Balancing the Grind with Rey Vakili, Managing Director of LTK Australia

Rey Vakili is the Managing Director of LTK Australia, the world’s largest creator-guided shopping platform.

Learn about the daily routines from the most successful people in the world by signing up to our newsletter

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

I am currently working as Managing Director for LTK Australia, a global technology platform that allows content creators to monetise their content across all social platforms and allows brands to power their influencer marketing programs at scale.

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

Being a part of a global company means that a lot of my days usually start with an early morning call. I always like to try to fit in exercise before this because I know that once I’m behind my desk, the temptation to push it to another day becomes too great. My early morning routine usually consists of a Pilates class or jog followed by fresh juice and coffee. Then it’s prepping for my morning calls.

The work I complete on any given day often varies. It can be anything from setting agendas for our teams, If I am working by myself, I could be focussing on strategy, recruitment, and streamlining processes.

In the evening more often than not I will have an event that I am required to attend. It may be a brand that we are trying to have join the platform or creators that I am interested in recruiting.

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

Because so much of my work is event-driven, my work-life balance doesn’t necessarily include more socialising or seeing friends. In fact, it’s almost the opposite. I really value alone time, it helps me keep calm, unwind and de-stress.

So it is important for me to carve out these pockets on a day when nothing is scheduled and I can just be myself. I’ve actually learnt to schedule these into my calendar, so if I try to book anything in those times, I don’t have to think twice about it.

Elon Musk, Kobe Bryant, Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles, receive a new daily routine each week about some of the most successful people in the world.

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

I find myself having less time to read for enjoyment, something that I miss immensely.

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

I listen to The Daily every morning on my walk to Pilates or coffee. It keeps me up to date with current events and provides great insights into a pertinent topic on any given day.

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

Elon Musk. I am always fascinated by how Elon can operate so many successful businesses all at once and in such different industries. Does he allocate a certain number of days in the week to each business or hours in a day? And how on earth does he have time to eat, sleep, attend events and have a life in between?!

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

It’s tricky and I don’t think anyone is ever truly satisfied with the balance they have. There are times when work picks up and it requires more attention than other times, and it is difficult to drop everything to “create balance”. I think in instances like this I just try to be kind to myself, if it means skipping that workout class or saying no to dinner to get some me-time in, that’s okay!

Before you go…

If you’d like to sponsor or advertise with Balance the Grind, let’s talk here