Narmi Innovation, Technology & Agility

Tell us about a typical workday for you at Narmi. What keeps you energized and productive throughout the day?

The ingredients of my ideal day are pretty simple: running, caffeine, chit-chat and something to do after work.

Most mornings, I run through Brooklyn Bridge Park. Those views of Manhattan are so energizing! From a certain angle on Pier 2, you can see all the way to Trinity Church on Wall Street.

At work, tea is my caffeine of choice. I might brew a strong black tea, like Smith Tea’s Portland Breakfast, or maybe a Chinese green tea, which I buy in big scoops in Chinatown. If I’m taking a call from my kitchen, it’s to be closer to my kettle!

My team owns Narmi’s admin platform, so I work with people across the organization. More conversations mean more chances to trade favorite songs, laugh about pet peeves and solve difficult problems. Narmi doesn’t require many in-office days, but I often come in anyway just to chat.

Being in the office is also handy if I want to do something after work. Seeing a concert, eating out or just walking around can be a great motivator. I keep it budget-friendly by using my library card to get free museum passes. A recent fave? The New York Transit Museum, which is in an old subway station that you enter via a classic green MTA staircase.

What rituals or practices do you rely on to enhance your daily work?

I’ve felt empowered at Narmi to let my feelings guide my work. If something feels wrong in some way — needlessly difficult, boring or draining — then there’s probably something systematically wrong that can be improved. I feel the same way about my routines: they should feel good, and if they don’t, there’s nothing wrong with abandoning them. As much as I’ve dreamed about being the kind of Brooklyn software engineer who works from coffee shops, that work environment has  never clicked for me — and that’s OK!

On the other hand, I know I have habits that wouldn’t match someone else. I typically take a real, offline lunch break and read a book. Many other people would prefer to work through lunch so they don’t lose focus or so they can finish earlier. More power to them!

And of course, I feel lucky to work in an environment where I have the flexibility and encouragement to think about the experience of my work.
 

What advice do you have for other New York tech professionals hoping to build sustainable and energizing daily routines?

A routine can’t save you from a job that doesn’t inspire you. How do you feel on Sunday nights? If you’re regularly anxious about going back to work, it’s probably better to start looking for a job that will sustain you than to start jogging or brewing tea. I think of this as the “Sunday night test.” Since I’ve been working at Narmi, it has been such a delight to feel calmness, even excitement, when thinking about the coming week.

One more tip: Get a library card!