Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Who are you :
Chhun Tang, creator and builder of things. I have a passion for art, design, outdoors and motorcycles. Currently working on my store and building its brand, East Fork Supply Co.
Your current job :
Owner of a men’s boutique called East Fork Supply Co. and freelance designer and creative director. I run all aspects of my retail store which includes salesperson, doing social media, buying, marketing, design and events. I’m also a freelance designer and creative director for the high end sneaker cleaning brand Jason Markk, for whom I’ve worked with since its inception.
In which city are you located?
Santa Ana, California, USA
A word to define what kind of worker you are :
Determined
What tools are essential to your life (app, software, etc..)
Macbook Pro 17”, 24” iMac, iPad, smartphone, Canon 5D Mark II, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe inDesign, Instagram, Intuos Bamboo pen tablet, Square, Shopify, torque wrench, circular aw, pen and sketchbook
What does your office space look like?
Looks like a retail store counter because it is. I work at the counter of my retail store on a laptop for all things store related but also work on some freelance projects when there are no customers.
What kind of music do you listen when you are working ?
I listen to most everything, yes, even country. At the store, we play records so it’s a lot of old stuff mixed with some newer stuff. It’s an eclectic mix of classic rock like the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, classic country like Johnny Cash, 80’s alternative like Depeche Mode, or some newer stuff like Nick Waterhouse and Justin Townes Earle.
Do you have a way to organize your day to maximize your work ?
Not necessarily, it varies on the day, day of the week, season and a few other variables. There are times when I need to prioritize store related things like social media content, doing inventory, updating the website or other freelance related things. Mornings just after I get through opening the store, I try to get as much done because there are generally fewer customers that come in which takes me away from my projects. So really it’s just prioritizing and grouping things, then going from there. That and try not to surf the web until my important work is done for the day.
What tips would you give to improve productivity ?
I can’t say that I should be giving tips about productivity since I don’t think I’m all that great at it, I just overcome it with working a lot. One thing I tell myself though: Just do it. It sounds cliche but for me at least, it’s true. There are things that I dread doing and many times I put them off. Send stern emails? Call vendors? Pay invoices? I don’t enjoy those but they have to get done and I’m notoriously bad at putting things off.
You’re better than your colleagues to :
Being a workaholic? I’m not sure it’s a good thing though.
What is the best advice anyone has given you ?
You’re never going to know unless you try.
What is your best tip for saving time ?
Get mentally organized. However you need to, whether it be noting things digitally or writing down a list of to-do’s on a notepad, get organized. All of us are different in terms of how we do things and because someone doesn’t have the neatest desk, doesn’t mean they don’t know exactly where things are, it’s more important to be able to effectively execute the tasks. I look at my list and start checking things off. Works for me at least.
What is your routine start and end of the day ?
The day usually begins with breakfast with my girlfriend, then emails. After which, I walk downstairs to open up my store and enjoy some ice coffee or my favorite spiced cold brew coffee from Black Top Society. At night, I wind down with something to read, sketch or watch an episode of a television show online. Or if I watch The Walking Dead, I watch something afterwards so I’m not dreaming of zombies and brains.
Aside from your computer and your phone, what gadget can you not you go without?
I run my store’s register on an iPad so I’d have to say that. Or maybe my sketchbook and pen. But really, I’d hate to be without my motorcycle. I’m sure neither of those even count as gadgets though.