Raisa Lorenzana is the Digital Marketing Manager at lookfantastic.com.au, part of The Hut Group, where she manages the strategies across all customer touchpoints.

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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 career as a marketing intern for several beauty brands and by getting involved with any and every project I could. Although beauty was something that already interested me as a little girl, my passion really grew during my time at AVEDA, Benefit Cosmetics, and Unilever where I was able to bring beautiful campaigns to life.

A few years later, I completed my Masters in Marketing and jumped right into where all the action and fun was to be had: the crazy world of eCommerce. Having been inspired by my parents who are both seasoned marketers, I’ve spent the entirety of my working life so far in marketing and I don’t think this will ever change.

As the Digital Marketing Manager for lookfantastic.com.au Australia at The Hut Group, I manage our strategies across all customer touchpoints, including email, social, affiliates, organic/SEO, and paid search.

I love that I’m learning new things every day, working with a talented team, and actualising my personal mission to improve the lives of women through beauty. It’s a great feeling to inspire others through our campaigns and products. It’s all very liberating and there is always something for everyone.

2) What does a typical day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?

Every workday is different for me. The constants would be my 7:00am wake-up time and my 7:00pm dinner. I can’t even give you a set bedtime; sometimes I sleep at 11pm and other nights at 2am.

In the morning, I power through the urgent business-as-usual stuff. Each morning, I review our sales and marketing performance the day before, check how we’re tracking today, and ensure that everything is set up for the following day. I’m always on our real-time Google Analytics dashboard to track customer movements on our site, purchases by hour, and trending searches.

After I’ve had lunch in the afternoon, I switch from this short-term view to a critical long-term POV. For me, this means reviewing and optimising activity on each channel. What’s working well for us? Where do we want to improve and what needs to change for this to happen?

A lot of my time here will be spent analysing onsite data, planning next month’s trade, or brainstorming creative campaigns for brand building.

During my hour-long commute home from 5:30pm, I hit up an audiobook or flick through PressReader (my favourite app investment this year) to stay updated with international news and trends. There are always new developments across all markets and that I need to be across, so reading regularly is a must.

I’m a night owl and my evenings are always fun. My fiancé and I have similar hobbies, so we’ll usually cook dinner, hit the gym for 1-2 hours, and close the day with video games or a flick.

3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?

Working in digital marketing, I could work from anywhere and everywhere. Occasionally, there is interstate travel throughout the year for conferences or for strategy days with business partners.

Although I do consider myself most productive working from home and in my element, I like working from our office at St. Leonards and being around my team. We have a lot of fun, and there’s good energy that we pass on to each other.

4) Do you have any tips, tricks or shortcuts to help you manage your workload and schedule?

Plan out your day the night before and set out to complete the most urgent tasks in the morning when you are most productive. I go so far as planning my outfit just before I sleep so the morning runs as seamlessly as possible.

5) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?

When I was younger, it was about working and playing hard. Now, work-life balance for me is dedicating time for self-development and staying connected to those most important to you.

To the best of my ability, I schedule bi-weekly video calls with my family in the Philippines to see how they’re doing (and even put reminders on my phone if I have to), snatch a daily hour of exercise as “me time”, and set aside two hours every weekend for reading.

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?

A habit that has helped me immensely is to regularly ask for advice. Beyond traversing through new experiences, having a constant feedback loop is critical for growth, and I’ve learned to value constructive criticism more through the years. If you have a mentor in your life, you are blessed! Cherish this person and ask for regular counsel. If you don’t, try to seek one out.

7) Are there any books that have helped you improve over the years?

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg stuck with me. Many high-performance executives automate a lot of what they do in a day to channel more of their brain power on more important decisions. Create a habit loop for day-to-day tasks and you’ll find that you’re able to do more with the time that you have!

Another book that has influenced me is Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. This well-written piece had served as a great reminder to challenge my own perception biases, thus enabling me to make more evidence-based business (or life) decisions.

8) What is the number one thing you do to make sure you get the most out of your day?

Exercise. Starting or ending my day with a workout keeps me productive and in control. That single hour (or half hour, or two hours) to yourself is the best time to clear your head and reflect on your priorities for the next day ahead.

9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?

We all come from different walks of life. Above everything, do all things with humility and positivity. Never stop learning, stay happy, and inspire others to do the same.

If you found the above conversation helpful and inspiring, be sure to check out Balance the Grind’s guide to achieving a healthy work-life balance.