Weddings are a project, and they benefit from a good project management tool.
We talked to the CEO ofZola, one of Lifehacker readersfavorite wedding sites.
Ma talked to Lifehacker about running the company, organizing her life, and how to make yourself irrelevant.
I was born in Singapore, but grew up in Sydney, Australia.
So I grew up wanting to be Jerry Yang.
I eventually became the GM and founder of Gilt Taste, Gilts food and beverage division.
It was an opportunity to be a mini founder within a much larger company.
The idea for Zola was born out of personal need.
I was going to so many weddings and buying so many wedding gifts.
I was frankly appalled at how terrible and impersonal the wedding gift shopping experience was.
We had always wanted to start a company together and realized that this could be a huge opportunity.
And after some research, we saw the wedding market was a HUGE one for us to dig into.
Take us through a recent workday.
We now have 110 employees.
11AM: I had a 1x1 meeting with our Chief of Staff, Manika.
Shes basically my right hand!
11:30AM: I had a 1x1 meeting with our product lead on Zola Weddings, Jill.
12:30PM: I stepped out to grab lunch with Nobu, my co-founder.
We have a go at get at least 10 minutes together every day.
3:00PM: I finally had the rest of the afternoon to sit at my desk and answer some emails.
6:00PM: I left the office for dinner with colleagues in the NYC ecommerce industry.
What apps, gadgets, or tools cant you live without?
Im on Slack way more than Im on email.
I also use theHeadspaceapp every (or close to every) morning.
I recently used it to plan an upcoming trip to Iceland.
Another thing that I cant live without is my reliable pen and notebook.
Its an oldie, but a goody, and never lets you down.
Whats your workspace setup like?
Zola is a completely open office environment to foster collaboration and conversation.
My desk is a bit of organized chaos, just the way I like it.
Whats your best shortcut or life hack (no matter how small or niche)?
I meditate for ten minutes every morning before I take my dog, Noe, on a walk.
Ive found that it really makes a big difference in setting the tone for the day.
Take us through an interesting, unusual, or finicky process you have in place at work.
Every day that Nobu and I are both in the office, we take a coffee break together.
Our schedules are jam packed, but we make it a priority to spend time together.
We always go toBlue Stone Lanein the Financial District, which is my favorite because its Australian.
I will give a big shout out to our president, Rachel Jarrett.
Luckily, shes best at a lot of things!
How do you keep track of what you have to do?
My Google calendar is my lifeline.
How do you recharge or take a break from work?
Ive recently become much more conscious about making time for myself.
It is so easy to get caught up in work 24/7.
But Ive become a big SoulCycle fan, going at least to one class every weekend.
Whats your favorite side project?
This is a very nerdy answer but, investing.
Im an angel investor in 13 companies including ADAY, Billie, and Hawthorne.
I love supporting other founders who are coming up with innovative solutions.
What are you currently reading, or what do you recommend?
My favorite book isInspired: How To Create Products Customers Loveby Marty Cagan.
Ive read it many times.
Its about how to bring an idea to scale and develop a product.
Fill in the blank: Id love to see _________ answer these same questions.
Tim Ferriss
Whats the best advice youve ever received?
To make yourself irrelevant.
Isnt that every CEOs goal?
Whats a problem youre still trying to solve?
Zola is one of the top five most visited wedding websites in the country.
How are we going to be #1?
This interview has been lightly edited, and some links have been added.
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