Darcy McKenna is the Co-Founder & Director of Biz Sites, a digital marketing agency located in Wollongong, NSW. He’s also attending the University of Wollongong studying a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Management and Marketing.
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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?
I started Biz Sites, my digital marketing agency, in late 2018. I was still working part-time jobs at the time, but as the months went by my business started to grow. I decided to bite the bullet and leave my part-time work and become a full-time entrepreneur.
I’m the director of the agency. I deal with our clients and I’m responsible for signing up new clients. I do all the social media management and advertising, plus SEO and SEM work for our wonderful clients. Currently learning off my business partner, Jye Turner, the website design process and creating online stores so I’m able to take the workload off him.
2) What does a day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
For example, on a Monday I start the day off with writing down my goals and tasks that I want to complete by the end of the week. I then respond to emails and messages I received over the weekend. Make sure all our websites that we host are online and running smoothly. Then I check how the Facebook Ads for our clients are operating and make slight adjustments if needed.
After these tasks I then get into some larger tasks. Whether that’s creating a new online store, creating content for our social media management clients, designing a whole new Facebook advertising campaign, having a meeting with a client, etc.
Meanwhile, I need to attend my university classes, lectures, and complete any assessments. If possible I try to enrol in classes that are on the same day so I can knock out uni for the week, to leave me six other days to work and relax.
3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?
I’m very grateful to be in a position to be able to work from wherever and whenever I want. All I need is my phone and laptop, and I’m good to go. It’s great because I can travel to see my family out in the Central West and work from there. Or from a cafe, on a plane, doesn’t matter. I’m also able to access most of my university resources online which is helpful.
4) Do you have any tips, tricks or shortcuts to help you manage your workload and schedule?
Write down every task you need to complete for the day and complete the most difficult/ dreading task first. Leave easier/ stress-free tasks for the afternoon when your brain has had enough for the day. When I started doing this I dramatically increased my productivity.
5) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?
I believe work-life balance means something different to everyone. For me, work is now my life. But I really enjoy what I do so it doesn’t feel like work. When you’re an entrepreneur you’re the last resort, so my business is constantly on my mind.
However, I always make time for myself and family. I believe you must take care of yourself before taking care of anyone or anything. That can be by mediating in the morning, attending church on Sunday, or whatever.
I do leave Sundays for recalibration, Church, and catching up with friends and family.
6) What do you think are some of the best habits you’ve developed over the years to help you strive for success and balance?
Constantly improving my mindset has definitely been my best habit. Being self-accountable for everything has been such a great tool that’s helped me strive for success. Also, being patient and not getting frustrated over any small ‘hiccup’ that occurs along the way.
7) Are there any books that have helped you improve over the years?
There have been two fantastic books I’ve read this year, Gary Vaynerchuk’s Crushing It! and Dr. Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life.
Crushing It is perfect for any marketers, entrepreneurs, and people wanting to increase their output.
12 Rules for Life is the greatest book I’ve read. Anyone that’s wanting to improve their life should definitely read it. It 100% changed my life.
8) What is the number one thing you do to make sure you get the most out of your day?
I write down SMART goals. These are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. I use these not only in business but also my lifestyle. Having goals that are defined and clear will help you focus your efforts and increase the chances of achieving that goal you set. For example, a SMART goal could be ‘To sign up 2 new SMM (social media marketing) clients by Friday afternoon’.
9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
Be grateful for how lucky you are to be alive. The chances of you being alive are 400 trillion to one. So make the most of your time here and crush it! Work hard but don’t work too hard. Learn to switch off and enjoy life!
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