Careers adviser quits job to become full-time poet after four-book deal

Careers adviser quits job to become full-time poet after four-book deal Richard C. Bower, 50, was offered a four-book deal after posting his poems online, and later quit his careers adviser job to write poetry full-time. A careers adviser ditched his day job to become a full-time poet after landing a multi-book deal off the back of his social media posts. Richard C. Bower, 50, always harboured a passion for writing from an early age but kept his work entirely to himself until a decade ago, when his mother passed away unexpectedly. His therapist urged him to channel his grief through writing and share it online. Publishers quickly took notice and offered him a four-book deal. As his profile grew, he quit his job as a careers adviser to dedicate himself to his poetry full-time. Since then, he was approached by his local football club, Mansfield Town Football Club, to pen the club's official poem, 'This Is Mansfield'. In 2024, he was appointed poet laureate of Mansfield. Richard said: "I'm just a Mansfield lad, and I'm so privileged to be recognised as a poet of the people." He is currently working on a new book drawing inspiration from nature and the great outdoors, using beloved local spots such as Sherwood Forest to fuel his creativity. Until a few months ago, Bower didn't have a phone, but as demand for this work grew and new creative opportunities emerged, he got one to help him stay connected and support his expanding business. He now uses his mobile constantly as a thesaurus, notetaker and even live streams to his YouTube channel. "I get inspired by walking around Mansfield, and the convenience of the phone helps to accelerate my creative process," he said. He added: "I write about real life, whether it's nature-inspired, being outdoors, about mental health, about love or loss - I just write about reality." According to the data from OnePoll.com, over 17 million moments of inspiration become real side hustles or small businesses across the UK every year. Of those who have ever started a business or side hustle, 11% got their inspiration while spending time alone, 9% talking to friends or family and 8% when walking. As an idea strikes, 35% use their smartphone to immediately search for more information. More than one in five (22%) have used their connection to work remotely, collaborate with other people (20%) and share creative work (18%). Nine in 10 (92%) find their phone helpful for capturing or developing ideas, while 87% said mobile connectivity is important when they want to act on an idea or opportunity immediately. Overall, more than half (55%) agreed getting online while out and about has helped them turn inspiration into something tangible. To celebrate the places inspiring creativity and driving regional economic growth, VodafoneThree is bringing 'Opportunity Hubs' to communities across the country to help people turn ideas and inspiration into opportunities. The hubs will pop up in locations, including Mansfield, where notable network improvements are giving more people the connectivity to put their ideas into action. Andrea Dona, chief network officer at VodafoneThree, said: "As our research shows, we reach for our phones the moment inspiration strikes - another reason why fast, reliable connectivity is so important. "It's also why we're investing £11 billion to build the UK's best network, delivering high-quality connectivity to every corner of the country. "That includes Mansfield, where Vodafone customers can now access up to eight times faster 5G speeds thanks to our recent network upgrades. "By delivering stronger, more reliable connectivity, we're helping people stay connected and make the most of every opportunity, wherever inspiration strikes."