Meet Anya Overmann | Anya Overmann | Writer, Humanist, & Activist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anya Overmann and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anya, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I was tired of being screwed over by bosses who would take advantage of my desire to work hard without paying me what I was worth. The final straw was when a remote boss for a digital marketing company hired me on full-time from part-time, I started working my butt off, and then he didn’t pay me. Clients were also not receiving the deliverables I was creating, because my boss would fail to deliver them. I was lied to repeatedly about when I would see a paycheck. After five weeks, I quit. I had gone to London to stay with my then-boyfriend because I could work remotely, and now I was without a job to fund that lifestyle. So, at the suggestion of another friend who left the same company,

I started doing gig work under my own business. I no longer had to answer to anyone else or have my work ethic taken advantage of. I had control of the work I produced.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a digital nomad who makes a living as a freelance writer and is a leader of the international humanist community. I have no home, no car, and I live out of a backpack and a duffel bag. I create marketing content and ghostwrite books while traveling the world. It sounds great, but there have been a lot of challenges to overcome to get here. I had to work hard to build my reputation as a writer, and build the skill for advocating for myself. I used to work for anybody because I was desperate for work and I would get treated really poorly as a result because I wouldn’t vet potential clients before agreeing to work with them. Or, I’d start working with someone and find out they have really bad morals. I’ve learned to be a bit more skeptical of clients before agreeing to work them. Now I have a client vetting process that enables to know whether we are a good fit not only in terms of the solutions I can provide, but in terms of the values the client holds. To work with me, clients cannot disagree with any of the following statements: -Black lives matter.

-What a woman does with her body is her choice, including abortion.

-Trans women are women.

-Climate change is real and we need to reduce our carbon footprints.

-Religion has no place in government.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The thing is – *I* am the best friend visiting the area. I am not from here. I’m from St. Louis, Missouri. I’m nomadic. I rely on my connections to help guide me!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shout out: -My entrepreneurial family for nurturing the same qualities in me.

-My partner Phil for helping me value myself higher as a service professional.
-The business colleagues who continuously refer me clients.
-The clients who make me a better writer and a better person.
-The systemic factors that gave me an unfair advantage in life.

Website: https://anyaovermann.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anyaovermann/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anya-overmann/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnyaLOvermann

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anyaovermannllc

Other: humanists.international