Hello! I am Nina Lorenz, a consultant at Tyto, and this is my location-agnostic life. In this series, we want to highlight the freedom our model enables and how we navigate any challenges it presents.
What’s your morning routine?
I need a lot of time to wake up, so my first walk is to the coffee maker. Once I feel a little more awake, I go on a walk with my dog and listen to a variety of news and tech podcasts to get a feel for the most important stories and a little inspiration. After that I get ready for the day, eat, shower, if I have a few more minutes a quick yoga or dance session before I head to my desk.
How do you organise your day?
I usually have a plan of the must-do tasks. And some floating tasks. For pitches, I found that it helps to work with my brain, so when I have an idea, I tend to run with it. Overall, I’m learning to take into account the mental energy my to-dos take to better balance my days. But in the end, I am always motivated by a good deadline and a reasonable amount of pressure.
When are you the most productive?
I think late morning to midday is usually my most productive time. If I am immersed in a task, it can extend through the afternoon to early evening. Contrary to the trends, mornings are not my most productive hours.
What is your favourite workplace?
It’s a little boring, but I enjoy the comfort of my desk and having access to all items I want and need throughout the day. I live in a rural area, so it’s generally quiet, and I can see the woods from my window.
What’s your favourite thing about working remotely?
I absolutely love being able to be in all the places I want to be. Often at the same time! Who would have thought that you get to live in Southern Germany and still have an in with cutting-edge technology in Silicon Valley, London, Paris, Berlin? I can hang with my dog and still meet inspirational founders, hear their thoughts on AI or Quantum computing – does it get better than that? Generally, I found that people are quite travel happy at Tyto. So, there are many good reasons to get out whenever I need a change of scenery.
What do you miss about working in an office?
Honestly, not that much. I should add that I haven’t worked in offices too frequently (thanks COVID) but commuting made me feel so downtrodden. Don’t get me started on the sensory nightmare that is the open office space. No, thank you.
What’s your secret weapon?
Dopamine! When I get stuck, I try to add something fun or exciting. In the grand scheme this means travelling to see my colleagues, trade shows, media or clients. On the day-to-day it’s smaller things like a deadline, music or a fun drink. I am currently drinking a piña mix, because why not? Just adding some pineapple juice, coconut milk, coconut sirup to my day.
What is the culture like at Tyto?
The best I can describe it is supportive and warm. At Tyto, I can be my full self, not just the choreographed professional version. Despite being geographically separated, that makes me feel connected to the team. People take care to interact, and yes sometimes it gets busy, so we have to postpone that coffee, but we do actively get together. We have a hack week, a Tyto passport (which I wrote about here), a book club, workout hour, tea time, and our own personal happy place the Tyto Pets Channel.
What do you like most about working at Tyto?
Hands down, the people! I love that I get to work with and learn from such a talented, brilliant and kind group of people. In the short period I’ve been here, I have learned so much – all from my lovely colleagues and the opportunities they present me with. There is never any doubt that everyone wants you to succeed, and they have got your back. I live with and care for my grandparents, which often time demands emergency room visits, long doctor’s appointments and so forth. When one of them passed away, the team immediately jumped into action, took over, shared kind words – just had me covered. There’s really not much more I can say about that other than, thanks!