Imposter syndrome gets a bad rap, but it can be rocket fuel, says Rita Clifton.

'It's a drive, you know, go with it and use it.... you worry that you're not going to be good enough, and you stretch yourself. That's when you grow most.'

As well as talking about her own extraordinary career, from a working-class family to Cambridge and then on to top roles at Saatchi & Saatchi, Interbrand and more, plus a portfolio of non-executive directorships for businesses and environmental groups, she talks about how writing has become a passion and how she goes about it. 

A deeply satisfying conversation, full of inspiration and also practical tips for working and writing better. 

Q: What do you get when you throw together a bunch of people all working on different business writing projects into a 2-week virtual retreat? 

A: Lots, it turns out. 

If you're listening to this podcast you already know how valuable writing is for your business, but that doesn't mean it's easy. In this special episode, eight participants in the most recent Practical Inspiration Virtual Writing Retreat share what they learned over the two weeks. Discover why writing doesn't always look like writing, simple tools to get you unstuck and clarify your thinking, the power of focus and the pull of distraction, and why precommitment works. 

'Writing is a way of doing something physically while thinking deeply, it's a container for deep thought in your life. If you think about it that way, it's a really wonderful thing to make time for in your life.'

Anne Janzer's mission is to 'help people spread important ideas by writing'. In this conversation we talk about why that matters and what it looks like in practice. What IS the process of writing? Spoiler alert: it starts long before the actual writing. Inspiring, energising and relentlessly practical.

Yes it's a cliché that writing is a journey, but that's because it's TRUE. In this week's Best Bits episode I look back over the last few conversations in The Extraordinary Business Book Club and highlight the ways in which my guests have been shaped and changed, and moved forwards in their lives, by the experience of writing their books. Do you recognise any of these? 

• Tom Cheesewright on how working with an editor turned his whole message on its head
• Rob Law on how an editor spotted the pivotal moment that made sense of his story
• Katy Granville-Chapman and Emmie Bidston on the importance of psychological safety and the value of supportive criticism
• Richard Fox on making connections through writing 
• Gemma Milne on the transcendent joy of research and the dull slog of actual writing
• Marianne Page on trying out new ways to write and the importance of deadlines
• Tony Crabbe on what you discover about yourself when you write a book in 16 days
• Rachel Bridge on what happens when the book spills off the page and into your life
• Sasha Frieze on the speaking journey - how authors can pitch to event organisers. 

How are events changing in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, and what does that mean for you if you're an author? 

Award-winning events producer Sasha Frieze talks about how digital events are evolving, what the hybrid event of the future might look like, and the opportunities and challenges for speakers and authors in this new world. 

From how (and when) to pitch for a speaking gig to smart tips for selling your book when you can't sit and sign it at the back of the room, this is every author's survival guide to the new normal of speaking and events.