Starting a New Job | Lifestyle

So I am nearly 5 months into my new role and I guess I just wanted to start some things I have learned about myself since I started. I am so happy at my new place, the team are great, our clients are great, the location is great but sometimes that impostor syndrome follows you around so lets start with...

I don't take mistakes very well - we are human, we make mistakes but when I do it I don't take it so personally I almost feel physical pain. I messed up on a call and whilst it wasn't the worst thing I could have done I absolutely obsessed about it,

I do actually know some stuff - after being in a company that basically told you, your opinion isn't valid to go to somewhere else where people want to listen to what you say is an adjustment! Turns out, I do sort of know what I am doing!

Work flexibility means a lot - so when it was super hot a few months ago, my trains were fucked but I had no pressure at all to try and come in! I didn't feel like I was gonna be given a warning if I couldn't come in which is a massive difference to the experience I have had at other companies. 

I really love nurturing a team - my favourite part of my role is problem solving client drama for my beautiful team! I love helping them understand different elements of client relationship management, I enjoy being the person they can vent to and then we come together with a solution to make it easier. 

There we have just a few things that I have learned since starting my job, its definitely been a welcomed change in pace and I know now more than ever what I actually like to do and where my skill sets are! 

Work FOMO | Lifestyle

Ok so we have all heard the term FOMO right? It's that feeling you get when you don't really wanna go out but then all your pals are going out and you don't want to miss out on the things that might happen when you aint there. It's that anxiety you get when you think something else is happening in your absence and usually it's a term that is used are friends or social gatherings or events even. I get FOMO a lot but my problem is't necessarily related to my pals but it's actually associated with work. I get this overwhelming sense that I am missing out on too many things which actually limits the amount of time I take off work and certain days I choose to take off. 

What's in my overnight bag | Travel

Today I thought I would have a little chat about what's inside my overnight bag for when I am away with work! I go up north every couple of weeks or so and because last year I traveled SO much with work I kinda have my work packing down! 

First we have to talk about my Longchamp bag, I literally take it everywhere and this bag folds down to nothing as you can see BUT it is bloody big which means you have enough room to get everything in and it looks simplistically chic! I also use this as hand luggage on flights even if it looks a little big at times, no airline ever moans. It's a little more expensive than I paid for it in Italy but I would say it's totally worth it and will go with whatever you wear! 


This PJ Bag is not all it seems, so whilst it is technically a bag for your pjs and I got it when I bought some from Boux Avenue, I don't actually use it to store my pjs. Instead I put my bras and underwear in there so if I ever have to root around my bag I won't be embarrassed if it falls out in the train station. You can also use it to put used items in as well which is pretty handy!

Of course I have to have my make up bag and this one is from a cute little garden centre near me but this bee wash bag is quite similar! I love anything with bumble bees on and this bag is just like the perfect size to get my make up essentials in! 

Moving onto the beauty products, I have the obvious stuff such as cleanser, dry shampoo, perfume, moisturiser etc but sometimes I do like to take a little something extra like a face mask or something because most hotels have baths and it's just the perfect time to have a bit of a pamper after you've had your meal and just want to relax for the evening! 

Obviously have a change of clothes in there for the next day and because usually I work from home when I go and visit the Lincoln office I like to dress up a little bit! Right now I am trying to shake up my dress sense and have fallen in love with this leather skirt from New Look  which actually isn't something I ever thought I would wear until I tried it on! I love it, it does kinda draw attention to my hips but in turn it accentuates my waist so its ok. I have paired it with a body suit which is fractionally sexy for work because of the v neck but it's still decent! 

Also I have to admit that I do carry snacks with me, peanuts and raisins are my FAVE but sometimes I gotta have a bit of a chocolate as well and water! I am so surprised how many places don't have bottled water in the room, I'll bloody dehydrate guys, so I always get a bottle! 

What's in your over night bag that you think I should add to mine?

Working From Home | Lifestyle

After 4 months of working from home I thought I would share with you 5 things that I have noticed or realised now that I work from home...

You don't get sick days
It was one of the first things I noticed is when I was ill I thought "oh great, I don't have that long ol' commute into work" but the difference is when I worked in an office I would phone in sick then spend the day in bed recovering. Whereas when you are already working from home, like you can still technically work from your bed. I feel really bad about phoning in sick when I could just check my emails. 

You will put on weight 
...if you don't exercise, simple. If you eat more than you move then you will gain weight! Another terrible thing is being in the house where there is a constant supply of food! Fortunately I am getting myself into a better routine and going to the gym in the morning and cutting back on the sheer amount of snacks! But it's a bit of a shock to the system. 

You will get distracted
Whether it's your mother telling you about something that happened when she was walking the dog or that TV show you keep forgetting to watch or that stupid Loose Women show that grinds your gears - whatever they are all distractions. I even found myself doing a little bit of house work to break up the day. You really have to learn when to zone these things out. 

You will struggle to switch off
Technically I work from 9 - 5 but you best believe I don't finish at 5, basically I am accessible at any time via Skype so if my boss wants a report or anything, I'm there! If someone wants to ask a question, I am always there. I find it very hard to ignore messages and because I'm always on my damn phone and how can I just say no!?

You will have a better work/life balance
Aside for the switching off thing, if you work in London you will know the pain of the commute the hour and a bit just getting into London and the same getting out it adds a lot of time to your day, but also whilst you may go out with colleagues after work for drinks they are still colleagues so you are still talking about work. Being at home means that when I finish and when I switch off the evening is completely mine. I can meet with pals, I can do some life admin, I can go for dinner with my geek! 

Could you work from home? 

How to get a new job | Lifestyle

As you will know, I quit my job last year and returned back to the UK without having another one lined up. Today I just wanted to give some tips that some people my find helpful, obviously your CV is the most important thing but I think the below tips can help in the way you attack looking for a job if you are unemployed. Starting with...

Your mindset...
So you don't have a job, that doesn't mean you stay in bed until noon watching Jeremy Kyle. You need to act as if you still have a job, get up, have a coffee, have some breakfast, turn your laptop on and start searching. "Looking for a job" is your new job. New jobs are added daily, be aware of what going on, email the recruiters and be available

Industry Aware...
Are you looking for a job in the fashion industry? Does the health or food vertical interest you? Then sign up to industry related newsletter and websites. This will mean that even though you aren't working you are still keeping your mind active and engaged in the industry you care about. You never know if something you read two days ago might be used in an interview it could show you know what you are talking about. 

Your phone...
It literally needs to be on you all the damn time! I am known for having my phone on mute all the time but I found it is so important to have your phone set to loud because you can hear it ringing and can pick it up. Also, when I get a call from an unknown number that could be a recruiter I always answer "Hello, Toni speaking" it cuts out the ambiguity and question over whether the recruiter has the right number or whatever, gets straight to the point

Work with recruiters...
I know some recruiters are bloody awful and send over jobs that just aren't right but there are some fantastic ones. I would say look on LinkedIn, the really big companies don't have time to recruit so they outsource it so you need to be speaking to those guys. If you work on specific channels or areas of marketing, most recruiting agencies there will be a person who actively recruits for that channel as well so don't be afraid to mention in your email which specific area you want a job in they can always redirect you to the right person. However, always continue to apply for jobs that aren't through recruiters as well because you just never know. 

Be honest...
About your expectations, about your salary, about what you want. I know salary can be a little tricky but after a while you start learning what the industry standard is and you know what you're asking for is fair. When you receive a job spec make sure you read all of the details and be honest with whether you think you can actually do it! 

Be prepared...
I found out that a lot of roles these days expect a lot, a huge amount before they offer you a job. Many require presentations where they will not give you any details or stats just that you have to do a presentation on strategy for the year or quarter. I do think this is unrealistic but I would suggest creating a template of general strategy so that when it is asked you just have to tweak it a little and do it. I completed a 10 page presentation that I didn't even use but at least it was there in case I did.  

There we have just a few tips to keep you focused on finding a new job, there are loads out there you just have to keep you head up, your mind focused and keep applying. 

Do you have any tips for finding a new job? 

I Quit My Job | Lifestyle

Last year in November, I walked into my office and set up a meeting with my boss and just said I cannot work here any more and quit.

In 2015, as some of you will know, was just crazy because I left my job in London for a job in Florence, in a country I never even bloody visited before, couldn't even speak the damn language but I did it and never regretted my decision for a second. I think over the year I just realised that this wasn't the best company for me but they were going to renew my contract and I just thought, I could either spend the next year unhappy or just take the leap and go somewhere else. 

It was a hard decision because I really loved my job, I was given so many fantastic opportunites but I couldn't work for the company anymore. After, I kept thinking whether I had made the right decision or not, but deep down I knew it was.The thing is, I have never been without a job since the age of 16 so it was a real shock to the system to think that I will be unemployed for a little while. 

This meant I had to change my mindset, of course I no longer had a job but I had to turn the concept of "looking for a job" into my actual job for a while. Every morning I would get up turn my laptop on and start searching, I would speak to a variety of recruiters to not only see whether there were any available but to also keep in their inbox - I didn't want to get forgotten. Being without a job gave me the opportunity to really consider my next move, do I settle for a job where I am just earning a wage or do I do something that I gives me long term opportunites? There was so many things to consider but I was fortunate that I had enough time to do this, I wasn't gonna just settle for anything, I couldn't. 

I think quitting my job is probably the second best decision I have made in terms of my career because it has made me realise what I want to do and how I can do that. 

What kind of risks have you taken in work that has ended in good results?

Work Travels | Lifestyle

If you have been following my blog a little while now or even if you follow me on Twitter you will notice that I travel a lot for work! I mean, 6 months into this year and I have been to 5 countries and 6 cities. I never really envisioned my life taking this sort of adventure but I can honestly say I love it.

Right from the start of the year I made sure I shared with you guys each new city I went to because it was something I personally would like to write about and kinda felt like most of you guys might like to read about.  Recently though I haven't written about my two last trips, LA and Madeira. I feel like these two trips were actually very hard to put in words what it was like because I actually didn't get a lot of opportunity to be a tourist and that's the catch when you travel for work, I'm still very much working.

When we went to LA I was told quite last minute but I was so excited I mean, LA everyone knows where it is and everyone wants to go there at some point in their lives. The thing was with this trip though was that we landed on Thursday and flew home on Monday, it was basically a long weekend, which is a 13 hour flight, plus a little extra because there are no direct flights from Florence, it's pretty exhausting. My company was there for an event on Saturday, but we still had to set up our booth on Friday. We did get some free time but the thing with downtown LA is, it isn't all that safe, you have to get Ubers everywhere and for me I prefer to walk. On Monday before heading the airport we had to sort out shipping of the items to go back to Italy which is always a bit of a headache. I did like LA but I just didn't have enough material to write a post.

Moving onto Madeira, this was a bit of an odd one, whilst it was definitely for work it was also a sort of get away that our partner wanted to do for us, which was lovely but can you imagine going up a mountain side whilst checking your phone for emails? On the one hand breathtakingly beautiful but on the other hand not very relaxing. I definitely got a lot more down time than in LA because I stayed and extra day and the whole set up was a little different but I got a little lonely! I stayed out there for an extra 2 nights which isn't long at all but when you are by yourself it's a little boring plus the average age of Madeira is like 55 so the night life isn't exactly buzzing.

I am so lucky to be able to visit all these wonderful places but sometimes I do miss being a tourist and seeing a city from a different perspective.

Do you travel for work?

Trip to Berlin | Travel

So you guys have to follow me on Instagram because I have a lot of pictures over there but today I thought I would share with you my experience in Berlin! 

I've never been to Germany before so when I got the opportunity to attend an event with work, well of course I was bloody excited! I actually went when Berlin Fashion Week was on but I didn't go for the shows it was an event we were hosting that coincided with BFW,  but it was still pretty wonderful for me! I was only there for 2 night and flew back to Italy on the third day.

Berlin is a truly unique place and I can't quite put my finger on it but there is a certain darkness about it, where you can see the beauty of some of the buildings but there is just something else there! It isn't one of those places to me that is breath taking with it's beauty, it's edgy, dark and has a vibe about it that makes it seem very different to most other cities I've visited before! Also, it's massive, like really big but the bars and coffee shops have a rawness about them that make the city seem small! I had a few meetings in different coffee shops and they were all lovely because the staff were incredibly friendly but a fight broke out in one place between 3 people which was a bit much!

To get around Berlin was actually very easy, it's got a pretty well connected underground trains but even riding the underground was an experience in itself I came incredibly close to having my phones &/or my purse stolen out of my bag! I know what you're thinking I have mentioned two negatives, I must hate the place? I definitely don't, I know there are some wonderful historical attractions and I only saw a very small area of Berlin because I was there for work.

It was so cold there at it was -7 at times which isn't what I am used to but they also had snow which I loved because I feel like I haven't seen snow in years, it's nice to see a real winter! The people who worked in the stores/restaurants/bars/coffee shops were incredible, the customer service was some of the best I ever had and almost everyone spoke English and if they didn't they still tried to help! I'd say Berlin is one of the places I would have loved to explore more, I would definitely visit again!

Have you been to Berlin?