Brett Levy is the Co-Founder of Kazoik, a brand engagement platform which hosts 5-minute auctions once a week. He is also the owner of marketing technology company Beyond Intent.
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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 an entrepreneur my whole life – I can count the number of times I have worked for someone on one-hand. I chose marketing as my foundation and have spent most of my career in advertising, specifically digital and mobile (last 12 years have been mobile-first).
I have a few current roles. As the owner of Beyond Intent, a Marketing Technology company, we help our clients get the best out of their digital marketing by utilising and introducing technology into the marketing strategy and mix.
My new venture, Kazoik, is a brand engagement platform where we hold five 5-minute auctions once a week where there is no minimums, no reserves, no auto-bids and no fuss. The deals are real and the consumers get incredible price opportunities but this is actually built for the benefit of brands.
2) What does a day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
I wake up and read my mails/messages from the night before ring-fencing the “Need-to-respond-now” first. Then I get up, listen to some of the words of wisdom from people I follow and see as mentors, write and share my daily blog and then have the first (of too many) cups of coffee.
My average day changes depending on the clients I am working with. As we speak I am doing video training on behalf of an international giant for local companies here in Australia. I have a podcast, #TechKnowledgy that requires some R and D to prep for and so I am always reading digital newsletters and sites.
I spend a lot of my time on-line and work from home has actually been a blessing for me as I don’t have to spend time traveling to and from meetings so have more hours in my day.
Most of the above takes me to lunch time.
Then the afternoon is spent clearing email (Inbox zero is not a myth ?) and planning the next things I need to do.
My team is in South Africa who are 8 hours behind me so the prep is to be able to brief them in on what needs to be done. This kicks off around 16h00 and takes me well into the night.
I require 5 hours sleep so by 1am I am usually done and ready to go to sleep.
3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?
Yes, I generally work remotely and as mentioned above have been enjoying the WFH scenario.
4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?
Believe it or not – I try aim for some. Not easy – but what I have started doing is trying to not work (too much) on the weekends That way I have quality family time.
What a lot of people don’t realise with everything in life it is about quality not quantity – so I hit Mon to Fri hard and then gear down over the weekend.
5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?
Unfortunately yes, with the gyms closing I have become a bit unfit and not happy about that – exercise is important and I am battling to train at home even with all the apps and programs available.
Going to the gym to train meant it was a destination with a purpose – sitting at home I would rather work than train. This is not a great example of success or balance but it is the truth.
6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?
Shameless punt – my blog and podcast.
I don’t get time to read anymore and I don’t read for the sake of reading like a lot of people do – I read when I need to find out about something.
7) Are there any products, gadgets or apps that you can’t live without?
Phone and MacBook
8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?
Good question, I haven’t actually thought about it – probably Elon Musk.
9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
It is critical to your success and sanity that you find a way to make it all work together – the word balance is exactly as it sounds – too much of one will decimate the other – this is why relationships end, people get sick and businesses fail. To stop or pause is not a sin it’s a requirement.
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