Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Who are you :
We are Jan Solms, Rohan Etsebeth and Hugh Fletcher Cox.
Your current job :
We run a design and illustration company that has grown to do a lot of work in the wine and packaging industry.
In which city are you located?
Stellenbosch, South Africa
A word to define what kind of worker you are :
Left-field
What tools are essential to your life (app, software, etc..)
Adobe Creative Suite, Unipin Fineliners.
What kind of music do you listen when you are working ?
A very bog mix of folk, electronic, rock, blues, etc. Some bands that feature in the office are John Wizardz, RAC, Broken Bells, Dire Straits, Jack White, The Raconteurs, Zinkplaat, The Wild Eastern Arches, Aking and many many more
Do you have a way to organize your day to maximize your work ?
We wish – the wine industry is so deadline driven in terms of production that it is very unpredictable and hard to manage; especially because we are so small. We have google calendar loaded with everyone’s priority jobs plotted out over into the future with deadlines.
What tips would you give to improve productivity ?
Try to cluster meetings with clients closely together.
What is the best advice anyone has given you ?
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln
What is your best tip for saving time ?
Constantly brainstorm – if you are having lunch, still discuss what is possible ideas for a job
What is your routine start and end of the day ?
Get to the office and run through emails. See clients if we have meetings. Work. Lunch. Work.
Aside from your computer and your phone, what gadget can you not you go without?
Coffee bean grinder and (wine) bottle opener