Top 5 Tools We Are Thankful For
With Thanksgiving approaching, our team has been taking time to reflect on what we’re grateful and thankful for.
Day in and day out, we wouldn’t be the team we are without these incredible tools to keep us organized, on track, and motivated. Since our team is oftentimes working hybrid (in multiple offices, home offices, and coffee shops across Sarasota and Manatee counties), it can be hard when we don’t get to connect with each other IRL.
We’ve identified the top 5 tools we are oh-so-thankful for. These all keep us operating in tip-top shape, from project management and communication to motivational music. (In reality, we wouldn’t be able to keep our heads on straight without them.)
Let’s Dive In!
1. Asana
Danae DeShazer, our Director of Operations, shared her love affair with Asana. For those not familiar, Asana is a web and mobile application designed to help teams organize, track, and manage their work.
“If it weren't for Asana, our team of marketing experts would be sitting aimlessly in a room piled high with post-it notes, littered with scraps of lined-paper, and nowhere to go and nothing to do,” said Danae. “It'd be hell. Asana not only allows our team to organize all our projects into achievable tasks, but it allows us to set realistic deadlines and goals to keep us on track. I like to call Asana the "brain" of our organization because when used effectively, it's where we are able to store all facets, notes, details, drafts, and finished products of EVERY. SINGLE. THING. WE DO. Honestly, if Asana were to ever crash (knock on wood!), we'd be absolutely lost. I'm grateful for all the time-saved and brain-power saved by this tool to make us work efficiently and effectively.”
2. Airtable
Our content specialist, Jordan White, was gushing over our content management system, Airtable. Airtable makes it easy to organize content, notes, ideas, and anything else you can imagine with your team.
“One thing that is extremely important to each individual on our team at Sokos Solutions is organization,” says Jordan. “Airtable is our team’s go-to for content organizing and calendar planning. When planning content for social media, it is important to have everything together. Our favorite feature about Airtable is how each tab is completely customizable. Our team has customized each board in a way that we can view everything we need at one time such as the image, caption, hashtags, notes, planning stage, and even the platforms we should schedule it to. You can even customize a tab to see what your Instagram grid view will look like just by minimizing your screen! It’s a godsend.”
3. Spotify
We have to hand it to Eleni, our Chief Creative Officer at Sokos Solutions. Her eclectic music taste and excellent recommendations are always fresh and exciting. She tells us about one of her favorite “can’t-live-without” tools, Spotify.
As a HUGE music fan, I was a very early adopter of the iPod back in 2003 or so, and for years had an expansive (and expensive iTunes Music Library). When Spotify was introduced about a decade ago, it was a game-changer for me personally,” shared Eleni.
“I love a variety of music genres - everything from jam, jazz, folk, electronic, reggae, classic rock, even world music - so the ability to have literally any song in the world play in my AirPods with only a few taps is one of the world's technological advancements I appreciate most. I also love the endless music and podcast discovery opportunities. During my workday, Spotify is literally always open and playing because I don't do well mentally with silence! My personal Spotify hack for productivity is to play binaural beats or other meditative music and set an alarm for a certain period of time. When the alarm goes off, instead of playing a sound, it turns off my music and I'm very quickly reminded to act on whatever I was timing... rather than just snoozing the annoying sound a million times!”
Check out our team’s favorite tunes for work here>>
Danae’s Go-To Playlist
Jordan’s Go-To Playlist
Eleni’s Go-To Playlist
4. Slack
Our Director of Ops has been integral in setting up our team for success through small changes in the communication system, Slack.
“Because our team works from different corners of the same city (and sometimes, halfway across the world!), it is imperative to utilize a tool that brings us together through one simple thing: communication,” Danae explained.
“Slack does just that - and more! Even though we aren't all working from the same office, our team is able to connect and feel connected through our favorite system. Every morning, we check in via Slack and share what's new in our lives by way of ELMEA (Eating, Listening, Mood, Excited, and Anxious). At the end of every day, we share our 3-2-1 (3 things we accomplished, 2 things that are in progress, and 1 thing on our plate for tomorrow). And in between, we communicate about different projects or tasks in individually organized Slack channels to make sure that the right people see the right questions or notifications. Without Slack, we'd be lost in the dark. We are so grateful to stay connected through Slack, which brings our team closer and stronger together.”
And, finally, our entire team is endlessly grateful to our new business partner-in-crime, Kefi Streetside Cafe.
Those who work FT out of our downtown Bradenton office at Connect Bradenton can take advantage of the close proximity to Kefi (it's on the ground floor and we're on 4. The Sokos Solutions team enjoys free Buddy Brew coffee & discounted food, which is a work benefit we're pretty thankful for! Kefi's food menu is healthy, delicious, and convenient and of course, the endless coffee fuels so many focus & flow sessions.
“I'm so grateful that this year my partner Jason and I were able to bring Kefi Streetside Cafe to life, finally,” shared Eleni. “It's been a few years now that we have dreamed of opening our own restaurant, and Kefi Streetside Cafe is a concept I'd imagined in various reveries. For me, Kefi combines the nostalgia of childhood summers with family in Greece, where I fell in love with the culture that defines my heritage. I couldn't be more thankful that a) Jason was just as excited as I was about Kefi, and that b) the opportunity for an ideal location arose and we were able to jump on it.”
“It also allows us the opportunity to share our favorite things (food and beverage!) with our community. As a marketer who thrives in the hospitality industry, I now have the experience of being on 'the other side' of client life. It's helped me develop a much deeper sense of perspective about the operational challenges that our restaurant clients face. Kefi also creates a space not only for Jason and me but the entire Sokos Solutions team, to share our passion for connection and collaboration... both of which are core values in our SS Creed! Both Kefi and Sokos aspire to bring people together: in support of, and in service to, the community around us. We believe that family, friends, and neighbors together create moments that make life beautiful. Oh, and amazing coffee and nutritious workday meals just four stories down from SS HQ? Yes, please!”
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Wishing you all a Happy “Month of Thanks” this November. Take some time today to write down a few things you’re grateful for. It will no doubt put a smile on your face and a warm feeling in your heart.