Natasha Ritz is the Head of Marketing & Communications at logistics startup Parcelpoint, where she leads the marketing strategy in B2B & B2C, supporting retail and eCommerce sales growth.
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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?
I have been working in marketing for the last decade across beauty, fashion and lifestyle brands. I spent the last 5 years working at LUSH Cosmetics leading the Brand Communications team across ANZ and more recently joined tech and logistics startup, Parcelpoint.
I launched the marketing department for Parcelpoint and supported the business through a rebrand which was a really exciting project. In April this year, my sister and I also launched our side hustle, ARNA. ARNA’s vision is to change the stories women see and tell about themselves in society and our mission is to empower women to make bold decisions.
2) What does a typical day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
I head to work to get in by about 8.30am each day as I enjoy getting there just before most the of team does, just to have some quiet time and really settle into the day.
I usually start by writing my listing for the day, looking at my calendar and then cracking on with any major projects. I only come to emails later in the day as I figure, if it’s urgent someone will call.
Then, I’ll come home and every couple of evenings I’ll spend a few hours working on ARNA, building content, editing the website, connecting with people etc.
3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?
Yes, my role at Parcelpoint is pretty flexible. I can work from home as I like and access all communication channels like Slack or Zoom to be part of any meetings as needed.
It fits well to have some flexibility with work, especially because life happens and sometimes you need to be at home or have a change of scenery to be productive. Sometimes, you get more inspiration by having different surroundings than by being in your normal working space.
4) Do you have any tips, tricks or shortcuts to help you manage your workload and schedule?
I love to be organised so I use a lot of different tools and styles to manage my workload. Firstly, I love to write down a list, the act of physically writing really helps cement the things I need to do. I also like to write ideas or copy or draw ideas out as well.
I like to use a digital diary like Google but also have a Passion Planner which I fill out monthly.
When working on large projects I like to use a project management tool like Monday to really help visualise all the major milestones and the tasks within them, the timeframes and deadlines and the owners of different parts of the project.
5) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?
I don’t really see life as split between work and life. I see it all as a bit of a mush together or a blend – if you like. I think the idea that these two things are separate are a bit challenging for me.
I don’t even like the idea of hump day or living for the weekend sounds pretty average to me. I think you first have to love what you do and then it feels less like work. Finding a business that aligns with your values or launching one that aligns with your values could be a good way to do that.
It’s not to say that I enjoy absolutely every part of my role in both Parcelpoint and ARNA, there’s definitely some admin I don’t love and spreadsheets that I don’t love BUT for the most part I enjoy what I do and so it feels less like I need to create this absolute switch from work into personal, it’s all just connected.
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?
I think some habits I’ve created are to ‘eat the frog,’ do the thing you’re dreading most, first! It’s always annoying having some task you don’t want to do, but do it first and just get it out of the way!
Success for me is having or finding a purpose in what I do, setting a clear intention for my day, week, month and year and checking back in with myself to see how that’s going.
I find balance in my life by exercising, meditating, eating great food, having awesome conversations, travelling and taking a good solid holiday break each year to have something to look forward to.
7) Are there any books that have helped you improve over the years?
Louise Hay, You Can Heal Your Life is a game changer. It’s a real view on what you can do to impact your mind and your health. These things don’t work separately to each other and your emotional state deeply affects your physical and mental state. Louise Hay was an absolutely incredible human with so much wisdom and so many teachings that the whole world could learn from.
8) What is the number one thing you do to make sure you get the most out of your day?
Write a list! It’s so damn satisfying marking things off it.
9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
Check in with yourself and really consider how you’re feeling. If you’re not loving what you’re doing or finding you are living for the weekend, maybe searching inside yourself is the answer. You can only change yourself, your responses and your situation and the environment you’re in is a bi-product of your choices, so choose wisely.
If you’d like to have a conversation with us about how you balance the grind, get in touch with us!
