Audrey Kaiser is a digital marketer with 7+ years experience leading digital, communication, marketing and entertainment strategies for small and large organisations.
Balance the Grind spoke to Audrey about her marketing career, working remotely from Medellin, Colombia, flexible working environments to boost creativity and plenty more.
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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your background and career?
I landed my first ever marketing job because I happened to be at the right place at the right time. The company I went to as a customer, happened to be looking for a junior marketer who could speak both French and English.
Over 7 years later, I have gained experience leading digital communication, marketing and content strategies for small and large organisations. I focus on basing my marketing decisions on data analysis to improve user experience and help businesses grow.
Early in my career, I realised that digital was the way to go as you can test, learn what works or doesn’t based on data, measure your efforts and make educated decisions. Hence why I decided to specialise. I absolutely love it.
2) What is your current role and what does it entail on a day to day basis?
I am currently working remotely based out of Medellin, Colombia. My role involves but is not limited to helping businesses with their digital marketing activities, lead generation and growth strategies.
I also oversee the implementation of performance-marketing campaigns using CRM optimization, social media, email and chatbot automations, paid search and SEO activities, as well as the content creation and production (copywriting and digital assets – images and video).
3) What does a typical day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
Recently, I decided to drop everything to follow my dreams and start contracting/working remotely.
I have been thinking about moving to Latin America for a while to discover a culture that is close to my heart, learn the language and dance.
Colombia and more so Medellin seemed like the right place to do so as it’s booming at the moment and has a nice hub of digital nomads.
A current day in my life involves: waking up early, working from a café or a co-working space all morning. I usually then take a break and go to my dancing school to dance salsa for a few hours (as one of my goals is to compete next year).
I would then head home and work again for a few hours and have video conference meetings with my clients.
I love the flexibility of managing my own schedule and hours and working from spaces where I feel relaxed and more creative.
4) Do you have any tips, tricks or shortcuts to help you manage your workload and schedule?
Event management has taught me how to be organised and prioritise tasks based on urgency and deadlines. I do love a good old to do list or GANTT chart.
I always finish my day by reprioritising tasks that need to be actioned the following day. I also like to get ahead of schedule and give clients timeframes with a little a bit of buffer to manage expectations.
It always looks better if you happen to finish ahead of schedule. What I have learned in life is that everything comes down to communication.
Whether it’s with your clients or your boss, don’t let a task or deadline overwhelm you, raise your concerns if any and let your peers know what you’re doing (visibility on your work).
If you’re not sure where to start, ask questions and seek what is most valuable to them so you can work backwards to keep them satisfied with the work you deliver.
5) In between your job, life and all your other responsibilities, how do you ensure you find some sort of balance in your life?
For me to be productive and deliver my best work, I like to have a schedule and feel organised (I am a bit of a planner). I also need my ‘me time’ to unwind and do things I enjoy.
Self-care, eating healthily and a good night sleep are crucial for me to perform at my best. It usually involves being active (dancing or yoga), catching up with friends or reading a good book.
6) What does work life balance mean to you?
Enjoy and be passionate about the work you do so it doesn’t feel like a chore, move your body daily to get those endorphins going, laugh often and don’t take yourself too seriously. Practice self-care daily.
7) What do you think are some of the best habits you’ve developed over the years to help you strive for success and balance?
- Waking up early and going to bed early
- Eating healthily
- Exercising
- Meeting new people – share with other and exchange ideas to learn and grow
- Challenging myself by learning something new
8) Are there any books that have helped you improve over the years?
- The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama
- The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories Of Personal Triumph FromThe Frontiers Of Brain Science by Dr Norman Doidge
9) What is the number one thing you do to make sure you get the most out of your day?
I need to put myself in the zone. I work best when I don’t have distractions from colleagues and peers so I can focus and be in my own little bubble.
10) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
Life is short and about what we make of it. For me the biggest purpose in life is to make great memories, share them with the ones I care about and make the ones around me happy.
If I feel like I am unhappy, I can’t help it but make a change. It doesn’t matter how scary it is, I find that we always end up better off in the long run anyway. For me, making mistakes and being out of my comfort zone are both positive outcomes.
They will teach one something new and make life interesting. I always think to myself before making a decision – will I remember this in 10 years and smile? If the answer is yes, I just go for it.
I try to be present in the moment and make the most out of each day.
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