In this edition of Workflow, we have Venntifact co-founder Joey Nguyen talking about having no fixed workspace and his current love for Japanese 80s City Pop music.
Workflow is an interview series by Balance the Grind to get a glimpse into people’s working styles and workspaces. If you’re interested in sharing your workflow, submit it here!
Describe what you do: I’m one of the co-founders at Venntifact, a martech and CX consultancy working with some of Australia’s biggest enterprise brands and high-growth tech companies. I am a trained yoga teacher, a passionate mover and a hip-hop artist performing under the stage name Joey Maker.
How do you like your coffee: I try to have long stretches of no caffeine, but I am guilty of being in the midst of a cold brew renaissance!
Device(s) you use: 13-inch MacBook Pro for most day-to-day work, 15‑inch MacBook Pro for recording, iPhone XR
Describe your working style in one sentence: Nomadic and adaptive. My days rarely have a standard routine, structure or (when not working from home) location, so I’m always ready to shape my schedule on the fly to the time I have and the place I’m in.
What does your workspace look like: I actually have no fixed workspace most of the time, and you’ll more often than not find me working from the back of an Uber. In this long stretch of being at home, I am usually sitting / squatting on the floor somewhere in my apartment (I like to move around). However, my music set up is my haven, tucked away in a little nook should inspiration strike – laptop, interface, mic and headphones plugged in and always ready to go!
How does your workspace affect your creative process: Having a dedicated music space is critical for me – it gives me the ability to jot ideas down ASAP and keep the momentum rolling. It’s much harder to have a daily routine with your creative pursuits in them if there’s a barrier to entry (like needing to book time to go to a studio, or even simply having to take out a microphone and plug it in) in the way.
It also really works with my schedule to jump in and out of things in between meetings with minimum setup time. It’s really easy to lose a flash of inspiration such as a melody idea if you don’t capture it in the moment, so it helps facilitate rapid ideation and iteration when I’m at home. When I’m out and about, I tend to find a quiet corner, hum into my trusty iPhone and come back to it later!
Do you have a favourite playlist for work: Japanese 80s City Pop Compilation on YouTube.
Who would you like to nominate for the next workflow interview: Lawyer, Tik Tok sensation and “Coffee and a Case Note” guru James d’Apice.
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