6 Ways I Make my Work Day Count

1. I THOUGHTFULLY SCHEDULE MY DAY

My goal is to be at the studio at 8am. I don’t put anything on my calendar until 9am because I know I need a full hour to get settled in and prep for my day. KNOW THYSELF. If I schedule a meeting at 8:30am, I’ll feel rushed and frantic and it won’t go well. KNOW THYSELF!

My 9am meeting time slots are for people on my team: Kellie (admin!), book keeping, Danae (second designer), etc. These people know me. They know my heart and my intentions. They also understand if I text them and say something like, “I’m running 15 minutes behind! Zeke figured out how to open his sippy cup and poured milk all over the car.”

A client, however, probably would not be as understanding nor would I ever want to send them such a text. So as a guiding rule I do not schedule any important meetings (client, mentoring, etc.) until 10am. I do this for two reasons:

I like to be fully prepared.

If I’m meeting a client at 10am - I have a full hour before to review their contact form, their wedding inspiration, etc., before actually meeting with them. I don’t just seem prepared - I AM PREPARED. Want to know what I’ve learned over the past few years? When I’m prepared, I book the job. The client feels confident in me, because I’ve shown my preparation and professionalism in our meeting.

There is one reason and one reason only that I will ever cancel a client meeting - if my family needs me. If Stella wakes up at 7am and has a high fever, guess who is taking her to the doctor? Me! Not because I feel obligated but because that is my baby girl and I want to take her myself. In this case, I feel like 8am is an appropriate enough time to contact the client and let them know I won’t be able to make the meeting. This gives them a full two hour notice which I think is just good business.

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