Balancing the Grind with Charlotte Goodsir, Social Strategist at The Monkeys

Charlotte Goodsir is a Social Strategist at Sydney-based creative agency, The Monkeys, where she works with clients creating bespoke social media campaigns.

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

Like many people I kind of ‘fell into’ marketing and advertising. Through an internship I found out what an agency was fascinated by what a creative job entailed.

I got into an agency through a graduate program where I was a “suit”, a more client facing role, after the program finished I moved into a creative copywriters position which was amazing. I was always passionate about strategy which led me to my current role as the social strategist at The Monkeys in Sydney.

My job now is working with clients to create through the line campaigns with bespoke social that cuts through.

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

Every day is a little bit different depending on time of year, currently in lockdown, this is it

7:10am: Wake up, my day generally begins with yoga as soon as I wake up, and a long black as I get ready for work.

7:45:Nowadays work is moving from my bedroom to my kitchen so I’ve been trying to use the 20 minutes I normally have as travel time to listen to podcast or read for 20 minutes, just to get into the ‘work zone’.

8am: I’m a big fan of intermittent fasting so generally have another long black to start the ‘work day’. Always start the day with creativity, I spend 5 or 10 minutes looking at art, typography or a TED talk something from outside of my industry.

12:30pm: Lunch, I generally get out of the office for a walk around Surry Hills or right now my neighbourhood

5:30: Afterwork I have been exercising online or going for long walks and trying to read as much as I can so this “lockdown” time isn’t completely wasted.

9:30: Journal, sleepy tea and bed.

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

Advertising (and especially my current role) has always been super collaborative so it’s easier when we’re all together in one room able to bounce ideas off one another.

Since COVID we haven’t had that luxury, although we have been super lucky with tech to move everything online. I’m not really one who enjoys WFH, I love the structure of going into work, it helps me keep focused but some of my colleagues really flourished.

Looking into the future, I hope that this period will enable us to have more dynamic work rosters, and integrate WFH more often.

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

Work/life balance has always been tough for me, coming from a copywriting position you never really switch off until you’ve cracked the idea. Some strategies I use to maintain the balance are:

1. Remove emails from your phone- if it’s important they’ll call or text you.
2. Work smarter, I know I work best in the morning so I will get in the office around 8am to knock out most of my work before I get hit with anything that day, it also allows me to leave on time (I am also a latin dance lover so will spend most of my evenings at the dance studio).
3. Leave your laptop at work- if you know you’re going to think about a project just stay at work and finish it, so when you’re home or out with friends you’re present and actually enjoying the time.

5) In the past 12 months, have you started/stopped any routines or habits to change your life?

Taking emails off my phone was a game changer, it makes me more present all round. Also journaling has really helped me stay grounded. I got into it via a 5 minute journal and started noticing the benefits mentally so would recommend.

6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?

Yes! I am an avid podcast listener some of my favourites are 99% Invisible, Hidden Brain and The High Low. For newsletters, I love The Download from MIT and TrendWatching always has cool stuff from the marketing world. Currently reading Thinking, Fast and Slow which is fab.

7) Are there any products, gadgets or apps that you can’t live without?

During COVID I have been breaking up my days into 50 minute blocks with a. 10 minute ‘no screen time’ break so using the clock app a lot. Lame, you don’t need to include this one.

8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?

Malala Yousafzai or Jacinta Ardern.

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

Work smarter not harder, don’t fall into the trap of being the jnr in the team that is the first to arrive and the last to leave, and always start your workday with creativity.

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