Amandah Wood
Amandah Wood
Founder & Editor of Ways We Work
Waterloo, ON
www.wayswework.io
Instagram @amandahwood
twitter @amandahwood
snapchat: amhcw
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“Doing work that you find meaningful is hard, you care more, you’re more invested and you work tirelessly to put your best work out into the world.”
I'm the Founder & Editor of Ways We Work - an online publication that gets to the heart of how people do the work they love. We don't believe the old adage that "doing the work you love doesn't feel like work". Doing work that you find meaningful is hard, you care more, you're more invested and you work tirelessly to put your best work out into the world. We interview individuals and teams about how they do this, what it actually takes and what they love so much about the work they do.
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
I had an idea and I pursued it. As human beings we all have this inherent nature to create, but we tend to get in our own way. Every once in awhile an idea grabs us so tightly that we have to pursue it. As a young professional I wanted to learn how others were navigating their careers, so I reached out to people I admired and asked. Then I started posted their answers online and Ways We Work just grew from there.
FOR OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR FIELD, WHAT DO THEY USUALLY LACK?
Confidence. Everyone wants to skip the version 1 of whatever they're creating and get right to very best version. The problem with that is that if you're creating anything valuable it should always be getting better, and you can't start that process if you don't just put something out there first. You're going to put shitty work out at first and that's okay, shitty work is better than no work.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
Right now I'm working on how we can grow Ways We Work - financially and creatively. How do we reach more people, inspire people even more and give people real tools to do the work they love.
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
I'm a minimalist through and through. Most of my work online is a combination of written word and great photography and getting everything else out of the way. I just think the content should be allowed to stand on it's own and speak for itself. I'm constantly just trying to strip out unnecessary elements.
WE ARE ALL SLASHIES WITH MULTIPLE SKILLS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE OFTEN?
I would really love to get bitten by the photography bug. I spend so much time admiring other photographer's work and I know that I have an eye for it if I only spent more time honing the skill.
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
Just that everything is a process and sometimes you just have to accept that things take time. I constantly want to know the best way to do something right away, but have learned that to figure that out I have to try a bunch of things that won't work. I both love that process and am so frustrated with it all at once.
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HOUR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
Editing. We transcribe all of our interviews which are anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour long. I enjoy combing through and making the piece more coherent and enjoyable to read, but having someone help with the first step of transcription to written interview would be invaluable.
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
A year ago I was fired for the first time ever and it bothered me way too much. I just never imagined I would be someone that would get fired. I care too much about doing great work. Looking back I'd tell myself that it was the best thing that could have happened and in the grand scheme of things it's the tiniest drop in the bucket. Everyone I've talked to who is doing the coolest work, has been fired before. When the drive to do your own thing hits you, you just can't do work for others, you gotta chase after the work that fulfills you, even if it doesn't pay you right away.
IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
How to expedite the learning process. The internet is such an ocean of information, and once you know the topic you want to learn more about you can waste so much time on learning from places that just aren't valuable. I'd love a step by step process for how to learn about any topic online - that'd be nice, haha.
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
Currently looking to partner with companies and organizations that support the work we're doing with Ways We Work.
WHAT IS YOUR IDEAL CLIENT?
Partnering with a team that just really gets the mission of Ways We Work and wants to support us in continuing to great even better content to serve that mission.
WHAT IS YOUR RATE?
I need $4000/month to live decently at the moment, but $6000 would let me live the way I want to live.
HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
If you're a super awesome company that cares about doing meaningful work and helping others do work they love, you can reach me at amandah@wayswework.io. I'd love to tell you how you can help us!
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
Talking to other creative people, long baths, and curating a really inspiring Instagram feed of people.
This member profile was originally published in June 2016.