In this edition of Workflow, we have Dolli Taylor, founder & director of SPEAR, talking about how starting her own business has changed her workflow.
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Describe what you do: I am the owner of SPEAR, which is a global creative, events, communications and talent management agency. My vision is to take new guard brands and creatives and nurture them into success stories. To compliment this I have also launched TROBAT, an online destination that shares the stories of interesting people and places I find in my perpetual state of curiosity and travel.
How do you like your coffee: Espresso with a drop of cream (naughty, I know).
Device(s) you use: MacBook Pro that my mum gave me when I launched my business! Also I do a lot of work on the go from my iPhone, I have set it up so I can download any file and save it direct to my computer files. Makes for great remote working! I also can’t do without my AirPods. I love to be on the go and be able to speak wirelessly, taking meetings whilst I have my hands free to do other things is fantastic!
Describe your working style in one sentence: If you asked me this question one year ago it would be a very different answer as I was working in an office for somebody else and I was very structured.
Starting my own business enabled me to set my own work flow. To be honest I don’t have a set structure that I do every day. I work for myself from home when not travelling for work so I like to give myself some flexibility and mix it up each day. I try to take each day as it comes, check my emails in the morning, set my goals for the entire day and then focus my energies on the work when I feel in the mood throughout the day.
Sometimes my motivation can hit me first thing in the morning and other times it can be late at night. Allowing myself to work when I feel ready during a day enables me to be far more productive. I am very disciplined and love to work so even if I float around in the morning tinkering at the house, I still always get everything done that I set for myself.
What does your workspace look like: When I am travelling (which is a lot of the time) its whatever hotel bar or cafe that I feel a good vibe with. When we are at home in our Casa in Mallorca I work out of our home office usually. It has a lovely sea view so I sit myself right next to the window which makes me feel inspired. My laptop is set up on a trestle table and I have a note pad next to me, that’s it. Simple.
Do you have a favourite playlist for work: What I feel like listening to is is always driven by my current mood but I would say that more often than not I set a radio on Spotify around either The Bleachers or The 1975.
Who would you like to nominate for the next workflow interview: Annemieke Tierney, Creative Director of NOIR. NOIR is the sister agency of SPEAR and is a global leader in brand experience.
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