Residing on the Gold Coast, Chelsey Blount is the Marketing & Communications Manager at Consolidated Properties Group, with extensive experience in the real estate industry.
Balance the Grind spoke to Chelsey about transitioning from journalism to marketing and comms, her current role at Consolidated Properties Group, typical day in the life, her favourite gadgets, and plenty more.
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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your background and career?
After completing a Bachelor of Journalism, Economics & Business Management (Advertising) at the University of Queensland I started out as a keen TV journalist.
But shortly after having a taste for what the day-to-day was like, I quickly learned that it wasn’t the fit I had always hoped it would be and moved into the world of marketing, comms and branding after that.
I’ve worked my way around the property and real estate industry ever since and have never turned back!
2) What is your current role and what does it entail on a day to day basis?
As the Marketing & Communications Manager for a prominent developer, Consolidated Properties Group, I work as the ‘brand custodian’, looking after not only the corporate brand, but also all of the project brands as well.
It sounds cliché, but no two days are ever alike for me! My time is usually spent multi-tasking between an ever-changing list of priorities associated with all components of the business: corporate, residential, retail and commercial.
It’s incredibly fast paced but I absolutely love working with the best in the business, pushing the boundaries and bringing the most outlandish creative visions to life, all the while ensuring everything is always on brand.
3) What does a typical day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
I’m a tea gal! I stopped drinking coffee several years ago and have never looked back, so everyday starts with a cup of tea (or four) to get me going.
After that, I like to spend my mornings focusing on key strategic objectives and goals and try not to look at or respond to emails during that time.
It’s much easier said than done, but ultimately, the flow of emails will never end so to actually get some work done I find it’s really important to put the content on hold for a while and focus on the context instead.
A mentor of mine taught me very early on about the importance of separating the content from the context and I think about it all the time.
After lunch, I’ll usually be back to back in meetings, looking after general admin and checking in with our online communities.
4) In between everything you do and all your responsibilities, how do you ensure you find some sort of balance in your life?
This is very top of mind for me lately as I’ve recently been quite out of balance and it affected me in more ways than I would have anticipated.
I was in a period of transition from the Gold Coast to Brisbane and the hours were really taking a toll on me – I wasn’t exercising, I wasn’t eating right, I had very little energy and was definitely not my usual self.
I felt like I was able to maintain a strong front professionally, but personally I was not a good time to be around! Now that I’ve completely transitioned to life in Brisbane, I’ve been able to find my balance again by getting back into more of a routine.
I go to reformer Pilates 3 mornings a week and on the other days try to get out for a walk.
Most weeknights, I’m in bed by 9pm ready for an early start and that works really well for me. On weekends, I spend time with the three great loves of my life: family, friends and food.
5) What are some of the things you do to take time out and recharge?
I am constantly on the go so taking time out and recharging for me is usually spent at home with my partner and our two cats (yes, I’m a completely crazy cat lady) relaxing and taking it easy together.
We’re both hard at work all week and it’s easy to fill up our weekends being social and getting out and about. For me, the re-charging bit is done by slowing down, taking it easy, and spending time with my loved ones.
6) Are there any gadgets, tools or products can’t you live without?
My top two can’t-live-without items are my iPhone and Macbook. I’m carrying one or the other (or both) at almost all times and I’ve got everything I need at my fingertips with no need for wasted paper.
If you ask my co-workers, they’ll tell you I drive them crazy by always carrying on about being paperless! I’m also very much into diffusing essential oils at my desk after a colleague got me onto it a few years ago.
I use different oils and blends to suit different moods and now I can’t get stuck into a busy day without the aromas of ‘peace’, ‘balance’ or ‘passion’ around me.
7) Do you have any books that you love and would like to recommend?
101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think by Brianna Wiest – dense reading but well worth it. I’ve recently finished Shoe Dog by the creator of Nike, Phil Knight, and couldn’t put it down.
An absolute page turner is the non-fiction Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup plenty of jaw-dropping moments in that book!! I also love anything by Liane Moriarty for a fiction fix.
8) What is the number one thing you do to make sure you get the most out of your day?
Don’t glorify the notion of ‘BUSY’. I work in a very fast-paced role so in order to get the most out of it, I always try to stay calm and in control of the situation, no matter how frantic it can get.
In my world, there’s no such thing as being too busy, while some people find it helpful to compile to-do lists about what should be getting done, I’d prefer to spend my time actually getting it done.
If you’d like to have a conversation with us about how you balance the grind, get in touch with us!