Tami Spenst
A multi-hyphenate’s perspective on observing a weekly sacred day, turning down jobs to ensure a more flexible schedule, and slowing down to prioritize travel and adventure.
Words by SARAH MAGIDOFF
Photographs by TAMI SPENST
WHAT DOES “SLOW ENTREPRENEURSHIP” MEAN TO YOU?
TS: It means honoring the unique pace and rhythm with which I work and recharge by building intentional habits that support that, including integrating them in a way that works for me.
TALK ABOUT A TIME YOU CHOSE TO PRIORITIZE SOMETHING PERSONAL OR MEANINGFUL OVER THE DEMANDS OF WORK. HOW DID THAT DECISION MAKE YOU FEEL?
TS: At the end of 2017, my husband and I closed our shop. Shortly after, we hit the road to get our bearings and process everything. We drove across the country, visited our families, explored new places and just took much needed time to rest and reset. With so much unknown at that time, it was terrifying to step away, but it almost didn’t feel like a choice. Our world had shifted and we needed to catch up with ourselves to see how we wanted to shift with it. For the last two years, we’ve taken freelance and consulting work to preserve the flexibility we needed to figure out what’s next. We’ve taken jobs that allowed us to travel or experience new things. It never stopped being scary, but it’s been from this space, this stepping away, that we’ve gained clarity and inspiration for our future.
YOU SEEM TO INTEGRATE TRAVEL SO EFFORTLESSLY INTO YOUR LIFE, MANY TIMES BLENDING ADVENTURE WITH WORK. WHY IS THIS AN IMPORTANT PRACTICE FOR YOU, AND HOW HAS IT POSITIVELY EFFECTED YOUR WORK + LIFE?
TS: Every bulb in my brain lights up when I’m experiencing something new. It’s when I feel the most alive and like myself. As soon as I am outside of my normal environment, I can hear myself think and ideas have space to show up. Travel, especially, activates this headspace. I find that I am present and actively looking to be delighted at every turn. It’s like the Roald Dahl quote “…watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.” When I travel, I always find magic.
THE IDEA OF TAKING TIME OFF WORK TO TRAVEL CAN BE CRIPPLING FOR SOME ENTREPRENEURS. EMPOWER US WITH SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR CREATING SPACE FOR THE THINGS WE LOVE MOST, WHILE MAINTAINING THE DEMANDS OF EARNING A LIVING.
TS: I’m a big believer that we think better and feel better when we integrate our work and life together. It’s not always an even balance, but even in our busiest seasons, finding small ways to incorporate things that you light you up and bring you back to yourself help to make work more sustainable, keep you inspired and ultimately help to create a daily life that you don’t need to escape from. For me, these small things are taking 15 minutes to do a meditation before I start my day or, in a pinch, closing my eyes and taking 5 minutes to focus on my breath. Taking walks does wonders- even just 10-15 minutes around the block. When I need to change my scenery but have a lot to do, I’ll find a new cafe or a part of town I’ve never been to and work from there.
WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE TRIPS, BOTH HERE AND AROUND THE WORLDS? WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM TAKING THOSE TRIPS?
TS: Last year, my husband worked in Japan and I went over after he wrapped up his project so we could travel around. It was so neat to be immersed in a country and culture that is so different from ours. In some ways it was like traveling back in time. We took the shinkansen (bullet train) from city to city and I loved getting to see all the small towns in between. It was a lot like what I loved from our cross country road trips- seeing small town main streets, laundry hanging out on a line, a small garden in someone’s backyard, beautiful shops that only exist for the people who live there. It reminds of our sameness, the care we take in making things a little more beautiful than they have to be, the simplicity of life if we let it be. Returning from trips like this, I feel realigned with what matters and grounded.
WHAT UNORTHODOX BUSINESS PRACTICE HAVE YOU PUT IN PLACE TO HELP YOU MAINTAIN WORK-LIFE BOUNDARIES?
TS: The biggest lesson I’ve learned for myself is that what I need often changes depending on the season I’m in and what I’m working on. So, rather than implementing hard and fast rules or schedules, I’m working on developing a practice that helps me tune into myself and to trust my instincts. A big part of that has been tuning out all the outside voices, which means limiting how often I check email and instagram.
HAVE YOU HAD TO MAKE ANY PROFESSIONAL SACRIFICES IN ORDER TO HAVE MORE FREE TIME?
TS: I believe that when you say yes to something, you say no to something else. In saying yes to more freedom and flexibility, I’m saying no to building five global empires and instead maybe just building one or two medium sized ones that may take a little longer to grow, because I want to grow them well while also taking trips and seeing family and spontaneously taking a whole day to explore a new part of town. Sometimes that’s meant turning down jobs because I knew they would only subtract and not add.
WHAT’S THE NEXT VACATION YOU’RE PLANNING?
TS: After being on the road so much these last few years, I’m actually looking forward to staying put and exploring Los Angeles the way we’ve been exploring the rest of the world. I say that, but I’ve also really been craving a visit to the mountains to see snow. So maybe that.
WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU?
www.instagram.com/comein_groundcontrol
Tami is a tv/film actor focused on stories that explore the extraordinary ordinary of the human experience and the family we create along the way. With her husband, she creates brands and concepts, centered around communities and designed to inspire human connection. This year they are also launching Ground Control, a data driven strategy firm that specializes in routing creative businesses through every major turning point with advisory services and comprehensive 101 courses.