To start things off, tell us about your career to date and your current role
My career to date has been free-flowing and non-traditional. I’ve always worked with entrepreneurs as I love the pressure, challenges, opportunities for learning, and being part of something new and big, that this path presents. I’ve worked in many sectors in many countries including Canada, the US, the UK and Africa. I’m lucky to have always enjoyed the freedom to get fully involved in projects and to work with uniquely talented individuals on exciting initiatives.
One day I realised I had a choice, I could continue working for one amazing entrepreneur or use all that I’d learned to create a business that enabled me to work with many amazing entrepreneurs to create a real impact.
Kinship Kollective was born in September 2019, which allowed me to partner with entrepreneurs and help them overcome any obstacles stopping them from achieving their business goals. At the heart of the company is execution consulting which saves entrepreneurs both time and money by reducing their vision into execution-focused parts that let the people and the business move forward towards their objectives.
What does your typical day look like?
There isn’t a typical day in my life, which is why I love what I do! Every day is different, and my priorities are different, with tasks ranging from prepping products for a marketing launch and overseeing a team to achieve a set goal to conducting 2 hours of interviews.
I am in charge of my time and productivity, which I manage through time blocking. This lets me truly focus on specific client work and tick off tasks for the day efficiently.
How do you achieve a work-life balance?
Working with entrepreneurs means non-traditional hours and work patterns and projects, but that’s the beauty and fun of it all as no two days are the same. The balance comes from doing work you really enjoy and creating time for things that provide meaning. As it’s the little things that make all the difference, I’ll always make sure I find time for workouts, and meditations and to fill my fridge with healthy and easy-to-prepare food when I know I have an intense couple of work weeks ahead.
Are there any routines you’ve begun or ended during the last year to enhance your life?
Yes, meditation has been central to my well-being, and I’ve taken steps to ensure I meditate daily. It’s all too easy to put off meditation if I’m feeling overwhelmed so I now set a calendar reminder to meditate every day so that I’m responsible for making this happen. If the timing is off then I’ll set a new time in my calendar. This way, I can check back through my calendar to see if I’ve had a good week, and wellbeing-wise, and know to make changes for the following week if needs be.
Which books and podcasts do you enjoy and would recommend?
I like listening to Tim Farris’s podcasts when I’m driving – he’s always interesting and speaks to intriguing people. Books, I just adore! Where to begin? Among my favourites are The Heroine’s Journey, Traction, Power vs Force, The Death of Expertise, and Mind.
Whose interview on work-life balance would you like to read?
Rather than just one person’s thoughts on this, I’d ideally like a compilation book filled with contributions from global leaders and non-conformists, bringing insights from diverse industries and backgrounds on what work-life balance means to them. The book would end with an overview of similarities and differences, and a final summary of thoughts.
Any final thoughts you’d like to share with our readers?
We’re all unique and have different strengths and drives. It’s important for everyone to understand exactly what they have to offer and what motivates them to be the best person they can be and then set boundaries that support and protect and ensure they can achieve the best version of themselves.
