Reader Under The Spotlight - Dana

Today I would like to introduce you to Dana

Intro: I am the Accounting and Human Resources Manager for a mid-size manufacture. I am also working on my MBA as well as (barely) managing my household. Luckily, my children are both young adults, so they are somewhat self-sufficient.

1. When did you buy your first organiser and what was it?

I have always had a fascination with office supplies. My parents owned a printing and office supply shop when I was around 8, and I loved to play with all the paper. I probably seriously started using a Franklin Covey planner in 8th or 9th grade.

2. What other brands have you used or considered using?

I used Franklin Covey for years. When my children were little I actually just used an At-a-Glance spiral vertical week along with a 4 color pen to keep track of everything.

3. Out of the organisers you own which is your current favourite (Style and Size)?

Such a painful question! Probably my Ochre A5 Malden. I just moved out of a VDS Touch Me and back into the Malden. It just feels comfortable. I use it as my work planner.

4. How many Filofax or other brands of organisers do you own?

(First, I seriously started to write 0 in size A4….) Currently, I have 12. Ooops, I also have 2 Travelers Notebooks that I use for journals.

5. What is the oldest organiser in your collection?

I have a personal size red Windsor that may or may not be older than the Classic FC Zip Binder I am holding on to purely for its giant rings.

6. What do you use your organisers for?

I use an A5 for everything work related, and a different A5 for school. I use a VDS Senior as a combined wallet and personal planner—this was a personal Malden until a few weeks ago. I am also adding in a letter size Day-Timer as my home management binder. There is really nothing to schedule in there—just a place to hold information. I use my two TNs for various journaling and pretending to be artsy.

7. How many sections do you have in your organiser and what is each section used for? 

I’ll use my work binder for this.

1. Brain Dump Section
2. HR ideas and future projects 
3. Accounting ideas and future projects (both of these sections are made up from organizing my brain dump which I do weekly)
4. Monthly Calendar with Do2p behind each month. I use Franklin Covey inserts for this. I keep trying others, and always find myself back with good ole’ FC. 
5. Active project list and project plan sheets
6. Meeting Notes
7. Blank writing paper

I don’t decorate at all. It’s just not my thing.

8. What was the feature about Filofax you like most?

What I love most about Filofax is that to me, they are just the classic name in planners. I spent most of my early teenage years pretending to be British (and married to Simon le Bon), and I always wanted a Filo and my parents wouldn’t buy one.

9. If you could design your own Filofax what would it feature?

Well, VDS has pretty much made this a reality, but for personal use, I would want the A6 size with a big back pocket and 2 secretarial pockets. And LOTS of credit card slots

10. How do you carry your Filofax?

I carry my A5s with me in a big city bag by UrbanJunket. It’s big enough to hold my purse as well, and my A6/Personal goes into my purse. I like that I can use my Malden personal and Senior VDS without even a purse for quick trips. They both easily hold my phone.

11. Which Filofax in the current range do you like the most? Are you going to buy it? 

I just love the Maldens. Floppy goodness.

12. What is the most you have ever spent on a Filofax or other brand of organiser? Which model? 

I spent $250 on an A5 Mustard Finchley right when I was bitten by the Filo bug. I don’t even really like it that much.

13. What's your favourite Filofax tip or hack?

USE IT! It’s all good and well to draw pretty pictures and plan, but if you aren’t working the plan then you really aren’t planning at all now are you?

14. Turning to Philofaxy, what do you like the most? 

The inserts!! I love that they are all customizable and I can start with the bare bones of pretty much anything I need and turn it into my own.

15. And what do you not like about Philofaxy?

Honestly, I really don’t know. I miss old school message boards like before Facebook was popular, and that would be fun on Philofaxy, but no one really uses them anymore, even when available.

16. What was the last music track you downloaded or bought?

Medicine which is the newish album by Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors. If you like the Americana genre, they are amazing.

17. Have you ever attended a Philofaxy meet-up? if not do you intend to one day?

 

I missed the most recent SoCal meetup. I’d love to, but honestly, once I get home from working 12 hours and school…I tend to not go far from home!

18. What was the last movie you watched?

I just watched part of Self/less with Ben Kingsley and Ryan Reynolds, but I fell asleep.

19. What was the last book you read?

Operations Management, Twelfth Edition I don’t have time to read for pleasure right now, and it kills me. I am a book every few days kinda girl.

Thank you Dana.

As you know we are always looking for new people to appear in our 'Reader Under Spotlight feature, you don't have to be 'well known' or a long term user to be considered to appear in this 'spot'.

So please contact Steve philofaxy at gmail dot com today. Thank you.