Non-Negotiable’s with the amazing Damasia, Co-Founder of Daphine.
Daphine was founded in London in 2018 by Damasia Ball de Kermabon and Philippine de Follin. Endlessly inspired by the way their mothers, grandmothers and sisters adapt effortlessly to many roles, they decided to make jewellery that would do the same thing. Creating pieces that would accompany life’s joys and challenges – little luxuries that could be reached for again and again.
Issue 27
Being self-employed is a constant juggle of managing time, productivity and also switching off. How do you do this?
Tell me about it! And if you add kids to the mix, it really makes it all much more complicated.
I think it is impossible to get it right but what has helped is to be in tuned with what feels natural to me and establish peak productivity times to get the most in during those hours. There are times of the day where I can answer 20 emails back-to-back (10am) and other times where I struggle to even write one (4pm). After 4pm my ‘business brain’ naturally starts to switch off. I try to listen to my body and schedule less during that time and try to spend that ‘slow time’ to be with my children or work on less pressing things. It is a natural break for me. I then switch on again in the evenings, after dinner and when the kids are in bed.
Self-care is also extremely important to me. My husband handles drop off in the mornings, so I use that pre-work time to take care of me. Whether it be an early morning workout or tennis class or even a morning bath with essential oils, this time is my sacred time. It really sets my tone for the rest of the day.
Do you work best in the morning or evenings?
Morning is my focus time. All my important calls or meetings are scheduled in the morning. Evenings are reserved for my creative time – looking for inspo online, working on communication plans, growth plans, collabs etc. It is when my creative juices are most switched on. Many times this creative time actually happens while lying in bed!
What are 3 things you always have in your fridge?
Moorish Smoked Hummus, Cherry Tomatoes, Plenish Oat Milk
Desert island beauty products?
I have recently become a huge fan of Kama Ayurveda products! So I would say their Urjasara Face Oil and Rose Water and I would never leave behind my Jade Guasha.
What does wellness look like to you?
A lot of me time! In order to be in balance, I need to prioritise my self-care. I am lucky that my husband and 6-year-old understand that and give me that space which ultimately benefits them as well. My son even calls it "Mummy's chill time"!
I also try not to go out too much during the week as it really throws me off for the next day, unless it is work related of course.
When do you feel at your most creative?
In the evenings, after an early dinner at home I like to get in bed with my laptop or phone and that’s where the creative juices start to flow. I usually have a hard stop at 10:30pm as I can’t function properly the next day if I don’t get at least 8 hours of sleep.