Paul Campillo, Director of Brand & Communications at Typeform

Every Accomplished Peep is different, with their own unique way of working and showing up in the world. Our conversation with Paul Campillo, Director of Brand & Communications at Typeform, perfectly displayed this. In this interview, Paul shares the habits he lives and works by that contribute to him successfully leading his remote team, from the side of a chaotic/everywhere mind, and how he says, he tames the beast (it's a process).

Explain a little about your role at Typeform and what a 'typical' workday looks like for you.

My role has been a little all over the place, including customer research, brand strategy, brand marketing, copywriting, partnerships, company spokesperson, and more.

A typical workday is never typical. I could start my day with early morning meetings and calls (I’m on the west coast US so I’m 9 hours behind Barcelona, Typeform’s HQ). Then I’ll get a walk in, have lunch, take a nap, and then get right back to it. I usually reserve evenings for creative/strategic work since I’m better with those tasks at night.

Describe the layout and feel of your personal workspace.

An adjustable desk (sitting to standing), a 24-inch monitor, a laptop, iPad (for taking all notes and tracking goals), and a mini-tripod for lighting (during Zoom calls) or for video. I also have a big whiteboard for brainstorming ideas. My workspace can range from cluttered to clean, depends on what’s cooking that day.

Would you describe your work style as being orderly or more chaotic and why?

I think it’s something in the middle. When doing creative work, it might be a bit more chaotic. To get the creative ideas going, sometimes I need to spend some time reading (or listening to an audiobook) and writing. Sometimes it’s a call with a colleague. Sometimes I need to listen to music. Also, when there’s a deadline, the chaos runs through to the end of the day.

What's one habit or ritual you need to start and finish your day?

Meditation to start the day, journaling to end it. I also write what I want to accomplish the next day, which is usually a checklist of 4-5 things.

How does your team use asynchronous communication to stay in the loop while working remotely?

We generally use Slack for most async communication. Email also works, when you want to be more thoughtful and more formal in communicating something important. We also use our tools (Typeform for surveys, VideoAsk for capturing moments we want to share with others).

How do you limit distractions while working from home...or do you?

Distractions are easier to limit when you’re working in a different time zone than everyone else, but they’re still there. I welcome distractions when I’m not focused because sometimes they’re necessary when you’re stuck on a problem, or need to look at it in a different way.

Is there one particular podcast or Youtube channel that you can't stop listening to or watching?

I tend to listen to ambient music while working, and there are multiple YouTube channels for that. I also listen to Mixcloud and follow lowlightmixes (/lowlight) for all my ambient needs.

For podcasts, The Prof G Show.

If you could be doing anything else than what you're doing, what would it be?

Traveling and writing. Actually, I hate the act of traveling, I just like being in new places and destinations. So being in new places, and lots of reading and writing.

Who would you like to nominate and recognize as a successful leader?

Ben & Jerry. They make great, unique tasting ice cream. They do lots of good in the community. The best of both worlds. For someone closer to my space, Rand Fishkin. Just a great, compassionate leader who is always happy to help others succeed.

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