Day in the Life – Working as a Creative Professional in LA
What’s it like working at a startup company in Los Angeles? How do you take a slow and steady approach to a busy lifestyle? How do you get more stuff done in a day?
I believe every day is an opportunity to do your best work, to learn something new, and to give value to the lives of those around you. I aim to do this every day, so I can put my signature on the efforts I do and feel good about the impact I make daily.
Hello, 👋 I’m Matthew Encina. I work as a creative professional in beautiful Los Angeles, California.
In a previous life, I was a designer, animator, and a creative director working on TV commercials. Now I teach and create content at The Futur, an education startup, where I help creative professionals sharpen their skills and earn money, doing what they love.
While no two days or experiences are exactly alike here, I hope to share a glimpse of what the world looks like, through my lens. This is a typical day in my life.
Details from this video, and affiliate links* below:
🎧 Do you like the music in this video? It’s all from MusicBed. Use my link to get your first 30 days for free: http://share.mscbd.fm/matthewencinamusic
👨💻 0:25 – What do I do for a living?
I was a Creative Director at https://blind.com/
Now I make content and teach at https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
⏰ 0:52 – I try to wake up between 6-7am every day to make the most of the morning.
☕️ 1:06 – I LOVE coffee. Below are my favorite coffee tools.
Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Kettle: https://geni.us/StaggEKG
AeroPress Coffee Maker: https://geni.us/aero
Hario Cold Brew: https://geni.us/HarioColdBrew
📱1:28 – I start my day with a dose of GOOD social media @matthewencina.
Tip: If you don’t like your feed, curate it. Unfollow accounts and hide content that doesn’t enrich your life.
💪🏽 1:40 – I climb, box, dance, and lift weights to stay in shape.
My workout headphones are the Power Beats Pro: https://geni.us/PowerBeats
📝 2:15 – Writing is my brain workout.
I write articles on Medium: https://medium.com/@matthewencina
Take a tour of my home office: https://youtu.be/JFqiSr9A-Go
🗣 2:30 – I give talks around the world.
Here’s one from TED x CSULB: https://youtu.be/Ow2cZxpY2TE
🤼♀️ 3:00 – To keep my team productive and organized we use these tools:
Practical Project Management: https://geni.us/ProjectManagement
The App we used to run a virtual post-it note session: https://geni.us/Mural
Sprint by Jake Knapp: https://geni.us/DesignSprint
I also recommend AJ & Smart to learn about Design Sprints: https://www.youtube.com/ajsmart
🖥 3:35 – Personal planning, inside my office
Notion, my favorite organization tool: http://bit.ly/2MUXPMy
Here’s an interview I did on how I use Notion: https://youtu.be/_zEItBna0zI
My appointment app: https://geni.us/Calendly
My email app: https://geni.us/SparkEmail
Like my office? Take a tour: https://youtu.be/cNJYWHhXM58
🌮 4:25 – LA, hands down, has the best food in the world. I eat healthy (most of the time), and I’m slowly getting on board with this vegan thing 😛.
☕️ 4:48 – Coffee part 2. Revenge of the 3pm energy slump.
At work I use a Chemex to make coffee: https://geni.us/chemex
🤔 5:24 – Focus Sprints help you get so much done.
I explain Focus Sprints, and how to reclaim your productivity in this video: https://youtu.be/ybaom7OVtIw
The clock is the Amazon Echo Spot: https://geni.us/BsC1UW
🎮 5:40 – Taking breaks is as important as working hard.
We love to play Smash Brothers in Nintendo Switch: https://geni.us/NinSwitch
👨💻 6:04 – Learn all about our creative community
https://thefutur.com/
🕹 7:02 – Decompression
I spend most evenings playing Xbox after dinner: https://geni.us/onex
👩🎨 7:14 – My wife is an artist
You can check out her work: https://www.instagram.com/belindarodriguezzz/
Take a tour of her mini art studio here: https://kit.com/MatthewEncina/art-workspace-supply-organization
*Just a small note for the product links provided: I’ll get a very small commission at no extra cost to you. This will help me immensely to continue to make videos like this.
_
Hello. I’m Matthew Encina. I’m the Chief Content Officer at The Futur and a Creative Director at Blind. I’m a Filipino-American. Born and raised in LA. I studied Graphic Design at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. I’ve been a creative professional for over 15 years directing, designing, and animating for some pretty awesome clients.
I love to rock climb, breakdance, train in combat sports, play video games, drink coffee, and nerd out on video games and comic books.
You can find me on many platforms:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthewencina/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matthewencina.design/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/matthewencina
Kit: https://kit.com/MatthewEncina
The Futur: https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere/
Medium: https://medium.com/@matthewencina
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewencina/
#DayInTheLife #Productivity #Startup #TheFutur #MatthewEncina
