In the [be]flo with Sales Tech Professional and University of Texas at San Antonio Student, Doug Villamil

beflo: What can you tell us about your Mon-Fri routine and surroundings/things?

Doug: My Mon-Fri routine: I wake up at 7 am, drink 25 ounces of water, turn on ESPN (Get up starts at 7), and leave it on for background noise. After my morning hygiene routine, I make breakfast. While eating breakfast, I check my personal and work email. I work from home from 8:30 to 9, sometimes earlier, since most of my colleagues are in the Eastern time zone. My surroundings, A/C, is on at 65. I open all curtains and blinds to allow as much sunlight in. After work, I take some time to decompress from the workday. I’ll write an agenda for the next day(s) of tasks I need to get done. This is written on my iPad. I’ll make sure I know my calendar for the next day. I'll go to the gym (Gold’s Gym) after work, primarily focusing on strength training; Cardio is a work in progress, at least in a gym setting.

I also play sand volleyball for 3 hours with some friends on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

I always stretch daily - in the morning, primarily focused on my spine, hips, and legs. I have soft tissue injuries to my right knee and right shoulder. 

beflo: Tell us how you work and transition from tasks. 

Doug: I use Apollo, which helps organize my tasks for my current sequence; I set tasks on my work calendar as reminders. I have notes for my daily tasks and manage them on my iPad (I like handwriting my notes); I use my CRM and set reminders for tasks.

beflo: How and when do you switch gears from task to task? Do you set time per task? Do you work on multiple tasks at once?

Doug: I set time blocks and goals the day before for how to structure the next day based on my calendar and work around my meetings. I have daily activity KPIs that I meet, so I will focus on meetings first and prepare for them and then prioritize those KPIs and flow through them.

beflo: Do you ever use Alexa or Siri?

Doug: I will use Siri to help set timers, but that is more for setting alarms on my time blocks.


beflo: How do you regain your focus when you’ve been distracted? What mental Jedi tricks do you do to switch gears and give something else your full attention.

Doug: I’ll get up and do some stretching; I’ll go out on my patio, take in some sunlight, or listen to outside sounds. Other than that, I have been practicing breathwork and getting into my why.

beflo: Do you offset your working position daily with exercise or stretching?

Doug: For sure, stretching, 3-4 workouts a week, and three times sand volleyball. 

beflo: Please describe your previous WFH setup. What did you like and dislike about your last workspace and routine position?

Doug: My previous WFH setup was an IKEA desk I put together; it was a tabletop, and I attached an Alex drawer to one side and two legs to the other.  I liked the drawers, but I wouldn't say I liked the depth and narrowness of the desk. It didn’t leave much space between my monitor and me, and it caused a lot of eye strain. Also, the edges were not round, so they would dig into my arms throughout the day, leaving marks on them, and it was very uncomfortable. I had a VIOTEK curved gaming monitor with a Logitech USB webcam and a UE boom with two Bluetooth speakers that allowed me to speak into it.

Lastly, mu hardware tech setup didn’t work, the webcam would sit too high on the monitor, and I would have to pull it off the top of the monitor and sit on a stack of books. It wasn’t conducive to virtual meetings, the monitor didn’t really integrate well with my Macbook, so it compromised the image quality, and the speaker would not always pick up my voice during meetings.

beflo: How is Tenon working out for you?

Doug: I really, REALLY like the size, the weight is great, not too heavy, and the look of it is very sleek, elegant, and simple, definitely well designed.

beflo: What chair have you paired it with? 

I am currently using a Steelcase 2 Chair.

beflo: Has your environment changed now that Tenon is there? Better light, positioning, access, decor redo, etc.

Doug: I've positioned my desk in a different spot. Now I get more light on my desk as it sits in front of my window, which is way better positioned.

beflo: What do you think of the beflo accessories?

Doug: The accessories are great; I have the Argil cable holders and the power cord cover; they help a lot with the cable management and keeping the minimalist look that I want.

beflo: How has your WFH experience changed since trying out beflo’s Tenon desk and accessories?

Doug: My WFH setup is so much better; I love having a standing desk, the depth and size are great to have more space to work without feeling constricted; I absolutely love seeing my desk in my space, and it blends right in, I enjoy working on it, the accessories have helped me clear up a lot of cable clutter and streamline the space.

beflo: Are there other products you wished beflo would launch?

Doug: I would want there to be a lamp attachment; I would also love to see some drawer and an attachment for a monitor arm as I use the grove-made shelf, and since it covers the slit in the back, grove-made, I cannot use the component that currently exists.

beflo: When you think of beflo, what three words come to mind?

Doug: Functional, elegant, well-made.

beflo: How do the desk and setup make you feel?

Doug: It makes me feel calm, comfortable, and organized!

beflo: What are your social handles and website? How can we promote what you do?

Doug: My LinkedIn is the only social media I have.

beflo: Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Doug: I am also a Student at the University of Texas at San Antonio, majoring in Software Engineering. I came from a work background as a Sommelier and Captain Server and did that for nine years. Transitioning into a desk job was a bit of a challenge, and the Tenon desk was an essential addition to my WFH setup as it has drastically improved my transition from a more sedentary work environment; I feel confident with my new setup because it is very functional.