In this episode we talk to Sharon Coleclough (Senior Lecturer, Culture, Heritage and Society, Staffordshire University, UK) about her research and publications; focusing on her Exchanges article So Many Ways to be an Outsider: ‘Nerdism’ and ethnicity as signifiers of otherness which appeared in our recent Lonely Nerds special issue. We talk about her research into representation, and her exciting progress into new avenues of publication and research. The episode touches on advice for postgraduate and early career researchers in terms of establishing your personal brand, researching your passions and how to accept feedback on your writing more effectively.