What are the top 3 learnings in my content marketing career that brought the most value? What advice do I wish I got when I started my professional journey in marketing? A few weeks ago, Better Digital Marketing, a Europe-based community of B2B marketers have reached out to me for an interview.

As I have a diverse background and not a linear career path, the interview starts with explaining how I ended up in the field of content marketing at all. During my 7+ years as a marketeer, and the few years of journalism before that, I have learned how critical it is to tap into the right questions, consider facts and divergent opinions, have the ability to “find the needles in a haystack”, and overall, have a curious and open-minded personality.

Based on my experience, I also share some recommendations for B2B marketing growth for the future, like which channels to use in 2021 and content marketing tactics that have worked well for me so far.

You can read the full interview here.

Can you imagine what Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Snapchat would look like if they didn’t have any content? The backbone that drives interaction and engagement is good content that attracts people instead of interrupting them.

I was honored when Isis Lima asked me to be her guest in her Call-To-Action: Women in Marketing podcast series. We had a thoughtful conversation, talking about both professional and personal matters. What are the main differences between working for a creative agency vs. sitting on the client side? Or actually, how did I end up in a B2B Marketing role? Listen to the below podcast to find out.

Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/epj96jJ
Listen on Apple Podcast: https://lnkd.in/eqKJCCr
Listen on Google Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/erVbgv2
Listen on Achor: https://lnkd.in/egBTbhU

Today’s customer expects fast and relevant services from any provider. As we, Millennials are getting into our 30s and the average life insurance customer is becoming more and more tech-savvy, insurance companies are forced to invest heavily in digital transformation and offer personalized services on the market. The challenge is, how to avoid the common pitfalls on this journey of modernization? From carriers’ culture and change management to product innovation initiatives, I mapped out the smartest trends on the life insurance landscape.

The ‘Amazon Effect’

Whether we like it or not, retail markets were forever disrupted by the rise of the e-commerce industry and digital marketplaces like Amazon or Netflix. By constantly tracking customer habits and monitoring shopping patterns, these e-commerce businesses deliver personalized products for millions of people.

Insurance carriers could learn a lesson from this and get closer to their customers’ needs by introducing a customer-centric approach. Since today’s customer expects fast and relevant services from any provider, it is time for insurers to ask themselves, what do they know about their customers, and what can they predict from their behavior.

More Data for a Better Service

Different generations have distinct attitudes when it comes to sharing their personal data. In general, Millennials and Gen Z are willing to give more information in return for better service. As nowadays only 34% of Millennials in the USA own individual life policies (based on a recent LIMRA report), catering to the needs of Millennials can be the engine of growth for life insurers.

Despite the regulatory challenges and the complexities of underwriting, insurers have a lot of customer data on their hands, which could be used to drive the customization of products to better meet customer needs. While these custom offers provide value for customers, companies need to make sure that the data is used in a way that is transparent and comfortable for any policyholder. In this sense, market regulations will need to translate and understand new technologies that will contribute to these personalized offers.

Create Digital Native Products

According to a recent report on Forbes started just before the pandemic, online life insurance sales increased by more than 30% for providers with speedy apps that used data/algorithm-driven underwriting. At the same time, agent-driven sales are in decline, due to the lack of physical contact opportunities and emerging digital solutions.

An obvious reaction to these trends could be to target direct to consumer channels with new, digital native products, easing the dependency on traditional forms of underwriting. When reality around us is moving in this cadence, carriers have to navigate the market based on data-driven decisions and real-time insights.

By leveraging the capabilities of a no-code platform, insurers could develop and launch new products extremely quickly, automate any process across the entire customer lifecycle, and enable partners to distribute their products via pre-defined APIs. With the enabled self-service functionalities that these platforms can provide, applicants can see if they are qualified and then purchase a policy in a matter of minutes, instead of going through manual, paper-bound processes.

Millennials can be the engine of growth for life insurers.

Millennials can be the engine of growth for life insurers.

Dissolve Cultural Barriers in Life Insurance

We all know that life insurers have long-standing ways of doing business. Even though culture and change management within a big organization is a hurdle sometimes, it is much needed to make use of the increased availability of data.

Machine learning and AI are only tools. By applying these digital tools, insurers will have insights, but the key is what they will do with those insights and how they will process the data. Do they create agent dashboards? Will they have mobile applications where they can share information with their policyholders? Will their case underwriters trust this new system?

Overall, insurers gearing up with innovation initiatives need to understand that technology is not a silver bullet on its own. Software development and data analyst talent will only drive growth in the business if they are backed up with industry expertise and an organization that is willing to embrace new perspectives.

There is a tremendous opportunity to increase life insurance sales in today’s market. The key is creating digital native life insurance products, leveraging technology to redefine the customer journey, and embracing an innovative perspective in a D2C market.

Originally published on the Innoveo company blog at https://www.innoveo.com/news/driving-growth-in-life-insurance/

The fight against corona virus has drastically changed our lives. Because of the quarantine regulations, millions of us are locked up in our apartment with 10 packs of toilet paper, our Netflix subscription, and not much to do. As most of our activities are happening online, there isn’t a single minute in our day when we are not digitally connected.

Notifications and updates follow us 24/7, which can easily lead to anxiety. With our mind constantly stimulated by new information, we can linger in the illusion of productivity, but in the long run, these ‘activities’ have little to zero benefits.

See the quarantine as an opportunity to reorganize your life

If I want to be completely honest with you, at the beginning of the lockdown I probably spent 3-4 hours with mindless scrolling per day. Those precious hours flew by checking my social media accounts and jumping from news headline to headline. And the majority of these actions were habitual. We used to do them when queuing in the supermarket or sitting on a bus going to work, just a few weeks ago.

Now ask yourself. When was the last time you put aside your smartphone, turned off the wifi and chose to do nothing instead? When did you take a walk home, instead of the multitasking your way on the speed train, before COVID-19 forced you to do so?

According to this article on Ideo,

”moments of boredom often allow us to take our biggest imaginative leaps”

and it is scientifically proven that turning off our brain at times can actually increase our creativity.

In that sense, the COVID-19 lockdown is providing us an opportunity to reflect on ourselves, let go of our entrenched bad habits and reorganize our daily routine.

In the following, I share with you 3 advice that I found particularly helpful.

1. Let your mind wander

When working from home 5 days a week, the line between your working hours and free time can become terribly blurred. That is why it is important to establish new habits, like going for a walk every morning or put your phone to airplane mode in the evening, so you can consciously create time for daydreaming and disconnect from work.

For the past weeks, I set up some boundaries for myself like only reading news from credible sources, or only using Instagram for 30 minutes a day.

The result? I have fewer headaches and feel less distracted. Because I decreased the digital information flow, I am more present in the reality around me and notice things I haven’t before. Like the beautiful color of my boyfriend’s eyes, or the incredible architecture in my neighborhood. Baby steps can go a long way.

2. Embrace boredom

Researchers suggest that doing something repetitive or plain boring can actually help your brain functioning better. Because when you get bored, you ignite a network in your brain that is called the "default mode."

With the words of Manoush Zomorodi,

“in the default mode is when we connect disparate ideas, we solve some of our most nagging problems, and we do something called autobiographical planning. This is when we look back at our lives, we take note of the big moments, we create a personal narrative, and then we set goals and we figure out what steps we need to take to reach them.”

So next time you’re doing the dishes or ironing your clothes, do not turn on Facetime or begin to multitask. This way, you empower your brain and it will be easier to come up with your magical, divergent ideas when you need them the most.

3. Empty your mental trashcan

Technology is great, and it makes our lives easier in many ways. Therefore I am not suggesting to throw away your laptop or cancel your Netflix subscription, but rather being in charge of your own habits.

Now is the time to pick up those old hobbies that you always wanted to, but rarely managed before the quarantine. Plant flowers on your balcony and dedicate time to take care of them. Write a love letter by hand. Put on your favorite face mask and enjoy it soaking into your skin. These things sound so simple, yet we rarely do them anymore.

With meditation apps like Headspace or Calm, you could top this effect and do a reset on your thoughts, completely emptying your mental trashcan.

Overall, by shifting some of our small habits from fatiguing to actually fueling us, we’ll feel way more balanced and energized than we used to. And that is something we’ll need when life will go back to normal.

I never forget that ugly November morning when I opened up my laptop and saw that my flight to Hawaii was cancelled.

But that’s when the real adventure started. In the middle of the European winter, I was desperately looking for a substitute destination that could bring me back the Hawaiian feeling. Warmth, sunshine, untouched nature and a one-of-a-kind hiking experience. After a few hours of online research, the sources directed me to the so-called “European Hawaii”. The Canary Islands.

Morning hike in Tenerife.

100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Morocco but officially belonging to Spain, this volcanic archipelago consists of seven major islands. Known for their black and red sand beaches and a year-round temperature of 20-25°C (68-75°F), I was hooked before I knew it.

A few days after, I was on a plane flying to Tenerife, the largest island of the Canaries. And what I found there is everything I wanted from Hawaii – just on a way smaller budget. Here are 5 reasons why you need to check it out.

 1. Volcanic Island

Tenerife is dominated by the sometimes-snowy active volcano Mt. Teide. With a mountain so high that it’s actually Spain’s highest peak (3,718 m), the weather in Tenerife is super dependant on whether you are going to the North or the South of the island.

On our way to the mountain top.

When it comes to beaches, South is the way to go. Tenerife has both red and black sand beaches which is the result of a volcanic basaltic coastline meeting the erosion of the sea. One of the largest natural beaches on the island, La Tejita is located half an hour’s walk from El Médano, that is a kitesurfers’ paradise on the South end of the island.

However, that does not mean that you can’t find jawdropping coastlines on the North side as well. 20 minutes by public transport from Santa Cruz (the largest town in the North), Las Teresitas has a beautiful beach and a viewpoint which is perfectly located for watching the sunset over the bay.

The view from the hilltop of Las Teresitas.

2. Hiking trails

When going to Tenerife, I suggest you have your hiking boots on you. When staying in the El Medano/Los Abrigos area (where the South Airport is located), you can do a great one-day hike to Masca and the surrounding mountains. You can either go on your own (if you are able to read signs in the forest), or you can also opt for a guided tour like I did.

Views of Masca village.

This little village called Masca existed even before the Spanish conquered the Canary Islands. Although the village has hundreds of years of history, it is only 40 years ago that the first road was built to connect it to civilization. Until then, it could only be accessed by foot or by donkey through the pathways of the Masca Gorge. But the 3 hours hike is so worth it.

When I was there, I went on a small group tour organized by Canarias World, and I can’t recommend them enough! (No paid advertisement here.) Their driver picked me up on time early in the morning. The hike was doable with a knowlegable guide, and included a lunch break on the top of a mountain with killer views of the ocean and the surrounding peaks. After having some rest in Masca, we concluded the day with a boat trip to the famous cliffs of Los Gigantes, with dolphins following us on our way back to the port.

3. Abandoned beaches

The perks of travelling to Tenerife during winter months (from November to February) is having entire beaches just for yourself. Even in December it is still warm enough to walk around in your swimsuits and run into the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Beach of Las Teresitas.

A great local tip that I got from my hostel receptionist in El Medano is that far away from tourist resorts, somewhere between the outskirts of Los Abrigos and the middle of nowhere, there is a natural rock pool in the ocean. The place is so chill that most hippies jump into the water naked. It feels like total freedom.

December in Los Abrigos.

4. Local culture and cuisine

Visiting the North of the island is something you will not regret, even when you’re flying in and out from the South’s airport (TFS). Half an hour from the Island’s capital, Santa Cruz, there is a little town called San Cristóbal de La Laguna, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site with colorful houses and a well-preserved city center. It is also the oldest town on the entire island.

Rooftop mornings in La Laguna.

There is no better place to try out local dishes than in the streets of La Laguna. With my zero to super limited Spanish, I managed to order the house’s specialities in most restaurants and without understanding a single word from the Menu, I was in for a treat all the time. ”Cazuela de Pescado” or ”Potaje de berros” are some divine stuff that I added to my dictionary afterwards.

5. Rainforest National park

Less than an hour's drive from La Laguna, you’ll find the Anaga Rural Park which is home to some of the most beautiful hiking trails of Europe. Also, before I went there I did not know that there is an actual rainforest in Europe. Well, it is not located on the main continent, but technically it is part of Europe so the statement still stands. Between the mountains of Anaga, you can explore the only rainforest of Europe. If you’re not with a car, be careful with the bus schedule though: public buses from and back to La Laguna only go a few times per day.

Anaga National Reserve.

 Have you ever been to Tenerife? Let me know how you liked it!

Hiring the right people is one of the most difficult aspect of building a successful company. It is essential to surround yourself with smart and driven people, in order to develop an organizational culture in which people are thriving, instead of holding them back. But how to build a team that enables co-workers to maximize their potential? 

Recruitment is a daunting process anyway, even if you sit on the stable side of the table. How do you know which questions to ask at an interview when you only have 30 minutes to figure out if a person is a good fit for your Team? How can you tell an enthusiastic candidate from an inciter, a talented person from a fraud? It’s a tougher game than Tinder.

Mindset is everything

As a Hiring Manager regardless of the industry you’re operating in, you obviously need to consider a candidate’s education and prior experience, but also what they can bring to your team as far as IQ and emotional intelligence. And the latter are more important.

An extremely successful CEO once told me that his hiring policy is that he never hires somebody who does not have at least one shitty job or failure in his resume. Why? Nothing reveals and refines our character better than the way we cope with adversity.

In other words, the applicant with a pixel-perfect CV may not be the best hire for your Team. After all, people can always learn new skills on the go, if they have the right attitude and personality. On the contrary, if they possess all the shiny diplomas, but lack the appropriate mindset for the business, that will screw the team up.

Choose people who dare to challenge the status quo

There are employees who tell their managers what they like to hear and simply carry out orders given from above. This can be comforting because it lets any Manager linger in the secure feeling of his authority. (“I’m the boss, and that is how things work around here.”)

But there are also those types of co-workers who question the current processes and ask the awkward questions. Aren’t these people are generally annoying and hard to get along with? No, they’re not, as long as they have empathy and intelligence, and therefore they are asking the right questions. Being curious and seeking answers is proven to be one of the most important trait of innovative thinkers.

Let me quote Steve Jobs here: 

“It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do, We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.”

When working for a Copenhagen-based Design Studio, I could easily see a hiring pattern within our Team. This pattern was that our CEO aimed to surround himself with “innovator” types, those who possess the confidence to speak up, ask questions and think strategically in order to put the success of the organization at the focus of every decision.

After 2 years on that job, I realized that whenever we were hiring, we were looking for people who are self-starters, who are driven by their passions and willing to try new things. Because this attitude is crucial to perform well at the job: when it comes to day-to-day work, my boss (and most likely, your boss) wants to hear solutions, not problems. Managers are interested in possibilities, not limitations.

 
A healthy amount of ego and motivation

When an employee has a negative attitude and is the first to give reasons why something cannot be done, that creates a destructive atmosphere that can easily spread to other team members in the office. On the contrary, motivated and creative people are capable to look at a challenge in front of them, grasp the necessary information, and come up with new ways of reach the target of any given organization.

How can you spot this type of applicants right at the job interview? One way is to pay attention to their concerns. Instead of asking about holiday benefits and retirement schemes, these people tend to ask you about the amount of responsibility or possibilities for self-education on the job. And that’s a good sign. A healthy amount of ego drives us to perform better.

As John Couris (CEO of Tampa General Hospital) puts it, 

“The key to leading a successful organization is developing a team that enables members to contribute to the best of their ability. By surrounding yourself with smart and driven folks, who are able to be just that - smart and driven - you will develop a culture that yields a great deal of success.”

Keep your talent engaged

If you can get hold of good candidates to join your Team today, then you’ve completed half of the equation. Once you collect all the smart and innovative people around you, you need to keep them engaged and motivated. Continuously. If you don't invest in your employees, they will begin to feel that they don't matter.

Being receptive to the emotional needs of your employees and really get to know them as people requires a lot of effort and dedication. But there is no other way to go about it if you want to build a solid foundation for your business.

Lasting and meaningful human relationships provide the basis for every successful Team, and they entail a different kind of management style than what we were probably used just a few years ago.

So forget micromanagement. Talented people love to take on responsibility, and thus you need to give them space. But hey, this is a topic for another post.

We compete in a job market where it is expected from us that we are excellent team players. The problem is that no one teaches us how to become one exactly.

In my current role, I am part of a diverse team of creatives, developers, and project managers. Some of these people are very sensitive, some of them are cold-blooded rational, and some of them don’t even speak the same language. If this isn’t complex enough, we have to manage projects and fight deadlines from 3 different continents.

This requires great teamwork. Regardless of what happens in the background, let it be our individual faults or conflicts, we have the common goal of delivering the best results to our clients – as a Team.

Here are 3 lessons I’ve learned when working in the beautiful chaos of creative agencies.

1. Listen more than you talk

When we are little, we all get taught how to talk and how to write. But how to listen? Genuinely listening to someone is hard, because our thoughts run faster than people talk. So while people are talking to us, we have some spare brain capacity left, which we can use to evaluate what they are saying, think about our grocery shopping list, or even daydream about our upcoming vacation. It requires an effort to be present in a conversation and listen without judging, predicting or concentrating on something totally different.

I find that there are two main benefits of being a good listener. First, people will like you more. Just think about it. When your partner actually listens to you, it makes you feel important and valued, right? We all like people who allow us to have a conversation about our favorite subject, which is ourselves.

Next time you’re in a team-building event, try to master this mindset and focus your interest on your team mates rather than your own stories. By paying attention to your mates, they will be inclined to like you more. Not to mention you will gain relevant insights that will help you to understand their motives and behavior as well.

This leads me to the second benefit of active listening, which is the fact that you control the conversation, not the ones who are talking. As suggested by the management trainer Chris Croft, the occasional questions like, "Where did you get this idea from?" or, "Can you tell me more about this part?," help you decide which direction should the conversation go, without being pushy or annoying.

2. Reliability is your best trait

So, wo cares if you show up 5 minutes late to a meeting? What could go wrong if you send the promised files with only 2 hours delay to a partner? The truth is, these little things add up and create an overall impression of you. 

Being reliable in a business environment means that you keep your promises and your partners can trust you. It means that you are able to keep track of overlapping tasks and get your time management system right. You could achieve this by writing down notes, establish a rule to reply to messages within 24 hours, and keeping all appointments in a system that works for you. Personally, I prefer the old-fashioned way of using a physical diary for my priorities. 

When it comes to teamwork, the other aspect of reliability is your emotional stability. Don’t you agree that your best colleagues are the ones who have a stable, positive personality and don’t have mood swings depending on the weather?

These things are so simple yet most of us struggle with them. One of my managers once told me that the fact that you are reliable would already put you ahead of 90% of your competition in any given field.

3. Learn to forgive

Although it is important to be reliable, I also believe that we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously. We need to realize that mistakes are inevitable in a team situation. And we shouldn’t take them personally.

During a busy week, it can happen that your manager don’t tell you about an important plan. Your team might make a decision when you are not there and you feel left out. Maybe your colleague makes a mistake that will impact your project’s success. Maybe you make a mistake. When deadlines are tight, we tend to push ourselves a bit too far and take risks that are beyond our capacity.

These things will happen, and a good team player will let these go. Because holding on to our emotional baggage will only slow us down in the long run.

Let me quote a classic from Mark Manson here:

“You and everyone you know are going to be dead soon. And in the short amount of time between here and there, you have a limited amount of f*cks to give. Very few, in fact. And if you go around giving a f*ck about everything and everyone without conscious thought or choice—well, then you’re going to get f*cked.”

Of course, there could be situations that really upset you, where you feel you weren’t treated fairly. If I feel truly hurt about something, then I communicate my feelings so my team can learn from the situation and fine-tune the process so it won’t repeat. The key here is not to wait months until destructive feelings grow inside you and you develop a negative attitude towards your colleagues.

It actually feels good to forgive and to be forgiven. And it is much better to work in a team that is able to discuss difficulties and move on, than being surrounded by people who stress on each other’s small imperfections all the time. 

Now I’m curious. What would you add to this list? Do you feel that you’re part of a good team? Let me know in the comments.

Branding isn't just for businesses any more. We live in times when recruiters can easily stalk your recent tweets or Instagram profile. And believe me, they do. Therefore, it is crucial to learn how to manage the way you're perceived on online platforms and offline interactions. With the right marketing and consistency, you can easily develop and grow your personal brand, which will help you achieve a competitive edge in whatever field you are competing in.

Your personal brand is in many ways a synonym for your reputation. It is what people think of you when you are not around. It is how people remember your work to be. It is how they perceive you when you are entering the room.

Why should you care?

Now you see, it takes consistent effort to make sure you are sending the right message in all directions so you are considered as a person of integrity – or a field expert, if that’s what you’re aiming for.

And there are so many advantages of building up your personal brand and going strategic about it.

Let’s just imagine that you are losing your job next week. If you have a solid reputation, an accountable personality, and maybe a portfolio website where you’ve built trust over the past months, you have nothing to be afraid of.

But you don’t need to unemployed in order to see the benefits of your personal brand. It can simply help you get more clients and new customers and expand your professional network. Bring authority and recognition to you in the industry you’re operating in. Or even qualify you to be invited to conferences or speaking events.

By now, I probably convinced you that your personal brand matters. In the following, I am going to tell you 5 hands-on tips on how you can build its foundation.

1. Use your LinkedIn network for recommendations

Have you ever been in the situation when you had to choose from 3-4 candidates or products, that seemed equally qualified and suitable? What did you do then? You turned for reviews and recommendations. It might sound as a no-brainer, but sometimes we tend to overlook the things that are easy and within reach. So yes, people actually read LinkedIn recommendations. So now is the time to ask some of your former supervisors or colleagues to formulate some nice thoughts about your abilities and give your skillset a couple of endorsements on your LinkedIn profile. Social proof is the basis of your personal brand.

2. Build a solid portfolio

The next step is let people see what you’re good at. Show it and don’t just tell. Having a portfolio is a great opportunity to demonstrate your capabilities, expertise, and personal style. Let it be a website, a Prezi, a Slideshare, a case study, or whatever you are comfortable with. Keep in mind that you don’t need to cover too many areas and impress everyone. Focus only on your key strengths and the kind of work that you want to be known for. (And eventually, paid for.)

3. Quantify your achievements

Many say that we live in a post-truth era, when it is extremely hard to distinguish between false and valid information. If we translate this thought into your reputation, then it’s obvious that everyone can say things like “I was managing human resources and was responsible for XYZ at an international company.” But who knows what these buzzwords actually mean? Be more concrete. Throw in some stats and numbers, and say instead: “I was managing an HR Team of 10 people. As a result of our employer satisfaction initiative, my Team decreased employer turnover by 40% in the past 3 years.” Sounds way more serious, doesn’t it.

4. Emphasize your uniqueness

“In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is failing. In a busy marketplace, not standing out is the same as being invisible.”

— Seth Godin, The Purple Cow

The essence of this quote is that you need to find your unique selling points, and build on them. Do you dance tango or collect 60’s vinyl records as a hobby? Then make it part of your personal brand, and emphasize it where it makes sense. After all, there might be 1.000.000 aspiring graphic designers out there. But how many graphic designers who re-designed their favorite vinyl records and then made a thematic blog post or Pinterest Board about them? Don’t be shy to spice up your professional reputation with some parts of your personality. You never know which experience or part your interest will connect you with other people, and make them fall in love with you as a person.

5. Be approachable

We all know the pain of networking with meaningless handshakes and a pile of business cards that we have a hard time to connect to a face 3 hours after we got them. Real networking comes from genuine human interactions, which only genuine humans can do. Where am I getting at? At the end of the day, your smile is probably more important than your logo. Your smart answers in a real-life conversations are probably more important than your business card. Your overall character and kindness in social interactions are probably more memorable than your business name.

What are your favorite personal brands that you look up to and get inspiration from? Let me know in the comments.

Are you tired of paying a fortune for a few nights sleep on your holiday, but still don't fancy couchsurfing? Do you like rooftops terraces and swimming pools, but you're also the traveler who like keep his/her budget tight? If you're looking for some cheap, yet amazing destinations with lots of hours of sunshine, check this list out. From dreamy little towns in Tuscany to the Castle of Lisbon, I'll tell you where to go - and where to sleep. All between 19-21 EUR/night.

1. Siena - Siena Hostel Guidoriccio

Siena is a smaller city in Tuscany, mostly famous for its weird-shaped main square. Being 1 hour away from Florence, most tourists came here for a day trip, and go back to Florence on the evening of the same day. And that is really when the magic happens. Just before sunset, when the tourist buses leave the station, this small city comes to life. That is when you can stroll around the cobble-stone streets with a gelato in your hand, watching locals closing their shops, doing their groceries or having their aperitivos.

So what about Siena Hostel Guidoriccio? Don’t expect anything fancy. It is a basic dormitory at the edge of the city. But. Just imagine a day, when you go down to the hostel reception asking for a toothpaste, but instead of a toothpaste, you get invited to a random wine tasting. And a few hours later, you found yourself in a centuries-old winery, sipping divine Tuscan wines, spending the night in a medieval castle, having dinner with an Italian sommelier and his friends. This is at least what happened to me there, and I am dreaming about it ever since.

Price per night: from 21 EUR

2. Lisbon – This Is Lisbon Hostel

Portugal is getting more and more popular recently, but it’s still much less crowded than Spain or Italy. Usually, I try to avoid tourist traps and over-hyped places. So I did not take a "mandatory" selfie with the Tram 28 in Lisbon like a million people before me. But I swam into the Benagil Sea Cave at sunset. I did not stand in the 200-meter queue with Asian tourists so that I can buy a nata at the famous Pastéis de Belém. But I had a great 4-euro dinner in the suburbs, where the waiter only spoke Portuguese. And I seriously fell in love with Portugal.

When in Lisbon, try to book your stay in This is Lisbon Hostel! Two tips: book well in advance, because they only have a few rooms, and be prepared to climb some stairs. Like 150 or so. The property is located on a steep hill just below the Castle of Lisbon, meaning that you should be smart (I wasn’t), and find the elevator in the nearby supermarket, which can help you skip two-thirds of the hill. Once you make it to the hostel, you can enjoy one of the finest panoramas of Lisbon, having your breakfast or yoga class (!) on a magical balcony above the city.

Price per night: from 19 EUR

3. Sevilla – Oasis Backpacker’s Palace

OK, this is the odd one out from this list. Unlike Siena, Sevilla is a popular tourist destination that is present on millions of traveler’s bucket list. But it is popular for a reason. The colors of the Jewish Quarter, the taste of local tapas plates and the view of the Cathedral are hard to beat. This massive tourist attention resulted in hundreds of hotels and guest houses to choose from, making it a tough pick on booking.com or any other accommodation booking website.

Last year, I put my trust into Oasis Backpacker’s Palace, and believe me, I made an excellent choice. This Hostel is literally an oasis in the heart of the Spanish region of Andalucia. The facilities are modern, the staff is helpful, the atmosphere is laid-back. Talking about laid-back, did I already mention the rooftop swimming pool area? For just per night, this is the place to be in Sevilla. Andalucian summers can be unbearably hot though, so my advise is to book a stay during spring/early autumn months. I was there in May, and could totally sunbath and enjoy the bikini weather by the rooftop pool.

Price per night: from 19 EUR

Portugal is a small country on the coast of the Atlantic ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. With a rich history of being a maritime empire between the 15th–20th century and a relatively small territory with some 1700 kilometres of coastline, it is a perfect destination for both beach & culture lovers. See the collection of my 8 favorite Portuguese spots and activities.

1. Lagos

If you check the map of Portugal, you'll quickly realise that the country stretches from South to North, having Lisbon, the capital city in the middle. Therefore, it is wise to plan a road-trip starting from the South or the North instead of Lisbon. Opting for the South, you can start your Portuguese adventure by flying into Faro Airport. From there, you can pick any town to be your base for a few days and explore the area. The Algarve Coast in the South of Portugal will treat you with spectacular views, small towns and a laid-back atmosphere. My favourite gem, Lagos is a small beach resort at the Algarve. If you wake up early in the morning, you'll get to walk in streets like these, having them all for yourself (and when I say "early morning", I'm talking Mediterranean standards, that is, 7-8 AM). 

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2. Algarve Coast

When in the Algarve Coast, just get yourself some hiking shoes and hit the road wherever! The best thing about the Algarve is that you don't really need maps or worrying about making super detailed itineraries in advance. In this corner of Europe, you'll naturally bump into hidden caves and scenic coastlines, still relatively untouched by mass tourism. Here's an example of me getting lost somewhere between Lagos and 'Ponta de Piedade'. 

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3.Praia Do Camilo

There are no big signs on the road advertising this beach, so chances are, you won't find it unless you know it's there. One of the most beautiful beaches of Europe, Praia do Camilo is only accessible via a steep staircase that takes at least 15 minutes to climb, because you can't stop taking photos of the scenery after every 3 steps. Be prepared with drinks/food though, as there are no bars/restaurants once you get down to this tiny piece of paradise.

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4. Miradouro das Portas do Sol in Lisbon

Lisbon is a city built on hills, which can make sightseeing feel like a high-intensity cardio workout sometimes. But oh my dear, climbing these hills is so worth it: you get to see amazing views on literally every hilltop. This is 'Miradouro das Portas do Sol', where the beautiful whitewashed buildings of the Alfama neighbourhood meet the Atlantic Ocean. 

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5. Mouraria Neighbourhood in Lisbon

Being one of the oldest neighbourhoods of Lisbon, Mouraria was once a Medieval quarter of the Moors. Nowadays it is the most multicultural neighbourhood of the city, with more than 50 nationalities and countless restaurants and cafés around.  

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6. Wine tasting in Vila Nova de Gaia

Once in Porto, going for a wine tasting tour is a MUST. Fun fact: Port wine is a sweet, fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in Northern Portugal. Then this unique wine is aged in barrels that are stored in cellars at Vila Nova de Gaia, just across the Douro River from Porto. Long story short, technically, this wine has nothing to do with the city of Porto. Then where does its name originate from? Well, visit a cellar and find out yourself!

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7. Portuguese Street art culture 

Regardless of which city you’re in, there's a whole world of urban art to be discovered in the streets of Portugal. This artistic form of expression makes the urban space feel more alive and full of colours. For example, this graffiti is in Lisbon, symbolising the melancholy music of Fado, a unique genre born in the city.

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8. Porto old town

Porto is Portugal's second-largest city today, that is home to 240,000 people. But. There is very few cities in Europe (and especially in the Mediterranean area), where you can still sense something about that old, untouched historical vibe. The heart of Porto still beats in the medieval old city – the Ribeira, and if you’re a history lover, it will surely resonate with your soul.

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It’s 6:30 AM and you hear the alarm. Your heart is already racing out of your chest. You immediately reach for your phone and check your messages. And Instagram. How many new followers did you get? What are you going to post today? Or maybe, you already woke up an hour ago so you can prepare that picture-perfect porridge for your Insta Story. Sounds familiar?

Then you are also familiar with the sad truth. That these clutches of digital compulsion don’t give you a good start of the day. When you start the day by drowning your brain with information (let it be an email thread or your Instagram Feed), you do not notice what it's like to be actually awake for the day. You forget to say good morning to yourself.

Be in charge of your habits

Some people argue that smartphones are ‘the cigarettes of our era’, in a sense that they are the kind of addiction we intuitively know is unhealthy, but still continue to use, because that is the general norm we perceive around us. According to a recent report by Emarketer, an average US adult will spend more time on mobile devices in 2019 than on TV, that is, nearly 4 hours. It’s a scary number, and if I want to be honest with you guys, my metrics would probably hit the fence even more.

Now see: if we look at our smartphone and the constant stimulation we get from it as an addiction, at least we know that addictions can be cured. Some call it digital detox and go really radical about it. I wouldn't. Let’s just imagine how you can spend a day with fewer digital distractions. From the moment you wake up until the time you go to bed, try these easy tips and be in charge of your smartphone usage, instead of your social media apps controlling you.

Morning glory

Our brain should take some time to switch from sleeping to active mode. Instead of your phone alarm, switch to an old-fashioned alarm clock, so you don’t need to reach for your phone first thing in the morning. When you wake up, imagine that your mind is like a clear blue sky without clouds, and give yourself some offline time to feel the morning you woke up to.

Check in with yourself. How do you actually feel? What are your goals for that specific day? Is it an important day, when you need to give the best version of yourself? Is it a day when you have a fully packed calendar and perhaps you’d need to achieve a little more than what is realistic?

Whatever the case is, use your brain capacity wisely. Listen to your favorite album on Spotify, do a morning yoga session, make breakfast for your partner. Focus on yourself, your surroundings, your feelings. The notifications, the likes, the to-do items will wait for you at your desk anyway.

During the day

Do you know the feeling when you are texting someone, and if he/she don’t text you right back you then you start to come up with things like, ‘Is he mad at me?’ This is just your mind playing tricks with you. Your brain needs constant stimulation and dopamine-releasing hits, and that prevents you from being focused and productive. If people don’t reply to you for hours during the day on social media, that is fine. Maybe they are just busy and focusing on something else. And you should be, too.

They say that the average attention span (that is, the amount of concentrated time a person can spend on a task without becoming distracted) is down from 12 seconds in the year 2000 to 8 seconds now. That is less than the nine-second attention span of an average goldfish. However, most psychologists agree that the ability to focus and sustain attention on a task is key for performing well at work. And well, you don’t even need to be psychologist to confirm that.

Deleting social media apps from your phone (maybe one at a time) can be a solid start. If you feel that is too radical, go for a reality check first, and try apps like Checky or AntiSocial, or the new activity dashboard on Facebook or Instagram. They will give you the harsh facts when it comes to just how addicted to your phone you really are. With Facebook and IG’s built-in dashboards, you are able to set limits on how much time you’re spending on Instagram or Facebook. Plus, you can set up a feature called Daily Reminder to alert you to when you’ve hit that limit.

Finishing off at night

Getting home after a long day, you need to slow down little by little and make your mind quiet. It is a time for reflection and socializing with the people around you. If you are a parent, apps like OurPact allows you to limit screen time for your children so you can spend more quality time together.

Finally, when it comes to sleeping, a bluelight filter is a real game-changer for a better and deeper sleep. Apps like NightOwl, or Apple’s built-in Night Shift option schedule phones to emit less blue light, which can cause people to stay awake.   

What are your ideas when it comes to healthy smartphone usage? Let me know in the comments!

We spend a quarter of our lives at work. It’s all about making that time worth it. How we feel in the morning when we enter the door, and what kind of environment we are spending our long working hours in, really does matter. What are the pros and cons of shared office spaces? Read about the latest trends, the different types of co-working spaces here. Plus hands-on tips on how to choose one.

What is what

According to a recent Global Coworking Survey by Desk Mag and Awfis Community, 82% of co-workers believe that co-working enhances work productivity, and 70% of them feel healthier than they did while working in a conventional office.

So what is co-working and how does it differ from sitting in a ’normal’ office? By definition, co-working is a style of work that involves a shared workplace. Unlike a typical office, the people at a co-working space are usually not employed by the same organization, but coming from multiple companies, industries and a diverse professional background.

The PROS

This mixed and lively atmosphere can be super attractive for startup companies, home workers, independents, or those who travel often, working in relative isolation. Being part of a co-working community means that you are surrounded by potential customers, mentors, and people that you can possibly outsource work to. The community can make you more productive and social at the same time.

As flexible working conditions are a priority for the Millennial generation, who will make up 75% of the workforce by 2030, big companies must enter the game as well. In this sense, the future of co-working could be like a “melting pot”, where early stage startups could work alongside corporate innovation teams, who work “offsite” in a co-working office and thus achieve a higher level of creative thinking.

The CONS

But shared office spaces also have their downsides, and therefore are not suitable for everyone. According to my experience, sitting at a new table every day can be a distraction for many people, so does the constant flow of new people and random noises. Good headphones are a must.

Booking a meeting room can be a hassle, especially if you need it ASAP, and it can be hard to keep your focus at times, when there are so many other things to do around you, for example, attending that upcoming meet-up or having a coffee with that cute girl working just opposite of you.

Shared office spaces – bigger or smaller?

That being said, there are different types of co-working spaces, depending on what kind of environment you are looking for. There are the big ones like Republikken in Copenhagen or Betahaus in Berlin, that can sit hundreds of people at the same time, and you can just come by on a daily basis, rent a flex seat and be surrounded by new faces. Typically, these places offer printing services and refillable tea/coffee included in their prices. A big pro argument for them is the fact that they also function as a community space: they organize events, bootcamps, or meetups on a regular basis.

If you are the type who enjoys a bit more continuity and stability in your working environment, then definitely look for a smaller shared office space. Having your own desk/island of tables and familiar faces around you, yet still being in a co-working environment of less than a 100 people let’s say, is something that we did at our own space, Studio-CPH. In that sense, there is a major difference between the family-like atmosphere of Studio-CPH and those fast-paced surroundings that they have at Republikken or Betahaus. Try to be aware of that distinction, when you are choosing a co-working place for your business.

Next level concepts: multiple cities or in-house kindergartens

In the fast evolution of co-working spaces, there are some who take the whole concept to the next level. For example, Sp8ces is grouping multiple spaces under their brand, meaning that its members can choose from different locations and have the freedom to work from a hotel, restaurant, or even an organic bistro. Their basic idea is that these public spaces are not really occupied during the daytime, so why not make them accessible for freelancers or aspiring entrepreneurs to meet and network. I found it a great concept to utilize the already available resources that we have in our cities. Not only it generates a passive stream of income for the hospitality industry, but it's also a great way of reactive marketing, as co-workers and their network could potentially become guests of the restaurant/service later on.

Another type is WeWork, which is more like a global franchise of co-working spaces, which means that by buying their membership, you have access to their co-working offices from Singapore to Paris. This service is a dream for digital nomads or professionals constantly on the go.

Last but not least, there are some pioneer projects like Loffice in Budapest, which combines the services of a co-working space with an in-house kindergarten/daycare solution for the members’ children.

Overall, co-working spaces are on the rise for a reason. The flexibility that they provide is something that fits very well with our changing lifestyle and digital workflow. However, their increasing popularity doesn’t mean that they are the perfect solution for everyone.

Have you tried working in a co-working community before? What was your experience?

Being a visual person, Instagram is by far my favorite social media channel. It doesn’t only provide the chance to connect with like-minded individuals from all over the world, but it lets you stalk your next employer from an insider point of view, or it can also be a huge source of inspiration when it comes to travelling and discovering new places. Even with its limitations, it can widen your horizon in many ways. From unknown holiday destinations to new job possibilities, there’re so many ideas you can gain from this online community.

1. Look up your future employer/employee

When sending your job application to a new company, you are curious about a thousand things. Besides the salary and the vacation scheme, you’re also keen on knowing what types of colleagues are there, and what’s the general vibe in the office. That’s why after sending in my resume, I dive right into the given company’s Instagram feed. This tactic probably works best with startups, but can also be applied to bigger companies. Most businesses use Instagram as a channel to offer a sneak peek into their social events and company culture, making it a perfect place for outsiders to get a feel of the brand and the people behind it. A great example of this is IDEO or Lunar.

IDEO’s Instagram Feed is a good example of strategic employer branding.

Needless to say, it also works vice versa. Whenever I am doing recruitment, I tend to stalk the relevant candidates on Insta, see what they are into in their everyday life, and most often follow them through our company profile. This way recruitment can also help our company’s follower base grow – from the relevant crowd.

2. Get major travel inspiration

Got yourself into the holiday mood, and you are free to pick the destination? Do yourself a favour, and before you land on Skyscanner with all of your excitement, conduct a 20-minutes inspirational research on Instagram. This can be done in various ways. If it is a last-minute trip that you’re boarding tomorrow, you can browse through the live stories by location or relevant hashtag, to see what is going on in your desired area.

If it’s a vacation where you get to decide on a destination and able to do some planning in advance, then dive into the feed of your favourite travellers and travel blogs. Accounts like @whatifwetry or @tranatravels are a major inspiration of mine. When I really want to go off the beaten track, I usually follow the steps of @nicischindler or @hobolaptop, some of my favorite wanderlusters. When you search for hashtags, make sure that you are specific (and creative) enough to get some relevant results. For example, instead of #italy, try to look for #cinqueterre, instead of #holiday, try to type in #girlslovetravel or #sunsetlovers, and so on.

Nokken in Copenhagen.

By using Instagram as a kind of travel guide, I already ended up in a hobbit village just 20-minutes from downtown Copenhagen, a beautiful thermal spa in Budapest, or a magical spot in medieval Bruges. And I wouldn’t know any of these places if it wasn’t for my Insta Feed.

3. Be part of a community of like-minded people

In general, hashtags focus attention, increase commitment and the effectiveness of posts, profiles, and marketing campaigns. In a world where we tell our stories through them, #liveauthentic, #traveltheworld, a strategic approach to hashtags is crucial to fully exploit their potential. General hashtags might have bigger search volume, but they also mean more noise and competition. Don’t get lost in the hashtag factory, choose your tags accordingly to your specific goal.

Western Australia with #passionpassport.

Take advantage of the fact that these days it is possible to follow not only users, but also hashtags on Instagram. This feature enables you to follow handpicked topics, specific moods and styles, not to mention that it is also a great tool for keeping track of your competition in a particular niche.

In the case of a strong and beloved brand like Envii or Daniel Wellington, the name of the brand used as a hashtag itself can bond a larger community. However, if you view from an SEO perspective for your profile, it's more ideal if you find (and successfully distribute) a search tag that binds users of similar topic to a particular subject. Good examples of this are #passionpassport, #darlingescapes or #enviime.

Now tell me, who else should I follow? This is your turn to throw in your IG accounts!