Daisy Quaker is a digital content marketing consultant, helping startups and brands tell compelling stories about their service or product. Her work has been featured on Moz, SEMrush and Thrive Global.
This conversation is sponsored by graphic design platform Canva. Empowering millions of people around the world to design.
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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?
I’m a digital content marketing freelancer that helps clients grow website traffic and leads through a mix of strategy, SEO, email marketing, PPC, and paid social media ads. I primarily work with startups and small businesses that already have a blog but just aren’t getting the results they hoped for.
Before starting my freelance career, I was the Digital Marketing Manager at a mid-size company making my way up the corporate ladder. In 2019, I decided to pick a new ladder, one that was more in line with my goals and switched to freelancing.
2) What does a day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
My mornings usually start with a self-care routine that helps set my frame of mind. My practice includes a short yoga routine, meditation, and spiritual reading drawing from different cultures and beliefs. I began with Stoic texts; now, I’m wandering through Eastern practices.
Afterward, I make breakfast (usually breakfast salads or smoothies) and start my day. I end my workdays with a walk or run.
3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?
I’m a 100% remote, I work primarily from my home office. I love prioritizing my life according to what matters to me rather than having to fit into a pre-ordained routine.
Working from home helps me plan my day according to my schedule. It can be a little challenging to adjust to at first, but after establishing a routine, it’s worked out well. I have a power-up and power-down practice that help set the pace for my day.
4) What does work-life balance mean to you, and how do you work to achieve that goal?
Work-life balance for me is right-sizing how much time I spend at work, and how much time I invest in activities outside of work. I suffered from persistent Lyme disease for a few years, and the journey to getting my health and life back shifted my priorities. Now, eating well, sleeping, movement, and mental health take precedence.
I work to achieve this goal through small steps over a long period. In my first year of freelancing, I committed to 15-minutes of yoga every weekday morning. Now in my second year, I’ve added meditation and reading.
I like trickling in new habits. It’s tempting to feel like you should do it all, but I find it making small changes anchored to patterns I already have (like waking up) work a lot better.
5) What do you think are some of the best habits or routines that you’ve developed over the years to help you achieve success in your life?
My definition of success has changed so much over the years that I would like to abandon the word and my sometimes unhealthy fixation on achievements entirely! I like progression instead. It’s a little more nebulous but more realistic for me.
That said, some of the habits that I think help me improve boil down to taking things slowly, being consistent, and accepting imperfections. In my mind, the path to success is like taking a long, long hike rather than trying to run the whole way.
6) Are there any books that have helped you improve over the years?
So many, but if I had to pick, Brene Brown’s The Power of Vulnerability (audiobook), Deep Work by Cal Newport, and Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday.
7) What is the number one thing you do to make sure you get the most out of your day?
I write a to-do list in a little pocket-sized notebook that I carry with me.
8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?
I’d be curious to hear about the work-life balance of writers and painters. Their work is so solitary; their discipline is probably #goals.
9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life, or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
Avoid comparisons! I’m working on that. While it’s helpful to learn about different people’s stories, I think we can get pulled into thinking we need to strive for the same things, not true. Work-life balance is whatever works for you, and for some, it might be an imbalance, that’s cool too. We can all learn from each other.
Before you go…
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If you’d like to have a conversation with us about how you balance the grind, get in touch with us.
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