From morning routines to afternoon workflows, our Day in the Life series gives us a peek into fellow female entrepreneur’s day-to-day lives. Join us for today’s feature – offering an intimate look at the challenges, triumphs, and routines that fuel success in every area of life for this week’s founder.
Tell us about your business- what type of work do you do?
We are a boutique public relations and social media agency that partners with travel, hospitality and lifestyle brands to elevate their online presence and lay the foundation for successful media outreach. The goal is to earn media coverage and ignite conversations that inspire brand curiosity, create impact and boost brand reputation.
What’s the first thing you do in the morning? How do you start your day?
I always start my day with splashing cold water on my face and running through my skin care routine. It gives me a few minutes of quiet time, allowing me to slowly wake up and ease into the day ahead with limited distractions – and my skin definitely thanks me for it. During this time, I’ll walk through my “gratefuls” in my head. Practicing intentional gratitude has been a game changer for me and the positive energy I carry into the day.
How do you organize your work day?
I organize my work day into three main parts: emails, client work and business development.
I go through every single email and Slack message each morning to make sure I have eyes on all communication, am up to date on client requests and can forward along to the appropriate member of my team for support. Even if I am not completing a task at that specific time, I will let the person know that their email has been received as well as an ETA on when to expect my feedback.
I then shift focus to client calls and work. I manage a lot of our client’s strategy so I love to listen in on client calls when I can. It’s always beneficial to hear their wants and needs from their perspective and guide the client, and my team, from there.
I end my days focusing on Bais. Whether that is building out a new timeline to streamline processes for the team, running through weekly finances or curating a new client offer to better serve our target audience, I love blocking off big chunks of time where I can dive into the need at hand in order to stay ahead of the curve.
Do you have a team? If so, how do you work together?
Yes, I currently have four full-time employees and four part-time contractors. Before I launched Bais Creative & Public Relations and was working at other agencies, I was a jack of all trades. The graphic designer. The publicist. The social media manager. Which was awesome as I was able to get my hands on a variety of projects and it gave me the knowledge of how public relations, social media and design are all interconnected, but it never allowed me to specialize in any particular niche.
As I’ve built my team at Bais, I’ve intentionally sought employees who wanted to grow and build upon their unique skill set but at the same time complimented my strengths and weaknesses. We are extremely collaborative, tapping into each other’s expertise and reaching out to a particular person on the team, depending on the need and task at hand.
As I move towards working more ON the business, instead of IN the business, my personal interactions with the team have shifted. Every week, I have video calls with each member of my team to align expectations for days ahead and team meetings on Wednesdays to support each of our team member’s efforts and share what we’ve learned. From there, we use Slack and email as our main tools of communication for quick approvals, questions and day-to-day chats. I aim to have the processes and tools in place to set my team up for success, pouring into my employees and contractors so they can serve our clients at the utmost level of service.
Walk us through the rest of your day, either hour by hour, or whatever chunks of time make sense.
I found a small business called Strawberry Goose that creates productivity notepads. What I love so much about using this notepad is it separates your three priorities for the day from the rest of your tasks at hand. On the right side, it also has a schedule from 6:00 am to midnight, that allows you to note meetings but also personally block out chunks in your calendar for larger tasks at hand.
In the world of public relations, social media and entrepreneurship, no two days ever look the same. So at the beginning of each week, I go through our Notion boards and lay out each day on my notepad, noting: meetings, life happenings, tasks, priorities, workouts, etc.
While no day is ever the same, I do have a few consistencies.
I find myself at my creative peak in the early mornings. While I typically work from home, I enjoy venturing to a local coffee shop for a change in scenery to kickstart my day. If I ever have an important client timeline or strategy to curate, I will block out time on my calendar during the early morning to brainstorm before the busyness of the day takes over and I dive into emails.
I try my best, if it aligns with the client’s schedules, to book late-morning meetings. This allows me to knock out my client touch points all at one time, leaving my afternoon open for work and any events we may have that particular week.
Around 2:00 pm every day, I try to step away from my laptop for a few minutes. Sometimes, I can feel so focused that I look up at the time and the whole day has passed me by. It’s important to ground yourself so I’ll take a few minutes to make a snack, check on the plants in the backyard or go for a quick walk to move my body.
In the late afternoons, I check in with Josie on my team. She was my first hire at Bais to help support our client efforts and is also my sister. What makes her so special is that she can know what I am thinking sometimes before I even have to say it. She has been my rock throughout this entire journey that is Bais, and is someone I can always count on no matter the time of day. When I have a new process, idea or strategy, she is there to give her honest input from not only our Bais perspective but also from the perspective of the client or team. This trusted feedback is truly invaluable.
What do you do after work?
After work, I typically dive straight into my workout before I lose motivation and the tiredness of the day kicks in. I’m currently training for a marathon, so this could look like a treadmill speed workout and quick lower body lift at my local gym or getting some miles in on Bayshore at sunset. I’ve been taught that activity breeds activity. Sometimes on my runs or during my lifts, I’ll be reinspired by a creative idea I was stuck on earlier in the day and will knock out another hour of work when I get home before the inspiration leaves.
On my “rest” days, I love to walk around our small neighborhood. It helps provide separation between work and life as I process the day and gather my thoughts.
Tell us about your evening routine.
My husband and I love to cook. The kitchen is such a happy place for us, a place where we can laugh, learn and spend time together, without thinking about the stresses of the day. We aren’t the kind of people who can eat the same thing every night, so after our workouts, we typically go to the grocery store together. Some nights he cooks and I hang in the kitchen; on other nights, it’s the other way around. Occasionally, we are both cooking a different part of the meal. We love using our grill or Blackstone, so it also gets us outside in the backyard to enjoy some fresh air and quality time together.
By the time we work out and cook dinner, it’s typically pretty late. We’ll check on our plants in the fruit and vegetable garden, knock out any quick house chores and start to wind down by watching the end of a football or hockey game – depending on the time of year.
How do you practice self-care?
By intentionally setting time aside each week to do something for myself that is not a part of my typical day. This is never the same and could range from getting my blonde highlights refreshed to setting aside time to grab an iced latte and go for a sunrise walk with a friend.
What do you look forward to most every day?
I most look forward to reconnecting with my husband at the end of each day. We are both very driven and are “always on the go” so we don’t talk much during the day unless there is a big event or life happening. It’s mostly just “I’m thinking about you” or “did you remember to turn the hose off?” texts. I love it when we are both finally home, have had a minute to decompress and can catch up. It’s the best when you have exciting news to share, and you get to see their reaction in person, rather than sending it via text.
What are your tips for work/life balance?
Finding a balance between work and life can be challenging. I feel like sometimes you can find a routine that works so great for you, then the next minute life throws a curveball and you need to reassess. A few tips that have worked for me:
- Set goals and know your priorities. Consistently setting monthly goals for work and life has helped me stay balanced in all areas of my life.
- Determine boundaries for yourself. For instance, unless there is an urgent matter, I now set my phone down on Sundays to make sure I am truly tuned in when spending time with family and friends.
- Don’t be afraid to say “no.” If you are feeling overwhelmed with your workload, schedule a meeting with your manager to see how you can better prioritize your time in the workplace. On the flip side, if you are intentionally working more hours to achieve a career goal, it’s okay to tell your friends that you can’t make it to a weekday happy hour.
Connect with Bailey Floyd on instagram at baispublicrelations or visit the website.
Photo credit Julie Seals
