Numero cuatro (enviada desde España) 💃🏼

Life lessons, Product & the Podcast.

Hey Hey, & Happy Friday! I hope you've had the most amazing week.

I can tell you, mine has been amazing, but also a little damn stressful. Read on to hear about the highs and hard work of van life, + loads of info on high performing Product teams. & a juicy little bonus - one of the projects that I had the joy and honour of working on this year.

Life Lessons

Here's a little reminder on why we need to take care of ourselves and our mindset.

Van life has been AMAZING. So far we've woken up in vineyards, next to lakes & by the ocean. & I am so so so pleased with the whole design and structure of the van - I love it when a plan comes together!

But, we've also had a parking ticket, a blocked drain & a fair few squabbles - it turns out, it's not the easiest to share 8m sq with another person.

& honestly, these events are minor, and are so worth it for the lifestyle.

But that doesn't mean that my mindset has been in the best place to handle them that well 😅

The one that tipped me over the edge was the parking ticket in Madrid. I'm usually so relaxed on these things. I take ownership for my forgetfulness, and I pay. Not this time. Cue Evie, sat on a bench in a beautiful park in Madrid, sobbing uncontrollably.

"It's not about the parking ticket" 😭 .

Have you ever had that? I bet you have. That one little event that tips you over the edge and you realise how much you've been holding in for so long?

A few years ago, a therapist gave me this analogy.

Pick up a pint of water and hold it. To start with, it feels easy right? But if you keep holding it and don't put it down, it gets heavier and heavier and harder and harder.

& sometimes I forget this. I haven't been doing anything to take care of my mindset for the last 3 weeks, as we've just been on the go. Any spare minute I get, I'm working or doing van chores.

& then the little things all build up. For me, without making time for meditation, yoga, journalling, or just actually relaxing - even the most incredible way of living can feel hard.

So here's your little weekend reminder to do a couple of things to take care of yourself.

How?

One of my favourite things to do is to wake up and ask myself the question - if no one else was around, what would I want to do for ME today? & as busy as we are, and as busy as life gets - if we can bake that one thing in and prioritise it. I can guarantee that things will feel just a little bit easier - and you'll have more to give to others.

& I promise I will practise what I preach again from today onwards, and hopefully I can let you know how well I'm handling van life in another couple of weeks.

PS. Bonus lesson - if you're living in a van & you think it smells like drain, it could well be yours 😅

Product Launch 🚀

In December 2022, I started working with First Choice to get their exciting new concept (a complete rebrand) ready to launch in the digital space.

Having already been part of the TUI digital rebrand team, I was 100% up for this challenge & I love absolutely everything that they were bringing to life for First Choice.

I've been keeping this one under wraps for a while - but it finally went live this week!

From identifying the new concept and where to position themselves in the market, to bringing this concept to life through all of their digital channels - it's been an amazing journey to join them on!

First Choice is now Proudly picky. The brand exists to allow travel lovers to be inspired and choose exactly the right holiday for them. & trust me, there's a lot of choice out there.

& we didn't just work to launch an incredible new experience, we went on an amazing path to implement a Strategy, OKRs, new team set ups - and put them on the front foot to mean that they can deliver a shed load of amazing value as they continue to grow the brand. This relaunch is just the start, and I look forward to seeing everything that they deliver!

Want to check out a new way to book your holiday / just see some of the amazing work from First Choice?

First Choice

Product Lessons

This week I've been writing some articles for The Product Manager on high performing product teams.

I'll link to the full artciel when it's out, but here's a little snippet...

Through working with over 20 different teams, the essential elements I found to give you the best chance of succeeding are:

• Psychological safety: everyone treats each other with respect and can voice their opinions in a healthy and productive way
• Aligned goals: I have been in teams where everyone has their own objectives (UX designer, data, Product, engineering) and this can cause a lot of conflict. It is important to bring in thinking from all of these angles, but this needs to be aligned with the overall mission of the team and Product Organisation.
• Trust: everyone trusts each other to do their job well and to the best of their ability. We will always still give feedback and provide input into each other's areas of operation - afterall, 4 eyes are better than 2, when executed in a positive way, with everyone’s best interests at heart.
• Constant communication: In the team and with other areas of the business. A product team is just one element of the organization. It is rare that a Product team can achieve their work in complete isolation. It is highly likely that they need to work well with the rest of the organization.

The Podcast

This week we were joined by George Manea, and it's a great link - because we also spoke about high performing teams. We covered off the different factors that it takes, and also spoke about those times when it doesn't just click, and what to do about it.

Every one of us works in a team, and it is always a good reminder for what works and doesn't work - so I'd highly recommend a listen.

George is also an amazing character, with an amazing story about lessons he learnt on his way into Product. So all in all, a thoroughly educational & entertaining episode.

Listen Here

Have an amazing weekend, I’ll certainly enjoy mine at this weekend's wedding in Malaga!

Evie
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