jenny Holliday reflects humorously on discovering the CV she wrote in 1998 and uses it to offer modern CV advice. She recommends removing unrelated hobbies and interests, highlighting concrete software and transferable skills, including recent and relevant qualifications, and presenting job responsibilities accurately and compellingly. The old CV also prompts nostalgic memories of early work, family influence and changing workplace expectations.

Jenny Holliday announces The Freelance Media Network, a curated private community for staff, freelance and contract media professionals across journalism, PR, design, photography, podcasting, radio, television and related fields. Planned features include networking, co-working, workshops, courses, a jobs board, Q&A sessions and in-person meetups. The initiative builds on Holliday’s nearly two decades of experience running the 10,000-plus-member No1 Freelance Media Women Facebook group, which will be archived at the end of September as the new network launches away from Facebook. Membership will be limited to people whose primary work is in or with the media, with applications expected to open in July 2026.

Jenny Holliday imagines the title and episodes of a documentary about her life and career, including her early journalism work, freelance periods, travels, move to the Cotswolds, transition into coaching and experiences of redundancy. She emphasizes that the story would need to address failures, loneliness, bullying and toxic managers as well as professional successes. Rejecting the idea that abusive bosses are simply a useful rite of passage, she argues that poor management can cause lasting harm to mental health and careers. The imagined final episode focuses on shedding her former byline, becoming a coach and writer, and building a new professional identity. She closes by inviting readers to imagine their own documentaries and promotes an upcoming media-visibility webinar for small business owners.

Post-interview rejection can trigger disappointment, anger, shame, anxiety and sometimes relief, particularly after applicants have imagined a future in the role. Job seekers are encouraged to acknowledge these emotions, take a short break before applying for more positions, and reflect on whether the role actually matched their goals and dealbreakers. While feedback can be useful when employers provide specific reasons, requesting an explanation after a generic rejection may not change the outcome, so focusing on future opportunities is often more constructive. Career coaching and practical support with CVs, LinkedIn profiles, applications and interviews can also help job hunters regain direction.