Interview with Gill McCulloch
A UK-born Canadian business owner, safety training specialist, writer, and published author.
Dear Friends of Medium, one of my goals as a writer, editor, publisher, and curator is to introduce influential writers and leaders in their fields to my audience via interviews starting in 2019. When I became a Friend of Medium last year, I contacted and asked the early adopters of the program what they expected from this new subscription model. These avid readers expect curated content and visibility to the work of influential writers who can inform and entertain them.
Therefore, I continue introducing influential writers and enjoy publishing and curating their impactful, insightful, relatable, memorable, and eloquent stories in my publications.
In this post, I will share an interview I had the pleasure of conducting with Gill McCulloch, a long-term contributor to the Medium community. Her stories in my publications stand out and are chosen for further distribution due to their impact, rich information, authentic life lessons, engaging content, and practical insights.
Gill’s unique writing style captivates our readers, conveying her vast experience in an accessible and conversational tone. As I am a reader and curator of multiple publications, her stories stand out and captivate me and my editorial team. Gill skillfully distills extensive information, making it exceptionally accessible to readers in simple language and engaging tone while entertaining them.
This brief interview offers a peek into Gill’s background, helping you connect with her personally. I hope you enjoy reading this interview script as much as I did when conducting it to learn about the background of this inspiring, collaborative, and empowering writer.
Hi Gill, please tell us a bit about your background.
Thank you for offering me this interview opportunity, Dr. Yildiz. I appreciate your taking the time to get to know your writers and promote their work on Medium and other platforms.
I was born and raised in a seaside town called Brighton on the south coast of England. My father was a doctor, my mother was a nurse, and then later became a teacher. I have two sisters.
I left home at 18 and spent six months working as an aupair for a family with three children in Paris, France, between school and university.
After getting my degree in Human Biological Sciences, I spent a year backpacking and working around Australia. My husband-to-be, Warren, joined me, and we had many exhilarating experiences, including scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef.
On returning to the UK, I worked in the health and fitness industry in London for six years as the fitness director of a large London health club.
In 1995, we had a beautiful wedding on a Greek Island and emigrated to Canada the following year. While pregnant with my first child, I became a Red Cross First Aid Instructor and started my business, Safe + Sound First Aid Training Ltd., teaching people to save lives.
We have trained over 50,000 people in first aid and CPR, and In 2024, we are celebrating our 25th year in business.
I’m the proud mom of two fabulous adult children, both doing well and making their way in the world.
What are your hobbies, Gill?
The main hobbies and activities I enjoy are reading, writing, and publishing stories on Medium, hiking with my family and friends, spending time at the beach, painting rocks, and singing with my choir.
What are the top three books that affected your life?
The 1st is Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson.
I read this in my thirties as a busy mother of young children. This book contains some of the world’s best gems of wisdom. Some of the most valuable lessons I learned from the book are to be a good listener and avoid interrupting people, take responsibility, smile at strangers, choose to be kind over being right, seek first to understand, and look for the extraordinary in the ordinary. If I had to summarize the book in a sentence, it would be — Be kind to yourself and treat others as you’d like to be treated.
The 2nd is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey.
I read this book in my twenties and still pull it off my shelf now and then for a quick skim through. One of the many valuable things I learned from this book is that “your economic security does not lie in your job but in your own power to produce — to think, to learn, to create, and to adapt. That’s true financial independence. It’s not having wealth; it’s having the power to produce wealth. It’s intrinsic.”
I have been self-employed for 25 years and know self-employment has far greater potential to produce wealth than any salaried position.
The 3rd is Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell.
I read this book in my early teens, and it gave me an enormous appreciation and gratitude for my life. The book provides heartbreaking insight into the harrowing lives of unhoused people. It showed me you can never take your good fortune for granted. Reading this book instilled an enormous empathy for less fortunate people. The stories within this book have influenced many choices I’ve made in my life.
Why do you write on Medium?
In 2019, after reading some of my Facebook posts, my author friend, Jennifer Sommersby, encouraged me to start writing on Medium. I have learned so much from writing on this platform. I’m grateful to Jennifer for getting me started and for all the support and encouragement from other writers, editors and my family and friends.
In 2021, Roz Warren, Writing Coach, a well-respected writing coach and editor, encouraged me to submit my story, A Christmas Star to Chicken Soup for the Soul. I was thrilled when Chicken Soup for the Soul chose my story out of thousands and published it in their 2022 book — The Magic of Christmas. Becoming a published author was a huge confidence boost!
I write about subjects I care deeply about, topics I’m fascinated by, memories of my younger days, and situations that make me laugh. Reading and writing bring meaning and joy to my life; I can’t imagine a day without them. My engagement with Medium has taught me much about myself and the world.
Even though I won’t meet most of the writers I engage with, I consider many of them friends. I enjoy interacting with others and feel good about supporting writers by reading and commenting on their stories.
I have much to learn, and I enjoy every moment of my writing journey. I appreciate all the seasoned writers and editors who go out of their way to share tips and advice and mentor other writers. Medium is exceptionally friendly and supportive, and I enjoy the camaraderie.
What are your values as a writer?
My core values as a writer are integrity, helpfulness, and entertainment. The most important value to me is integrity. It’s essential to be honest, acknowledge other people’s ideas, and use correct citations for images and quotes.
I am learning to communicate clearly, avoiding long-winded sentences, big words, and pompous, overly technical language. I want to help people with my words, whether by providing valuable information, shedding new light on a topic, or giving people a chuckle.
Writing comes with ethical responsibilities. I always try to be open-minded and inclusive, respect diversity, and use non-stigmatizing language.
I’ve learned that looking at situations from all angles is essential. People respect writers who provide balanced arguments. I aim to be the best I can be — not just with writing but in all areas of my life, and I welcome constructive feedback from others.
How do you connect with your readers?
I appreciate it when people take the time to read and comment on my stories. I love engaging with my readers and try to reply to all the comments. It is heartwarming to receive people’s feedback and anecdotes and to hear how a story has positively impacted them.
People have told me that my stories have helped them when they’ve been feeling down, which means the world to me. I love hearing other points of view, especially from those whose lives and cultures are very different from mine.
I have learned so much by reading about other people’s lives. I connect with my readers on Medium, LinkedIn, Facebook, and via personal email.
Why did you join ILLUMINATION, and how did you find it so far?
I joined ILLUMINATION because of the publication’s openness to publishing a broad range of subjects and genres. I was impressed with ILLUMINATION from the start, seeing its fast growth in popularity on Medium.
I noticed and appreciated how active the editorial team was in growing and marketing the publication and promoting the work of its writers.
ILLUMINATION caters to all levels of writing, from beginner to expert. It is an inclusive publication that goes above and beyond to support writers and editors.
Who are some writers you follow on ILLUMINATION?
Many excellent writers contribute stories to ILLUMINATION. Apart from yourself, let me mention a few of my favorite fellow writers: Aiden (Illumination Gaming), Mike Broadly, DHSc, The Sturg, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, Ayodeji Awosika, Sinem Günel, Annelise Lords, Tree Langdon, Dr. Preeti Singh, Tim Denning, Maria Rattray, Thomas Oppong, Matt Williams-Spooner, Ph.D. There are many more, of course.
Can you share your top five stories and explain why they are important to you and your readers?
Out of many stories, the following five are special to me. Let me briefly explain.
A Personal Account of Live Aid — the Day Musicians United to Fight World Hunger:
Attending Live Aid opened my heart and mind to the issue of world hunger and made a lasting impression. I also learned from the event organizers that if you want to create a positive impact — aim high, make a plan, and ask for help. Don’t worry about obstacles — get out there and do. Assume it will all work out.
A Christmas Star
An encounter with a homeless woman on Christmas Eve taught my family and me the true meaning of Christmas. It gave us a deep appreciation and gratitude for the life we have been blessed with and the opportunity to feel the joy of helping someone less fortunate.
People of the World — Wake Up to the Toxic Drug Crisis!
The toxic drug crisis is a worldwide, escalating emergency. People need to take it more seriously and take action to solve this complex health crisis. We all have a responsibility to educate ourselves about the serious impact of substance use before it’s too late. This poem summarizes everything I’ve learned since joining the Tri-Cities Overdose Community Action Team.
What I Learned From “Doctor Death”
This story is a tribute to one of the most inspirational people I’ve met. Derek Hersey was a world-famous free climber who took a day to give me an unforgettable climbing experience. He was a true free spirit, one of the toughest, funniest, craziest people I’ve ever met, and I feel honoured to have known him. Derek was one of those rare individuals who lived his dream. The way he lived his life taught me that we need to stay focused on our dreams, be a mentor if we can, and share our talents with others.
Man Fined $1500 After Being Hit by Car Enjoys the Last Laugh
I enjoyed writing this short, humorous story and hope you will enjoy reading it. It has a nice little twist at the end.
I created a short story index for my new readers.
What are the success factors for you as a writer on Medium?
Success is when someone says my words have helped, inspired, or made them laugh. Another success marker is when I read my older articles and see how much my writing has improved.
What do you recommend to the new writers on ILLUMINATION?
Read the guidelines for each publication you plan to submit your writing to. Also, read the Medium boost guidelines carefully and make a pre-publication checklist.
Check your work and read each piece out loud before posting or submitting to a publication. Most editors are volunteers, so don’t make them spend more time on your piece than necessary. They don’t expect perfection, but they appreciate writers taking extra care to ensure their work is the best it can be before hitting the submit button.
Ask for feedback and advice from other writers, and consider joining a writing group for extra support and guidance.
Read and engage with other writers as much as you can. Always be polite and respectful with your comments. Read boosted stories featured in ILLUMINATION — Curated to immerse yourself in high-quality writing.
Never be tempted to copy other writers. Discover and create your own material, style, and voice. We are all unique, and our readers enjoy our uniqueness.
Use writing tools like Grammarly, the Hemingway app, and the various free headline analyzers. Practice writing headlines and take the time to find or create unique, eye-catching images.
Write something daily if you can, but don’t sacrifice quality for quantity. There’s no need to publish every day. Aim to write one or two articles a week. Focus on quality, but don’t become a perfectionist. Be bold and put your work out there.
Explore different genres — fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and others to discover what kind of writing you enjoy. Don’t feel you must stick to one or two niches — at least not early on in your writing career.
Remember, your readers are thinking WIIFM (What’s in it for me?) when considering whether or not to read your article. Give them something that makes them glad they took the time to read.
What are your plans as a writer?
I plan to continue to learn and bring value to others by becoming the best writer I can be. I want to write and publish a collection of short stories and a book of family stories to leave as a legacy for my children. I also have a couple of children’s books in the pipeline.
I aim to become the Go-To expert in the field of first aid information and advice and write powerful stories and articles that help people understand the plight of refugees, the unhoused, and those suffering from substance use issues.
With my writing, I aim to shine a warm light in my small corner of the Earth that will inform, provide hope and comfort, entertain, and inspire positive change.
Thank you for introducing yourself so eloquently, Gill.
So far, I have enjoyed reading many wonderful stories from you, and the most influential one for me was about inspiring readers with a training certificate. As you wisely said, “If you are a teacher or instructor — don’t underestimate the power of the certificates you issue. They may save a life one day.” As this story seemed to be glitched, I want to amplify it here for my readers as it has life-changing content. I hope Medium curators notice this case study story and curate it as a valuable asset on this platform.
Thank you for reading this interview script. I hope you explore the profile of Gill McCulloch and enjoy her stories as much as I do. You may contact Gill on ILLUMINATION’s Slack workspace for collaboration and social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (Twitter).
As an avid reader, Gill is also a Friend of Medium, supporting our writers.
I also introduced several other influential writers. Here are some recent samples that you may start exploring.
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