A Deeper Dive: My Mobile Office Set-Up

At the risk of beating a dead horse (I had written about this last month, and posted about it on Instagram earlier this week), I thought I would share a bit of my set-up when it comes to my note-taking and keeping a mobile office.

For me, being as organized as possible is key to my success (which, if you’d see my writing studio, home office, or bag, you may think I’m using the term “organized” quite loosely). Between freelance work, my full-time job, and working for Merz b. Schwanen, I’m constantly taking notes, researching information, and trying to remember all the calls I have scheduled. And the best option? A mobile office of sorts, which all can fit into a handy little cover and not take up much real estate in my bag when I’m traveling.

Check out how I’ve set up my system for the year below. And if I’m missing anything, feel free to suggest it. I’m all ears.

Have a great weekend ahead, mes amis.

PS - As a reminder, I’ll be attending NYFW this year. Do email me, reply to this newsletter, or even hit me up on Whatsapp if you’d like to sending me stuff to wear (I’m already stressing about this), discuss articles, event and show invites, etc. I have some stuff planned with Forbes, Cool Material, and a couple other publications in the works.

PPS - If you’re an editor, influencer, etc. Also get in touch if you’d like to know more about Merz b. Schwanen. I’d be happy to host you in the store during your time in the City that week.

PPPS - I’ll be hosting a Valentine’s Day party on the Upper East Side on Saturday February 14. More to come!

1. My daily driver is a Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter LTD_022, in Medium format (which is analogous to an A5 size). You’ve undoubtedly hear this name from me before, but I can’t speak highly enough about it. The cover can fit up to three notebooks inside using its clip system, has an elastic band to keep it all shut, and has plenty of internal storage for my needs.

2. This isn’t functional, but I think it’s quite cute. I found this little nametag in a drawer the other day and decided to sew it into the felt lining. I’m not sure where it came from, but you can find similar ones on Etsy.

3. Within the front pockets, I keep mini index cards and Post-Its. I also used to keep business cards in here, but felt wanky about it, to be honest.

4. The first clip in my Taschenbegleiter is occupied by this planner by Roterfaden. I like Layout 1 as on the left-hand side are the days and the right-hand side is left blank for notes. Any A5 planner will fit, though, so don’t feel boxed in to only use Roterfaden-specific products.

5. Just this week I upgraded to an Apple Pencil Pro and keep it tucked in here, too. While I don’t draw or write with it, I do like to have it as a stylus and, to be frank, I find it quite chic for some reason.

6. In the back of the planner, I’ve stuck three varying pocket sizes from Hobonichi to keep track of ephemera, tickets, and even a prescription for my pharmacy (your boy is taking his hairloss journey by the reins!!!). They’re surprisingly very handy and don’t take up much space. JetPens carries all three sizes.

7. The pen loop which holds the Apple Pencil isn’t one that comes with the Taschenbegleiter, nor the planner. Instead, I used a self-adhesive set (like this one) and tucked it into the back.

8. This pencil board from Hobonichi acts as a sort of bookmark for me in my notebook, as the raised tab makes it very easy to open a page up and start the day. You can find a few different patterns here.

9. I use a Hobonichi (you’re seeing a pattern here, I’m sure) notebook, like this one, as it uses a very thin paper called Tomoe River paper, which reduces bulk. I like a grid-lined paper for work as it helps me organize a bit better and my handwriting naturally reduces to fit within the cells, so I’m not using excess paper when I’m scribbling. This one is for my full-time job in pens, as well as being used for articles and random notes.

10. For my work at Merz b. Schwanen, I use a Statology A5 notebook. There isn’t a particular reason for this difference, other than I wanted another color to differentiate the two notebooks. But it works well, isn’t bulky, and uses grid paper too. Checks all the boxes for me.

11. Inside the back pocket, I’ve slipped in an iPad Mini, which I use for research, to read the news, check emails, and reduce screentime (I haven’t downloaded any social media on this iPad, which helps a good bit during the day). When I need to write, I also have a Bluetooth keyboard that is tucked in my bag. It’s quite small, so sometimes it’s a bit cumbersome to type with, but it does the trick in a pinch.

12. Lately, I’ve found Muji pens to fit quite perfectly in the Taschenbegleiter pen loop (my preferred G-2’s get a bit stuck because of their grip section). I plan to stock up while in the city for NYFW next month, as I run through them like water lately. You can see how everything folds up in this picture as well.