E2A 103: Writing a Field Guide for Generalists with Siobhan O'Riordan

In this episode of The Entrepreneur to Author Podcast, your host Scott MacMillan welcomes Siobhan O’Riordan, coach, advisor, and lifelong generalist to discuss her book Reframe: How Generalists Thrive in a Changing World. Drawing on her nonlinear career and client work, she unpacks the “generalist’s dilemma” of being essential yet often unseen and misunderstood. In Reframe, she offers a functional definition of a generalist built around ranging curiosity, creative connections, and context, giving generalists the language and framework they’ve lacked so they can better understand their strengths, articulate their value, and intentionally design careers that fit them.

She also reflects on the writing journey behind the book, noting that long-form writing is a very different discipline from day-to-day writing. The process forced her to clarify her thinking, decide what truly served the reader, and turn years of experience into a focused, practical guide. With the help of structure, a clear curriculum, and a supportive writing community, she completed a book that argues generalists are increasingly vital in a changing world—able to experiment, test, and take risks in ways specialists often can’t.

EPISODE LINKS:
First two chapters of "Reframe" Free big-sea-strategies.kit.com/7b06068914
Expert Author Community: expertauthor.community

GUEST BIO
As a certified coach, advisor, and founder of Big Sea Strategies, Siobhán helps individuals and teams anchor in their strengths to navigate change.

A Generalist with experience across the social sector, Siobhán has worked with hundreds of individual leaders, teams, and board members across 100+ organizations with revenues ranging from $500K to $30M. Her lifelong commitment to helping others learn, grow, and succeed is her favorite job; she taught high school history at The Lincoln School in Kathmandu, Nepal. Siobhán is a certified Gallup® Global CliftonStrengths™ Coach with a BA in History and MA in Teaching from Tufts University.

CONNECT WITH SIOBHAN
Book Website: bigseastrategies.com/book
Website: bigseastrategies.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/saoriordan/

CONNECT WITH SCOTT
entrepreneurtoauthor.com
grammarfactory.com

LinkedIn (@scottmacmillan): linkedin.com/in/scottmacmillan
Instagram (@scottamacmillan) instagram.com/scottamacmillan
Medium (@scottamacmillan): scottamacmillan.medium.com