Work Smarter Not Harder|Kit Graham of Windy City Blogger Co

Life is a great big canvas and you should throw all the paint on it you can.

Happy New Year friends! In case you missed my announcement over the holidays, I started a weekly column , Work Smarter, Not Harder (WSNH). Every Monday this series will showcase Chicago’s leading ladies – think CEO’s, entreprenuers, and everyday women making a difference – and how they work smarter, not harder. I chose the beginning of the week so we can all be inspired to be as productive and motivated as possible for the remaining days ahead. Oh, and you can share your own tips and tricks on how you WSNH by tagging #WSNH2015 on Instagram and Twitter!

Today’s column features one of the brains behind the quickly growing Chicago blogger network, Windy City Blogger Collective; editor of the blog, The Kittchen; contributor to Coca Cola & Cheeky Chicago and author of The Gourmet Grilled Cheese Cookbook. Oh and she has a full time job at Groupon. I love her honesty and pay special attention to how she manages her email. So how does she manage two small businesses and a full time job? I have no clue. But let’s find out shall we?!

1. What time do you typically get up in the morning?

I hate mornings. I tend to really get into the zone with writing around 9pm – so I write and do work until midnight or 1 AM. I have always been a night owl. I roll out of bed around 7:30 or 8 AM.

2. How do you take your coffee and what do you typically eat for breakfast?

I rarely eat breakfast because I don’t wake up hungry. I believe in only eating when I am hungry, so I usually skip breakfast, have lunch at 11:30, and then have a mid afternoon snack. I do wake up thirsty and I love a big iced tea with a splash of lemonade in the morning. These habits of staying up late and skipping breakfast drove my parents NUTS when I was in high school – they are morning people so they didn’t get it. My goal is to make the most of the time when I am most productive – and that time is late at night.

3. Quickly walk us through your morning routine:
   

I check my phone before I get out of bed. I scan my emails, and check Facebook and Instagram. Then I start getting ready for the day. My goal is always to sleep as late as possible and to get ready as fast as I can. I have a rule that I get ready for my entire day – I never have time to go home and change. Sometimes I bring a change of shoes to dress up my outfit before I go out for the night, but that is it. I go to 5-7 events a week, so I need to pick outfits that go from day to night. I keep a little makeup in my purse so I can touch up my makeup before I go out after work. I use big purses so I can lug my DSLR camera everywhere.

I am usually up and out of bed by 8 AM and out the door by 8:45 AM. Then I either Divvy or UberX to my office. I work a 9-5 job in addition to blogging and running the Windy City Blogger Collective. I’m stretched a little thin these days, so time management is very important.

4. What resources do you use to stay organized and remember tasks?

I have a planner with my calendar in it and a notebook to write down ideas and to draft blog posts with me at all times. I always have a to do list going. I have a list of what to do immediately, and I have a list of what I need to do over the weekend. As a food blogger, photos look so much better when they are taken in natural light, which means I need to take them over the weekend. I also take on freelance work that I do on weekends. I actually wake up earlier on weekends to get the morning light.

5. What mistake do you see people constantly make that they should be aware of?

The number one mistake that drives me nuts is when people misspell my name. I receive several emails with my name spelled “Kitt”. The other thing that frustrates me are emails without a clear call to action. Getting emails that are just press releases without a specific ask tend to get ignored.

6. How do you conquer your inbox?

I am obsessed with getting my inbox to zero. I have 4 emails right now. It’s all about prioritizing. I pay attention to emails from clients first. Those get most of my attention. My goal is to be easy to work with and I think that the number one key to being easy to work with is to be responsive. I never let an email from a client, or potential client, sit for more than half a day. If a client emails to say they want holiday content, I might just email to say that they can count me in, that I would love to take on the project, and that I will pitch specific ideas later – this way they hear back from me right away, but I have a little more time to flush out my ideas.

7. How do you format your emails?
   

I try to keep my emails pretty straightforward. I receive a lot, so I don’t have time for much chit chat and I think that is ok. The quicker I draft emails the more I can answer.

I think the secret to emailing busy people is to be polite, but to realize that they don’t have time to read 500 words. Keep it to the point. If I see an email that is really long, it might overwhelm me. Make the point of the email clear quickly. Don’t hide a call to action at the end of an email.

I start my emails with a quick hello and then jump the the point. I separate my points into separate paragraphs for easier reading. I make the call to action or the reason for emailing crystal clear.

8. How do you make time for working out and staying healthy?

Can I just be honest and say that I don’t really have time to stay healthy? I am embarrassed to admit that I haven’t worked out since July. Unfortunately, I had to sacrifice going to the gym to make time for other things in my life. I am running two small businesses (plus working a 9-5 job), and I need to give them all I’ve got right now.

9. Any tips for keeping an organized workspace?

Creating a workspace is the most important thing. Have a place for everything. I just set up my home office last week and before that, my business stuff was everywhere. Having a dedicated place to do your work is the best way to stay organized. I also have a specific drawer for all the cords for phones, cameras and devices. Otherwise they end up all over the place and I waste time looking for them.

10. What other pieces of advice would you like to share?

Don’t let email suck you in. I am guilty of this sometimes. I could literally spend all day replying to emails as they come in – and then I don’t get any projects done. Check email a few times a day but don’t sit on it all day long.

11. Favorite Apps, Books, Resources, Gadgets, Programs, Websites, Etc.

I love AfterLight to edit photos before they go on Instagram. I am a bit old fashioned – I don’t use apps to manage my time. The act of writing something down in my planner locks it in my brain. Figure out what works for you, and for me, it’s paper.

Kit, thank you from the bottom of my heart for participating in the Work Smarter, Not Harder series. Who, by the way, responded and answered all my questions within seconds of me reaching out to her! Kit is someone I am lucky to call a friend and she is such an inspiration to me. I am mesmerized by how productive she is and reminds me I have no excuse to ever consider myself busy! Be sure to follow her on Instagram and if you are a blogger who has not joined Windy City Blogger Collective – DO IT NOW. It’s awesome!

Next Monday’s WSNH column features Lindsay, the CEO + founder of the graphic design company, White Oak Creative. This woman is organized and on top of it! A true professional who branded and designed my blog and personal website. So excited for you to read this one.

And if you have any suggestions on other questions to include or how to make this series better for YOU, be sure to comment below or shoot me an email. I am all ears! Now let’s do this Monday.

For more tips and tricks, you can find some additional WSNH features here!