Every week, we share the shortcuts, workspaces, and productivity tips of our favorite experts.
This week, were going behind the scenes at Lifehacker.
Im Levi Sharpe, and this is how I work.
I got my undergrad degree in Philosophy and in Environmental Studies from the University of California Santa Cruz.
Afterward, I moved to New York City for a girl and with no career goal in mind.
The first job I got was doing reception at a high-end hair salon in the Chelsea Hotel.
The next job I had was doing leasing coordination for some apartment buildings in the Financial District.
It was soul crushing.
Thats when I found out I had a knack for sculpting.
you might see my work atlevisharpe.tumblr.com, but be forewarned, its real weird stuff and definitely NSFW.
One was an online dating startup calledHowAboutWe.
They then got bought by IAC (same folks who own Match.com) and fired a bunch of folks.
Throughout this whole time I was listening to podcasts.
It seemed to be one of the constants in a very tumultuous and winding road.
Trying on a lot of different hats isnt failure, its just fashion.
Take us through a recent workday.
My alarm goes off at 7:15am.
I quickly turn it off and sleep for about another 45 minutes.
I walk four flights up to the office and throw my stuff under my desk.
While Im editing, I try not to let any other work distract me.
I dont look at email, and Imightlook at Slack.
Each episode would have 100200 minutes of tape recorded, which I would cut down to 6040 minutes.
Sometimes within an afternoon.
Also, cutting tape is not only a technical task, it is a creative task.
I get a similar satisfaction cutting an episode together as I do sculpting something out of clay.
In both, you are taking raw material and shaping it into what you want.
Everyone should take a journalism ethics course).
What apps, gadgets, or tools cant you live without?
Audio Hijack, which allows me to rip audio from any app in real time.
Photoshop: I like to edit goofs together to make people laugh.
Premiere: same as Photoshop.
My banjo, because its therapeutic to play and a good way to switch from work-brain to home-brain.
Making a good cocktail helps too.
Whats your workspace setup like?
I also have a ton of cacti.
Whats your best shortcut or life hack?
Take us through an interesting, unusual, or finicky process you have in place at work.
I bite my nails and wiggle my foot a lot.
Melissa and Alice are the people I work with most.
They are talented, smart, and hard-working people.
Its no wonder they got to where they are today.
They do most of the editorial heavy lifting onThe Upgrade.
I will also put my girlfriend Caitlin Royal in here.
On top of all of that, she still finds time to listen to Every.
How do you keep track of what you have to do?
I use a mixture of spreadsheets, Google Docs, sticky notes, calendars, and Trello.
How do you recharge or take a break?
Whats your favorite side project?
What are you currently reading, or what do you recommend?
I just boughtWhite Fragilityby Robin Diangelo.
I also like to read comics and graphic novels likeSex Criminals,Spider-Gwen,Sandman, andUltimate Spider-Man.
Who else would you like to see answer these questions?
Whats the best advice youve ever received?
The eternal hourglass will again and again be turned and you with it, dust of the dust!
Would you throw yourself down and gnash your teeth and curse that demon?
Or would you answer, Never have I heard anything more divine?
Friedrich Nietzsche,The Gay Science
Whats a problem youre still trying to solve?
How to lose some belly fat while still maintaining my garbage-person diet and doing minimal exercise.
Have someone you want to see featured, or questions you think we should ask?
