Balancing the Grind with Katie Whitley, Founder of Monde Social

Katie Whitley is the founder of Monde Social, a London-based content & social media agency working with start-ups and globally recognised brands across the luxury and premium landscape.

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

I am the founder & CEO of Monde Social – a content & social media agency based in London. We aim to work with disrupting start-ups and globally recognised brands across the luxury and premium landscape.

We specialise in working with global brands to create content and elevate their digital presence, offering everything from video production, content creation, social elevation to creative direction and consultancy.

I pride myself on adaptive visions, tailored to suit each client’s particular needs, as well as having a direct insight to the current trends and objectives surrounding social media. Before starting my business in January 2021, I worked for an agency who specialised in media production which then grew me from Content Creator to Creative Founder.

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

I think if you ask any business owner that question, they would never be able to tell you what a day in a life look like. On a good day:

6:00am – wake up with coffee, read through emails

6:30am – morning walk for half hour

7:00am gym – get that motivation juice going!

8:30 Start work – content planning, client calls, strategy calls with existing clients, brainstorming sessions, daily admin

7:00pm finish work, have dinner!

7:30 – down time and house chores! 

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

Having a work life balance honestly didn’t exist when I first started my business, I would wake at 6:00 and finish work at 1:00am the next day. I would eat my 3 meals at my desk and sometimes I wouldn’t even step outside to get fresh air.

This was possibly one of the worst things you can do, but I needed to experience it in order to better my time management skills! I now focus on moving my body every single day, going out for walks, getting to the gym – even it’s for half an hour! (granted some days it’s still impossible) but one thing I have learnt is that ‘you make time’. You make time for your work right? Because you can’t miss a deadline, so why can’t you make time for your own mind and physical health?

Since I have implemented this, I am a much happier, healthier person and my business is doing just fine! 

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

Things I have stopped:

• Working until 1am in the morning
• Saying yes to everything
• Prioritising my health – if I need a day off – I take it
• Saying ‘I can’t do this’
• Saying ‘no’ to family and friends because I am too ‘busy’ 

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

Ooo – I’d have to say:

• The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett
• Agencyphonics with Spencer Gallagher and Pete Hoole

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

Molly-Mae Hague. 

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

• Embrace failure – otherwise this brings you stress
• Learn from your mistakes – It’s inevitable, so don’t procrastinate, take action to move forward
• Don’t try to do it all alone – you can’t do it all
• Say no (and keep saying no) – in order to have any chance of keeping your head above water, saying no is a vital skill.
• Keep work and life separate – make time for your family and friends

All of these things I have implemented and a result, I now have a much better balance in life.

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