Interview Series: 3. Valeria Aliperta – Rainy London Translations
Hey everyone, I am still here, just very busy translating so not much time for blogging which I don't like!
I am back with the Interview Series and my March superwoman is Valeria Aliperta. She's the powerhouse behind Rainy London Translations and The Stylish Freelancer. I have no idea how she does it all, but it looks like good food and work-life balance combined with passion are the ingredients in the recipe for success! Keep reading to find out more about Val. :)
1. What is it like running Rainy London Translations?
I can say I almost never worked as an employee so clearly, I must be doing something right! RL is in its 9th year of activity and of course, there are ups and downs – and now Brexit to worry us – and the constantly evolving market (for better or worse) is a reminder of how yolo.
2. So what’s a typical day like at Rainy London Translations?
When I'm not travelling for interpreting, I normally get up at 7am and get most of my social media checked during breakfast. I'm not a morning person so I need to regain consciousness for an hour before actually being productive. My typical project is around 3-4000 words so I can plan the week easily and see what comes in on a daily basis. This is intertwined with interviews like this one :), teaching at the University of Surrey and doing marketing and other activities.
3. Why translation?
Languages were always a big fixation of mine. I like to say I could do a bit of everything and still can but I only ever excelled at this. By no means, I'm saying I'm an excellent translator but out of the things I was doing, this was my path. I've got a plan B though: I could easily be a tour operator or a personal shopper. That's why I'm venting that chord in my TSF project. I'm also thinking about learning how to design, so stay tuned.
4. Where do you get your energy from for all these activities?
Coffee is the answer! Jokes aside, I think with age I've gotten to need more alternative activities to feed my creativity. I love my job, but I need other outlets to feel motivated and stimulated. I workout regularly – even if it's hard to conciliate it with travelling – and yes, I need to be more and more social and have more and more me time to feel re-energised compared to when I started.
5. Do you have any hobbies or any particular interests?
I like photography and eating really – I take pictures of everything and I like social media a lot. So my parallel non-translation-related blog is the obvious example of my passion. And I do love shopping, alas.
6. How about travelling? Any places on your bucket list?
I need to go back to Japan – and then Maldives. I'm a sucker for a good beach and total relax.
7. I know it’s March, but I have to ask about New Year Resolutions; do you have any?
Work better and more efficiently.
I would love to learn Swedish – it just sounds divine.
Travel more!
Being an example for women and empowerment not only as an interpreter but as a human, somehow, sometime in the future.
Valeria Aliperta (BA in Translation from the University of Genoa, MA in Conference Interpreting in Forlì, DPSI in English Law) is an Italian native speaker and a freelancer from 2006 working from English, Spanish and French into her native Italian. She runs Rainy London Translations, a business now running for the 9th year while also being a simultaneous interpreting tutor at Surrey University, a mentor, a speaker and a branding and social media aficionado. When she is not working on creative text, consultancy and interpreting all over Europe, she blogs about style, business and beauty at The Stylish Freelancer. Find her on pretty much every social media platform, but try Twitter @rainylondon, Facebook (Rainy London Translations) and IG @thestylishfreelancer.
