Q&A Fran Hauser 

A few weeks ago I messaged Fran Hauser asking if she’d like to do a Q&A with me. She said yes but to wait till September. September is here and I’m excited. Fran is the author of “The Myth of the Nice Girl,” and “Embrace the Work, Love Your Career”. As well as being an author, she is a startup investor and keynote speaker, which is very impressive. 

Q:  At what point in your life did you decide writing was your calling?

A: Not until a few years ago. While I’ve always had a passion for books, I never really considered myself a writer. In school, I always gravitated towards math. But when I saw an opportunity for a book like The Myth of the Nice Girl, I knew that I had to be the one to write it. The idea of “nice being a superpower at work” really resonated with me – throughout my career, I’ve always been known as a nice girl AND as a highly competent executive who delivers. I wanted to write a book that proves that you don’t have to choose between being nice and being strong. That book was published in April 2018. Through the process of developing that book, I fell in love with writing and, more broadly, with creating and packaging content. And like anything, the more you do something the better you get. I definitely had more confidence in writing my second book Embrace the Work, Love Your Career which came out earlier this year.

Q: How do you juggle being an author, a startup investor, and a speaker?

A: I like having my hands in different projects. I feel very fortunate that I can choose the projects I work on and the people that I work with. In terms of juggling, it’s really about setting time aside on my calendar to get my writing done in the morning. It’s also helpful when I chunk similar tasks together, so I might set aside a few hours to go through business pitches or to prep for upcoming speaking engagements. It’s about being in the zone as much as possible so that I can focus, as opposed to constantly switching between unrelated tasks.

Q: What advice do you have for anyone wanting to be a writer?

A: Just start. Test interest in your book topic by writing a smaller piece (a blog post; even an Instagram post). The real tipping point for me in getting a book deal for The Myth of the Nice Girl was a blog post I wrote for Forbes called Nice Girls Finish First, which ended up being one of the most popular posts in their mentoring series. That single blog post validated the need for the book and helped me to secure a book deal. 

Also, I find it’s really helpful to write first thing in the morning when my mind is fresh. And I dedicate time to writing – it’s on my calendar. Making writing a priority and setting time aside for it is important!

Q: What advice do you have for those who want to go into start up investing? What exactly do startup investors do? It sounds very impressive. 

A: As a startup investor, I help fund new businesses and help them get off the ground. I’ve invested in over 30 female-founded startups over the last 10 years. I love this part of my career because I get to work with amazing founders who are launching products that I want to see in the world. What’s great about startup investing is that it keeps getting more accessible. There are platforms like Republic and AngelList where you can invest directly. Like any transition into a new industry, it’s also about building a network and connecting with other investors and founders. 

Q: Are you writing another book now? If so can you spoil a little bit about it?

A: I feel like I’m always noodling new book ideas. I have an idea currently in my head that will hopefully become a reality. Only time will tell!