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Balancing the Grind With Ringo Chan, Founder & Director at Ecosa.com

Ringo Chan is the Founder & Director at Ecosa.com, a company dedicated to healthily transforming sleep with personalised products to enhance sleep quality.

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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?

I am the Founder and the Director of the business. I lead the team myself, and am very involved in all areas of the business, from logistics to marketing.

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

Sleep is very important to me, so I wake up naturally without an alarm to ensure I get the rest I need. I then make breakfast for my young family, and head into the office mid-morning.

When I arrive at the office, I clear my inbox. This can take up to three hours on a busy day! Then I open Trello – our project management tool of choice – and manage tasks assigned to different departments within the company. I spend about an hour assigning tasks and checking how things are tracking.

My next focus is customer feedback. These insights really give a big picture of how we can enhance the customer experience and develop new systems and products.

I have a 30-minute weekly meeting with each department, including IT, Customer Service, Marketing, Product and Finance, which keeps everyone on track.

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

Flexibility is a big part of company culture at Ecosa. Everyone has the luxury of flexible working hours to ensure they get the sleep they need. We can arrive as early or as late as we like, and leave early or late accordingly.

I often arrive at the office around midday and leave later, while some choose to get in early and leave early. Everyone is different, but it’s nice to give people the choice to make the job work for their needs.

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

Trust your employees, and share your workload. I wasn’t the smartest person in school so I learned there is always someone better than you at doing one thing. Assign the right tasks to the right talent, and you’ll get much more done.

As a business owner it can be hard to let go of control, but when you allow others to do a better job than you could do yourself, you’ll see big differences.

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

Work can get really busy at times, but my work is also my hobby. For me it’s about much more than making profit – it’s about knowing my company actually helps people sleep better.

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?

Having a solutions-focused mindset. When I see an issue, I will spend my time resolving it from the root problem, rather than getting stressed over smaller details. Sometimes it helps to work backwards if you want to move forwards.

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

Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller.

A customer is a hero who encounters a problem to be solved, a challenge to be won. It’s all about making your brand the one thing that guides your customers to their solution. In our case, it’s better sleep.

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

Take time to think. When your head is fuzzy, you make poor decisions. I always make sure I leave myself enough time to think things through – even if that means leaving a bit later.

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

Work hard, but sleep well. In the modern world people are very busy, working on jobs, side businesses, full time businesses, etc.

Sleep is as much of a factor in your overall health and wellbeing as diet and exercise, so make time to sleep and educate yourself on the value of quality sleep in achieving your full potential.

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About Author

Hey there! I'm Hao, the Editor-in-Chief at Balance the Grind. We’re on a mission to showcase healthy work-life balance through interesting stories from people all over the world, in different careers and lifestyles.