Anjelika Temple is the Chief Creative Officer and Founding Partner of Brit + Co. She’s Brit + Co’s first hire and helped build the brand you know and love from the ground up, focusing on the company’s aesthetic and editorial voice. She currently oversees the creative, editorial, and video teams. It’s safe to say Anjelika is both busy and in high demand. We thought we’d take a peek at her office to find out how she gets it all done.
On an average weekday, I usually wake up around 6 or 6:30 am so that I can squeeze in a short workout and then shower and get ready before my 15-month-old daughter Anokhi wakes up. She gets up around 7 am, so my husband and I head into her room (which happens to be an alcove off our kitchen) and give her a bottle of milk and get her ready for the day. We play and read books and often go for a family walk in Golden Gate Park with our dog Turkey before we head to work around 8:30 am.
I typically block off the first hour of the day, so I can get caught up on email, write out my to-do list (yep, with pen and paper), and get organized for the day. Then I’m usually in back to back meetings most of the day. My meetings are a mix of brainstorm discussions, operational updates, and team meetings. I like to have smaller meetings in my office so that it’s cozier and a bit more casual. I leave the office at 5 pm to get home to hang with the fam. I get home at 5:30 pm and immediately cook up dinner so we can all eat as a family around 6 pm. Anokhi goes to bed around 7 pm, and then my husband and I typically open our computers back up to work for an hour or two. After that, we deal with life logistics like upcoming trips (we travel a lot!), grocery lists, etc. And then we do what all motivated, ambitious, power couples do: Watch Netflix. We hit the hay around 11 pm, and then it all begins again!
My desk essential has to be a notebook! I am a big fan of to-do lists that are written out, and I often have to draw out things I can’t describe in work. A water bottle or plastic tumbler is a must; a cup of colorful pens and markers (and scissors and needle-nose pliers, just in case); a patterned Frida Kahlo pouch that has essentials like chapstick, headphones, chargers, floss, band-aids, etc; a faux air plant; and, surprise surprise, my phone. I also have a few patches on my desk that will soon make their way onto a patch blanket I’ve been working on for my daughter Anokhi — I add a patch for every new place we go as a family.
I put on some tunes, open up my email, and try to crank through my inbox for a few minutes before my workday really begins. I also write out that day’s to-do list so that it’s fresh each day, rather than the endless to-do list that you keep adding to over the course of the week. This helps me focus and reset.
I actually think that having a little one has made me even more productive. Like I’m more cutthroat with myself about deadlines, the time allotted to work on a given task, and I really can’t doddle around when it comes to my workday. I use my calendar to block off time to work on specific things, and if I spend longer than I’ve given myself, I know I’m not in the zone. I’m also realistic with myself about what I can accomplish in a day. If I’m basically in back to back meetings except for a 30-minute block, then there should basically be nothing on my to-do list. Those 30 minutes are for email catch-up, quick replies to slack, and for adding things to tomorrow’s to-do list.
I think setting the stage for work is crucial. Even when I’m working at home, I like to set things up differently when I’m about to dive into a few hours of work. I know a lot of my friends and co-workers like to work in a different place every day, or like a more social setting for working. I prefer working in the same space because it gets me into the zone instantly. I like my focus time, and creating a cozy, creative workspace helps me make that happen. My favorite task is brainstorming with one other person! I feel like a mind meld can happen better with a duo than with a large group.
Success to me means that the content I’ve helped shepherd brings creativity and positivity into someone’s life. I hope that that person comes out of any Brit + Co experience with a little extra pep in their step and belief that they have, in fact, got this. It means that the women around me, including my daughter Anokhi, feel supported and empowered to take action in their lives.
GOOD THINGS
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