From the
Desk of ...

I really don’t use any high-tech productivity tools.

But one thing I like to do is keep running agendas for upcoming meetings. I have a lot of different things to keep track of, so I organize them into different lists throughout the week and then address them all at once. I'll keep adding and editing throughout the week.

It’s important for people to step away from their desks and take a break.

Our team enjoys having lunch together every day. We'll do a group order from somewhere around Soho that we've wanted to try. Some days it's a curry from Fish Cheeks or dim sum from Nom Wah Tea Parlor. Other times, one of us will make lunch for everyone. We even have a series about it on Instagram that one of our interns ingeniously named “Alex Meals”.

I love being in the office
around 5:30 pm.

This is when is starts to slow down. Our studio is a completely open space. We're a small collaborative team, so we're always sharing lunch or cracking jokes—which is my favorite thing about our office dynamic. However, it can make it hard to focus. Once everyone starts to leave for the day, I can finish bigger projects that I started earlier in the day.

Perhaps I just need a tactic for staying focused.

Right now, I'm still trying to figure this out.

In theory, I believe in “inbox zero”.

But the reality is that I get over a hundred emails in a day, so it's hard to maintain. We love hearing customer feedback, and we encourage them to email our creative director Somsack Sikhounmuong and me directly. Sometimes, this feedback can spark a series of impromptu meetings, hence, the “inbox zero&38221; thing is hard. However, I always try to respond to every email as quickly as possible. I think that's an important trait.

If I’m being super honest, I’m not sure I know how to completely “shut off” when the day is over.

But one thing I do that helps me is working out. I think the endorphins you get from a great workout really clears the brain. If you have any more ideas on how to switch off, let me know.

I really believe one of the only real measures of “success” is growth.

And you should always be growing. With that, two key factors come to mind. The first is being curious. I always ask a lot of questions (my team might say too many) and I want to learn as much as I can. For example, I'm interested in learning more about Photoshop and graphic design, so I might take a class after work. Even if it doesn't have a direct application to what I do day-to-day, there's always a lesson to be learned.

I credit my attention to detail as a “secret” to success.

From our marketing to our clothes, I'm always trying to put myself in the customer's shoes and consider every detail they might pick up on—like adding an inside jacket pocket for your phone. Or even those details you might not pick up on, like making sure an inside pocket is deep enough so your phone doesn't peek out. Some of the best details are the ones that are invisible but have made your life ten times better, right?

I’ve definitely come a long way from my first job.

I was working as an overnight bellman at an Ian Schrager hotel in Times Square. So there was no office, no desk. But one thing that's stuck with me throughout my career is something I learned from my father during those days: You're only as good as your team. It's so important to have people of all ages around who you can trust and always be learning from.