01732 759725 18 typed them into a laptop or tablet, which is just as well, as even though I use a Montblanc pen, deciphering my handwriting is a challenge in itself! Otter I discovered Otter after someone mentioned they were using it and since then, it has become one of my favourite tools. As anyone who regularly conducts interviews knows, transcribing recordings can be incredibly time-consuming. Otter has saved me countless hours, particularly when I'm editing our Director's Cut video interviews for use in the magazine. I can record the discussion, generate a transcript and then begin to review and edit straightaway. Three screens When I'm working from home, one screen simply isn't enough. My office setup includes a large desktop monitor, which is where I do most of my work. Alongside that, I use my laptop screen and a portable plug-in display, giving me three screens in total. This is particularly useful when proofreading pages for the magazine, I can have the original Word document open on one screen, the corrected PDF on another and the amended version on the third. Being able to view everything simultaneously makes the process far more efficient and significantly reduces the risk of me missing changes. Once you've worked with multiple screens, it's very difficult to go back! Holidays Anyone who knows me well will know that I love the sun. In particular, I'm a huge fan of the Canary Islands and rarely need much encouragement to book a trip there. But for me, holidays are about more than sunshine and relaxation. Because I work from home, I find that I need to physically leave the house to truly switch off and recharge. Staying at home doesn't quite achieve the same effect because the office is still there, waiting for me. Getting away allows me to clear my head, take a proper break and return with fresh energy and perspective. Behind every award is a rigorous judging process led by an exceptional panel of industry experts. Their willingness to give their time, share their expertise and make difficult decisions ensures that every accolade is awarded on merit alone. Their dedication helps ensure the integrity of the awards and is what makes the PrintIT Awards a truly independent and trusted awards programme. Excel (with my daughter’s help) Once the judges have submitted their scorecards, I compile all of the results for each judging session, that document serves as the starting point for our discussions on judging day. The first year, I was using a calculator to total all of scores when my daughter pointed out Excel could do that for me. I had never used Excel, so she created a spreadsheet for me in just a few minutes. I have used that spreadsheet every year since; however, I do have to call on her to reformat them every year, I still haven’t got the hang of Excel! My Montblanc pen and notebook I am old school and I do like putting pen to paper. I’m a huge fan of paper-based to-do lists and I still handwrite notes whenever I'm interviewing someone. I retain details much better when I've written them by hand rather than My home office I've worked from home for 22 years, long before hybrid working became a thing. While there are many benefits to running your own business and working from home, switching off can be a challenge. Work is always there, there's always another email to answer, another article to edit or another task to complete. Having a dedicated office space is key to maintaining some degree of balance. At the end of the day, I make a conscious effort to shut the office door and begin my ‘commute’ home, which in my case simply means heading downstairs. That said, like many business owners, I still find myself dipping in and out of work at weekends! The team We do like to keep busy at Kingswood, from publishing monthly magazines, producing our twice-yearly Director’s Cut video series, running channel roadshows, golf and ski events, and of course the annual PrintIT Awards. They say it takes a village, and that's certainly true here. I feel very lucky to work alongside a great team of people who all pull together to make things happen. 3 The PrintIT Awards judges The PrintIT Awards wouldn't be possible without our fantastic team of judges. Michelle Ryder, Editor, PrintIT Reseller picks the tools she uses every day and couldn’t do her job without I couldn’t do my job without… WORKPLACE Michelle Ryder
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDUxNDM=