Stacey Vanoska is the Editorial Director of fashion and beauty blog styleetcetera.net, Founder of The Social Clique and Diploma of Business trainer and assessor at The Fashion Institute.
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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 Director of social media marketing agency, THE SOCIAL CLIQUE, and I balance this role with vocational and corporate training in digital marketing.
Prior to starting my own business, I worked for several different fashion magazines and began my career with a cadetship in print journalism more than 10 years ago.
The journey to where I am today has had its ups and downs but I know for sure that if you asked me back then where I would be in 2019, it would definitely NOT be this. But I’m so glad I’ve ended up here!
2) What does a typical day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
A typical work day:
- 8am: Wake up, feed the puppy and have a green juice (followed by coffee).
- 9am: Check emails, socials and any client campaigns that have been running overnight.
- 10am: Make the bed, shower and get dressed.
- 11am: Take a client meeting via Skype or Zoom.
- 12 noon: Take the dog for a walk and have some lunch.
- 1pm: Action any emails or client work that is outstanding and prep for training session.
- 2pm-6pm: Give a face-to-face training session (this could be on anything from Instagram Engagement, Email Marketing or LinkedIn Basics, etc).
- 7pm: Feed the puppy and have some dinner.
- 8pm: Wind up down with some trashy TV (preferably the Real Housewives of somewhere).
- 9:30pm: Relax with a good book.
- 11:30pm: Drift off to sleep and get ready to do it all again tomorrow.
3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?
At the moment, my week is basically split in half so 50% of the week is face-to-face and 50% of the week is remote. It’s a great arrangement for my life right now and I am aiming to increase the remote work percentage even more in 2020.
This flexibility allows me to be really focused and be ‘all in’ with clients/students, but to also spend time taking my dog to the beach or running errands when I would usually be glued to a desk.
4) Do you have any tips, tricks or shortcuts to help you manage your workload and schedule?
It might not be a tip or trick, but the one thing that I do and that I recommend to anyone I mentor is: ‘Underpromise and Overdeliver’. At times in my career, I have have felt as though I can’t say no because I don’t want to miss an opportunity but really it was that fear of missing out that left me burnt out.
The best thing you can do for your productivity and your own mental health is to do less but do it better.
5) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?
Work-life balance to me means having an even split between what puts puts money in the bank and what puts joy in your heart. And if the two can overlap, all the 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?
Rituals (or habits) play a huge role in achieving success but also in maintaining balance. Even little things, such as making the bed each morning, give you a sense of accomplishment and a rush of dopamine from being able to cross one thing off your to-do list.
So apart from keeping lists, another habit of mine is I like to be constantly learning something new – whether for business or pleasure, it keeps your mind active, gives you new and interesting things to talk about and expands your knowledge base.
7) Are there any books that have helped you improve over the years?
I love books, so I often have a few on the go at once.
I’m currently reading This Is Marketing by Seth Godin and Deepak Chopra’s The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success. A couple of old favourites are Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie (classics!).
Next on my reading list is Marie Forleo’s Everything Is Figureoutable and Do Less: A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Busy Moms by Kate Northrup, both authors are female entrepreneurs so I’m really looking forward to their insights.
8) What is the number one thing you do to make sure you get the most out of your day?
Get straight out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off or I wake naturally – whatever comes first. I’m definitely not a ‘snooze 57 times’-type of person. Why put off what you can do right away? Straight up, it’s a small win!
9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
Never underestimate the importance of good sleep. Without it, you are unproductive, cranky and less tolerant. Getting adequate amounts of sleep has been life-changing for me and cannot recommend it enough!
If you’d like to have a conversation with us about how you balance the grind, get in touch with us!
