Work Smarter Not Harder: Johanna Grange & Carolyn Jarrett

Don’t cater to everyone and not everyone will love you. That’s okay!

If you are new to Cedar & Rush, Work Smarter, Not Harder (WSNH) is a weekly column showcasing Chicago’s leading ladies – think CEO’s, entrepreneurs, and everyday women making a difference – and how they work smarter, not harder. I decided upon Monday so we can kick off the week as productive and as motivated as possible. If you love a particular piece of advice or have any tips of your own, please share by tagging #WSNH2015 on Instagram and Twitter.

I know took a month break from the Work Smarter, Not Harder series. But I am excited to say we are officially back in business! I personally needed a break and wanted to line up some new, fresh faces for us.

So with that being said, today we have  Johanna Grange and Carolyn Jarrett. I personally know Johanna from her blog, 101 Things I Love. She’s adorable! But to put it frankly, her and her partner, Carolyn have been kicking A$$ at their social media firm, Oak St. Social. Best of all, they are mothers. I truly don’t know how they keep up. Which is why it’s such a treat to have Johanna today. Let’s give her a warm welcome and get down to business. Enjoy!

Johanna, please tell us about your job. My partner and I, Carolyn Jarrett, built a boutique social media firm called Oak St. Social. We specialize in one thing…social media! We cater to small-medium sized business as well as start ups who value and understand social media but lack the bandwidth to do it and do it well on a daily basis. We create a strategic plan, direct an editorial-style photo shoot followed by copy/visual development that we execute for a myriad of different lifestyles here in Chicago and beyond. It will be our one-year anniversary come September!

How did you get to your current position? Carolyn and I had been working in the social capacity for over 24 years collectively and had enough freelance work to make managing our full time jobs nearly impossible. Since we both have the entrepreneurial spirit within, we joined forces for the second time to nurture our baby in an official way. Thus began our story of rejection, triumphs, jockeying crazy schedules as mothers and countless late evenings…that are still alive and well might I add! I think the biggest struggle for any entrepreneur is selling your proof of concept as a legit company when you only have a singular client. It’s a constant sales pitch. The second piece is helping our clients to understand the value of social media and what it can do for their brand. Our clients have various skillsets when it comes to the social world.

What time do you typically get up in the morning?  5:30 AM. I’m yawning as I type this.

How do you take your coffee and what do you typically eat for breakfast? I take my coffee(s!!) with a splash of almond milk and a natural sweetener like Stevia. Breakfast always comes in the form of a protein shake. I try a new recipe almost everyday. They are simple and delicious.

Quickly walk us through your morning routine: The first thing I do is check my client’s feeds and then our own. Following that are emails, which; I flag in order of importance. By 5:50-6:00 am, one of my littles is waking up and padding into our room requesting cartoons and snuggles. I try to get a good 30-minute snuggle session in while catching up with my husband on the important stuff…gymnastics, painters, tuition, etc. Titillating isn’t it?  Once our nanny arrives, it’s shower time (if I have meetings) or to my home office to begin work, no later than 7:30am…coffee in hand.

What is the best way to get your foot in the door of your dream job? Market yourself. Everything is a sale. Network; rub elbows with people of all different industries and pitch yourself constantly. Nothing comes without a little elbow grease. I can’t tell you how many referrals and great clients have come from a peer. It’s all who you know in life.

What resources do you use to stay organized and remember tasks? I live and die by Google Calendar and I make daily lists. I still forget things though. I’m a visual person hence if I don’t write it down…it’s gone, baby, gone!

What mistake do you see people constantly make that they should be aware of? When it comes to business, you should always be branding yourself…use the proper hashtags, post with consistency and frequency and never forget to respond to your loyalists. In life, I think it’s always refreshing to meet someone who lives authentically. Be who you are; don’t cater to everyone and not everyone will love you. That’s okay!

How do you conquer your inbox? I’m an anxious person so this is tough for me. I answer client emails first and if I have a busy day ahead, I respond and let them know that I received their email and will be getting back to them at a later point in time offering them a perimeter of when they will be receiving my response. I think managing expectations is half the battle.

How do you format your emails? I’m a very direct person – short and sweet. No one likes to read anymore!

How do you make time for working out and staying healthy? This is a newly revised journey for me. The life of a start up is overwhelming at times and things move quickly. After many late nights, I knew that I wasn’t taking care of myself nor was I eating properly. I started a new program that incorporates six small snacks with a 30-minute workout everyday. Every.day. No skipping on the weekends. What I lack in sleep, I make up for in newfound energy and better health overall. Cocktails…only on the weekends. I need to be on-point as a mother but also as an entrepreneur.

What are your favorite tips for keeping an organized workspace? Lists, lists and lists of lists. I hate clutter so I am constantly purging and filing. My workspace has to be completely clean or I get cranky.

What other pieces of advice/tips can you share? Never wait to pursue your dream. I wish I would have started this business five years ago, honestly. It took me awhile to take the plunge financially and from a confidence standpoint. Luckily, I am surrounded by an amazing husband, family and more than a handful of entrepreneurial women I admire.

Favorites: 

* Favorite Apps: Instagram, Genius Scan (for contracts on the go!), Facebook Pages, A Beautiful Mess, Uber
* Favorite Resources: Web M.D. when I need to play doctor, my amazing parents, our doting nanny and my girlfriends. I like to call upon people that have lived it first hand.
* Favorite Books: Books…what are those? Kidding! I research everything on the interwebs.
* Favorite Programs: Anything Bravo puts out. Shamefully. Also the Chef’s Table and Game of Thrones, duh.
* Favorite Websites: Mashable, Oak St. Social!!, Mother Mag, Rue Magazine, Refinery 29, The Skimm
* Favorite Gadget: My blender! I die without breakfast shakes.
*Anything else? Do what you love. I finally do!

Thank you so much for joining me today Johanna! You and Carolyn are such an inspiration. Especially being in the same space, I highly look up to you ladies. Not to mention a girl who watches Game of Thrones, is a girl after my own heart. Love this great reminder that it’s never too late to start our dreams. Congrats to the (almost) first year and here’s to looking at year 2!

Want more? You can find all Work Smarter Not Harder posts right here.