Every once in a while, we like to showcase different members from our lovely team to help put a face to the work we do here at 360 Digital Starters. This week, the spotlight is on Mandy – team lead for our wonderful content department.
Meet Mandy!
Hi Mandy! Tell us a bit about yourself and your role here at 360 Digital Starters.
Hi! I was born in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. I went to a school in Hesse, but when I was 12 my mom and I moved to Berlin.
I’ve been with the 360 Digital Starters team for two and a half years now, working closely with the content team but also acting as a facilitator between the Marketing and Content team to ensure the products we produce work for each of our channels. It’s very busy but I get to work closely with nearly every manager and department across the company, which gives me a good overview of our different services and means I can share my learnings regarding products, channels, and optimization with my team.
A big part of my day-to-day task is coordinating the production and optimization of content and working with the Graphics team to align tasks and manage deadlines.
How do you keep your team motivated now that they’re all working remotely?
Each morning at 10am, we have a ‘Daily Motivation’ video call, where everyone from content and a couple of our designers check in for a short catch-up meeting. The goal is to ensure everyone in the team stays connected even if they do not directly work with one another – just to see each other, share stories and a smile in the morning, before we start work.
Aside from business-related updates, I encourage the team to discuss any positive experiences they’re having in the lockdown and tips they have to stay motivated. We often share recipes, new places we’ve visited now that the lockdown restrictions are lifting, and plans for the future.
These calls also give everyone the reason to get into ‘work mode’ and get out of our pajamas (especially me) - at least for the top half.
What do you feel is important for a team to function productively?
I think planning in advance is really helpful. It gives structure to your daily work. Especially in times like this, where we can’t just wave across the desk and talk to each other, it’s important to make sure the tasks are as clear and organized as possible.
Maintaining the personal connection is also really important. That’s why I enjoy seeing everyone in our morning meetings, and I’m always happy to have a quick call to explain a task, if it’s easier than messaging over Slack.
What do you miss most about working onsite?
I miss my colleagues! I miss going out for fun lunches and catching up in the kitchen. I also miss being able to have the opportunity to chat to my team face-to-face and being able to clarify questions quickly and in person.
Tell us about one of your favorite moments from work
Apart from the weekly massages? There are so many moments that I have enjoyed - most of which are related to the lovely people I get to work with! I have very fond memories of working alongside Elise, a former Editor from the U.S., who now lives in Australia.
It was a really special connection, because every single day we would realize we had some weird thing in common and we gave each other a lot of emotional support – we still do now.
Aw, sounds lovely! Let’s finish with a fun one – if you could be an animal, what would you be?
A dog! They enjoy even the smallest things in life and they’re always thankful and loyal. Plus, if I were a dog, I’d get lots of cuddles and scratches all the time, which would be lovely.