The Best Things in Life (in July!)

Inspired by our favourite magazine, Red, each month we'll be answering a couple of questions that appear in the magazine, as well as an additional question of our own!

The following questions are taken from July's Red issue featuring Sofia Coppola, beach barbecues and recipes from a new cookbook, Share, which raises money for Women for Women International.

If you have any questions you'd like us to answer in August, tweet us using the hashtag #katieandjane or email us at smile@katieandjane.com

Katie

The best things in life are...

Spinning: I’m not one for spending hours in the gym, slogging it out on the running machine just leaves me feeling bored and always as though I could have done better. Spinning is my new work out – I love the fact that for 30 minutes it’s non-stop and by the end of the session you are left feeling exhausted – but in a good way! It’s a great way to build fitness into your life especially if you are always busy and on the go!

Trying new food: I’ve been meaning to try Kale Chips for a while, and this month I found the time to bake some, they were surprisingly tasty and healthy too – the perfect snack!

A Beautiful Mess app: I haven’t found such a fun app in a while, I love being able to create little masterpieces to share with my family and friends. Now with a lot more borders and backgrounds to choose from, I would thoroughly recommend it to those who love photo-sharing apps. To find out more about it, read my earlier blog post here  

I never go on holiday without...

My favourite reading material: Red Magazine, Women’s Health and Zest. Three magazines jam-packed full of inspirational articles, facts and motivational women. Just the things to enjoy while relaxing on the beach, leaving me ready to hit the ground running when holiday time is over!

The social media question I get asked the most is...

‘Should I delete negative comments?’

The answer is a definite no! Social media is a two-way street and as long as you have planned for unwanted situations, then you should be able to resolve any issues efficiently. Social media is a place where brands meet their consumers face-to-face, and if they get this meeting right, it can be such a powerful way of building brand-loyal ambassadors that translate into purchasing product. Therefore accept that negative comments will arise from time to time, but deal with them proactively and ensure the customer has a positive experience. This will allow you to be public with your efficient resolution too – gaining trust in your company long-term.

Jane

The best things in life are...

Jimmy's Iced Coffee from Selfridges (me above drinking it!). It reminds me of days spent on a my favourite Greek beach!

The Happier app, I've banged on a little about it (find out the rating I gave it in my recent blog post here) - but I genuinely love it and so glad to have been able to share it with many others.

Training for the Color Run 5K in July, will it be the 'happiest 5K on the planet'? My legs will tell you afterwards!

I never go on holiday without...

P20 sun protector - it's the only product that doesn't aggravate my prickly heat. Damn you sensitive skin!

The social media question I get asked the most is...

'Should I join all the platforms?'

No but we'd always encourage you to test them out. On a personal level, try them, if you get enjoyment out of using them continue, if not then quit. In terms of when brands ask this question, this is exactly the need for a strategy first - discover where your target market is and join them there. Better to focus on a few key platforms brilliantly than them all half-heartedly.