Digital, Profiles Jenay Ross Digital, Profiles Jenay Ross

Create & Connect: Going Elsewhere with Drea Sobieski

Meet Drea Sobieski, multi-tasking traveller extraordinaire. 

Drea Sobieski was born with an insatiable wanderlust. If she has a vision in her mind, she doesn't let it linger. She builds a plan to make her vision come true, and before you know it, she's on her way to a beautiful coast abroad, producing an editorial photoshoot for elsewhere studio, her production studio and editorial platform centered around experience and travel.

However, between ideating and making ideas become a visually stunning reality, there are countless emails, meetings, and strategic partnerships that make elsewhere a viable business. It’s not all fun and travel-- though there is certainly plenty of that. To find out Drea’s process, and how she flawlessly executes mixing business and travel, we chatted with her for our final Create & Connect with our friends at Logitech.

 

+You've recently rebranded The Cult Collective into launching a new project, titled 'Elsewhere'. How are you managing that transition?

CULT was my first business and forever baby, but just like any relationship, it's important to evolve - and growth is exciting! My motive in starting CULT was to create a destination for dreamers and creatives, seeking the best in art, expression and experience.  That same ethos transcends through elsewhere - a production studio and editorial platform centered around experience and travel. Along with my creative partner, Grant Legan, we aim to build a destination that inspires people to value experience and book travel. I hope that CULT readers will evolve with us and join us elsewhere.

+To be the most productive, do you prefer an office setting, home setting, or when you’re traveling?

For some reason I focus better when I'm in transit or somewhere new. Maybe it's the forced solidarity or the feeling of being disconnected, but I think more clear at 35,000 feet than anywhere else. I must have been a bird in another life.

+How do tools like Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard keep you focused and on track while managing multiple projects?

The best tools are ones that can move with me, wherever I am or whatever I'm working on, and those that allow me to switch between my phone and computer gracefully, like this keyboard!

+What is your number one hack for multitasking?

Making lists helps me visually prioritize. I am also super strict about keeping my cal invites up to date. Time is any entrepreneur's most valuable resource.  (:

+What's next for elsewhere?

We have some exciting destinations planned for 2016, and are working on compiling a print journal, which we are both super excited about!

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Profiles, Digital Jenay Ross Profiles, Digital Jenay Ross

Create & Connect: Aiming For Success with Michelle Madsen

With Michelle Madsen blogging full time, working photo shoots, meetings on top of meetings, and even slotting in time for a trip to Canada, it’s amazing to think that someone who works so hard for their own brand, as well as others, is just so relaxed. So naturally, we had to get into her mind to see how she deals with the busy trap while still keeping her cool.

One look at Michelle Madsen’s Instagram, and you’re immediately drawn into the cool hues and minimalist aesthetic that she’s built for the past 3 years. This is how she’s built her blog, Michelle Take Aim, to look like - cool, calm, and collected, a total reflection of how she is in person. But with her blogging full time, working photo shoots, meetings on top of meetings, and even slotting in time for a trip to Canada, it’s amazing to think that someone who works so hard for their own brand, as well as others, is just so relax. So naturally, we had to get into her mind to see how she deals with the busy trap while still keeping her cool.

“I think one of the biggest things about blogging that makes it hard to juggle is bouncing around from creating content, being active on social channels, meetings, events, travel, editing, writing, etc.. It’s a lot of juggling, all while making life seem pretty seamless and fun! I do blog full-time now and it definitely keeps me on my toes, as crazy as that may seem.”

-Michelle Madsen

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You're a full time blogger and owner LOVE NAIL TREE - how to do you balance the two while also doing digital marketing for clients?


Every day is different - whether I’m working on photoshoots and emails, or out from meetings to events, I try to plan ahead and prioritize what’s most important for the day. I’m a big list-maker. I have a ‘master list’ and a daily list… sometimes it’s a little ridiculous. The biggest thing that keeps me bouncing around with blogging is that it’s a few jobs in one. It can be a little overwhelming to jump from creative to social to running the behind-the-scenes side of the business like emails and deadlines.

"I’m a big list-maker. I have a ‘master list’ and a daily list… sometimes it’s a little ridiculous."

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The Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard is the perfect tool to switch from one device to another with the touch of a button, which makes multitasking so easy. What are your best hacks for multitasking?

I just recently starting dividing my month into days where I focus on different parts of my business. For example, I spend a full week brainstorming and shooting content, the next week will be a lot of writing and editing and then I have more free time in my day-to-day to focus on the business end. It’s been a huge help.

 

What did you do before you became your own boss?

Since out of college I’ve been working mostly for myself. My husband and I have a clothing line, LOVE NAIL TREE, and before blogging I did this full time. Being an entrepreneur has lots of perks but it’s also so hard to turn it off.

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Is there anything these you want to add under your belt for future projects?

I have some ideas in mind - one is starting a brand with a friend. We are in the planning stages! I have also started dancing again and would love to take it on as a bigger project and incorporate into my blog one day.

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Profiles, Digital Arianna Schioldager Profiles, Digital Arianna Schioldager

Create & Connect: Mel Rod's Stylish Life Depends on Her Phone

In 2010 when Mel Rod created her now popular style blog MelRodStyle, it was more of a fashion journal. Five years later, having secured past partnerships with major brands like Keds, Smashbox, and Tacori, we’d call it more than an online diary. The speed at which she needs to operate is warp, moving between staying true to her brand, and engaging her readers on social. Every day brings the potential for something new-- plus, the influencer has a wedding to plan. She is on-the-go more than ever, and still admits to preferring the old-school “bulk” of a laptop to her phone.

In 2010 when Mel Rod created her now popular style blog Mel RodStyle, it was more of a fashion journal. Five years later, having secured past partnerships with major brands like Keds, Smashbox, and Tacori, we’d call it more than an online diary. The speed at which she needs to operate is warp, moving between staying true to her brand, and engaging her readers on social. Every day brings the potential for something new-- plus, the influencer has a wedding to plan. She is on-the-go more than ever, and still admits to preferring the old-school “bulk” of a laptop to her phone.

Which makes the Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard ideal for her lifestyle. This week on the Create & Connect series presented by Logitech, we chat with Mel about figuring out organization, her big dreams, and her favorite part of each day.

+Walk us through your organization process when you multitask.

As much as it sounds silly to say, my life depends on my phone. I am constantly on it and use the notepad and calendar for taking notes and keeping track of my meetings, appointments, etc.

+How do you deal with the busy trap?

Well, first by prioritizing everything on the agenda. I make a list of what is most important or urgent to complete, and I give myself a specific time for each task. And in between, I take breaks to clear my head, and because you just have to. Working out helps me to release stress and gets me right back on track.

"My life depends on my phone." 

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+ As a natural born multi-tasker, how have tools like the Logitech K380 Multi-Device helped your productivity?

I’m old-school and at times I prefer to work from my laptop, but when I’m on-the-go (which is most of the time), it’s difficult to do that. The Logitech K380 has been more than convenient for me because it makes me feel like I’m working from my laptop when I’m on-the-go, and since I’m always on my phone, it just works perfectly with my schedule.

+What is one thing that you wish you could do in your career, but haven't done yet, or are planning to do?

I would absolutely love to design my own shoe line. It’s something I’ve wanted for many years.

+Do you prefer working in an office setting vs. a home setting?

I prefer working from home because it allows me to concentrate without any distraction. I feel more productive when I’m at home.

+With work, life and travel, and even a wedding around the corner, how do you allot time for each without having one overpower the other?

As much as I want to get everything done all at once, it is impossible. You have to do one thing at a time or give yourself a certain amount of time to work on each task. It’s been crazy busy, especially with planning a wedding but luckily, I have people around me that have been more than helpful.

+What's your favorite part about being a busy bee?

My favorite part is that it is never boring. Everyday is a new day and always different.

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Profiles, Advice Arianna Schioldager Profiles, Advice Arianna Schioldager

Create & Connect: Aimee Santos Gives Us Her Life Hack

Aimee Santos of Swell Mayde is a natural born maker. Or as she calls herself, a “mayker.” As both designer and style blogger, she's had to figure out how to strike a balance between the two and thrive in the face of chaos.

Aimee Santos of Swell Mayde is a natural born maker. Or as she calls herself, a “mayker.” As both designer and style blogger, she's had to figure out how to strike a balance between the two and thrive in the face of chaos.

She's always in the midst of multitude of creative projects. Whether she's sourcing and dishing what we need to be wearing (and buying for friends and fam) this holiday season. Or teaching us how to DIY an envelope wrap skirt, we are always amazed by how she finds the time to keep the momentum in her work life and manage productivity. 

Which is why she’s part of this week’s Create & Connect with our friends at Logitech! We pick her brain below to see how her career has flourished, and how she's managed her hectic life with the help of tools like the Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard.

+What side projects do you indulge in aside from blogging and designing?

Drawing and making jewelry.

+What is the one life hack that has helped you be more productive?

I love to start my day early. I feel so accomplished by the end of the day.

+How do you balance designing and blogging?

Stay organized and keep a detailed calendar.

+How important is a work life balance for you, or do they intersect?

So important. I need moments of the day/week that I can relax and re-energize myself.

+How do tools like the Logitech K380 Multi-Device keyboard help you be more productive and manage multitasking?

Having a keyboard for my phone and iPad is life-changing. I am able to finish tasks much faster. It also allows me to multi-task so easily since I can connect multiple devices to it and switch between them with a touch of a button.

+What is the one thing you like to add under your belt but haven't had the chance to do yet?

Interior designer/real estate developer.

+How do you deal with the busy trap?

Try to stay organized.  When I feel overwhelmed, I take a moment and schedule out my day/week. It instantly de-stresses me to know that I can get through everything with proper planning.

"Stay organized and keep a detailed calendar."

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Make sure to check out Aimee’s blog here at swellmayde.com, and if you’re looking for the perfect holiday tech gift to get you started this Black Friday, be sure to add the Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard to your shopping list!

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Profiles, Digital Arianna Schioldager Profiles, Digital Arianna Schioldager

Create & Connect: On-the-Go with Go-getter Puno DosTres

When you work as a creative, the need to produce quality innovative work is always on your mind-- even if that means you’re working on multiple projects at once. That’s how us creatives function, and we find solace in the chaos of multitasking. Our friends at Logitech get it, and that’s why we’re in love with their new K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard. A piece of tech that allows us to do just that.

In celebration of the release of the K380 Multi-Device, we’re highlighting some of the hardest working women in the digital space. All of whom have multiple projects under their belt, and whose careers have thrived off of multitasking and efficient productivity.

When you work as a creative, the need to produce quality innovative work is always on your mind-- even if that means you’re working on multiple projects at once. That’s how us creatives function, and we find solace in the chaos of multitasking. Our friends at Logitech get it, and that’s why we’re in love with their new K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard. A piece of tech that allows us to do just that.

In celebration of the release of the K380 Multi-Device, we’re highlighting some of the hardest working women in the digital space. All of whom have multiple projects under their belt, and whose careers have thrived off of multitasking and efficient productivity.

This week, we are featuring Jennifer Puno, better known as Puno DosTres. Puno is a creative from Los Angeles who quit her day job to build to her own business. Today, Puno has co-founded Map and PeopleMap.co with husband Daniel, co-founded ilovecreatives.com with none other than Eva Goicochea, does UX/UI design, and dabbles in photography and styling. Is there anything this girl hasn’t done? We caught up with her in between hustles to chat about traveling with total strangers, avoiding the pitfalls of “busy,” and making every minute count.

+What is your favorite thing about working on the go?

The freedom! This past summer, Daniel and I went on an epic trip in Europe that started in Copenhagen. Our intention was to stay for only three weeks, but we started swapping homes with a few different people on behomm.com and ended up staying for two months! It’s not easy traveling and working, but if I am super disciplined and the internet is on point, I can get about 2-4 hours of work done in a day. It really helps to stay in one city for 2-3 weeks.

+What are some of the best relationships or projects that have come from traveling for work?

I've just started doing more "strangercations" where I travel with a complete group of strangers. I know, sounds super Road Rules, huh? On my first strangercation, I went to Iceland and took Star Trek photos, which led to a hunt for hot springs in California.

Just recently, I went to Sayulita with Coast To Costa and helped them build their website. If anyone wants to go to Baja, come with us!

+How do you deal with the busy trap?

Calendly keeps me in check by putting rules on how many meetings I can book a day. I also find that when I work out on a daily basis, I prioritize my day better.

"I don’t dwell on tasks."

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+With so many projects running at the same time, how do you manage focusing from one project to the other?

I start hiring as soon as I can by automating as many processes and finding really smart, resourceful people that are super fun to work with. Also, I don’t dwell on tasks or over complicate processes. If I do, it’ll just never get done or becomes super annoying.

+What is your #1 hack when it comes to staying productive and keeping focused?

Harvest is the one app that really forces me to track my time. It’s not easy and I don’t like doing it, but every minute counts when you’ve only got about 10 hours in the day to work after working out, eating, sleeping, and re-doing that cat eye three times.

+How do tech tools like the K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard help you stay productive?

With the K380 Multi-Device, my fingers are elevated so I can type all day long. I also have a wacom tablet that I used instead of a mouse. It was a bit of a learning curve to get used to, but I can’t live without it. My wrist doesn’t hurt anymore, I’m super precise, and it feels more natural when I’m designing. If I had to work with a mouse, I physically feel like my body has to stop and that’s super frustrating. Same thing with typing too long on my iPhone, my fingers feel swollen. Does anyone else feel that way? :)

+How do you celebrate ending a productive week at work?

Usually a really good beer or super delicious meal. If it’s crazy productive, I love to cozy up in the bed and just veg out with Daniel.

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Create & Connect: Crafting a Balance with Eva Goicochea

We’re natural born doers and multitaskers. There’s always a million things we want to do, and with a hunger to hustle, we’re going to do it all. However, when it comes to managing tons of projects at the same time, you have to know how to balance all of them at once and known how to seamlessly move your focus from one to the other. That’s why we’ve partnered with our friends at Logitech, in celebration of their new K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard,  to highlight some of the most hard-working women in the digital space that have put multiple projects under their belt whose careers have thrived off of multi-tasking and efficient productivity.

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We’re natural born doers and multitaskers. There’s always a million things we want to do, and with a hunger to hustle, we’re going to do it all. However, when it comes to managing tons of projects at the same time, you have to know how to balance all of them at once and known how to seamlessly move your focus from one to the other. That’s why we’ve partnered with our friends at Logitech, in celebration of their new K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard,  to highlight some of the most hard-working women in the digital space that have put multiple projects under their belt whose careers have thrived off of multi-tasking and efficient productivity.

This week, we have Eva Goicochea, digital brand strategist, entrepreneur and born traveller at heart. Eva, a Jill of all trades, has managed strategy and web design for many notable brands such as Virgin Atlantic, Herschel Supply Co., and Shinola, just to name a few, and most recently, she has co-founded Tinker Watches and Maude. However, with all these clients and projects, Eva has maintained her own personal brand with her beautifully curated Instagram, so to learn on how we could be more productive in our own careers, we caught up with Eva and picked her brain a bit.


+ From your Instagram, we can see that you're a natural wanderluster. How have you found the balance when it comes to traveling, work, and life?

Because I run my own small studio and we're prelaunch with Maude and Tinker, I've been able to weave together a travel schedule that accommodates deadlines. If I have to work while I'm away, I'll make sure to find a co-working space or a coffee shop with elbow room and I'll try and link up with local clients to put in face-to-face time. Exception: In October, I didn't plan well and logged 17,000 miles of traveling without downtime. Needless to say, the emails piled up.

+As a natural born multi-tasker, how have tools like the Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard helped your productivity?

I often hesitate to answer emails on my phone as the keys are frustratingly small. The Logitech K380 Multi-Device keyboard makes using my phone for productivity and communication super simple since it connects via Bluetooth. If I'm out and need to answer emails, I don't have to lug around my laptop anymore!

+ What tips/tricks have you learned about keeping yourself organized when you're on the go?

I first set the expectation for communication by creating a thoughtful out of office reply, then I update my Dropbox and Wunderlist so that I have access to my work/to-dos from wherever I am. 

+ What’s the best part of being busy?

When you juggle multiple projects, it's easy to be motivated by the variety and, because you're interests are split, you have to be efficient and be productive. I find that the busier I am, the happier I am.

"I find that the busier I am, the happier I am."

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+ How do you deal with the busy trap?

Organization is my best friend so I like the idea of scheduling everything anyway. If you agree to meet me for coffee, expect a calendar invite! So I don't deal with it—I celebrate it. (Shaking my head).

+ With Tinker Watches, Maude, and your roster of clients, how do you shift your focus from one project to another?

I typically set my day up in thirds: Current Business (clients, emails, etc.), New Business, and Tinker/Maude. I also use the different desktop feature on Mac (F3). It makes focusing so much easier.

+With producing digital content, strategy, marketing, branding, web design, and even becoming a founder of two companies, are there any more skills that you want to add under your belt?

IF I had the time, I'd learn how to code.


Stay tuned for our weekly Create & Connect series presented by Logitech, and learn more about the Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard here!

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