In this episode, host Nigel Rawlins speaks with Hazel Edwards OAM, an independent professional who has sustained a writing practice spanning more than 200 books across five decades. Hazel's career demonstrates what accumulated expertise looks like when it compounds over a lifetime of independent work.

The conversation explores how Hazel built and maintained a prolific professional practice without organisational support, adapting through industry shifts from print to digital while keeping creative output at the centre. She discusses the practical realities of independent professional life: managing multiple projects, the role of mentorship across generations, and how personal resilience sustains long careers.

For experienced professionals building their own independent practice, Hazel's story offers something rare: evidence that sustained independent work is not just possible but can deepen and expand over decades. The episode touches on adaptability, professional identity beyond a single organisation, and the cognitive vitality required to keep producing meaningful work well into later life.

Connect with Hazel Edwards OAM

Hazel Edwards' official website: HazelEdwards.com
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hazel-edwards-oam-0b4543a/

Mentioned on the podcast

• Judith Rodriguez
• Meredith Fuller https://meredithfuller.com.au/
• George Pappas
• Aileen Hall
• Ryan Kennedy
• Dag Hammarskjöld https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dag_Hammarskjold
• Toorak Teachers College
• Holmes Glen Tafe
• Penguin Publishing
• Hodder and Stoughton
• Amba Press (Alicia Cohen) https://ambapress.com.au/
• Untapped Project of Melbourne University https://untapped.org.au/

Books

• There's a Hippopotamus on our Roof Eating Cake by Hazel Edwards
  https://hazeledwards.com/picture-books/
• Not Just a Piece of Cake: Being an Author by Hazel Edwards
  https

Support the show

Connect with Nigel Rawlins

website https://wisepreneurs.com.au/
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelrawlins/
Twitter https://twitter.com/wisepreneurs

Downloads

• Embodied Intelligence Self-Assessment
• Professional Reputation Audit

https://wisepreneurs.com.au/free-assessments/

Please support the podcast
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