How We Structure Our Days: Balancing Creativity and Productivity
Running a business is no easy task, but when you're passionate about what you do, every day becomes an opportunity for growth and fulfillment. In this blog post, we'll walk you through our routines, highlighting our individual and collaborative endeavors, all while maintaining a healthy work-life integration.
Get ready for a behind-the-scenes look at how our unique approach helps us create more meaningful content for our beloved clients.
In our previous newsletter/blog post, we talked about “Embracing the Video Production Lifestyle” — aka, figuring out how to manage those wild, stacked, incredibly busy, and intense project sprints full of multiple 10-13-hour shoot days with a LOT of self-care. Now, we’re going to discuss what happens in the what we call “business development” sprints – aka, the less chaotic, slower-paced flows where we can structure our days optimally. Let’s dig in, and get ready for a behind-the-scenes look at how our unique approach helps us create more meaningful content for our beloved clients and more time for our beloved lives outside of RRHP!
GTL: GYM, TAN, LAUNDRY
We firmly believe in taking care of ourselves before diving into our business tasks. We begin our days separately, but we both follow the GTL mantra: gym, tan, laundry (lol, yes it’s a Jersey Shore reference but tbh, we love it and it captures what we mean). This dedicated time allows us to attend to personal to-dos, such as hitting the gym, pursuing individual creative projects, attending therapy sessions, or even handling some solo Red Riding Hood-related tasks like paying invoices and organizing expenses in QuickBooks. It's not just about mundane chores, though. It's about setting up our day with our priorities in mind so we can show up fully for ourselves, our work, and our wonderful clients. By addressing personal and professional responsibilities early on, we set the stage for a productive day ahead.
Morning Rituals
Both of us are early-ish risers, preferring to wake up between 6-8 a.m. (large window, we know, but it totally depends on the day). We both value a slow and intentional start to our mornings, allowing ourselves time to make a nourishing breakfast, get fully caffeinated, engage in self-reflection like journaling and meditation, move our bodies, and prepare for the day ahead. This peaceful morning routine helps us cultivate a positive mindset and establish a strong foundation for our collaborative efforts.
Spending Time Outside
To live a fulfilling life and do meaningful work, it is necessary for us to make time for reflection and to get lost in nature. It's in those moments that our creativity flourishes, giving us the flexibility to adapt and recharge as needed. When we immerse ourselves in nature's beauty, we tap into the magic that helps us create content and meaningful visuals that truly resonate with our clients.
Group Work and Flexibility
Red Riding Hood Productions embraces the mantra of working smarter, not harder. After our morning routines, we dive into group work around noon. We recognize the importance of aligning our work with our energy levels, dedicating creative days to projects that ignite excitement, and motivated days to business calls, presentations, and administrative tasks. So, whether we're lost in the world of creativity or hustling like productivity wizards, our time-blocking and motivation-based scheduling strategy keeps us on track.
Mondays: Weekly Check-In, Content Creation, Business Development, and Research
Mondays hold a special place in the Red Riding Hood calendar as we dedicate this day to a weekly check-in. We map out the week ahead, set goals, outline priorities, and set a weekly intention & affirmation to help ground ourselves. This collaborative planning session ensures we’re on the same page and enables efficient coordination throughout the week. Following the check-in, we dive into individual content creation, each producing at least one captivating piece of content like a blog post or an Instagram reel.
Starting our Mondays off by doing a little bit of solo creative work helps us ease into the week and even helps us feel accomplished by creating something we can share with the world.
While content creation is a vital aspect of our work, we understand the significance of continuous business development. We allocate time during our Mondays to conduct research, explore industry trends, analyze competition, and strategize for future growth. This proactive approach empowers us to stay ahead of the curve, offer innovative solutions, and make informed decisions to better serve our clients.
Wrap-up and Quality Time
As the clock nears 5 p.m., we conclude our workday. We recognize the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance, so we take this time to wind down and rejuvenate. One cherished ritual involves taking our dogs for a walk, allowing us to reconnect with nature, clear our minds, and enjoy quality time with our furry companions. This simple act serves as a delightful transition from work to personal life, fostering a sense of fulfillment and well-being, so we can compartmentalize work, and focus on our people, personal relationships, and “us” time!
Here's the deal: we’ve mastered the art of balancing our own dreams with our badass collaborations. It's like finding that sweet spot where everyone's talents shine. And let's not forget the secret ingredient: healthy work-life integration. We know how to enjoy life while making magic happen.
Owning Red Riding Hood Productions is a dynamic journey for us no doubt (the good, the challenging, the amazing, and the sometimes just crappy!). By prioritizing self-care, and embracing flexibility, we’ve created a work environment that's thriving and harmonious, where creativity and business savvy go hand in hand. Our ability to balance individual aspirations with collaborative efforts, while also honoring a healthy work-life integration, is a testament to our success.
