16 Feb 2015 Tips & Timesavers 21 comments

Work Smarter Not Harder || Melissa Jones of The CEOffice

melissa k 3988

 “Sometimes on the way to a dream you get lost and find a better one.”

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.

Today’s feature is Melissa Jones, my accountability partner and the founder behind Chicago’s newest resource, TheCEOffice {coming soon}! Melissa has worked in the corporate world and mastered how to coach entrepreneurs and upping their game. She also hosts webinars and monthly events where entrepreneurs and creatives can meet and collaborate. She is one of the most resourceful women I know and organization is her middle name. So please give it up for Melissa and get ready for awesome tips and advice.

Melissa Jones Chicago

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

Typically I get up at 7 AM, and my goal is to be a member of the 5am club.

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

 I like my coffee black with flavor. At home I use the Keurig to make caramel coffee. If I am out and about then a medium roast with two pumps of cinnamon dolce.

Breakfast is a bowl of Kashi cereal with sliced bananas and a bottle of water. My goal is 8 glasses of water a day. I used to skip breakfast because I was always in a rush, but now I’m being more conscious of having a healthy start to my day.

  1. Quickly walk us through your morning routine:

As soon as the alarm sounds I check my notifications, glance at Instagram and email briefly, and then get dressed for the day. Working from home it is important that I get dressed for the day first thing instead of staying in loungewear. It helps prepare you for the day so you don’t lose time later getting ready. Then I eat breakfast while reading and responding to emails and social media posts. Then I take my coffee back to my desk where I send out my daily motivational quote and then tackle my to-do list for the day.

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

My favorite resources for staying organized include the following:

  • Whitney English Day Designer – She is a designer from Oklahoma and I have used her planner for 2 years. It’s heavy duty, but I love that each day includes a quote, gratitude section, and top three goals to achieve.
  • Wunderlist – My favorite app for lists. I’m a list person and this app contains lists you can create for groceries, fall fashion, spring fashion, goals, gift ideas, places in Chicago to visit, etc. It syncs with the web and your mobile devices.
  • Evernote – My favorite app for projects. It syncs between your desktop, the web, and your mobile device so it is easy to file away any article, email, photo, or note into a folder for future reference. I then tag each file so when I do a search later it will pull all notes for that subject.
  1. What mistake do you see people constantly make that they should be aware of?

BE PRESENT! Smile or say hi when passing someone in the office or when running errands. It makes you more visible, spreads positive energy, and may create a relationship that will benefit you in your journey to success.

  1. How do you conquer your inbox?
  • I follow the File. Act. Trash system.
  • As I open each email, I decide if I can respond to it immediately or not. If I can respond within 2 minutes, I do so immediately then file it away. I use folders a lot since I am a CYA lady.
  • The emails that I can’t respond to immediately and require action I add a reminder flag that is a couple days prior to the due date. Then I categorize by project/subject.
  • Then depending on the priority of a project/subject I will go back and filter my emails so that I only see emails that relate to that specific project and work through them.
  • This really helps me stay organized and complete projects on time.
  1. How do you format your emails?
  • I format my emails depending on the purpose of the email and who the recipient is.
  • New business contact/acquaintance – warm greeting, action needed, warm closing.
  • Business colleague/ongoing business partner – straight to the point.
  • I prefer polite, direct emails. We all have a lot on our plates and I try to be conscious of others time. You want to make it as easy for the recipient as possible. This may mean including additional relevant details so there is not time wasted sending emails back and forth.
  1. How do you make time for working out and staying healthy?

When I lived in Indianapolis I would go to the gym in my building every morning for 30 minutes. Since moving to Chicago that has been replaced by walking everywhere, not the same but working on it. Eating healthy is very important to me. I stick to fish, fruits, and veggies. I like to believe this balances out my occasional sweet tooth and cocktail.

  1. Any tips for keeping an organized workspace?
  • An organized workspace is essential to staying focused and productive. I learned from an early mentor to clean off your desk before you leave for the day. This allows you a fresh start for the next day.
  • Papers are filed in labeled tabs alphabetically left to right. There are tiny compartments for each item. Target has white magazine holders which I love for holding items. I also picked up small white round tins from the dollar section at Michael’s crafts that hold push pins, paper clips, washi tape, etc. I like a clean minimal aesthetic.
  1. What other pieces of advice would you like to share (if any)?

You are the sum of those surrounding you. Choose your friends and associates wisely. Don’t participate in gossip. Associate with those that you can learn from and those that will push you to do better.

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

Thank you so much Melissa for sharing all of your juicy details regarding organization and being present. Love that. If you are looking for some in person inspiration and want to meet other creatives, don’t forget to sign up for her next event on Friday, February 27th! So worth it. Also, she loves connecting. So do not hesitate to reach out to her on Instagram – where she posts incredible quotes and great advice.

Up Next? It’s a surprise. AKA I don’t know. Interested? Email me!

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