10 Years In The Making with Founder Beck Wadworth & her partner Isaac Lindesay from Makespace
Our 2023 diaries mark our biggest milestone, the beginning of the 10th year of the An Organised Life brand. For our 2023, '10 Years in the Making' series, it was only fitting that Beck and her partner Isaac Lindesay, from Makespace, be the first that we sat down with to chat about the beginnings of AOL, the brands 10 year achievements, what organisation brings to their life & what they’re looking forward to in the next chapter that is 2023.
Name & Occupation: Beck Wadworth, Founder of An Organised Life & Creative/Brand Director of Makespace.
Traditional Place Name: Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa
Name & Occupation: Isaac Lindesay, Founder of Makespace.
Traditional Place Name: Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa
Isaac - tell us a little bit about Makespace
ISAAC: Makespace is an architecturally designed modular house company designing, building and delivering high end homes across New Zealand. We construct the homes at our facilities in Auckland & Christchurch before they are loaded onto trucks and delivered to site to be unloaded and installed via cranes.
Makespace has a strong focus on customer experience and the end product - going that extra mile in both aspects to ensure our premium offering is upheld.
How many years have you been using an An Organised Life diary? Do you remember your first one?
ISAAC: I have been using AOL for 2 years, my beautiful partner Beck gifted me one on our first Christmas together and I haven't looked back. I now also gift our team with fresh Makespace branded diaries each year!
BECK: Of course, for me, this is my 10th diary! My first ever one was a Signature Diary which I designed as the very first product I launched & a style we still have today. It housed everything - my to-do lists, schedule, notes, shopping lists, budgets and more!
What 2023 diary style did you both pick & why did you choose that style?
BECK: Isaac & I have both picked the A4 Black Daily Planners for 2023. I love all the space this style has & I can time block my day, create to-do lists & also note take easily.
ISAAC: I have very messy handwriting and also do a lot of sketches for detailing etc when meeting with our team or customers so page space is key for me!
Isaac, how has Beck influenced you organisation wise?
ISAAC: Beck has established such a strong product offering, something you can use no matter your level of organisational skill. I sit somewhere in the middle and with a busy, growing company it's been a great help to structure my daily tasks.
What does organisation bring to your life?
ISAAC: Accountability - my check lists need to be crossed off everyday! Less forgetting - I’m across all aspects of my company running 15 full time staff and another 20+ sub contractors through 2 sites and opposite ends of the country. On top of this there are usually 10-15 sets of customers to manage too so there’s a few moving parts each day & things can slip under my radar. Every phone call or discussion I have that requires something from me is noted down in the diary ASAP.
BECK: For me, organisation brings a sense of structure & also calm. I’m so much more productive when I’m using my Daily Planner both personally & professionally. This was one of the reason I also started An Organised Life in 2013, as I wanted others to feel this sense of structure & calm too. An uncluttered mind if you will. As the years have progressed we have also diversified to createdcontent on our Journal that compliments our physical products too. Housing educational, inspiring & motivating content on everything from workspace tours & organisational tips to how to avoid burnout, & how to navigate changing your career path in your 30's. My team & I have put so much hard work into this part of the brand & I'm so proud of that.
Top organisation hack?
ISAAC: Be proactive - I generally get my to-do list done the night before so I’m ready to roll the next day knowing what I’m in for.
BECK: I’m exactly the same, prep & planning is key. My to-do list is done the night before & in the morning I spend some time prioritising my workload, time blocking my day in more detail & then I’m away.
Beck, reflecting on the past 10 years, what's a goal you’re most proud to have achieved or greatest learning?
BECK: That’s such a tricky one. I think I’m most proud of the product I’ve created. That I have stayed true to the brand values I had from day 1 of creating functional & premium stationery with a minimalist, monochromatic aesthetic - that would organise, inspire & motivate. It’s evolved & grown year after year & it’s been the most incredible, life changing journey that I will be forever grateful for.
In terms of learnings, I'm constantly learning & evolving as a business owner, a designer, a leader, a creative & I love that. My top learnings from the last 10 years would have to be:
- Trust your gut
- Choose courage over comfort
- Prep & planning is key
- Time is your most valuable asset, use it wisely
- Never stand still, always move forward
- Getting out of your comfort zone is usually when the magic happens
- A mistake isn't a failure, it's a lesson.
What will this next year, this next chapter bring to your life? What are you most looking forward to in 2023?
ISAAC: Beck and I are looking to settle on a piece of land to build our dream Makespace dwelling on!
BECK: And for me it’s another big year of growth & change.