Working From Home With... Our Founder Beck Wadworth plus Jake Halpin & Jaimi-Lee Fitzgerald
Working From Home With... A series where we feature the home workspaces of some inspiring friends of the brand around the globe & chat to them about how they are staying productive, organised, & positive. Plus they let us in on their workspace essentials too.
And.... We want to hear from you too! Simply tag or DM us your home workspace & each week we will share our faves from the AOL community too. You can also go in the draw to win the Ultimate Workspace Set when you tag @anorganisedlife #WFHwithAOL on Instagram. We are giving away 1 set each week of April.
This week we spoke to...
Name: Beck Wadworth
Occupation: Founder of An Organised Life & My Organised Travels
How long have you worked from home for?
Over 4 years now! Originally a few days a week when I was working part time on AOL & for the past 2 years I have been working from home full time apart from when I head over to the AOL HQ in Sydney once a month for my team visits.
Where have you set up your new home workspace & why did you pick this spot?
Because I work from home on going I really wanted to create a dedicated space in my home that was functional & inspiring but could also be shut off in the evenings & weekends so I kept my personal & professional life separate. I decided to make the master bedroom my home office because of the beautiful light, high ceilings & black wooden floorboards! It was a work in progress for a good 6 months but now that it's complete I absolutely love it!
Working from home is your normal with the rest of the An Organised Life Team being based in Australia. What are your top tips for staying productive when WFH?
Being the only one from the AOL team based in NZ, I’m used to working from home & love it. My top tips for staying productive are:
1. Stick to a morning routine & set work hours
2. Create a dedicated workspace (dining table, an actual home office - anything goes)
3. Utilise a daily to-do list & prioritise it
4. Time block your day - including breaks
5. Communicate effectively with your team
Talk us through your workspace essentials currently?
No matter what, I will always have my Diary. I use it for managing my schedule, deadlines & more. Recently I have fallen in love with our Weekly Taskpad for my daily to-do list which I prioritise with my 3 MIT’s (most important tasks). I always have a candle, water carafe , my fave Marloe Marloe pen tray & my laptop of course.
What do you find the most challenging WFH?
I'm such a workaholic I really struggle with sticking to normal work hours & having balance in my life when I'm working from home - it's so easy to let time pass you by. Since we went into lockdown I've made a really big effort to work on this & I'm loving it! Having some R&R time in the evenings has meant I've felt refreshed & refocused the next morning & actually far more productive in general. I've also been getting outside for some fresh air at least once a day which has helped too.
What are your top tips for managing a team remotely?
Communication is key. Keeping it clean & clear. As a team, we are all working off lots of shared docs & spreadsheets & everyone knows each week what their focus & priorities are. Every Monday we have a team WIP reviewing the prior week & setting out the plans for the current week & every Wednesday we have a mid week Virtual Coffee Catch Up on a Google Hangouts Video Call. It's so nice to see each other face to face & it's a good touch point to go over any questions, changes, ideas etc.
Name: Jake Halpin
Occupation: Founder & Director at GLOSS COMMUNICATIONS.
How long have you worked from home?
Three weeks
Where is your home workspace set up & why did you pick this spot?
With the weather finally improving in London, I've been making the most of being able to sit by the window and enjoy some sunshine! Most days I find myself drifting around the apartment trying to follow the sun, so I'll move between the couch, the dining room and my bedroom depending on which room has the best light. I bring a little throw with me so I can wrap up when the sun is covered by clouds - which can be quite often!
What is your number 1 tip for staying productive while working from home?
I'm an obsessively organised person - I keep various different to-do lists, diaries and planners, including separate lists for work and for my personal life. Having a clear understanding of your tasks, priorities and commitments is the best way to be able to stay productive and ensure you're doing what you need to be doing, when you need to be doing it.
What are your workspace essentials currently at your desk?
I'm odd that I don't have a desk, as such! However some of my workspace essentials are my diary and planner, my water bottle, a hand cream and a speaker so I can play music throughout the day.
How do you ensure you stay organised & also inspired?
For me, it's an important balance throughout the day between tasks and inspiration. I subscribe to a number of newsletters from publishers like AnOther, Dazed & Confused and The Cut so I can take breaks throughout the day to read their articles. It's a great way to give yourself a gentle reminder to take a mental break so you can return to your work inspired and refreshed.
What do you love the most about working from home?
My favourite part about working from home is having a greater sense of control over my schedule. Recently I've been doing afternoon yoga over my 'lunch break' - it's important to keep moving and stretching when working from home - it's too easy to find yourself sitting in one spot all day otherwise!
And how about the most challenging? Do you have a strategy to overcome this challenge?
The most challenging element would absolutely have to be limited face-to-face time with my colleagues. I'm quite a social person by nature, so I really miss being able to speak to people throughout the day and get that human interaction. Particularly at this time, staying connected is so important, so I'll schedule several Zoom calls in advance throughout the week with people to be able to catch up and maintain a more personal connection.
Top 5 songs on your WFH playlist?
I'm obsessed with Dua Lipa's new album Future Nostalgia - that one has been on repeat.
I like to balance some slow, relaxing music for when I need to focus for some upbeat pop to get in the zone - so some other highlights at the moment are:
Take Yourself Home - Troye Sivan
Breathe Deeper - Tame Impala
Vroom Vroom - Charli XCX
Maniac - Conan Gray
Paris - Sabrina Carpenter
Name: Jaimi-Lee Fitzgerald
Occupation : Marketing & eCommerce Manager at Kivari the Label
How long have you worked from home?
Almost 4 weeks now, but I worked from home full time last year so I’m seasoned WFH
Where have you set up your new home workspace & why did you pick this spot?
I set up my space in the corner of our living room, next to my favourite Rikki Day art work (and right near the vino for those end of day sips). My little corner gets beautiful morning light and is nice and open, it feels to me like i'm in an office without it being dark - plus my partner (who is also working from home) set up near our balcony door, so this was the next best spot! I'm actually a little in love with my corner.What's your strategy for staying productive while working from home?
I start my day as if I was heading into the office. A morning walk, stretch, then I 'get ready for work' - give myself a fresh face, pop on an office worthy outfit (normally an easy dress with my layered gold jewels) & make a coffee to sip while I zoom with my team at 8:30am. I find that getting ready as if I was going into the office puts me in a work headspace (also the coffee is important)!Talk us through your workspace essentials currently?
A bottle of sparkling water is always sitting on my desk, i drink so much water! A good black pen, alongside my An Organised Life diary which houses all my very important to-do lists (I have the worst memory otherwise). I always keep my Ultra Violette SPF on my desk, as i try and get out for a mid day sit in the sun on our balcony & this reminds me to wear my SPF even if i'm out there for a few moments.What are you loving the most about working from home?
The productivity! I feel busier WFH, but it's because I have little distraction so I'm getting so much work done. The little things our team has put in place to ensure we all still feel connected is really nice, we have our 8:30am Marketing zoom call to set our tone for the day & then everyone jumps on at 9am to say hi - it's like we're all still in the office. The second pot of coffee that my partner makes at about 9:30am is also a highlight!And how about the most challenging? Do you have a strategy to overcome this challenge?
Having everything I need at an arms reach away is challenging at times. Because I work for a fashion brand, i'm needing to pull styles from our racks to photograph or write descriptions for our website - and without that library of styles right next to me, this can be hard (or take longer!). Other than that, my role can easily be done from the road and i'm very used to the solo work environment (travelling for work often) so i have my strategies in place to ensure work gets done. Thank god for the postal services!Top 5 songs on your WFH playlist?
In the Night - The WeekndRedbone - Childish Gambino
Lullaby - Andreya Triana
Hold On - SBTRKT
Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears for Fears