Art Advisor: Day In The Life
I recently read a fellow small business owner’s “Day In The Life” post and quickly clicked my way on through… Learning the inner workings of a person’s process, the routines they follow to optimize the day, and the quirky habits they have is just entertaining and insightful. Since the art advisor world is mysterious to many, I wanted to chime in here with my own take: Art Advisor and Small Business Owner’s Day In the Life.
6:00am:
After years of waking up at 5/5:30, I’m on a mission to feel more rested. Six is the new wake up time. I’m in workout clothes by 6:05 and go through a stretching, breathing and reading exercise that a friend recommended to wake up my mind, soul and body. I have to say, it’s quite effective.
6:20am:
Exercise, including running, Peloton-ing, or various strength-building exercises, followed by a shower, breakfast, and family time.
7:45am:
Kid wake ups, breakfast and walks to school. School drop off is always a highlight: the waves and kisses and community feel fuels me every single morning, and I come back to my desk ready to be productive.
9:00am:
This is our official work day start time, and I work best by doing administrative tasks in the morning; responding to emails, scheduling presentations; calls and Zooms with my team. We discuss the status of various artworks in transit, at the frame shop, or ready for installation, as well as next steps with clients because all 30 (!) of our current projects are at a different phase. I love a good spreadsheet, and in the 8 years since starting Mason Lane, we’ve developed spreadsheets and related systems for tracking everything from artwork location to client financials. This helps us operate smoothly and provide clients with a quality experience.
12:00pm:
Client installation. Our projects are all over the northeast right now, so it’s a treat when there’s a Brooklyn-based installation that I can bike to in minutes. For our Brooklyn Heights project (slated to be photographed next month!), I pop by often to receive artwork, oversee installation, check dimensions, and style the space with handmade ceramics that our clients love. For installations here, our trucker generally sends a text when he’s 30 minutes away, and I am on my way. I do step up my fashion game SLIGHTLY for onsite work, but in general I’ve been quite loyal to the torn jeans and tshirt since working for myself..
12:30pm:
Artwork has arrived at clients and my trucker Alex illegally parks, remains zen despite traffic, and brings art into the house. Today, we’re installing two pieces - a painting for the living room and a sculptural work for the lounge on the main floor. My associate who handles logistics has prepped Alex for what we need - cleat for the painting, special hardware for sculpture, etc. - so my role is to choose precise art placement, ensure space feels appropriately curated, and check in with clients once all is done. This is a straightforward and smooth process, but note, not all are like that! Hardware on art sometimes doesn’t come as expected, clients install TVs on art walls and forget to tell us, and other surprises happen all the time.
2:30pm:
I generally venture a whole 30 steps from my desk to my kitchen for lunch then eat back at my desk like a true Type A-er. I sit back down at my desk and make final edits for an afternoon client presentation. It’s happening at 4 and despite my best effort to plan in advance, my creativity skyrockets when I’m under pressure. I have all kinds of ideas for new artworks and curations, so I add those into presentations and my team helps make sure the presentation is teed up and ready to go - all artworks are available, pricing is accurate, artist bios are relevant, etc.
4:00pm:
Time to present to our clients for a project in the Hamptons. All our presentations are on Zoom now, which is GREAT. This is our first presentation with these clients, and it’s so satisfying to see their skepticism turn to excitement throughout the 60 minutes. Clients are generally unsure whether we can source art that will be right for them, uncomfortable with their own ability to talk about art, and curious about whether the process will be worthwhile. After sharing 1 or 2 art options, they settle in. Our approachability helps everyone feel at ease, and the options we are simultaneously not what they expected and intriguing. Plus, these presentations turn out to be a nice bonding experience for the clients - it takes them out of the nitty gritty of all home choices and allows them to learn together and imagine their completed space. At the end of the hour, we wrap up by sharing next steps and sign off.
5:00pm:
I often turn into a pumpkin around this time and my productivity sinks. On a good day, I’ll actually acknowledge this and go for a walk. Sometimes I leave my phone at home, other times I bring it, sit in a nearby favorite park and do some social media content. I try to post 1x/day and do it all myself, without a content calendar. I’m incapable of planning those posts in advance, so our Instagram is actually somewhat Insta, and it is certainly authentic to whatever is happening in Mason Lane world.
6:00pm:
Work day is officially done and family time is on. I put my phone away and try to stay really present… until bedtime when my patience is at an all time low. My husband and I leverage our comparative advantage and ultimately the night unfolds into a collision of stories, bedtime, work emails, more goodnights, some kind of pajama, shower or lights-out controversy, and bed. In my commitment to get more sleep, I make a valiant effort to have lights out by 10 after a little end-of-day reading and washing up ritual, and then it starts again in the morning.
It’s enjoyable to write down some structure to what feels like ever-changing days. No day is quite the same, but so many include different combinations of what’s described above. And importantly, I’m really never off on anything - when I’m “working”, I’m also doing camp registrations and kid stuff,, and when I’m with family, I’m inevitably having some idea about a project or troubleshooting a situation that came up. There is no perfect balance, but I put in my best effort and am grateful for the juggle I’m in.