Arin Ohandjanian is the founder & director of InsideOut Marketing, as well as the managing director and partner at full-service digital agency Digilite.
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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?
I started my corporate career in print and publishing, before moving across to professional services for various media organisations. In that industry I’ve had client facing and management roles in SAAS companies, and digital media as well.
Currently, I’m the founder of InsideOut Marketing, which provides marketing solutions via outsourced marketing managers to businesses that don’t have the in-house marketing function within their organisation.
I’m also partner and managing director at Digilite, a full service digital marketing agency with offices in Sydney, Toronto, Yerevan and LA. I am also a co-founder of a new business which is launching in Q2 this year which we’re very excited about.
2) What does a day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
No two days are ever the same which is one of the main reasons why I love what I do.
That being said, I do like to have a structured morning routine which sets me up for the day ahead. I always begin my day the night before, when I review my schedule for the following day and plan out my main tasks and objectives.
Upon waking up at 5am I check my emails, Slack messages, as well as all the other DMs that come through via various social platforms. Then, I get myself organised and head to the gym for a 45min work out before getting back home and ready for the day ahead. In between this I sneak in a quick call with one of my partners to catch up with the latest happenings from overnight.
What follows next is meetings, meetings and more meetings. Whether these be phone or video calls, or face-to-face meetings with clients, partners and team members. My primary objective is to be focused on serving our external stakeholders.
I usually take a break between 6pm and 8pm for dinner and to refresh for the last sprint of the day. I have coffee number 4 or 5 for the day, and finish off tasks that don’t require external communication, for example – planning our marketing activities, financial planning, client proposals and general administration.
Final task of the day is to have zero emails in my inbox before logging off and winding down, before getting to bed by 10:30pm to do it all again the next day.
3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?
Absolutely! As a company we believe in the distributed team model which allows for flexible and remote working. This model has enabled us to fast track our expansion into other markets and has enabled us to hire the best talent on the market regardless of location.
This also meant during 2020 while most businesses were taking 3 months to organise themselves into what the new normal looked like, we were ready and able to continue to serve our clients the best way we knew how.
4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?
Work life balance for me isn’t starting the day at 9am and finishing up at 5pm but instead integrating both work life and personal life into one.
What’s more important for me is having a routine, scheduling in time for exercise and taking the required time away to spend time with family and friends in order to stay fresh and energised, both physically and mentally.
This being said, there’s no denying that I’m ‘on’ for most of the day, and the only real time I get away from business is when I’m mid-flight on an airplane. And there hasn’t been any of that for the last 12 months.
5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?
Spending time at home, I’ve found that I’ve kept my routines and habits the same. I put a lot of value on exercise and sleep therefore it’s always front of mind and a priority.
6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?
I spend a large proportion of my day reading, whether that be emails, proposals or industry-related news.
Whilst I enjoy reading I prefer to listen to podcasts as it gives me the opportunity to get a nice long walk in. My playlist is quite varied, anything from industry-related podcasts to general business podcasts and anything real estate, which is also an interest of mine.
7) Are there any products, gadgets or apps that you can’t live without?
I love technology so unfortunately yes, my phone! My phone enables me to do most of my work wherever I am, and I’m able to be responsive throughout the day.
My favourite apps when it comes to work include LinkedIn for networking, and you can’t go past Slack as a collaborative tool. Plus, some fun with NBA 2k mobile.
8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?
I would be interested in reading about anyone who is juggling the operation of multiple businesses. There’s always something to take away from how others manage their time while operating multiple businesses.
9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
Lead by example, whether that be in business or life. We are here for a short time; let’s make it a good time and don’t sweat the small stuff. Control the controllable.
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