#18 Spending a day with Joana (Unicorn Workspaces)

September 6, 2022

Here’s a bit of info about Joana, who joined our Unicorn family two years ago. She’s the regional manager for our Kaufingerstraße and Kustermannpark Unicorn Spaces in Munich, and is responsible for everything related to operations, sales, team management and Unicorn’s expansion.

We’re offering an attractive opening discount for our new Kustermannpark space!

It’s 8 a.m. Are you already wide awake, or still in a deep sleep?

The nice thing about flexible working hours is really the flexibility you have with your planning. As long as there aren’t any appointments scheduled, then I try to go by how I’m feeling on that day. If I’m feeling totally fit, then I get up early and start the day in an exemplary manner with a morning routine: I’ll make myself a tea, write down all the things I’m grateful for on that day, and try to get a bit of fresh air before I start my working day. I’m a morning person, so the early part of the day is definitely the most productive time for me. But I have no desire to join the ranks of the early bird club, always up at 5 am, because there are days where I need to rest and sleep more. Then I kind of amble out of bed right before nine and place myself in front of the laptop.

It’s 10 a.m. and you’re in the middle of a productive phase. What’s essential for you to be productive?

My to-do list, I’d be helpless without it! I’ve even shown up to work without my notepad and had to go right back home to get it. Lists kept on a laptop or mobile phone just aren’t the same. On my desktop I have about 5,000 programs and tabs open, and a digital to-do list would probably just disappear in the commotion.

It’s 1 p.m. and your stomach is growling. What do you do? Have a muesli bar and go out for a jog? Go over the latest analytics with business partners? Are you rather a stay-in-at-the-office type, or do you need to get out and get some fresh air?

This can really differ depending on the day itself. Sometimes I’m taking care of things in the space, my appointments are overlapping and I first have the chance to grab a croissant from our baristas at 3 pm. If things are running smoothly, then I’ll make myself a salad at 12:30pm on the dot, and afterwards I’ll go out for an afternoon walk.

It’s 4 p.m. A new company is moving into a Unicorn Space in Munich. What tips for the city would you give the newcomers?

Anyone who moves into our new space located at Kustermannpark has got to visit the Werksviertel. It’s a place where art and culture come together, an area filled with small boutiques and cafés housed in what used to be freight shipping containers – which is why it’s also known as the Container Collective. I’ve been telling my friends for years now: ‘that’s where we have to get together for coffee’. Ok, maybe I wasn’t always being completely selfless, because I did live there for a long time. Now, however, after I’ve moved out, it seems that more and more people in Munich are starting to discover what this little district has to offer.

It’s 6 p.m., is the workday coming to an end or just getting started?

On hectic days, I’m happy when everyone slowly starts leaving work for the day and I can finally focus on my work without interruptions. That’s when I’ll draw up contracts, go through my emails in peace and take care of placing orders. On most days, I usually finish work at a decent hour and then I’ll cook, get together with friends, plant flowers left, right and center, or spend some time at the tennis court.

It’s 10 p.m. and you finally have time for yourself! Are you a series addict? A music lover, bookworm or binging podcast listener?

Series: The One, Behind Her Eyes.
Podcasts: Wirecard: 1.9 Billion Lies, Gemischtes Hack (German comedy podcast focusing on current events).
Books: I’ve just started this one, but it’s already a promising read: Digital Minimalism.