Hannah Suarez

Creative and digital content industries

February 5, 2010 • 2:52 pm 0

LIP or Location Independence

We live in public.  And even if you think that you don’t live in public, you actually do. Well this isn’t about that but it’s about another concept that shares the same acronym – location independence.

I have been doing location independent work since I was young but it has only been 2010 when I first found that term.  When I was 12, I was doing graphic design work for a website that was owned by a then 18 year old owner based in the Netherlands.  When I was in Year 9, I had my first cheque from a client in NSW. The year after high school, my first cheque from an international client was based in Canada.  So I grew up doing paid work that is location independent but the difference here is that I wouldn’t call it serious, long-term work.

I feel like I am taking step backwards now.  I feel more and more that I have to be physically located at an office to do certain work.

There are benefits of being physically there – being able to discuss in real-time, being able to gauge the person’s body language and voice tone which can’t be grasped in an email and hard to attain via video conferencing.  Any days which requires lengthy processes when it comes to decision making requires you to be in an office.  Days rules with tasks straight-forward, autonomous work which doesn’t require a lot of discussion or decision-making with a team should be done LIP or location independent.

Not just location independence but also time independence

Why am I advocating LIP?

Other than being introduced to this at such a young age…

LIP is going to be an asset for the organisation.  Rather than dealing with the overhead costs of an external being in the office, LIP allows an external to work on certain tasks out of office hours.

LIP allows me to do other work, also important and relevant, during the day.  I may bill 15 minutes for a task before doing another task for another client in the next 30 minutes.

LIP acknowledges that certain hours of the day carries more weight for certain tasks and for certain organisations.  For example, 8.30am to 5.30pm holds more weight than 7pm to midnight for work that requires results for certain tasks within office hours.  Weekend LIP work for heavyweight workshops or autonomous planning or tasks holds more weight than conducting it on a Monday because certain tasks on that day will have more importance.   Therefore, LIP is about quality of time (what is the optimal time for this task?) rather than quantity (this task requires a bulk set of time in a weekday).

LIP’s focus is on the importance of individual contributions rather than the importance of individual contributions based on geography.  For example, just because I live on the other side of the world does not mean that I may not hold the same professional values and goals as someone living in Portland and nor should it stop me from conducting work with them.

The use of LIP is steadily growing – more agencies facilitating externals that fit the project brief, more organisations making use of specialised skillsets and networks that externals can provide, growing preference to work at an abode (ie due to children) etc.

And of course, there is also the lifestyle.  Some people conduct LIP work for clients around the globe while changing their ‘home’ locations every so often, some people love to travel too much but they wan’t to be able to conduct work that’s relevant to their non-travel related industry.  With me, my personal reason is that my professional goals requires me to use LIP to maximise my time or to find the best time to do certain tasks.  I can’t be in an office for a non-negotiable amount of hours for a non-negotiable amount of days and focus on that particular organisation – I need to have LIP to conduct work for other organisations and projects as well.

Filed under: Australia , , ,

January 27, 2010 • 2:00 pm 0

Speaking at Ignite Brisbane: Information and Communication Technology Industries

The inaugural Ignite Brisbane, as part of Global Ignite Week, will be on Thursday March 4 at the Queensland College of Art and will focus on the Information and Communication Technology Industries.

What Is Ignite?

If you had five minutes on stage what would you say? What if you only got 20 slides and they rotated automatically after 15 seconds? Around the world geeks have been putting together Ignite nights to show their answers.

Ignite was started in Seattle in 2006 by Brady Forrest and Bre Pettis. Since then 100s of 5 minute talks have been given across the world. There are thriving Ignite communities in Seattle, Portland, Paris, and NYC.

This community site is sponsored by O’Reilly.

Click here for more information about the event and about the speakers.  Register here.

Have something creative, innovative, interesting to share?  Their speaker proposals are still open and you can submit a proposal by February 9.  For interested speakers, here are some of my thoughts on what makes a good public speaker.

Filed under: Australia, Brisbane, Events, Personal, Technology , , , , ,

January 24, 2010 • 4:08 am 0

Opening or launch Night Clothes: sass & bide

I am thinking sass & bide to be my next destination next time I hunt for opening/launch night evening wear (yes, my own little category that I wear).  Love the elegance using just a black or white palette.  The fabrics and embellishments add interest.  Futuregrand S/S 2010 currently has everything that I would like for an opening/launch type of event in this hot weather:

Futuregrand S/S 2010

Futuregrand S/S 2010

I also like that Circa Now dress, The First Time pinafore and the Higher Ground dress in their Futuregrand F/W 2010 collection.

When I saw Mariza perform (as part of Brisbane Festival), I fell in love with her ensemble which reminded me of the above dress.

Filed under: Personal ,

January 23, 2010 • 5:02 pm 2

Graduating as an entrepreneur.

There have been many articles have been written that has encouraged doom and gloom for us recent graduates.  Graduate jobs crisis for class of 2009.  Too many graduates, very few jobs. Economic crisis puts ‘graduate careers’ on hold. How has the global financial crisis affected you? It wasn’t just the news articles but some of the actual comments that these have generated.  Or the stories like the time when this graduate from New York sued her college because she remains unemployed.

Even the lingering question over what’s next is still in the air.

When December came, I was in slightly unstable territory.  I confess that in the past two years of university I have always seen myself in a position that is different to the position that I am in right now.  So when the time came for me to face the actual truth – that my study is now done and what I think I will do after uni is not going to happen anytime soon – it took weeks for me to get used to it and actually embrace it.

Stepping into the dark. Image by Hannah Suarez 2007

The truth here is that I am an entrepreneur.  I have somehow managed to be an entrepreneur.  I don’t think I even learned what this word meant when I started uni.  But I am apparently – according to those Twitter lists, according to other people, according to myself and what I have been up to.

You know what’s very interesting?

For one thing, I have had this thing called ‘an entrepreneurial flair’ for a while now.  Since I was at least 11 to be exact although it may have been earlier.  When I was in single digits, I remember spending an afternoon taking care of a small bakery (because my nanna was dozing) that my parents owned and doing such a good job at it that I decided to pay myself with a piece of bread when I have sold enough.  I remember having dinner at a friend’s house when I was at high school and announcing to my friend’s mum that I am going to start a company.  Throughout high school I did projects in my own time – they weren’t extra-curricular – and in Year 9 I had my first paid client which was a NSW record label that is run by an ex-SBS producer.  He gave me a cheque even though I never gave him an invoice because I had no idea what to charge.

What’s perhaps really interesting is that…I may have tried to change myself. Or convinced myself that it wasn’t the case.  At the end of my first year at uni, I landed a few graphic design job interviews.  I went to two interviews – one was disastrous and the other two made me realise that I didn’t really want to work as a designer (also, I didn’t know how to use Illustrator) for anyone so I changed course. Now,  I have finished studying my media and communication degree and none of the job ads out there really appeal to me and what I want to do.  Despite doing a lot of things to ensure that I get those recommendations, that work experience, the relevant people to tap into all of which are supposed to lead to a full-time job working for a company or for the government that I’ll be in for years and years and years…isn’t really going to be happening anytime soon.  Because I don’t want it to happen.

Yes. I have graduated as an entrepreneur.

Filed under: Australia, Entrepreneurship, Student

• 1:01 pm 2

I Love Stationery

My first job out of high school was in Officeworks where I started in the Stationery department.

“Why do you want to work in Officeworks?” asked my future employer during my job interview.  I simply replied that I love stationery.  One of my fondest memories of childhood involved going to stationery stores and looking at the masses of crayons, coloured paper, scented erasers, notebooks, stickers. I may no longer own crayons or colouring pencils but I do own a lot of multi-coloured pens, multi-coloured highlighters, multi-coloured whiteboard markers, magazine holders in various textures and colours (favourites: one made out of durable red cloth and another one with grey and white pinstripes) and various kinds of notebooks.

My love of stationery also involved my love of keeping things organised.  Having a busy schedule and juggling various commitments, I am always looking for ways to better manage my time and my projects and various ways of manifesting it:

Email: I’ve yet to download a desktop client that allows me to see several emails at once. But most of the emails go directly to one address but the reason why I have separate domain names is to ensure that I have a better understanding of why the email is sent to me.  Gmail is the best to use and you can easily point your domain name to Gmail.  Gmail also have features which I use to further organise my emails – I can set labels and different icons.  For example, a purple star means that it’s a meeting/event, a red star means that it needs to be actioned ASAP and so on.

Yearly Planners: I have one hanging from my wall.  It is not really glamorous, just a Sunsuper one that a housemate has picked out for me, but it is a great way for me to get a quick visual overview as to which days are going to be busy.

Weekly planner pad (desktop based): I bought a delicious kikki.k weekly planner (see right).  It is currently based on my table only and I am basically using it for any tasks, schedules and to-do’s that needs to be done at my desk.

Weekly planner diary: This red A5 leather diary out has been getting a few compliments every time I bring it out.  It is a vicarious, you-have-no-choice-but-to-pay-attention-to-me type of bold red (see image below).  I bought a small pencil which neatly tucks into the diary’s elastic band so that it may never be lost in my handbag.

Diaries are also a personal fashion accessory.  Each individual has a preference depending on their needs.  My previous diary was A4 black leather weekly planner but throughout 2009 I have found that it was too bulky for me to carry around in a handbag.  I also considered getting a hand-made one from Etsy but I wasn’t sure if it’s going to last the whole year due to its nature.  Perhaps next time.  I also have a big desire of one day making my own diary!  I did make one in Year 9 – I converted a boring old notebook by covering it in way too much purple glitter and glue.

Random notepad/notebook: I used to keep A4 sized notebooks to make my to-do lists but it contributes to the clutter on my desk.  I also want to stop using post-it notes because I end up not looking at it again.  At the moment, I am using an OurBrisbane notepad that I picked up at an Interactive Minds event.  The pages are quickly thinning out but I have a baby blue A5 notebook ready to be used!

Whiteboard: I am very sure that I bought a whiteboard for the sole reason of buying multi-coloured whiteboard markers but it’s great to use when I need to make mind-maps, to-do lists and to brainstorm.

Silver thread and mini silver pegs: I saw this done somewhere (I thought it was IKEA but someone told me that it could be kikki.k) but Myer had the post-Christmas sales and I decided to buy a Hallmark Christmas card holder.  At the moment it’s hanging beside me and I have business cards (people that I need to get in touch with) and a postcard pegged on to it.

To-do/to-buy the following includes a monthly wall planner, a HUGE corkboard to act as my ‘inspiration’ board and upgrade to one of those metallic whiteboards.

Filed under: Personal , , ,

January 22, 2010 • 7:56 am 0

Being in Heaven

This came into my inbox and I just though to post an entry about the film:

A story for those interested in Personal Development and moving their lives forward to new and more fulfilling experiences. Come on a journey of revelation and awakening, and discover how a single conversation can transform your life and set you on a path of freedom and personal happiness.

Young and successful, Jason Masterman, an Australian working in New York, loses everything in a financial crash. He encounters a mysterious writer who specialises in uplifting people’s lives and teaching how it is possible to access the higher potentials you have within you.

Jason undergoes a transformation that will surprise and inspire you, and show that moving forward, and even radically changing one’s life, is possible for anyone.

See the movie (opening at Palace Cinemas January 28th) and you will receive Michael Domeyko Rowland’s companion book ‘The Real of Law of Attraction’ for free.

See the trailer and all details at www.beinginheaven.com.au

Filed under: Australia

January 18, 2010 • 1:43 pm 0

Qld Theatre Company: The Little Dog Laughed

On February 1, I will be attending a play briefing for Queensland Theatre Company’s The Little Dog Laughed:

Hot acting property, Mitchell, is about to make it big professionally, but his personal life is a mess. His cunningly manipulative agent, Diane, knows that Mitchell can be the next big thing, if he can only overcome his ‘slight recurring case of homosexuality’.

When Mitchell falls for the young hustler Alex and tongues start wagging, Diane resorts to increasingly ridiculous schemes to keep the truth from coming out – literally.

Douglas Carter Beane’s wicked comedy is torn straight from the pages of today’s celebrity magazines, and strips back the superficial glitz and glamour to reveal the hypocrisy and double–dealing that is the real price of fame.

I did a brief Google search of the play and came across a few YouTube videos from other parts of the world.  And then I came across this shot of Johnny Galecki (yes, the nerd-guy from The Big Bang Theory) pic from the 06 The Little Dog Laughed show via The New York Times website (see photo on the right).  More details about the awards won in relation to these two here.

The season starts February 8 and ends March 13 at the Cremorne Theatre in QPAC.


Filed under: Brisbane, theatre

January 17, 2010 • 10:23 am 0

Cockpit of a Tomahawk Piper P38

I was browsing through an online community and came across this great photograph of the cockpit:

NB: See Life Lessons from Flying and For those who literally want to fly

Filed under: Personal

January 14, 2010 • 5:45 pm 1

Lessons from Flying

Artwork by Temabina


Have you piloted an aircraft before? Here’s a video describing it.

I couldn’t help but compared what it was like to fly the aircraft to other situations in life – situations where you are pushed to the deep end, situations where you really do need to pilot yourself across whatever it is you are up against. I was going to write an entry about the similarities between flying and entrepreneurship but feel that this is the case in other areas of life.

Just do it.
The night after I saw the TV ad about their flying lessons, I decided to go ahead and do it. Why not? It’s been in my head for a while. My first lesson was booked in about a week later! The only other thing that I had to think about is making sure that it was set in a date where I am free for the day.

If you feel that it should be done, go for it. Look at the risks/rewards and make the decision. Don’t dwell too much otherwise it may never happen.

Find out the conditions and decide if you know that you have the capability to go ahead
It was windy and slightly grey and the instructor warned that there is going to be a lot of turbulence and the ride is going to be bumpy. I definitely didn’t mind – I actually loved the idea that my first flight was going to be more challenging compared to flying on a clear, sunny day! However, others may not be comfortable in going ahead and just reschedule their lesson and that is not a bad thing.

Find out what the conditions are that could affect the outcome of your decision. However, also understand what you are capable of and/or what your comfort level is. This is entirely a personal decision based on what you know about yourself.

Artwork by Temabina

Be prepared, ask questions, be armed with the right knowledge before taking flight

No one is going to fly without knowing where to break, how to accelerate properly, how to change the plane’s direction and so on. The same goes with new challenges – starting a new job, a new degree, moving house. Before taking flight in these new situations, be armed with the right knowledge so that you are well equipped to react and to control the situation.

As the flight instructor told me about throttles (difference in power during take-off and during flight), which controls should be used to maneuver the aircraft in the air and which should be used on the runway, and more.  During take-off, you would want to make sure that you are using the accelerator pedals rather than the breaks. During landing, you want to use the right controls so that you can actually steer the aircraft.

This is the same in other situations – use the right controls, use the right pedals. Be prepared, ask lots of questions before taking flight.

Inspect yourself, know your direct resources.
I’m not talking about inspecting sun spots to make sure that they are not cancerous (although you should do this anyway) but rather make sure that your carrier (aircaft/you) are ready to fly. After the briefing, we circled the Piper P38 Tomahawk inspecting the fuel, the antennas, engine, ailerons, and more.

Inside, we went through a checklist to ensure that everything is working properly.  Once everything was A-OK, we throttled out towards the runway. Another aircraft was landing but it went on the grass airstrip and was not in the way so we went ahead to prepare ourselves for takeoff.

Artwork by Temabina

Don’t be too caught up in the moment.
I was too preoccupied in making sure that I know how to actually fly an aircraft and it wasn’t until I felt the full force of the engine when we hit full throttle or realising the full speed of the did I realise “This is it, we’re going to fly in a few seconds!”.

What are the moments in your life, before heading 100% into a certain situation, did you feel those moments of ‘being in the know’ or moment of realising exactly what it is your doing? There really isn’t a lot of opportunity to go anywhere else – you are either 100% in or 100% out.

Don’t be too caught up in the moment though as you are seconds away from taking action.

Find out what else is in your airspace
There were two main things that we had to avoid – other aircraft and clouds. There was a helicopter in the airspace (and I also saw another plane taking off about 20 minutes before) but it was at another altitude to ours. It was a cloudly day, no it wasn’t the cute fluffy kind either, and we made the effort to avoid as much of it as we can particularly for a first-timer. Also, though the flight instructor and I had headphones on to listen to any broadcasts and I could listen in on the transmission the instructor was the one who relayed the actual meaning of the information to me.

Control the aircraft. Don’t let it control you.
I suppose I should let you in on why I was keen on the fact that it wasn’t my lesson didn’t happen in a picture-perfect baby blue sky. It reflected the kind of ‘weather’ that I was in. I have just graduated from uni, and I guess like many other recent graduates, it signalled big changes into my life. It wasn’t just graduating either but numerous other things – from moving houses (which meant splitting up with my two housemates who I have been living with for 3 years) to finally having more freedom into what I can do now that there is a big time and energy gap. I also have this mentality that the more challenging and new situations I put myself in, the better that I will be when I come out of it.

Back to the actual lesson itself. No amount of words could describe the feeling of actually flying the plane for the first time but there is one thing for sure, it was a great exercise for me when it comes to concentration and focus. The instructor was guiding me, in words, on where to go and what to try out. I had to bank in various directions, ensure that my vision of the horizon line is correct (and if it dips lower or higher than it should be, I had to pitch it lower or higher to the correct level) and so on. I had to use the right amount of force. Too light and the aircraft won’t respond, too heavy and the roll is going to be too wide (and if it’s too wide, there’s that feeling of falling down the sky because we’re tilting 40 degrees or something). The same thing for the roll as well. The turbulence made things a lot more interesting and challenging as well. The phrase which still rings with me via the instructor was “Control the aircraft – don’t let it control you” and it was absolutely true. It is true then and now.

Artwork by Temabina

Know your bearings when all is done.
We were flying around the south to south-west of Toowoomba (interstate readers that’s in SE Queensland and Toowoomba is 1.5 hrs drive from Brisbane). Most of the time I was concentrating but occasionally I did look out to really take in the view and just be in the moment of being up in the air. I see similarities to life as well – take the time to pull in the view and relish the feeling. Then go back to whatever task is at hand. Find that balance – don’t concentrate and you may soon find that horizon line below that it should be, concentrate too much and you may soon realise that you didn’t spend as much time as you wanted taking in The View and The Moment.

NB: This is a follow up to my previous post about the lesson.

Filed under: Personal

• 11:15 am 0

A Single Man

Thanks to Icon Distribution, we are offering one of five double passes to see A Single Man.  Get in the draw if you know one Brisbane-based fashion label/fashionista/etc!  Entries get collated in an entry.

More info here or click on the poster below.  Promo ends Feb 15 2010!

Filed under: Brisbane , , ,

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This is a personal blog. Entries written in this blog are my own views only and does not represent the views of entities that I am involved in. Please keep in mind that my personal opinions expressed in this blog (and in comments related to the entries) may change. Thank you.