A Day in Spain with Sara Kolata
Sara Kolata is an architect and a digital transformation expert. Her mission is to raise the financial well being of architects and she achieves it through her project, Profitable Architect Online. She is also a host of an Arch Talk: Tank show which serves as a platform for industry specialists to talk about business, marketing and profitability in Architecture, and a weekly show called Value of an Architect, which she runs together with Simone de Gale, a current council member and treasurer for the RIBA, UK. Sara is working with Architecture Academia both in the UK, and the US helping them digitalise their faculty and move their studio culture online.
Her work is a combination of personal coaching, group masterminds, public speaking, and organizing and hosting virtual events, seminars, conferences and workshops all focused on helping architects propel their careers forward. As she always says it herself, travel is her first love, then architecture, so she made it her dream to be on the move. She travels slowly, making various places her home. She follows her passions whilst working from her laptop. Currently she is in Empuriabrava, Spain, where her day involves a morning skydive, organizing architecture events, coaching calls with clients and an evening beach stroll with her cat and dog.
5:30am: Mornings are my favourite part of the day and I live for them! I usually wake up to the sound of peaceful music that Alexa plays for me first thing in the morning. I light a bedside tobacco and sandalwood candle and lay back down cuddling my dog Ea and cat Thai for a good ten minutes or so before I get up.
5:45am: I get up and make coffee. I am a huge fan of morning coffee. I order mine from artisan roasters online — my favourites are strong chocolate or nut flavour roasts from Brazil or Ethiopia. I always drink my coffee with milk and sweeten it with honey. I sit on my balcony staring at the morning sky. I try to keep my mind clear and try not to think too much about the day ahead.
6:00am: I go for a morning jog down the beach. Ea loves to sleep in, but she never complains when I drag her out of bed for a run. She is a hound and loves to run fast. When the beach is empty she can run alongside with me chasing the waves. During my morning runs I always listen to something inspirational. If it's not music, it will certainly be a book, or a podcast. Quite often after a good run I feel like jumping into the cold sea for a little dip, as the sun gets up. When I feel lazy I stay at home and do yoga instead. I use alo moves because the platform has the best teachers and exercises for any level of intensity. I always choose something according to how I feel.
7:00am: After moving my body I meditate for fifteen or thirty minutes, visualizing my day ahead. I learned to start my day with a little gratitude session, because it puts me in a good mood and helps me appreciate how blessed I am to live the life I have. I worked hard to build this reality and I have a lot to feel grateful for, so I try not to take anything for granted.
7:30am: Everyday I take an hour to write - at the moment, I am working on three books. Research is an important part of my work and I made it my routine to spend an hour a day dedicated only to book writing. I don’t check my email, or open Facebook or LinkedIn until later, so this morning time is only for me and for writing.
I have a really well-organized writing plan with all my thoughts broken down to paragraphs so it is easy for me to pick up at any point. Over time I learned that little daily work can account for a lot, really quickly. This way I get my books done without stressing about them. Daily writing also helps me capture my thoughts from client calls and other interactions I have the day before.
8:30am: I drive with Ea to a Skydiving Drop Zone and sign up for a jump on the first plane. I began to skydive early this year and absolutely fell in love with it. Skydiving is the reason why I moved to Empuriabrava for the winter, so I jump everyday, once a day, in order to keep learning new things and get better with it! Sometimes I jump alone and sometimes with other people. We learn little formation flying, or teach each other different flips and tricks in the air. It’s a healthy adrenaline rush which makes me feel alive and happy before I sit down to work!
9:30am: I am on the ground, ready for the day. If I have an early client call I will take it in the drop zone. But whenever I can I try to get back home to start my working day there.
10:00 am: I officially start work. I start by sending out a newsletter, responding to emails, and connecting with people who I want to invite to conferences or other events I work on at the time. Currently I am organizing a business conference with ArchDaily. Follow my social media or subscribe to my newsletter to get invited to it soon!
11:00am: I might have my first discovery call booked. Discovery calls are zoom conversations I have with architects interested in working with me. Calls like this last from forty-five minutes to an hour and they allow me to find out more about the person, their situation and assess if we would be a good fit to work together.
I work with three types of people: a) Architects in employment who want to start their own design or consultancy businesses and live their lives on their own terms, b) Architects who own their own businesses but are tired of cash flow problems and are looking to fill in their sales pipeline with high quality leads, and c) Architects in academia feeling under-appreciated for their work, looking to get recognized for their research and expertise and leave a legacy behind. Some of my favourite days are when I have an official new client before lunch!
12:00pm: Lunch is my first meal of the day! I don’t like breakfast; I need a long time to fully wake up before I eat. For my lunch I usually have a big salad with toasted bread on the side. I like various greens, legumes, nuts, cheezes, and occasionally I throw a cured meat over my salad. Salmon or other fish also is my regular go to. Mediterranean cuisine is always my favourite and living by the sea gives me access to fresh fish, daily.
1:00pm: I often have client calls throughout the afternoon. This is the time for my coaching sessions. They are regular and usually set in stone with a weekly time. With my clients I usually meet for an hour, twice a week. We access their progress from session to session looking into the work they have done and answering their questions and concerns. Sometimes I work with my clients one-on-one, helping them create businesses with a strong online presence. For the clients who already own architecture businesses: outside of individual coaching, I might train their team, or work with marketing or sales departments helping improve their operational system and enhance business growth.
3:00pm: I make some time to speak with future speakers and potential sponsors of my forthcoming conference.
4:00pm: Today, I spent time applying for the Vilvara Philharmonic design competition in Prague. I have organized a wonderful team of top Architecture and Engineering firms to enter as a strong women-led design team. I always involve myself in design or project management of architecture projects. From small charity projects to bigger competition entries.
5:00pm: Early evening is always my podcast time! I have a few personal podcasts, which I run weekly.
6:00pm: Towards the end of the day, I jump on a call with my business and sales coaches. Yes, I do this daily! After so many years of trial and error, I now invest in business coaching and training. On these short, daily calls I discuss my sales, learn copywriting, digital marketing, and strategize for business growth.
Being a business mentor myself, I have to stay current and growing your own business is a constant investment in yourself and your progress. Once someone smart said, “If you don’t progress you die,” and I really believe this to be true, certainly for me.
6:45pm: I am done for the day. At this point I take my dog and cat out for a walk. My Sphynx cat Thai is super curious and has many dog-like qualities. He loves to get out of the house and I am now training him to walk on the leash. We often walk around the canal or go back to the beach for a little evening stroll.
7:00pm: This is my gym time! One hour of intense workout to wrap up a day is all I need to wind-down.
8:30pm: I get back home around that time and here are a few things I might do... Sometimes I take my roller skates to the beach. I will meet friends for dinner in a local fish restaurant and talk about my future jumps, or I might spend an evening talking to my mum and catching up with friends abroad. But when I feel tired, I take a bath watching Rupaul’s Drag Race, my absolute guilty pleasure!
10:00pm: I may read a book to wind down for sleep. I always sleep early, falling a sleep cuddling with Thai and Ea.